Episode #134 - Bobby Worthington talks Buck Forecast Part 3

Published: 2022-09-11
Episode page
Duration: 100 min

In this episode

antler-growth

• Bobby explained that the biggest antler-growth stress period for his deer is June through early August, when rain typically stops and vegetation dries up. 36:38
• Bobby said this year’s abundant rain in Tennessee produced excellent antler growth, with trail cameras showing 10-12 inch tines on bucks reaching full potential. 38:06
• Bobby cautioned that even in a strong year, an individual target buck’s rack may be smaller than expected due to factors that happen during the deer’s life. 40:59

big-woods

• Bobby said that when hunting big-woods deer whose bedding is often unknown, hunters can’t tiptoe around them and must set up exactly where needed. 30:27
• Terry asked Bobby about his strategy for hunting big woods where acorns and mast are abundant in every direction. 45:00

bobby-worthington

• Terry recounted that Don said no hunter has been featured in North American Whitetail more than Bobby Worthington. 4:30
• Don said that if forced to name the number one best whitetail bow hunter on the planet, he always says Bobby Worthington. 22:29
• Don said that at one point, seven different bucks Bobby had killed were big enough to be featured in North American Whitetail magazine. 23:29
• Bobby said his two self-authored books are now out of print. 25:29
• Bobby said he’s killed about half the deer he’s had featured in North American Whitetail, with about five taken on public ground in Tennessee or Illinois. 27:36
• Don said Bobby is one of the authors featured in his book Whitetail Real World Whitetail Icons, calling him a true icon. 69:56

buck-behavior

• Don explained that once a mature buck shifts range, it will shift at nearly the same time the following year, typically within about 24 hours. 14:50

buck-management

• Don estimated that only about one in 20 to 25 bucks he starts watching does he ever actually get to hunt and kill. 9:53

buck-potential

• Don noted that young bucks with several small extra points, like one he photographed, can become world-class giants if they survive to five or six years old. 11:39

consultant-age

• Casey Larson asked whether Don believes there should be a minimum age for whitetail hunting consultants, given his past comment about writers needing to be 40. 71:48

consulting

• Don said Bobby’s hunting style fits landowners not just in the Southeast but the hills of southern Ohio up through the East Coast, into Pennsylvania and New York. 32:34
• Bobby said he’s willing to drive a full day to help consulting clients, noting he routinely drives ten to twelve hours for archery tournaments. 61:01
• Bobby recommended keeping 50-75% of rough big-woods property in native habitat rather than heavily manipulating it, since that’s what the deer are used to. 61:51
• Bobby announced hunters can reach him directly by phone for consulting inquiries, giving out his cell number. 63:14
• Don announced that contact info for every Higgins Outdoors team consultant, including Bobby’s phone number and email, is available at higginsoutdoors.com. 64:35
• Bobby said his consulting doesn’t end after laying out a property; he stays available to guide clients through decisions even during hunting season. 65:17

giant-bucks

• Greg Schimbarger asked what strategies Don uses to find his next giant buck during down years — targeting a known giant, or setting up properties and waiting. 90:27

guest-announcement

• Terry announced Bobby Worthington’s segment would be audio-only because of poor internet in Eastern Tennessee, with photos posted for YouTube viewers. 5:08

hunting-permission

• Zach Zimmerman from Kenton, Ohio asked Don how he avoids stepping on other hunters’ toes when seeking new permission while searching for his next giant buck. 82:54

hunting-strategy

• Terry said their strategy is to hunt where other hunters aren’t, because that’s where a mature target buck is more likely to be. 86:46
• Don disagreed with the listener’s assumption, saying his own area gets hunted just as hard as anywhere else. 88:36

hunting-style

• Bobby described splitting his season into two stages, hunting a specific target buck from late October through about November 3-4, then shifting to tight funnels later. 29:04

lesters-feet

• Bobby praised the hosts’ Lester’s Feet program, calling it more valuable and important than killing big bucks. 25:55

mature-bucks

• Don said hunters never get to make the same mistake twice with a mature buck, since it won’t give a second chance. 13:22

parenting

• Bobby said parents who criticize a child’s performance after games end up destroying the child’s happiness during a time in life meant to be enjoyed. 53:52
• Terry invited Bobby to speak freely to the roughly 100,000 listeners for a few minutes on any topic he wanted. 51:33

personal-experience

• Terry shared he’d only hunted once so far this season, passing on four other outings due to bad weather rather than risk spooking his target buck. 19:06

podcast-mission

• Terry said he and Don’s top podcast priority is winning someone to the Lord, with helping a family in need as the secondary goal. 26:29

property-boundaries

• Casey Larson also asked how far a bad neighbor’s human intrusion affects the next property over, and what percent of hunters are givers versus takers. 72:15

record-keeping

• Terry recommended hunters document and take notes on three- and four-year-old bucks every year, regardless of having a target buck, since it pays off in future seasons. 7:45

rut

• Don explained the first ‘homecoming’ window for a buck that vanished from summer range falls around November 7, plus or minus a day. 16:10
• Don said bucks also sometimes make a brief return to their summer range at the tail end of the rut, around Thanksgiving weekend, though not every buck does it. 17:10

schedule

• Don announced he has to drive to Ohio Sunday for a Real World meeting Monday morning, hoping Duane Hopkins can join him. 98:30
• Terry asked listeners to tag Don and him or use the chasing giants hashtag on tasteful harvest photos so the hosts can celebrate with them. 99:09

september-11

• Terry expressed hope that people will teach their children the true meaning of September 11 and keep the day in proper perspective. 1:37

