Episode #68 - Germination, Browse Pressure, When To Spray - DON PICKS IOWA UNIT…

Published: 2021-06-07
Episode page
Duration: 70 min

In this episode

browse-pressure

Don explained that soybeans browsed below the cotyledon node die and won’t recover, while those browsed above it can recover and keep growing. 17:51
Terry asks Don to elaborate on browse pressure and early soybean germination and what happens as soil temperatures warm and beans sprout. 14:54

buckwheat

Steven Skipper asks whether using buckwheat to build soil is just industry hype or has real benefits. 61:21

busy-beaver-extreme

Terry announced the Busy Beaver Extreme raffle entry deadline is extended to June 30 since the publication went out later than expected. 26:09

crimper-rollers

Don said he’s still not a fan of crimper rollers for terminating cover crops. 66:23

duane-hopkins

Don credited Duane Hopkins with bringing a new plant species into Real World’s soil-building mix this year, calling it a great idea. 63:33

food-plot-failure

Terry explained failed food plots are usually caused either by browse pressure or by torrential rain crusting the soil, called ‘snapping the neck.’ 19:31

food-plot-strategy

Terry cautions listeners to be careful of people who insist ‘everybody needs to do this,’ since such claims usually hide an ulterior motive. 67:40

front-mount-sprayer

Don recommends his front mount sprayer over crimper rollers as a much better option for most food plotters. 67:19

hunters-for-haiti

Terry revealed the raffle photos he posted were bucks living on his Kentucky farm the previous year, never before shot. 28:33
Terry said he spoke with Karen from the Ward family again this week and reported their girls are doing well. 29:50
Terry reported the Hunters for Haiti raffle is at or over the $40,000 mark in ticket sales. 27:20
Terry said he and Don have discussed hitting a $50,000 fundraising goal and thinks it’s achievable with a month left. 27:57
Don said he made a social media post to drum up interest and that every dime raised will be donated to a family with a sick child. 28:25
Terry stated that 100 percent of every raffle ticket dollar goes back to a family, with no service fees taken out. 31:08
Don announced the Hunters for Haiti raffle drawing will be held on July 4. 32:02

iowa-deer-management

Don explained Iowa’s age structure exists because of unit-limited tags and how the herd is managed, which is why hunters want to hunt there. 9:44

iowa-hunt

Don announced he decided to hunt Iowa’s Unit 8 on the eastern side of the state this season after weighing trail-camera intel from both units. 4:41
Don joked that if he kills a giant buck in Iowa, haters will come out and call him an ‘Iowa pig’ without seeing the work behind it. 7:39 (light moment)
Don plans to hunt cold weather fronts starting in October, traveling between Iowa and Illinois depending on which state gets the front first. 5:11
Don plans to return to Iowa in late July or early August to try to get video footage of bucks in velvet once he has a target buck identified. 8:16
Don asked listeners to send him tips on good spots to look in Unit 8 in Iowa. 8:27
Don plans to hunt both public and private ground in Unit 8 since there’s a large stretch of public land from the Mississippi River to Dubuque. 10:42

mark-lester

Don noted that anyone who knows his friend Mark Lester knows Mark has shot some absolute giant bucks. 5:58

miscanthus

Don announced Real World will offer fall bulk bag sales of Miscanthus rhizomes. 41:37
Don said growers told him fall is a fantastic time to plant Miscanthus rhizomes since they sit dormant through winter unharmed and grow in spring. 42:09
Gary Redman asks if it’s too late to order Miscanthus and whether he can randomly spot-spray Roundup in existing vegetation before planting Miscanthus plugs. 36:49

out-of-state-hunting

Terry recounted driving from Kentucky to Illinois for an evening sit and driving home the same night on multiple occasions. 7:03

podcast-moment

Terry joked about a mouse running across his foot mid-recording and almost swearing on air. 68:37 (light moment)

podcast-schedule

Terry said the show will return next Sunday with updates on food plots and possibly another Iowa hunt update. 69:32

real-world-wildlife

Don said Real World is testing a soil builder mix and there’s a good chance it will have a pilot program next spring ahead of fall blends. 63:09

reconyx

Don announced he recently became a Reconyx camera dealer and sells them on his Higgins Outdoors website. 51:33
Terry said they’ve turned down sponsorship offers from trail camera companies because they choose to buy Reconyx instead. 59:28
Don confirmed multiple camera companies have offered free cameras and sponsorships, but he refuses to cut corners on such an important tool. 59:36

