Episode #105 Live from Shipshewana, IN - 2 Episodes in One!

Published: 2022-02-20 Episode page Duration: 142 min

In this episode

antler-strength

• Eli Beachy asked whether antler strength differs year to year, noting more busted antlers this year. 15:51

buck-culling

• Don’s culling method targets the four worst three-year-old bucks each year, letting the two biggest ones live to mature further. 119:53
• Don said on his 120-acre farm they shoot at minimum four to eight bucks per year, mostly age three and older. 123:33

buck-doe-ratio

• John Miller asked what buck-to-doe ratio Don maintains and whether too many does is a problem. 129:46

bucket-list

• Israel Yoder asked whether Don has a bucket list of hunts outside whitetail deer. 108:48

callery-pear

• A listener asked whether Bradford pears spreading in fence rows are a problem to cut or good for wildlife. 35:13

consulting-critique

• Damon Marling asked how far to go creating deer trails, referencing a ‘spokes on a wheel’ technique. 31:57

cwd

• Don personally suspects nutrition, rather than sharpshooting, may be the real answer to CWD. 3:57
• Don found additional UK research showing certain mineral deficiencies in the soil in areas where CWD cases were found. 4:09

cwd-politics

• An audience member asked how long it will take politics to admit they were wrong about CWD given the humic acid research. 24:28

debate-reflection

• Aiden Miller asked if Don would answer anything differently from last night’s debate. 134:58

deer-drives

• Don called deer drives a killing tactic requiring zero skill and said he wishes they were outlawed along with mechanical broadheads. 118:21

deer-funneling

• A listener asked if building a bridge over a muddy creek crossing would help concentrate deer movement. 40:56

deer-hunting-method

• Don noted his top six bucks were killed on five different properties, showing his management method works on any land. 137:35

deer-management

• Larry Beachy asked how long Don managed his wild deer population before starting to cull younger bucks. 21:48

deer-patterns

• Justine asked when deer switch from fall/winter patterns to summer patterns. 91:36

dogs

• A listener asked what mature bucks think about dogs on a property. 52:48

episode-announcement

• Terry noted this is episode 105, broadcast live from Shipshewana, Indiana. 0:52

family-illness

• The widow’s young son was found to have the same autoimmune disease that killed his father. 11:36

family-priorities

• Don said his family mattered more than his biggest bucks and he would walk away from deer hunting for them. 84:23

food-plot-comfort

• Parker Yoder asked how long it takes deer to get comfortable using a new small food plot. 112:03

food-plot-cover

• A listener asked what to do with a 17-acre field surrounded by no woods to hold deer. 17:47

food-plot-logs

• Alex Burrow asked whether large bucks avoid food plots with logs piled on the edges. 37:09

food-plot-shape

• A listener asked Don’s favorite shape for a food plot. 73:52

food-plots

• A listener asked Don why he advocates for large food plots rather than smaller ones. 26:10

fundraising

• Terry announced that all money raised through Lester’s Feet at the event will stay in the community to help the widow’s family of three kids. 12:20

great-debate

• Terry announced tomorrow night is the Great Debate with Tony LaPratt. 6:27
• Audio and video of the debate event will be released later, since the event promoters hold the rights to it. 7:02
• The Great Debate idea began a year earlier when promoters pitched it to Don at his booth, and he agreed. 10:27

gun-season

• Wes Delks said his first executive order as president would be to move gun season out of the rut. 2:11 (light moment)

humic-acid

• The humic acid video Terry and Don posted drew over 5,000 views within a couple of days. 2:36
• A Michigan study on captive deer showed positive results using humic acid related to CWD. 3:24

humic-acid-video

• Terry said multiple listeners told him the humic acid video will not come up in a YouTube search even with the exact title. 5:47

invasive-cover

• A listener asked about using a forestry mulcher to create a spider-web trail network through thick invasive cover. 68:20

