EPISODE #109 SHED HUNTING and LIVE FROM MASTER CLASS #2

Published: 2022-03-20
Episode page
Duration: 100 min

In this episode

b-and-m-venison

• Terry says B and M Custom Venison keeps him supplied with deer sausage and bacon all year. 2:14
• Don says B and M Custom Venison makes some of the best deer products around. 2:33

bow-preference

• Do you prefer hunting with a compound bow or a crossbow? 87:37

buck-maturity

• What’s the biggest behavioral difference as a buck ages from three-and-a-half to six-and-a-half years old? 94:22

carrying-capacity

• How do you determine carrying capacity or how many bucks to allow others to take? 88:18

chandelier

• Terry notes Joe donated the antler chandelier in memory of his father. 16:11
• Joe clarifies he only found the antlers for the chandelier; Richard Owens actually built and donated the chandelier work. 98:59

consulting-memory

• Don says he remembers every property he’s ever visited, even if it takes a moment to recall it. 63:55

doe-harvest

• Is it better to kill does before or after the rut when harvesting for meat? 72:10

duane-hopkins

• Duane Hopkins, the head seedsman of Real World, is present at the event to help answer detailed food plot questions. 1:08
• Don says Duane Hopkins’ knowledge built the company and the team remains forever indebted to him. 1:33

farm-activity

• Does a renter farming in the evenings when deer feed affect hunting that property during the season? 74:47

field-dressing

• Don field dresses his own deer with a favorite skinning knife his daughter gave him about twenty years ago. 87:15
• Where should hunters field dress a deer, on the spot or relocated? 85:16

food-plots

• Terry recommends clover as a low-equipment food plot option that holds up to browse pressure. 84:22
• What food plot products would you recommend for hunters on a low budget? 82:49

goals

• Don attributes his success to slowly raising the bar and refusing to compromise his goals. 30:33

gratitude

• What kind of prayer do the hosts say before or after hunting? 68:56

hill-country

• How do you approach a new hilly property with unpredictable wind while minimizing intrusion? 76:33

human-intrusion

• Don says human intrusion is a killer that ruins more properties than anything else when it comes to mature bucks. 27:24
• What parameters help decide how much human intrusion is acceptable on a smaller property with other goals? 44:58

knife-safety

• Terry recalls his grandfather telling him the most dangerous knife is a dull knife. 87:29

memory-anecdote

• Don relays that his orthodontist client can’t recall patients’ names but remembers every set of teeth he’s seen. 64:07 (light moment)

over-hunting

• How many hunts before you’re over-hunting an open oak-flat property? 52:31

podcast-intro

• Terry introduces the podcast as episode 109, presented before a live crowd at the second Master Class weekend, brought to listeners by ASIO Gear. 0:47

podcast-schedule

• Terry announces the podcast returns next week with one of the last live audiences of the spring. 99:40

public-land

• Don says radio-collared research proves mature bucks don’t change their home range from hunting pressure, though they go more nocturnal. 97:58
• Since Don set a goal to kill a Boone and Crockett buck on public land, has he wavered on that goal? 31:59
• Can you predict a buck’s yearly pattern on heavily pressured public land, or is it a waste of time? 96:39

quietkat

• Don recommends a QuietKat for covering a lot of field edges while shed hunting. 6:42

raffle

• Terry announces the Lester’s Feet raffle website is now officially open for ticket sales. 15:06
• Terry says the raffle has over 75 prizes worth $150,000, including a handcrafted deer shed antler chandelier built by Joe Johnson. 15:56
• Terry announces the Lester’s Feet raffle goes live this weekend with ticket details in the show notes. 99:16

record-keeping

• How do you keep track of all the projects and work done on a property over the years? 59:07

rich-hixson

• Terry introduces Rich Hixson as a Real World dealer from the East Side of Ohio who came to pick up his dealer order. 2:39

shed-hunting

• Don explains they shed hunt the sanctuary once a year, pushing from one direction then circling with trucks to drive deer back in from the other side. 7:45
• How many sheds has Joe found this year so far? 4:15
• Is this shed count a big year so far for Joe? 4:22
• When does Joe actually start looking for sheds? 8:25
• When will Joe stop shed hunting for the season? 8:50

