Episode 184 - the new G Series no till drill from PH Outdoors.

Published: 2023-08-27
Episode page
Duration: 81 min

In this episode

apple-piles

• Grant asked whether putting out large piles of apples to attract deer, before his fruit trees start producing, is a good practice or has downsides. 55:24

ata-show

• Paul Hollis recalled his first ATA trade show in 2014 or 2015 exceeded expectations and drew strong buzz from hunters he admired. 37:30

chasing-giants-tv

• Terry announced the Chasing Giants TV YouTube channel will begin posting a weekly prayer video every Sunday around 7pm eastern. 45:43

faith

• Dakota Ron asked whether it’s okay to hunt and work on Sundays given the biblical instruction to rest and keep the seventh day holy. 61:25

family-news

• Terry announced that Don is expecting his third grandchild at the end of the week, prompting the earlier recording schedule. 1:07
• Don thanked listeners for messages praying for an easy delivery and healthy baby as he awaits his third grandchild. 1:16

food-plot-equipment

• Don built a custom front-mounted sprayer with an in-cab toggle switch so he could spray and plant his food plots in a single pass. 13:18

food-plot-mixes

• Don said he broadcasts his plot topper mix and drills the harvest salad blend over top to keep small seeds from separating in the hopper. 26:17

g-series-drill

• Paul Hollis explained the new g-series hopper is taller and narrower than before to prevent seed bridging and improve dispersion. 17:00
• Paul Hollis said hopper dividers keep seed from shifting to one side of the drill as it empties, so all planting elements keep working evenly. 18:56
• Paul Hollis said a tow kit lets people use a bigger drill on a smaller tractor since three-point drills otherwise need adequate tractor size. 21:17
• Paul Hollis said the new front cutters pre-open tough soil and standing vegetation ahead of the disc, though they’re optional and can be added later. 22:11
• Paul Hollis said the small seed box lets growers plant seed at two different depths in one pass, a feature used more in pasture renovation than food plotting. 24:45
• Paul Hollis announced PH Outdoors is developing a native seed box expected to be available by spring. 25:26
• Paul Hollis said the g-series comes in four widths, g3, g5, g8, and g10, all using add-on weight kits instead of separate heavy and light versions. 27:20
• Paul Hollis said testing showed added weight, not disc changes, is what actually creates the cutting power needed for hard soil or heavy vegetation. 27:46
• Paul Hollis said the redesigned d-shackle is heavier and secured with a bolt and nut so it no longer works loose and fails like on the old machines. 28:58
• Paul Hollis said the seed hopper’s plastic elements were changed from black to white so dark seeds are easier to see inside. 31:01

hunters-bash

• Terry announced the fifth annual Hunters Bash in Napanee, Indiana on September 12, requiring RSVP by September 1. 6:44

hunting-knowledge

• Damon Marling asked what percentage of Don’s hunting knowledge came from others versus himself, whether he’s learned from consultants like Grant Woods, and whether amateurs ever taught him something. 66:36

mens-retreat

• Terry joked that Al Foster is running a kissing booth at the men’s retreat to attract female attendees. 5:50 (light moment)

mentorship

• Don credited longtime friend Al Foster with saving him at least a decade on the learning curve of hunting mature bucks, starting the first summer they met. 77:06

no-till-drilling

• Don said switching to a no-till drill eliminated tillage steps and cut weed pressure by not turning up new weed seeds. 12:44

ph-outdoors

• Paul Hollis said PH Outdoors was born when his old company stopped wanting to build the drills, so he started a new brand while keeping parts compatible with the old machines. 10:38
• Paul Hollis said the rumor that PH Outdoors drills are made in China is false, noting production has moved to Ohio and Europe. 15:55

property-access

• Ben from Minerva, Ohio asked what good property access actually looks like, since people say it’s key but rarely describe it concretely. 72:07

real-world-wildlife

• Terry recalled that he and Don first met during Real World’s transition from the old drill company to a new one. 32:08

scarecrow-decoy

• Ron Eddinger asked whether a human-shaped scarecrow in a tree stand to acclimate deer to a human silhouette is a good idea or a waste of time. 43:15

scrape-trees

• Steve Sheber asked whether Don creates scrape trees near his stand or blind, what design he’d use, whether he’d put a trail camera on them, and if cellular cameras help. 49:01

speaking-engagement

• Don announced he will speak at a men’s retreat at Solid Rock Chapel’s September 15 event at Whitley Creek Recreation Area on Lake Shelbyville. 2:59