lesters-feet

• Money raised at the Great Debate event was designated for a charity Don chose, Lester’s Feet. 10:58
• Terry asked attendees to take Lester’s Feet cards and write handwritten encouragement notes to mail to the foundation for sick kids. 13:09
• Chris Yates and Bryhn Craft donated a new truck as a raffle prize for Lester’s Feet. 14:03
• A 30x40 material kit for a post frame building was donated as a raffle prize. 14:08
• A brand new John Deere 1025R tractor with a loader was donated to the Lester’s Feet raffle. 14:17
• The Lester’s Feet prize package was up to over $125,000 and still growing. 14:26
• A podcast listener from Vermont called in to donate a gallon of maple syrup as a raffle prize. 14:40
• Terry gave a raffle update: prizes now total around $130,000, including a tractor, truck, and building material kit. 90:14

mechanical-broadheads

• A listener jokingly asked if Don would rather promote mechanical broadheads or vote to reelect Biden. 53:48
• John Yoder asked whether mechanical broadheads suit better shooters than fixed blades. 125:14

nancy-pelosi-joke

• A listener jokingly asked which consultant Nancy Pelosi would hire if she were a deer hunter. 50:07

neighbor-dogs

• A listener asked the polite way to keep neighbors’ dogs off one’s property. 51:53

nfl

• Don criticized the NFL in a Super Bowl Sunday social media post and got backlash, banning three people from his page. 7:30
• Despite criticizing the NFL, Don ended up doing a land consulting visit on an NFL player’s property that same week. 7:44
• Don stated the NFL as an organization has done disgusting things and taken terrible stands on some topics. 9:05

podcast-origin

• Terry recalled saying no to Don’s podcast idea seven times before finally agreeing. 86:09

podcast-values

• Don said the podcast openly takes a stand on politics and Christianity, which some people dislike. 85:25

politics

• An audience member asked why Don doesn’t run for president. 20:28

property-lines

• John Yoder asked how to keep other hunters off his property line. 96:06

raffle

• Lester’s Feet raffle ticket sales will begin around March 1. 13:53

saddle-hunting

• John Yoder asked Don’s opinion on saddle hunting. 96:16

sanctuary-design

• Nathan Matter asked how close a sanctuary can be to a building. 93:28

tony-lapratt

• Don said that despite disagreeing with him on deer hunting philosophy, Tony LaPratt is a first-class gentleman he respects greatly. 87:19

topography

• Terry asked whether region (north-south) and flat vs rolling topography change Don’s cover recommendation. 18:42

trail-cameras

• Luke Burrow asked about trail camera setups, timing, and tips to improve performance. 58:37

trail-creation

• A listener asked how to keep deer from using the same access trail a hunter uses to reach a stand. 77:01

travel-corridors

• Parker Yoder asked how close travel corridors can be to a building or house. 139:16

tree-planting

• A listener asked what tree Don would plant in open logged areas. 42:27

tree-saddle-joke

• Terry joked that a photo of him hanging from a tree safety harness was taken shortly after taking pain medication for knee surgery. 111:07 (light moment)

widow-family

• Terry revealed they’d learned about a local widow, living under forty minutes away, whose husband recently passed away. 11:12

wind

• A listener asked whether hunting in a slight breeze is better than a dead calm day. 56:48

wind-direction

• A listener asked if Don has a favorite wind direction to hunt. 57:50

yearling-bucks

• Ray Miller asked whether a land manager can do anything to attract and keep yearling bucks. 101:13
• Paul Troyer asked whether he should have shot a doe with triplet button bucks to keep them around. 113:24

Deer activity

• Smokey (harvest) 23:16
• Mel (harvest) 23:23
• Smokey (hunt) 38:13
• unnamed buck (harvest) 38:46
• unnamed buck (history) 118:50
• unnamed buck (hunt) 140:39

Listener questions

Question: Eli Beachy asked whether antler strength differs year to year, noting more busted antlers this year. 15:51 — asked by Eli Beachy

• Answer: Don believes wetter years produce weaker antlers. 16:15
• Answer: Don cited biologist Lee Mitchell’s finding that the 2012 drought significantly reduced antler quality and body weights. 17:01

Question: A listener asked what to do with a 17-acre field surrounded by no woods to hold deer. 17:47

• Answer: Don said cover must be created, recommending fast-growing native grasses and Miscanthus for quicker cover, or trees/shrubs if there’s time to wait. 17:52

Question: Terry asked whether region (north-south) and flat vs rolling topography change Don’s cover recommendation. 18:42

