The Biggest Mistake Food Plotters Make in June | Chasing Giants #328

Published: 2026-06-07
Episode page
Duration: 82 min

In this episode

antler-growth

• Don said hot, humid summer weather is what drives plant growth, including buck antler development. 4:01

deer-diet

• Don said ragweed is a plant deer absolutely love to eat. 35:36
• Terry asked Don to explain how deer, as browsing animals, decide what to eat coming out of winter. 34:37

deer-repellent

• Don plans to test a new deer repellent on his soybean plots while spraying weeds this week. 9:25
• Don said he’s tested numerous deer repellents over the years and hasn’t found one he was satisfied with. 31:16
• Don said any deer repellent product he brings to market is not close to being ready and won’t be available next year. 31:48
• Jeff Sanil from Breeze, Illinois asked for a deer repellent recommendation to avoid putting up a fence. 28:36

double-cropping

• Terry asked whether Don has double-cropped fields where winter wheat is harvested and soybeans planted afterward. 7:15

fawn-mortality

• Terry noted that fawn mortality from hay-cutting equipment is common at this time of year. 6:54
• Don believes more fawns are lost to farm equipment than to predators like coyotes and bobcats in the Midwest. 6:59

fawns

• Terry asked whether Don had gotten trail camera pictures or seen fawns yet on his place, and what the status was with fawns dropping. 5:54

food-plot-rotation

• Terry asked what he should plant in a small cornfield this spring to avoid going corn-on-corn before returning it to feed corn. 14:18

food-plots

• Terry asked how legumes like alfalfa and soybeans handle heat, and whether they thrive as long as they have moisture. 4:18

hay-production

• Terry asked what Don’s first hay cutting was like and how much he got off given the weather in his area. 3:13

herbicide-carryover

• Don noted bulb plants like turnips and radishes are far more susceptible to pre-emergent herbicides than cereal grains like rye, wheat, and oats. 25:12

herbicide-resistance

• Don explained that repeated glyphosate spraying on surviving weeds builds resistance, which is what created fully resistant weeds like waterhemp and marestail. 10:34

nutricrave

• Don noted NutriCrave corn has a distinctive deep orange color. 38:33
• Don recalled spotting NutriCrave corn from 100 yards away on an Ohio farm just by its color, and confirmed it with the client. 39:04

nutrient-density

• Terry traced the farming-for-nutrients philosophy behind Mike’s Mighty Micros back to a book written by Dr. Albrecht in the 1930s-40s about ‘the other side of the fence.’ 36:56
• Don said he could tell by visually inspecting corn ears alone which varieties would test higher in nutrient density. 38:08
• Don explained that as corn yields have increased over time, nutrient density has decreased, which is why NutriCrave corn hasn’t caught on with big agriculture due to yield drag. 41:33

organic-farming

• Terry recalled that farmers who once tried 100% organic tobacco in Kentucky ended up with the biggest weed patches he’d ever seen along the road. 28:22

organic-food-plots

• Alex Wingard from Millersburg, Ohio asked for advice on planning food plots without using any herbicides. 25:54

podcast-logistics

• Terry apologized for accidentally uploading the Chasing Assurance podcast in place of Chasing Giants on Emtek, which overwrote the prior episode there. 1:02

prayer-support

• Don thanked listeners for the many texts, calls, and emails offering prayers and support for him and his wife Robin. 44:57

product-testing

• Terry said his farm’s layout is now designed as much for product testing as for hunting, given how much testing he does each year. 32:16

resicore

• Don said drilling clover into corn ground the year after Resicore had no negative effect, since Resicore works well on broadleaf weeds but is less effective on grasses. 23:50
• The anonymous listener asked whether Don has planted legumes like brassicas, hairy vetch, or clovers the year after growing Resicore-treated corn. 22:52

