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

Don covered the boys’ Illinois youth hunt for his target buck Babe, who had hit trail camera before dark three straight days pre-season but never showed while the boys hunted, though Don got fourteen minutes of video on him at 50 yards at 50 yards after they left. He estimated Babe near 180 inches and aimed to get him removed before November 1. Don recalled the Cedar House buck still haunting him and a memory of two bucks sparring so hard it sounded like bats colliding. Terry shared major life news: a new role running Cornerstone Equipment with his wife, which will cut into his rut hunting time, though Don predicted the change would benefit him overall. Terry also congratulated Mark Lester for killing his season-long target buck over a Real World soybean plot. Listener questions covered stand setup for close shots, Illinois bait-sale contradictions, logging timing, and NutriCrave corn’s hybrid, non-GMO makeup.

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