• Answer: Don said trees and shrubs, especially conifers, become a bigger advantage the farther north you go. 19:02

Question: An audience member asked why Don doesn’t run for president. 20:28

• Answer: Don joked he couldn’t win dog catcher in his own hometown. 20:32
• Answer: Don joked that as president for a week he’d eliminate the COVID vaccine and doctor Fauci. 20:42

Question: Larry Beachy asked how long Don managed his wild deer population before starting to cull younger bucks. 21:48 — asked by Larry Beachy

• Answer: Don has managed his property for whitetails for about thirty years, culling hard for roughly the last ten. 22:22
• Answer: An EHD outbreak in 2012 wiped out about 75% of Don’s local deer herd. 23:00
• Answer: After the herd rebounded with better genetics, Don shot Smokey (206 inches) in 2017 and Mel (221 inches) in 2020. 23:16

Question: An audience member asked how long it will take politics to admit they were wrong about CWD given the humic acid research. 24:28

• Answer: Don clarified whether the question meant realizing they were wrong versus admitting it. 24:57
• Answer: Don said politicians will never admit they’re wrong and probably already know it. 25:06

Question: A listener asked Don why he advocates for large food plots rather than smaller ones. 26:10

• Answer: Don compares food plots to restaurants for people. 27:23
• Answer: A small food plot is like a fast-food restaurant with little pulling power, unlike a large one. 27:31
• Answer: On 200 acres, Don likes to see a couple of 10-acre food plots. 28:08

Question: Alex Burrow asked whether large bucks avoid food plots with logs piled on the edges. 37:09 — asked by Alex Burrow

• Answer: Don said buck personalities vary widely; his buck Smokey was the easiest he’s ever hunted. 38:13
• Answer: Don knew he’d kill Smokey and did so on the second hunt after seeing him on the first. 38:23

Question: A listener asked whether Bradford pears spreading in fence rows are a problem to cut or good for wildlife. 35:13

• Answer: Don said callery/Bradford pears are invasive and choke out native vegetation. 35:52

Question: Damon Marling asked how far to go creating deer trails, referencing a ‘spokes on a wheel’ technique. 31:57 — asked by Damon Marling

• Answer: Don criticized a ‘spokes on a wheel’ setup he saw because no wind direction could work correctly for the blind’s placement. 33:40

Question: A listener asked if building a bridge over a muddy creek crossing would help concentrate deer movement. 40:56

• Answer: Don strongly recommended funneling deer movement any way possible. 41:03
• Answer: Don confirmed a bridge through a swamp will funnel deer right past a stand. 41:30

Question: A listener asked what tree Don would plant in open logged areas. 42:27

• Answer: Don would primarily plant swamp white oaks. 42:46

Question: A listener asked the polite way to keep neighbors’ dogs off one’s property. 51:53

• Answer: Don said there is no nice way to do it. 52:14
• Answer: Don said even without doing anything, if a dog goes missing you’ll be blamed. 52:29

Question: A listener asked what mature bucks think about dogs on a property. 52:48

• Answer: Don said dogs are worse for a property than human intrusion, the single worst thing. 52:51
• Answer: Don said even a tiny dog walking near captive deer sends them into a panic, unlike a coyote. 53:20

Question: A listener jokingly asked if Don would rather promote mechanical broadheads or vote to reelect Biden. 53:48

• Answer: Don said there’s no way he’s voting for Joe Biden. 54:48
• Answer: Don said the mechanical broadhead issue comes down to the ethical duty to kill animals quickly and humanely. 54:52

Question: A listener asked whether hunting in a slight breeze is better than a dead calm day. 56:48

• Answer: Don said there is an advantage to wind, and he doesn’t want a dead calm day. 56:58

Question: A listener asked if Don has a favorite wind direction to hunt. 57:50

• Answer: Don’s favorite is an east wind, which brings a weather front and produces some of his best hunts, especially early November. 57:57

Question: Luke Burrow asked about trail camera setups, timing, and tips to improve performance. 58:37 — asked by Luke Burrow

