Episode #34 - Late October Check in - Buck Activity Slower Than Expected - Why?

Published: 2020-10-23
Episode page
Duration: 61 min

In this episode

buck-behavior

• Don states mature bucks rarely wander into unfamiliar areas because they are highly skilled survivors that stay within their learned home range. 23:03
• Don explains that mature bucks stay tight against cover on a field edge, while young bucks may wander further into the open, risking getting winded. 42:05

cell-cameras

• Terry says he now uses hunt control software to manage all of his cell cameras, letting him filter thousands of photos down to just buck pictures quickly. 12:31
• Terry says WiseEye and Exodus are the two best cell cameras out of the six models he is testing, with WiseEye slightly ahead due to picture quality. 12:17
• Terry says testing cell cameras led him to build real friendships, including with the WiseEye owner, who personally texted him one night on the way to church. 59:24

discipline

• Terry says he has only one huntable property in Kentucky and refuses to hunt it when the wind is wrong, trusting that discipline leads to more success despite less time afield. 45:01

faith

• Don says he received more listener feedback via texts and social media messages after the previous episode’s faith segment than after any other single episode. 1:40
• Terry declares that he and Don will not shy away from sharing their faith and the message of Jesus on the podcast, regardless of listener reaction. 2:13
• Don says men have historically failed as spiritual leaders for their families, even while providing well financially, and he was guilty of this in his younger years. 3:24
• Terry says a listener’s quote about actions over opinions inspired him to write a Real World blog post comparing not knowing Christ to how skittish whitetail deer behave, which got strong positive feedback. 4:22
• Don invites listeners with a prayer request to reach out by text, email, or the Chasing Giants page so the hosts can add them to their prayer list. 60:57

giveaway

• Don announces he will give away free attendance to one person in each of his three Whitetail Master Courses next spring. 24:54
• Don will let giveaway winners bring a friend to the free course, with each paying half price, or their friend paying full price instead. 28:39

hunting-schedule

• Don plans to keep hunting evenings and start hunting mornings once the first cold front arrives around Halloween or November first. 54:48
• Terry plans to hunt in Kentucky this weekend while watching the incoming cold front to help decide whether to travel to Illinois before Halloween. 55:18

lifestyle

• Don describes deer hunting as a lifestyle he engages with in some way every single day of the year, not just during hunting season. 52:56

listener-engagement

• Don says listeners whose submitted questions eventually get used on the show will receive a free Chasing Giants t-shirt. 35:52

master-course

• Don says his Whitetail Master Course normally costs $1,500 per student, with discounts available for existing consulting clients. 28:20
• Don announces that next spring there will be three Whitetail Master Courses, up from two, as the program continues to grow. 28:04

new-property

• Don treats gaining permission on a new property as a long-term investment, taking time to be positioned for future success rather than rushing to hunt it hard immediately. 53:12
• Eric Woodside asks what approach to take when gaining permission on a new property in mid-to-late October without being able to walk the whole property first. 45:42

optics

• Don recommends using good optics from a high vantage-point observation stand to glass as much of a farm as possible when evaluating a new property. 52:11

property-management

• Terry recalls Don’s analogy that a hunted property is like one square on a checkerboard, and it must look completely different from surrounding land to attract deer. 26:35

rut

• Don asserts that, based on over forty years of experience and twenty-five years with a captive herd, he does not believe new bucks move into an area during the rut. 16:25
• Terry suggests that heavy hunting pressure on neighboring properties, not just natural range expansion, may push new bucks onto a property during the rut. 20:07

rut-definition

• A viewer questions whether Don’s rut video meant the breeding period specifically, or included the pre- and post-rut phases as well. 21:36

rut-report

• Don says he originated his ‘rut report’ two years ago, before any similar reports existed, and now sees many other groups publishing comparable rut reports. 14:23

tree-stand

• Terry says investing in a good lightweight, quiet tree stand like a Lone Wolf pays off when hunters need to move quickly and adjust their setup on new or last-minute properties. 50:32

wind

• Jacob Wessels asks if mature bucks travel the downwind field edge instead of just inside the timber, and how to hunt that spot without getting winded. 36:27

wind-direction

• Zev Ham asks how to hunt a stand when the timber sits on the property’s east side but the prevailing wind is usually from the west, limiting access. 42:40

youtube

• Terry recommends the YouTube channel ‘Outdoors with the Morgans,’ run by Mike and Melissa Morgan, as one of his favorites, encouraging listeners to check it out. 58:12

Deer activity

• unnamed buck (sighting) 5:32
• unnamed buck (hunt) 7:18
• unnamed buck (hunt) 9:26
• unnamed buck (harvest) 47:58
• Curly (harvest) 50:56

Listener questions

Question: Jacob Wessels asks if mature bucks travel the downwind field edge instead of just inside the timber, and how to hunt that spot without getting winded. 36:27 — asked by Jacob Wessels

• Answer: Don explains that setting a stand right on the field edge and hunting high with a steady wind lets his scent pass over a nearby buck’s back instead of hitting him directly, even though the buck is technically downwind. 39:01

Question: Zev Ham asks how to hunt a stand when the timber sits on the property’s east side but the prevailing wind is usually from the west, limiting access. 42:40 — asked by Zev Ham

• Answer: Don says the property actually sets up great for an east wind, and hunters need to work with whatever wind direction the property provides rather than forcing common wind patterns. 43:16

Question: Eric Woodside asks what approach to take when gaining permission on a new property in mid-to-late October without being able to walk the whole property first. 45:42 — asked by Eric Woodside

• Answer: Don says he’d start scouting a new October property using Google Earth to spot obvious features rather than walking the whole tract, since stomping it around could push off a mature target buck. 46:09

Question: A viewer questions whether Don’s rut video meant the breeding period specifically, or included the pre- and post-rut phases as well. 21:36

• Answer: Don clarifies he means the entire breeding phase of the rut, spanning from roughly when a buck sheds his velvet until he sheds his antlers, not just the peak weeks. 21:46
• Answer: Don adds that most people mistake only the peak two-week breeding period in mid-November for ‘the rut,’ when it actually spans a much longer season. 22:18

Sponsors this episode

• BuyAFarm.com
• 360 Hunting Blinds
• QuietKat
• Real World Wildlife Products
• Vortex Optics
• Lone Wolf Treestands
• Mathews Archery

Don and Terry opened with faith, noting strong listener response to a prior segment and Terry’s blog comparing not knowing Christ to skittish whitetail behavior, before pivoting to gear and rut strategy. Terry discussed testing six cell camera models, favoring WiseEye and Exodus, and using hunt control software to sort photos. Don, drawing on over forty years of experience, argued mature bucks rarely enter unfamiliar territory during the rut, while Terry countered that heavy pressure on neighboring land could push new bucks in. Listener questions addressed hunting downwind field edges, an awkward east-facing timber stand, and scouting a new October property via Google Earth rather than walking it. Don also clarified that ‘the rut’ spans the full breeding phase, not just the mid-November peak, and announced a third Whitetail Master Course next spring with free-attendance giveaways.

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