residual-herbicide

Don recommends using a residual herbicide at planting to prevent resistant weeds like waterhemp and marestail from ever emerging. 22:19

sprayer-equipment

Don described his sprayer’s 30-foot total boom setup, which lets him cover more ground with fewer passes. 69:08

surgery-recovery

Terry described surgery on his leg after four months of pain, waking up in recovery with the pain completely gone. 1:26
Terry stopped needing pain pills two days after surgery and hasn’t taken one since. 2:10
Terry estimated he lost a little over 20 pounds during his recovery process. 2:58

trail-cameras

Don says Reconyx is by far the best trail camera, having used them since 2010 with none failing outright in eleven years. 53:22
Ryan Elenbaas asks how Don checks trail cameras without human intrusion, given Don’s view that intrusion is key to killing mature bucks. 44:15

utilization-cages

Terry asks Don to explain utilization cages, why they’re useful, and how many to use and where to place them. 23:53

weed-spraying

Terry asks whether to spray weeds now while soybeans are only an inch tall or wait until the beans are taller. 21:29

youtube

Terry announced the podcast is now finally uploaded to the YouTube channel and getting a lot of views. 32:12

Deer activity

unnamed buck (trail-camera) 4:18
unnamed buck (trail-camera) 11:57
unnamed buck (history) 12:05

Listener questions

Question: Terry asks Don to elaborate on browse pressure and early soybean germination and what happens as soil temperatures warm and beans sprout. 14:54

Answer: Don explains treated soybeans can sit safely in cool soil and will germinate once soil temperature reaches about 60 degrees. 16:37
Answer: Don adds that if the cotyledon node is browsed off below that point the plant dies, but browsing above it allows the plant to recover and keep growing. 17:51

Question: Gary Redman asks if it’s too late to order Miscanthus and whether he can randomly spot-spray Roundup in existing vegetation before planting Miscanthus plugs. 36:49 — asked by Gary Redman

Answer: Don says it’s too late this year, and instead of random spot-spraying he recommends killing and tilling a clean six-foot-wide strip where the Miscanthus will be planted. 38:18

Question: Ryan Elenbaas asks how Don checks trail cameras without human intrusion, given Don’s view that intrusion is key to killing mature bucks. 44:15 — asked by Ryan Elenbaas

Answer: Don says edge cameras only need checking about once every sixty days, which keeps intrusion minimal as long as hunters stay out of the sanctuary. 47:53
Answer: Terry adds that Don places cameras at travel pinches far from his stands, reachable by QuietKat or side-by-side without ever touching the ground. 49:09

Question: Terry asks Don to explain utilization cages, why they’re useful, and how many to use and where to place them. 23:53

Answer: Don says the number depends on plot size, but usually a couple of cages placed at each end of a plot is enough. 24:01
Answer: Don explains plants inside a utilization cage are often much taller than those outside because the outside plants have been browsed, revealing true browse pressure. 24:42

Question: Terry asks whether to spray weeds now while soybeans are only an inch tall or wait until the beans are taller. 21:29

Answer: Don says bean height doesn’t matter much; what matters is how tall the weeds are. 21:37
Answer: Don adds that even resistant weeds can still be killed at one or two inches, but once they reach six to eight inches, glyphosate won’t touch them. 21:48

Question: Steven Skipper asks whether using buckwheat to build soil is just industry hype or has real benefits. 61:21 — asked by Steven Skipper

Answer: Don confirms buckwheat is a legitimate soil-building plant, along with others like sunn hemp and sunflowers. 62:10

Terry described recent leg surgery that immediately ended four months of pain, letting him stop pain pills within two days and costing him a bit over 20 pounds during recovery. Don announced he’d chosen to hunt Iowa’s Unit 8 this season after weighing trail-camera intel from both units, citing the state’s unit-limited tags and age structure, and asked listeners for spot tips; he planned to hunt both public and private ground and return in late July or early August for velvet footage. The Hunters for Haiti raffle was reported near $40,000 toward a hoped-for $50,000 goal, with a July 4 drawing and full proceeds going to the family. Listener questions covered soybean browse pressure and the cotyledon node, Miscanthus timing and planting method, minimal-intrusion trail camera checks, utilization cage placement, weed spraying timing, and whether buckwheat’s soil-building reputation was legitimate, which Don confirmed alongside sunn hemp and sunflowers.

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