Episode #191 - Babe Out In Daylight - Giant Corn Yields for Food Plotters

Published: 2023-10-15 Episode page Duration: 82 min

In this episode

antler-score

• Don estimates Babe will score within about two inches of the 180-inch mark. 5:53

bow-hunting

• Would you draw on a target buck near an unaware doe, risking her spooking and ruining the shot? 34:59

brenton-usa

• Terry recommends the Brenton USA precision rifle as a fantastic, worthwhile piece of equipment. 33:10

buck-management

• Don set a rule that his grandsons could shoot any buck except four specific off-limits deer he had designated before the hunt. 3:37
• Don plans to get Babe removed or killed before November 1, ahead of the rut. 7:16

career-advice

• As a 16-year-old chasing a mega giant, how can I get my name out to bigger hunting brands? 71:39

career-change

• Terry announces his wife was hired to lead sales at the Ponder family’s multi-state Cornerstone Equipment dealership group. 25:00
• Terry announces he will run Cornerstone Equipment’s operations and work alongside his wife every day, ending his prior travel-heavy role. 26:49
• Terry acknowledges his new job, starting two weeks before the rut, will significantly limit how much he can hunt this year. 80:28
• Don predicts Terry’s career change will ultimately have a bigger positive impact on his hunting life than negative. 81:11

chemo

• During her first chemo round, Andrea reportedly felt sick for about a week and then felt good for about a week. 19:16
• Andrea is scheduled to begin her third round of chemo on the coming Monday. 19:30

deer-baiting

• Don notes some bait products are intentionally designed to help hunters break baiting laws without getting caught. 43:29
• Why are retail stores in Illinois allowed to sell deer bait when baiting is illegal to use there? 39:32

ethics

• Terry says ultimately it comes down to every listener personally choosing to do the right thing regarding baiting laws. 42:56

experience

• Don’s grandson brought a straight-wall cartridge rifle on a hunt, giving Don his first firsthand look at it. 33:25

family

• Don’s hunting time this week is limited because he has to take his daughter Andrea to chemo on Monday. 7:25
• Terry announces his mom was hospitalized for over a week but is now home and doing much better. 15:05

harvest

• Ohio hunter Drake Miller harvested a giant 14-point buck with drop tines and sticker points while wearing ASIO gear. 16:00
• Terry congratulates Real World Dream Team member Mark Lester for harvesting the target buck he had hunted since opening season. 70:39

human-intrusion

• Don reflects that he didn’t understand the importance of avoiding human intrusion back then, likely bumping the deer he pursued. 68:26

hunting-industry

• Don says most people working the hunting industry, even at major trade shows, have other full-time jobs and treat it as a side gig. 76:45
• Don shares he was well into his fifties before making his entire living from the hunting industry. 76:54
• Terry admits that if people knew how much he and Don actually spend on hunting each year it would be shocking. 79:02

hunting-philosophy

• Don reflects that no matter how high expectations are, hunting offers no guarantees, even on a great property. 12:39

illinois-hunting-regs

• The Illinois youth hunting tag purchased by the boys is also valid for the November gun season. 10:33

logging

• Do you have a preference on when logging is done on a property? 45:18

memorable-hunts

• Don recalls hearing two sparring bucks’ antlers crash so violently it sounded like baseball bats smacking together. 67:42
• Do you two have any hunts or bucks that still haunt you? 63:18

mentorship

• Don notes hunters he’s mentored for years, once all ears and fully bought in, are now consistently shooting good deer. 63:54

nutricrave-corn

• Don describes NutriCrave corn as taking on a life of its own, drawing major outside interest. 47:58
• Don announces next year’s NutriCrave corn will come in two maturities, a 100-day and a 112-day variety. 50:25
• Don asserts deer can tell the difference between genetically modified and non-GMO corn or soybeans. 60:02
• Why did Real World undersell NutriCrave corn’s actual yield potential? 52:45
• Can you explain what makes NutriCrave both a hybrid and non-GMO? 56:09

