Why BIG BUCK Areas Often FAIL Deer Hunters | Chasing Giants 327

Published: 2026-05-31
Episode page
Duration: 71 min

In this episode

archery-equipment

• Terry mentions Bobby Worthington just took delivery of a new Mathews Arch bow he’s getting dialed in. 32:57

chasing-giants-tv

• Terry announces that Chasing Giants TV is releasing new bear hunting videos this week. 27:03

chemo-treatment

• Don plans to start chemotherapy the first week of June, with treatments every three weeks for six rounds running into fall. 1:48

clover-seed

• Don explains they cannot buy the clover seed uncoated anymore; it’s the only way suppliers will sell it to them. 47:42
• Don says a clover seed shortage about five years ago caused suppliers to start coating seed, forcing seed coating onto their clover as well. 47:05
• Dan Schultz asks why Real World’s clover seed now includes a seed coating that lowers pure seed content, and what changed around the Green Prairie acquisition. 45:15

corn-soybeans

• Nathan Kaufman asks if a chemical exists that can be used pre- or post-emergent on a blended sorghum and sunflower planting. 57:01

deer-quality

• Don recalls that decades ago the area north of his hometown consistently produced bigger, better bucks than the area south where his farm sits today. 36:21

deer-repellent

• Don plans to test a new deer repellent on his soybeans this year, spraying it alongside herbicide to protect young beans from browse pressure. 15:15

food-plot-diversity

• Don argues food volume is often more important than food diversity in a plot, especially in heavily timbered areas with little agriculture. 54:26

food-plot-nutrition

• Don points out that while deer eat weeds when green in summer, they won’t eat dead brown weeds in winter, so plots must feed through the hardest months. 62:51

food-plot-yield

• Don warns that mixing multiple crop types together in one food plot cuts the yield of every crop planted rather than maximizing production. 60:04

hay-cutting

• Terry notes he was hoping to finish cutting hay before fawns started dropping, but fawns are already on the ground this year. 17:23

johnson-grass

• Terry recalls once having to remove mature Johnson grass by hand with a spade shovel because it was too late to kill with quinclorac, calling it no fun. 13:29
• Don relays that customers report a herbicide called Criter works fantastically on Johnson grass, though he hasn’t personally tested it. 13:58

land-management

• Terry observes that while it takes many years to build a quality deer herd on a property, that quality can be lost much faster through negative change. 44:15

late-planting

• Matt Bornflutch asks what he can plant this late in the season for food and whether it’s too late for beans or sorghum. 52:53

lesters-feet

• Terry announces that the Lester’s Feet raffle is officially open for an all-inclusive management hunt in Texas in January 2027. 25:33

liberty-herbicide

• Don recounts that drilling soybeans into tall weeds and spraying Liberty plus a pre-emergent the same day worked perfectly, with clean rows of beans coming up. 6:13
• Terry asks Don to walk through the story of a non-home-farm property where he had good luck spraying Liberty the same day he planted. 4:25

marketing

• Don believes deer hunters are highly susceptible to marketing gimmicks that push complicated food plot blend combinations. 56:01

mature-buck-tactics

• Ryan Miller asks what key things Don looks for that most people overlook when targeting mature bucks on public land or permission pieces. 28:34

miscanthus

• Terry relays a common listener question: after planting Miscanthus, weeds and grasses are taking over the rhizomes, so what herbicide should they spray? 10:16

postemergent-herbicide

• Terry asks how tall soybeans should get before spraying a post-emergent herbicide like glyphosate. 14:41

product-history

• Terry recalls Real World previously sold an Upland Game Blend mixing sorghum, sunflowers, and soybeans, discontinued about two years earlier. 59:21

property-selection

• Don argues that a property with an ideal layout in an area without a big-buck reputation will produce better deer over time than a farm in a well-known trophy area. 42:55
• Lance Fisher asks whether Don values a property’s past record of producing big bucks more than its overall physical layout when buying land. 33:33

quinclorac

• Don explains quinclorac is selective on grasses but only works well if sprayed while unwanted grasses like foxtail are still very young. 12:42

robin-health-update

• Don reports Robin’s recovery from surgery is improving: she is still using a walker but taking bigger strides as leg numbness slowly gets better. 1:13

rut-hunting

• Don relates that Bobby Worthington targets mature bucks almost exclusively during the rut, when they are most active, rather than throughout the season. 31:06

seed-quality

• Don advises that any food-plot seed product sold in big box stores has likely been cheapened to meet retail profit margins. 52:22

soybeans

• Terry explains that mixing soybeans and sorghum in the same plot prevents effective post-emergent herbicide use, letting weeds take over. 55:04

stand-locations

• Don recommends continually keeping stand locations fresh rather than getting stuck hunting the same stands for years, especially for mature bucks. 24:40
• Terry asks Don whether he’s added any new tree stand locations on his expanded farm. 18:47

switchgrass

• Don stresses that switchgrass and Miscanthus sites must be fully prepped and totally weed-free ahead of time because there is no shortcut. 10:53

tree-stands

• Don plans to eventually shoot his next giant buck from a tree stand in a tree he personally planted years ago on his farm. 19:39

