Episode #201 - New Year, New Tools, New Websites

Published: 2023-12-31
Episode page
Duration: 94 min

In this episode

baiting

• Jordan Jacobs asked whether, living in a bait state, he’s doing more harm than good by choosing not to bait deer. 82:48

box-blind

• Jeff Sparks asked what Don thinks about box blinds and the odds of a five-year-old buck surviving to score 170 on a permission property. 72:18

community

• Terry recounted that podcast listener Steven Polk drove all the way from Illinois to Kentucky to buy a skid steer from him at Cornerstone. 11:19

coyote-hunting

• Tyler Thompson asked Don’s thoughts on coyote hunting over ag fields deer feed in, and whether it teaches young bucks to avoid the area. 86:55

cwd

• Ken Vines suggested that if CWD can spread to humans, all deer processing businesses should be required to test for it. 77:21

food-plot

• Don plans to establish 50 acres of food plots by spring on a 600-acre Michigan property that has abundant deer sign but lacks food. 5:34

gingerich-tree-farm

• Jay Gingerich said exclusive Red Dawn and Rutmaster late-dropping apple trees are currently available and will ship in spring 2024. 54:08

higgins-outdoors

• Terry announced the newly launched Higgins Outdoors website, built by Steve and Bruce, with much more visual content than the old site. 14:38

lesters-feet

• Terry explained they built entirely new backend infrastructure to manage families’ personal data in compliance with HIPAA-driven state privacy laws. 38:29
• Terry plans for Lester’s Feet to staff a booth with board members at the Shipshewana Show to talk with people directly. 40:06

michigan

• Don believes that if any Michigan property could produce a 200-inch buck, it is this 600-acre property he just planned. 5:57

mighty-mikes-micros

• Don relayed that Steve Shields tested Mighty Mike’s Micros on a tomato plant that grew over eight feet tall versus two to three feet for untreated plants nearby. 62:18

miscanthus

• Terry announced Real World’s 2024 Miscanthus sales are now open after a soft launch before Christmas. 23:01

prayer

• Terry recounted that his mother’s kidney function and heart activity suddenly improved the same evening the previous podcast released and listeners began praying for her. 8:09

product-launch

• Don announced that Real World’s new NutriCrave Deer Block, combining NutriCrave corn with Maximizer Plus mineral and Expect Healthy Deer technology, was releasing that day. 25:12

real-estate

• Don announced plans to hold a no-reserve absolute auction next spring for the 174-acre Washington County, Ohio property to test true market value. 19:44

real-world

• Terry announced Real World’s 2024 ‘all in’ company theme, expanding the product line to be a complete supplier for customers going all in on habitat. 22:22

seminar-schedule

• Don announced he will speak in Fredericksburg, Ohio this Friday, January 5, as part of the upcoming seminar schedule. 69:47

shipshewana-show

• Don announced the Shipshewana Show in mid-February will feature Andy giving an apple-breeding seminar while Jay Gingerich staffs a booth there. 56:34

team-radical

• Terry relayed that Team Radical will soon release a hunt video on YouTube documenting Kyle’s harvest. 91:28

tree-stand

• Don described a Michigan client’s property where two tree stands are mounted atop an old TV tower, with the top platform sitting 67 feet off the ground. 3:06

Deer activity

• unnamed buck (trail-camera) 20:21
• Babe (harvest) 71:39
• Smokey (harvest) 71:39
• unnamed buck (harvest) 74:43
• unnamed buck (harvest) 91:02

Listener questions

Question: Jeff Sparks asked what Don thinks about box blinds and the odds of a five-year-old buck surviving to score 170 on a permission property. 72:18 — asked by Jeff Sparks

• Answer: Don said he sees no real advantage to box blinds, viewing them more as a disadvantage since mature bucks avoid a box blind once they pattern it. 72:35
• Answer: Terry said a box blind mainly helps when taking a kid hunting, filming with a camera crew, or hunting in very late, cold weather. 74:17

Question: Ken Vines suggested that if CWD can spread to humans, all deer processing businesses should be required to test for it. 77:21 — asked by Ken Vines

• Answer: Don said CWD has existed since the 1960s and if it could jump to humans from infected deer, it would have already happened by now. 77:45
• Answer: Terry said no, warning that mandating CWD testing at every check station would just give government an opening to order mass deer eradication in infected zip codes. 80:27

Question: Jordan Jacobs asked whether, living in a bait state, he’s doing more harm than good by choosing not to bait deer. 82:48 — asked by Jordan Jacobs

• Answer: Don advised that in bait states like Kentucky or Ohio where neighbors bait, not baiting will cost you deer, so he recommends supplemental feeding to hold them. 83:20
• Answer: Terry said the most common feeding mistake is placing feed where hunters can’t exit their stand without spooking a lot of deer. 84:52

Question: Tyler Thompson asked Don’s thoughts on coyote hunting over ag fields deer feed in, and whether it teaches young bucks to avoid the area. 86:55 — asked by Tyler Thompson

• Answer: Don said the best coyote management is calling them at night with thermal or night vision from open fields away from deer cover, done only a couple times a season. 87:45
• Answer: Terry said coyote hunting over open fields is nothing like running dogs through a sanctuary or bedding area, calling it a completely different, better tool. 88:45

Don and Terry covered listener questions on box blinds, CWD, baiting, and coyote hunting. Don said mature bucks avoid box blinds once patterned, while Terry saw them as useful for kids, camera crews, or extreme cold. On CWD, Don argued it would already have jumped to humans if it could, and Terry warned mandatory testing could give government cover for mass deer eradication. On baiting, Don recommended supplemental feeding in bait states like Kentucky or Ohio, and Terry flagged poor feeder placement near stand exits as a common mistake. On coyotes, Don favored occasional nighttime calling over open fields, which Terry called a different, better tool than running dogs through bedding areas. Don also described a Michigan client’s stands mounted on an old TV tower 67 feet up, and his plan to plant 50 acres of food plots on a 600-acre property he believes could produce a 200-inch buck. Terry shared that a listener drove from Illinois to buy a skid steer from him.

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