real-world-whitetails

• Terry predicts new Real World Whitetails dealers will open in his region before next hunting season. 30:06
• Real World Whitetails plans to add better herbicide education content on their new website. 61:32
• Mark Lester planted a plot of Real World soybeans specifically targeting the buck he eventually harvested. 71:00

sponsorship

• Terry announces Nick Carpenter, featured on the podcast last week, is a new sponsor offering a coupon code. 32:06

target-buck

• Don states nothing would have made him happier than seeing his grandsons shoot the big bucks themselves. 13:48
• How did the youth season go with the boys? 1:08
• Were the boys just hoping to kill a good deer, or were they hunting a specific target buck? 2:32

trail-camera

• Don’s target buck Babe appeared on trail camera before dark for three straight days right before gun season started. 1:26

tree-stand-setup

• Terry recommends adding structure like a felled tree or short fence section near tree stands to funnel deer closer for better shots. 38:34
• Why are close bow shots so important, and how should stands be set up to stay hidden? 36:41

weather

• What were the weather conditions during the youth hunt? 4:13

whitetail-master-academy

• Don posted a Whitetail Master Academy video showing every buck on his farm, including Babe and the off-limits young bucks. 9:03

youth-hunt

• Don’s grandson Walker reportedly saw 17 does and two or three bucks on the first night of the youth hunt. 4:03

Deer activity

• Babe (trail-camera) 1:26
• Babe (sighting) 5:28
• unnamed buck (harvest) 16:00
• unnamed buck (harvest) 63:25
• unnamed buck (harvest) 64:04
• Cedar House buck (history) 64:27
• unnamed buck (hunt) 67:31
• unnamed buck (harvest) 70:48

Listener questions

Question: How did the youth season go with the boys? 1:08

• Answer: Babe never showed despite three days of hunting. 1:53

Question: Were the boys just hoping to kill a good deer, or were they hunting a specific target buck? 2:32

• Answer: Don says the boys would have happily shot any decent buck, not just a specific target. 2:40

Question: What were the weather conditions during the youth hunt? 4:13

• Answer: Don got fourteen minutes of video of Babe at 50 yards after the boys left. 5:28

Question: Would you draw on a target buck near an unaware doe, risking her spooking and ruining the shot? 34:59 — asked by Travis McMurray

• Answer: Don says he would absolutely have tried to draw on the target buck despite the risk. 35:05

Question: Why are close bow shots so important, and how should stands be set up to stay hidden? 36:41

• Answer: Don says the key to any tree stand is staying hidden with cover, not height. 36:55
• Answer: Don typically sets up for 15-20 yard shots, with 30 yards as his maximum. 37:40

Question: Why are retail stores in Illinois allowed to sell deer bait when baiting is illegal to use there? 39:32 — asked by Joel Gear

• Answer: Don says nothing surprises him in Illinois, blaming state politics for the contradictory bait sales. 39:34

Question: Do you have a preference on when logging is done on a property? 45:18 — asked by Kenny Schilling

• Answer: Don says summer logging isn’t a bad option since it avoids the ground damage caused by spring rains. 46:09

Question: Why did Real World undersell NutriCrave corn’s actual yield potential? 52:45

• Answer: Don relays a farmer’s testimony that his NutriCrave plot yielded over 300 bushels an acre. 54:02

Question: Can you explain what makes NutriCrave both a hybrid and non-GMO? 56:09

• Answer: Don explains a hybrid results from crossing a specific male and female plant, unlike open-pollinated corn. 56:13

Question: Do you two have any hunts or bucks that still haunt you? 63:18 — asked by Ray Miller

• Answer: Don says the Cedar House buck, a huge clean 10-pointer he never killed, still haunts him. 65:27
• Answer: Don also recalls hearing two unseen bucks sparring so hard it sounded like baseball bats smashing together. 67:42

Question: As a 16-year-old chasing a mega giant, how can I get my name out to bigger hunting brands? 71:39 — asked by Randy Dearman

• Answer: Don’s best advice is to be yourself and not worry about the industry at 16. 72:06
• Answer: Terry urges patience, saying credibility and recognition come from consistently killing mature bucks. 74:41

Sponsors this episode

• ASIO Gear
• Brenton USA

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