switchgrass

• Don said he got fantastic switchgrass germination and seeding results using the regular seed box instead of the small seed box. 23:50

turkey-hunting

• Terry joked that Al Foster would stay healthy enough to turkey hunt this fall as long as he avoided catching a fever blister from his kissing booth. 76:27 (light moment)

whitetail-life

• Don said he pulled Al out of retirement to write for the new Whitetail Life magazine. 79:34
• Don announced Whitetail Life magazine’s first issue, featuring an article from Al, will be out around October 1. 79:16

whitetail-master-academy

• Terry proposed a Whitetail Master Academy video series where Al comes on camera to walk through his old hunting-publication articles. 78:14

wildlifefarming

• Don said he is also a WildlifeFarming dealer for the new drill and had already sold three units in about a week. 40:04

Listener questions

Question: Ron Eddinger asked whether a human-shaped scarecrow in a tree stand to acclimate deer to a human silhouette is a good idea or a waste of time. 43:15 — asked by Ron Eddinger

• Answer: Don recommended against the scarecrow trick, saying deer should never see a human silhouette, and hiding the tree stand better would work far better than trying to acclimate them to one. 44:18
• Answer: Terry added that mature bucks get few chances, so once spooked by something they dislike, gimmicks like a scarecrow are unlikely to work on them. 44:55

Question: Steve Sheber asked whether Don creates scrape trees near his stand or blind, what design he’d use, whether he’d put a trail camera on them, and if cellular cameras help. 49:01 — asked by Steve Sheber

• Answer: Don said cut scrape trees work somewhat, but he prefers Wes Delks’ approach of planting live shingle oaks near stands since bucks scrape under them without needing replacement. 50:05
• Answer: Don said he prefers keeping trail cameras away from stand sites since mature bucks often avoid walking in front of a camera, and less intrusion works better there. 52:29

Question: Grant asked whether putting out large piles of apples to attract deer, before his fruit trees start producing, is a good practice or has downsides. 55:24 — asked by Grant Nicodemus

• Answer: Don said apple piles are a great way to set a property apart from surrounding ones and recommended continuing the practice. 55:59

Question: Dakota Ron asked whether it’s okay to hunt and work on Sundays given the biblical instruction to rest and keep the seventh day holy. 61:25 — asked by Dakota Ron

• Answer: Don said hunting isn’t work to him, and he can rest in a deer stand just as much as on a couch at home. 61:55
• Answer: Don added that he makes it a point never to miss church in order to go hunting. 63:48

Question: Damon Marling asked what percentage of Don’s hunting knowledge came from others versus himself, whether he’s learned from consultants like Grant Woods, and whether amateurs ever taught him something. 66:36 — asked by Damon Marling

• Answer: Don estimated it’s roughly fifty-fifty between his own experience and lessons learned from others. 66:42
• Answer: Don said he doesn’t follow consultants like Grant Woods, Tony Pratt, or Jeff Sturgis, though a comment from Tony Pratt once got him thinking about his own experience. 67:28
• Answer: Don said he has learned a great deal from amateur hunters and consulting clients over the years. 70:55

Question: Ben from Minerva, Ohio asked what good property access actually looks like, since people say it’s key but rarely describe it concretely. 72:07 — asked by Ben

• Answer: Don said good access means being able to enter and exit a property, especially reaching stands or plots, without alerting deer along the way. 73:26
• Answer: Terry added that good access means staying downwind of bedding so deer only smell the safe direction while the hunter’s scent blows away from their travel routes. 74:14

Sponsors this episode

• BuyAFarm.com

Paul Hollis of PH Outdoors joined Don and Terry to detail the new g-series no-till drill line, covering hopper redesigns to prevent seed bridging, dividers to keep planting elements working evenly, an optional tow kit for smaller tractors, front cutters for tough soil, and a sturdier bolted d-shackle. Hollis denied rumors the drills are made in China, saying production moved to Ohio and Europe, and said a native seed box is coming by spring. Don described his own no-till switch cutting weed pressure, a custom front-mounted sprayer for one-pass spraying and planting, strong switchgrass results using the regular seed box, and having sold three units as a dealer in about a week. Listener questions covered avoiding scarecrow decoys, planting live scrape trees instead of cut ones, apple piles, hunting on Sundays, learning roughly equally from personal experience and others, and what good property access requires.

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