shed-hunting-ethics

• Terry says they’d rather an antler be chewed up and destroyed by rodents than pressure the property trying to find it right away. 9:32
• Don says he’d rather kill that buck than find a shed. 9:42

shed-hunting-history

• Joe recalls that when he started shed hunting fifty years ago, nobody else considered it and people thought he was nuts. 10:18

shed-hunting-technique

• What tips or techniques help find sheds, like gridding or using binoculars? 5:12

stealth

• Don keeps his truck unmarked with no plates or stickers and uses a QuietKat so he can park away from his hunting spot without being noticed. 38:03

stealth-walking

• How do you walk into the forest on crunchy leaves while making less noise? 17:17

timber-management

• Don warns that harvesting timber isn’t destroying habitat but is a crop, no different than harvesting corn, if done the right way. 58:05
• When clearing several acres of timber, should the work be spread over multiple springs or done in one year? 19:16
• Is there a reason to cut a whole five-acre parcel in one year versus doing half now and half later? 20:42
• Would family consistently cutting firewood on 50 of 150 acres push mature bucks off the whole property? 55:09

timber-regeneration

• What plants or shrubs would you plant for cover and browse after cutting an oak flat? 49:39

tree-stand

• What is the best tree species to hunt out of? 73:07

tree-stand-timing

• What is the average time you like to arrive at your tree stand before shooting light? 58:29

tribute

• Terry announces a Mathews-sponsored tribute segment for Mia Thomas of Pennsylvania, who lost her battle with cancer on March 13. 10:55

turkey-hunting

• Can I help remove some turkeys since I haven’t killed my first turkey yet? 48:40

vortex-optics

• Don notes that Joe’s Vortex Optics binoculars and the QuietKat are useful sponsor tools for covering ground while shed hunting. 6:36

wind

• Are you worried about your scent blowing into a cornfield or neighbor’s woods where a buck could smell you? 90:46

Deer activity

• Joey Buck (harvest) 3:36
• unnamed buck (trail-camera) 3:49
• unnamed buck (management) 9:20
• unnamed buck (management) 35:38

Listener questions

Question: How many sheds has Joe found this year so far? 4:15

• Answer: Joe has found 44 sheds so far this year. 4:19

Question: Is this shed count a big year so far for Joe? 4:22

• Answer: Joe says February was his best month, getting 32 sheds early due to a cold spell pushing deer onto a good food source. 4:26

Question: What tips or techniques help find sheds, like gridding or using binoculars? 5:12

• Answer: Joe says he’s an edge person who focuses on field edges and rarely searches deep timber. 5:40

Question: When does Joe actually start looking for sheds? 8:25

• Answer: Joe targets the first or second week of February to start shed hunting. 8:30

Question: When will Joe stop shed hunting for the season? 8:50

• Answer: Joe says warm weather like a 70-degree day already slows his shed hunting down. 8:53

Question: How do you walk into the forest on crunchy leaves while making less noise? 17:17

• Answer: Don says he moves slowly, working his foot into the leaves gradually instead of stomping. 17:47

Question: When clearing several acres of timber, should the work be spread over multiple springs or done in one year? 19:16 — asked by Jerry

• Answer: Don says to get the project done all at once and then stay out of the area. 20:01

Question: Is there a reason to cut a whole five-acre parcel in one year versus doing half now and half later? 20:42

• Answer: Don says he stages timber cuts about every five years so regrowth is at varied stages. 21:01

Question: Since Don set a goal to kill a Boone and Crockett buck on public land, has he wavered on that goal? 31:59 — asked by Eric

• Answer: Don says the public land giant goal has never left him and this may be the year it happens. 34:28

Question: How do you approach a new hilly property with unpredictable wind while minimizing intrusion? 76:33 — asked by Rich Hixson

• Answer: Don says to locate the pockets of concentrated deer activity and separate them from low-activity areas. 77:34

Question: What parameters help decide how much human intrusion is acceptable on a smaller property with other goals? 44:58 — asked by Wes Whitetail

• Answer: Don says the smaller the property, the more critical it is to minimize human intrusion since there’s little room for error. 45:50

Question: Is it better to kill does before or after the rut when harvesting for meat? 72:10

• Answer: Don prefers to wait until after the rut, in the late season, to shoot does. 72:57