stand-placement

• Bobby recommended staying committed to a well-scouted stand location over a couple of years rather than expecting quick results, since it’s a numbers game. 58:09
• Bobby said a heavy trail alone isn’t significant, but a heavy trail formed because terrain forces deer onto it means everything for stand placement. 59:17

target-buck

• Bobby said when hunting a specific target buck, he won’t shoot any other deer that comes through, considering it luck rather than a legitimate kill. 31:40

tennessee

• Bobby said Tennessee bucks generally run 15-20 inches smaller than Midwest deer of the same age, but predicted a strong season with very nice bucks killed. 40:17
• Terry asked Bobby what the buck crop looks like this year compared to past years, and what trends he’s seeing. 35:11

trail-cameras

• Don shifts his trail cameras each Labor Day from summer feeding areas with bachelor groups to the fall-range properties he has permission to hunt, to monitor buck activity. 6:00
• Don typically doesn’t start closely monitoring an individual buck until it’s about three years old, and pays real attention once it survives gun season as a three-and-a-half-year-old. 9:29
• Don places his trail cameras by July 1 so that by Labor Day he already has good pictures of every buck in the bachelor group before shifting cameras. 12:41
• Terry asked Don how many more trail cameras he still had to move to be ready for the fall shift, and roughly how far along he was. 17:52

trophy-hunting

• Bobby said he’s a trophy hunter who makes no apology for wanting big racks, but stressed hunters shouldn’t lose sight of hunting for enjoyment. 42:07
• Bobby warned that hunting for bragging rights or to out-do others online can lead people into cheating. 43:26

trophy-photos

• Don urged hunters to clean up their deer before taking photos, avoiding bloody gore or hanging tongues, since every photo represents the sport to non-hunters. 95:28
• Terry shared he gets an extra set of taxidermy eyes to keep with his hunting license so his trophy photos never show glazed-over eyes, as a sign of respect. 97:40

work-life-balance

• Terry admitted his job pulls him away at the start of hunting season, but tries not to get mad about it and instead keeps perspective on why he hunts. 20:08

Deer activity

• unnamed buck (history) 7:11
• Mel (history) 8:53
• unnamed buck (trail-camera) 11:09
• unnamed buck (history) 19:26
• Joey Buck (history) 92:27

Listener questions

Question: Terry asked Don how many more trail cameras he still had to move to be ready for the fall shift, and roughly how far along he was. 17:52

• Answer: Don said he still has cameras to put up at his newly purchased Ohio farm, where he plans a food plot, and has no exact count of remaining cameras. 18:28

Question: Terry asked Bobby about his strategy for hunting big woods where acorns and mast are abundant in every direction. 45:00

• Answer: Bobby said food doesn’t matter for big-woods hunting since pressured deer are rarely killed over food; instead he hunts their travel corridors. 46:17

Question: Terry invited Bobby to speak freely to the roughly 100,000 listeners for a few minutes on any topic he wanted. 51:33

• Answer: Bobby said parents must understand that their own passion for hunting isn’t necessarily their child’s passion, and children shouldn’t be pressured to share it. 52:13

Question: Terry asked Bobby what the buck crop looks like this year compared to past years, and what trends he’s seeing. 35:11

• Answer: Bobby said that in a year with rain patterns like this one, he typically expects to see big racks on Tennessee bucks. 36:23

Question: Casey Larson asked whether Don believes there should be a minimum age for whitetail hunting consultants, given his past comment about writers needing to be 40. 71:48 — asked by Casey Larson

• Answer: Don retracted his earlier stance, saying age should be taken out of the equation for consultants and writers, admitting he was wrong to set a 40-year minimum. 74:46

Question: Casey Larson also asked how far a bad neighbor’s human intrusion affects the next property over, and what percent of hunters are givers versus takers. 72:15 — asked by Casey Larson

• Answer: Don said whether a bad neighbor’s activity counts as intrusion depends on the property layout, mattering most when there’s no physical break between the properties. 79:55
• Answer: Don said he can’t give an exact percentage, but in his experience there are far more taker hunters than giver hunters, not even close. 80:46

Question: Zach Zimmerman from Kenton, Ohio asked Don how he avoids stepping on other hunters’ toes when seeking new permission while searching for his next giant buck. 82:54 — asked by Zach Zimmerman

• Answer: Don said his approach is to find where a target buck actually beds and spends its daylight hours, since those spots are typically not where other hunters are. 84:47
• Answer: Don said that, on average, he gives other bowhunters far more respect than they give him, trying to be the bowhunter he wants others to be. 85:47

Question: Greg Schimbarger asked what strategies Don uses to find his next giant buck during down years — targeting a known giant, or setting up properties and waiting. 90:27 — asked by Greg Schimbarger

• Answer: Don said his strategy is finding secluded out-of-the-way pockets other hunters overlooked and placing trail cameras there, which worked near where the Joey Buck turned up. 92:46

Don and Terry hosted Bobby Worthington, discussed audio-only due to poor internet, whose consulting philosophy centered on treating hunting as a numbers game requiring patience with well-scouted stands and travel corridors rather than food sources, since pressured deer are rarely killed over food. Bobby described splitting his season around a target buck before shifting to tight funnels, said he’s a trophy hunter who makes no apology for chasing big racks, but warned against hunting for bragging rights and urged parents not to pressure children into sharing their passion. He noted rain this year produced excellent antler growth on his Tennessee deer, with cameras showing large tines, though Tennessee bucks typically run smaller than Midwest deer. Don covered his Labor Day trail camera shift to fall-range properties, listener questions on hunter etiquette and finding overlooked pockets, and retracted a past comment about age minimums for consultants. Terry opened reflecting on September 11 and shared he’d hunted only once this season.

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