soybeans

• Terry noted that in Southeast Ohio, growers with small soybean plots can’t keep deer out even though those deer have never seen soybeans before. 34:00
• Terry asked Don to explain browse pressure on soybean bottom leaves, plus weed pressure and when and what to spray. 9:04
• Lance Fisher from Kirbyville, Missouri asked whether deer unfamiliar with soybeans eat them the first year planted or take time. 32:54

spraying

• Don plans to spray four products together on his soybeans: glyphosate, surfactant, Mike’s Mighty Micros, and a deer repellent. 11:55

switchgrass

• Terry felt dragging tree tops into switchgrass is a good idea in theory but not worth the trade-off, and said he personally wouldn’t do it. 22:15
• Kobe Curtis from Zealand, Michigan asked whether Don or Terry had tried dragging tree tops into switchgrass fields for added structure. 19:40

tag-out

• Terry announced Tag Out, led by Derek Burkholder’s team, is launching a new retail store venture in Napanee, Indiana styled after classic destinations like Cabela’s and Bass Pro. 43:32
• Terry noted Tag Out Technique’s core business is property consultation for hunting properties. 48:13
• Derek Burkholder works as one of the property consultants under Don Higgins at Tag Out Technique. 49:02
• Terry clarified Tag Out will remain the property consulting business while Adventure Productions continues running the Midwest Sportsman’s Classic. 50:05

waterhemp

• Don recounted battling severe waterhemp infestations on his farm before he learned how important pre-emergent chemicals were. 35:40

weather

• Terry said the ideal is avoiding a repeat of last year, when it turned extremely hot and then stayed dry for thirty-five days. 4:51

west-wind

• Terry announced Tag Out’s new retail and wholesale business venture will be called West Wind. 49:49
• The West Wind retail and wholesale location’s grand opening is scheduled for June 19th and 20th. 50:16
• The West Wind grand opening on June 19-20 will feature free burgers and donuts Friday and barbecue ribs Saturday. 57:55
• Terry announced Jeff from Hawke Optics will be among the VIP vendors at the West Wind grand opening. 58:09
• Terry explained a live podcast at the West Wind grand opening wasn’t possible due to Don’s situation with his wife Robin. 58:22
• Caleb said West Wind hopes to eventually develop its own brand and possibly franchise the store concept. 60:33
• Caleb gave the West Wind store address as 2525 Birch Road in Bremen, Indiana, on the outskirts of Bremen and Napanee. 61:31
• Terry invited listeners to visit the West Wind retail and wholesale store during the June 19-20 grand opening. 62:21
• Terry asked Caleb about the West Wind store’s goal of being a destination retail experience like the old Cabela’s or Bass Pro. 50:27
• Terry asked Caleb why service-based Tag Out decided to open a retail store to compete against ecommerce and big box stores. 53:08

Deer activity

• unnamed buck (sighting) 6:16
• unnamed buck (trail-camera) 6:41

Listener questions

Question: Terry asked what Don’s first hay cutting was like and how much he got off given the weather in his area. 3:13

• Answer: Don called his first hay cutting average, with an early cool spring and adequate moisture but no high temperatures yet. 3:21

Question: Terry asked how legumes like alfalfa and soybeans handle heat, and whether they thrive as long as they have moisture. 4:18

• Answer: Don said most plants, including legumes in deer country, thrive in warm, humid, moist conditions rather than heat alone. 4:34

Question: Terry asked whether Don had gotten trail camera pictures or seen fawns yet on his place, and what the status was with fawns dropping. 5:54

• Answer: Don said he cut all his hay without hitting a fawn and hasn’t seen the first fawn on his place yet. 6:03

Question: Terry asked whether Don has double-cropped fields where winter wheat is harvested and soybeans planted afterward. 7:15

• Answer: Don said by August, double-crop soybeans growing about a month out of wheat stubble become a strong draw for deer. 8:02

Question: Terry asked Don to explain browse pressure on soybean bottom leaves, plus weed pressure and when and what to spray. 9:04

• Answer: Don advised spraying weeds while small, ideally under four inches and definitely under six, for maximum herbicide effectiveness. 9:30