Deer activity

• Mel (harvest) 22:05
• Doubting Thomas (harvest) 22:05
• Zacchaeus (harvest) 22:05

Listener questions

Question: Terry asks Don to walk through the story of a non-home-farm property where he had good luck spraying Liberty the same day he planted. 4:25

• Answer: Don explains he drilled soybeans into tall weeds then sprayed Liberty and a pre-emergent the same day; the herbicide worked and beans came up cleanly. 6:13
• Answer: Don says the approach worked great and he wouldn’t hesitate to do it again. 7:30

Question: Terry relays a common listener question: after planting Miscanthus, weeds and grasses are taking over the rhizomes, so what herbicide should they spray? 10:16

• Answer: Don says proper site prep before planting switchgrass or Miscanthus is essential; there’s no shortcut. 10:53
• Answer: Don adds that using a good pre-emergent to prevent weeds is far better than spraying over the top afterward. 11:45

Question: Terry asks how tall soybeans should get before spraying a post-emergent herbicide like glyphosate. 14:41

• Answer: Don answers that weeds should be sprayed when about four inches tall or less for a good kill. 15:08

Question: Terry asks Don whether he’s added any new tree stand locations on his expanded farm. 18:47

• Answer: Don says he wants to eventually shoot his next giant from a tree he personally planted on the farm. 19:39
• Answer: Don confirms he has three or four new locations picked out, some already with stands and others pending. 20:09

Question: Ryan Miller asks what key things Don looks for that most people overlook when targeting mature bucks on public land or permission pieces. 28:34 — asked by Ryan Miller

• Answer: Don explains mature bucks often aren’t found on obvious sign; instead they play the wind and use terrain, so hunters should focus on terrain features and wind rather than sign. 29:18

Question: Lance Fisher asks whether Don values a property’s past record of producing big bucks more than its overall physical layout when buying land. 33:33 — asked by Lance Fisher

• Answer: Don answers he’d take great property layout over a proven trophy-producing reputation any day. 34:29

Question: Dan Schultz asks why Real World’s clover seed now includes a seed coating that lowers pure seed content, and what changed around the Green Prairie acquisition. 45:15 — asked by Dan Schultz

• Answer: Don explains the coating isn’t their choice; suppliers no longer sell the clover varieties they want uncoated. 47:42
• Answer: Don says the change dates back about five years to a clover seed shortage that pushed suppliers toward coating, well before the Green Prairie acquisition. 47:05

Question: Matt Bornflutch asks what he can plant this late in the season for food and whether it’s too late for beans or sorghum. 52:53 — asked by Matt Bornflutch

• Answer: Don says in Southeast Ohio he could plant beans or sorghum up to July 1, or even July 4th weekend if needed. 53:14

Question: Nathan Kaufman asks if a chemical exists that can be used pre- or post-emergent on a blended sorghum and sunflower planting. 57:01 — asked by Nathan Kaufman

• Answer: Don says he knows no herbicide safe for both crops together and argues moving away from corn and soybeans as a foundation is a mistake. 57:51

Prayer Time

Theme: reflecting Christ’s light rather than generating it
Ty reflects that believers aren’t meant to generate or wield God’s light themselves but to reflect it, like the moon reflects the sun rather than producing its own light; he ties this to grace reflected by his wife over sixteen years of marriage, urging listeners to offer their day to God and let Him shine through rather than trying to control His light. 67:59

Don and Terry covered herbicide timing and food-plot strategy in detail. Don described drilling soybeans into tall weeds and spraying Liberty plus a pre-emergent the same day, which worked cleanly, and advised spraying post-emergent glyphosate when weeds are about four inches or less. He stressed that switchgrass and Miscanthus sites need thorough weed-free prep beforehand, with pre-emergent preferred over spraying over the top later, and that quinclorac only works on very young grasses. Don argued food volume often matters more than diversity, warned against mixing crop types since it cuts yield and blocks post-emergent use, and said clover seed has been coated for about five years due to a supplier shortage, not by choice. Listener questions covered mature buck patterns on public land, prioritizing property layout over trophy reputation, and late-season planting options up to July 4th weekend. Don also updated on Robin’s improving recovery and his upcoming chemotherapy. A prayer segment closed the episode on reflecting Christ’s light.

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