Question: What is the best tree species to hunt out of? 73:07

• Answer: Don likes oak species like pin oak and shingle oak because they hold their leaves through winter for concealment. 73:27

Question: Does a renter farming in the evenings when deer feed affect hunting that property during the season? 74:47

• Answer: Don says deer recognize farm equipment as normal activity rather than a threat, so it shouldn’t hurt hunting. 74:58

Question: Would family consistently cutting firewood on 50 of 150 acres push mature bucks off the whole property? 55:09

• Answer: Don says it likely won’t push deer off the whole 150 acres if they weren’t using all of it anyway. 55:35

Question: What plants or shrubs would you plant for cover and browse after cutting an oak flat? 49:39

• Answer: Don says you don’t need to plant anything after a cut; just get sunlight to the ground and existing seed will regenerate. 52:07

Question: How many hunts before you’re over-hunting an open oak-flat property? 52:31

• Answer: Don says it’s better to err on the side of caution than push too far and run the deer off. 53:08

Question: What food plot products would you recommend for hunters on a low budget? 82:49 — asked by Rich Hixson

• Answer: Don says oats are the easiest low-cost crop to grow. 83:10
• Answer: Duane recommends winter-green brassica blends as a low-budget, high-return cold-weather crop. 84:15

Question: Where should hunters field dress a deer, on the spot or relocated? 85:16 — asked by Rich Hixson

• Answer: Don hauls deer near a water hydrant to clean up rather than field dressing in place. 85:33

Question: Do you prefer hunting with a compound bow or a crossbow? 87:37

• Answer: The answer given is a preference for a compound bow. 87:53

Question: How do you determine carrying capacity or how many bucks to allow others to take? 88:18 — asked by Chad Belter

• Answer: Don says his property never nears carrying capacity because surrounding ag fields give deer other food options. 88:40

Question: Are you worried about your scent blowing into a cornfield or neighbor’s woods where a buck could smell you? 90:46 — asked by Jason

• Answer: Don says every detail of wind and setup is calculated in advance, which changes the outcome. 94:15

Question: What’s the biggest behavioral difference as a buck ages from three-and-a-half to six-and-a-half years old? 94:22

• Answer: Don says older bucks move far less in daylight and only make calculated moves, requiring calculated hunting moves in return. 95:30

Question: Can you predict a buck’s yearly pattern on heavily pressured public land, or is it a waste of time? 96:39 — asked by Jerry

• Answer: Don says research shows bucks don’t change home range from pressure, though they become more nocturnal. 97:58

Question: What is the average time you like to arrive at your tree stand before shooting light? 58:29 — asked by Eric

• Answer: Don likes to arrive twenty to thirty minutes before shooting light. 58:49

Question: How do you keep track of all the projects and work done on a property over the years? 59:07

• Answer: Don keeps no formal program; it’s continual observation, adding needed tasks to an ongoing to-do list. 59:37

Question: What kind of prayer do the hosts say before or after hunting? 68:56

• Answer: Joe says he thanks the Lord for opportunity, health, and the day. 69:01
• Answer: Don thanks God for the passion for deer hunting and for letting his dream of making a living at it come true. 69:12

Question: Can I help remove some turkeys since I haven’t killed my first turkey yet? 48:40

• Answer: Terry says Joe Johnson has first dibs on a turkey there, and the asker can be second. 48:51

Sponsors this episode

• BuyAFarm.com

The episode, recorded live at a Master Class weekend, mixed sponsor mentions with hunting advice and listener questions. Don discussed minimizing human intrusion as the biggest threat to mature bucks, staging timber cuts roughly every five years, and citing research that pressured bucks don’t leave their home range but go more nocturnal. He described his careful scent and wind planning, his preference for oak species for concealment, and his goal of killing a public-land Boone and Crockett buck. Joe shared shed-hunting habits, including 44 sheds found so far and a best month of 32 during a February cold spell. Duane Hopkins fielded a food-plot budget question, recommending winter-green brassica blends. Terry announced the Lester’s Feet raffle, featuring a shed-antler chandelier Joe Johnson found and Richard Owens built, and a tribute to Mia Thomas. Joe and Don each offered a short prayer of thanks.

Unofficial fan project. AI-synthesized from public episodes; may contain errors.