• Answer: Don said a mature buck will go far out of his way to walk through an open gate rather than jump a fence. 60:01
• Answer: Don called trail cameras the biggest game changer in his forty-plus years of deer hunting. 63:38
• Answer: Terry said handling cameras roughly, like tossing them in a backpack in the cold, would upset Steve Shields, stressing careful camera care. 64:07

Question: A listener asked about using a forestry mulcher to create a spider-web trail network through thick invasive cover. 68:20

• Answer: Don said without seeing the property it’s hard to advise, but invasives are a never-ending battle. 68:41

Question: A listener asked Don’s favorite shape for a food plot. 73:52

• Answer: Don prefers long, narrow plots sized so he never has to shoot his bow farther than 30 yards. 74:04

Question: A listener asked how to keep deer from using the same access trail a hunter uses to reach a stand. 77:01

• Answer: Don warned that creating too obvious a trail to a stand causes deer to start using it too. 77:14

Question: A listener jokingly asked which consultant Nancy Pelosi would hire if she were a deer hunter. 50:07

• Answer: Don joked he’d let Tony LaPratt take that client. 50:32

Question: Justine asked when deer switch from fall/winter patterns to summer patterns. 91:36 — asked by Justine

• Answer: Don said he’s found bucks already back in summer bachelor areas with new antler growth as early as March. 92:11

Question: Nathan Matter asked how close a sanctuary can be to a building. 93:28 — asked by Nathan Matter

• Answer: Don said he has laid out sanctuaries going right up to buildings on small properties. 93:47
• Answer: Don also uses old buildings as blinds, baiting does outside and shooting from a window to protect buck stands. 94:22

Question: John Yoder asked how to keep other hunters off his property line. 96:06 — asked by John Yoder

• Answer: Don said he hasn’t had much trouble because his neighbors know he makes his living from deer hunting and look out for him. 99:19

Question: John Yoder asked Don’s opinion on saddle hunting. 96:16 — asked by John Yoder

• Answer: Terry said he’d never hunt from a saddle himself. 96:40
• Answer: Terry said he has no problem with others who choose to saddle hunt. 97:53

Question: Ray Miller asked whether a land manager can do anything to attract and keep yearling bucks. 101:13 — asked by Ray Miller

• Answer: Don said quality habitat and food attracts the doe herd, which in turn attracts young bucks, though some just lock into a secure sanctuary. 101:30

Question: Israel Yoder asked whether Don has a bucket list of hunts outside whitetail deer. 108:48 — asked by Israel Yoder

• Answer: Don’s remaining bucket-list goal is to kill a giant whitetail on public land. 110:02

Question: John Yoder asked whether mechanical broadheads suit better shooters than fixed blades. 125:14 — asked by John Yoder

• Answer: Don said mechanicals are for hunters lacking the discipline or skill to get closer to a buck. 125:41

Question: John Miller asked what buck-to-doe ratio Don maintains and whether too many does is a problem. 129:46 — asked by John Miller

• Answer: Don said too many does can be a problem elsewhere, but his low-deer-density area has never required worrying about ratio. 129:54

Question: Aiden Miller asked if Don would answer anything differently from last night’s debate. 134:58 — asked by Aiden Miller

• Answer: Don said he wished he’d plugged his own Whitetail Master Course more, alongside Tony’s class. 135:30

Question: Parker Yoder asked how close travel corridors can be to a building or house. 139:16 — asked by Parker Yoder

• Answer: Don recalled a buck bolting from an old barn’s sliding door when he walked around the corner, startling him and causing a missed shot. 140:39

Question: Parker Yoder asked how long it takes deer to get comfortable using a new small food plot. 112:03 — asked by Parker Yoder

• Answer: Don said comfort time depends on security; deer feel secure and hit a plot almost immediately if human intrusion is low. 112:18

Question: Paul Troyer asked whether he should have shot a doe with triplet button bucks to keep them around. 113:24 — asked by Paul Troyer

• Answer: Don cited research by Dr. Carl Miller at the University of Georgia on button buck dispersal. 113:39
• Answer: That research found bucks typically disperse five to twenty miles from their birthplace. 114:02
• Answer: If the mother doe is killed, 90% of the time her buck fawns stay near where they were born, so Don confirmed Paul should have shot that doe. 114:26

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