Question: Terry asked what he should plant in a small cornfield this spring to avoid going corn-on-corn before returning it to feed corn. 14:18

• Answer: Don recommended soil-building species like sun hemp, buckwheat, sunflowers, and legumes such as hairy vetch to build tonnage while keeping deer off the field. 14:37

Question: Kobe Curtis from Zealand, Michigan asked whether Don or Terry had tried dragging tree tops into switchgrass fields for added structure. 19:40 — asked by Kobe Curtis

• Answer: Don said he doesn’t know anyone who has tried it, since burning switchgrass fields is needed to maintain them. 20:03

Question: The anonymous listener asked whether Don has planted legumes like brassicas, hairy vetch, or clovers the year after growing Resicore-treated corn. 22:52

• Answer: Don confirmed he did exactly that, having grown corn a year prior treated with Resicore. 23:27

Question: Alex Wingard from Millersburg, Ohio asked for advice on planning food plots without using any herbicides. 25:54 — asked by Alex Wingard

• Answer: Don said growing food plots without any chemicals is a tough ask that will limit what can be grown. 26:49
• Answer: Don added that keeping soil weed-free through summer then planting a fall blend around September 1 is the best chemical-free option besides legumes. 27:20

Question: Jeff Sanil from Breeze, Illinois asked for a deer repellent recommendation to avoid putting up a fence. 28:36 — asked by Jeff Sanil

• Answer: Don said he and Terry are testing deer repellents, including one this week and another developed by a chemical-business consulting client. 29:14

Question: Lance Fisher from Kirbyville, Missouri asked whether deer unfamiliar with soybeans eat them the first year planted or take time. 32:54 — asked by Lance Fisher

• Answer: Don said deer quickly start eating soybeans even if they’ve never seen them before, often after just the first bite. 33:26

Question: Terry asked Don to explain how deer, as browsing animals, decide what to eat coming out of winter. 34:37

• Answer: Don explained deer naturally balance their diet, seeking out plants high in whatever vitamin or mineral they’re lacking. 35:01

Question: Terry asked Caleb about the West Wind store’s goal of being a destination retail experience like the old Cabela’s or Bass Pro. 50:27

• Answer: Caleb said the goal is to make the outdoors accessible to everyone and create an immersive in-store experience rather than just stocking shelves. 50:44

Question: Terry asked Caleb why service-based Tag Out decided to open a retail store to compete against ecommerce and big box stores. 53:08

• Answer: Caleb said Tag Out felt their distribution and reach from the show gave them an opportunity to help everyone experience the outdoors. 53:19

Prayer Time

Scripture: Romans
Theme: identity in Christ against the enemy’s lies
Brent taught that righteousness comes through faith in Christ rather than our own works, urging listeners to root their identity in Christ so they can recognize and reject the enemy’s lies of shame and fear. 81:25

Scripture: Psalms, Hebrews
Theme: forgiveness and release from shame
Brent encouraged listeners carrying shame to remember that scripture says God casts our sin far away and keeps no record of wrongs, using that truth to expose and dispel the lies the enemy tells about our worth. 80:27

Terry and Don covered summer plot management and testing plans. Don explained hot, humid weather drives plant growth including antler development, and Terry hoped to avoid a repeat of last year’s extreme heat followed by a thirty-five day dry stretch. They discussed fawn mortality from hay equipment, with Don noting more Midwest fawns are lost to machinery than predators, and he reported cutting hay without hitting any fawns himself. Spray timing, pre-emergent herbicide risks to bulb plants, and glyphosate resistance were addressed, along with listener questions on double-cropping, browse pressure, chemical-free food plots, and deer readily eating unfamiliar soybeans. Don discussed deer repellent testing and NutriCrave corn’s nutrient density versus yield drag. Terry announced Tag Out’s new West Wind retail venture at 2525 Birch Road, with a June 19-20 grand opening. A prayer segment addressed identity in Christ and release from shame.

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