Episode #87 - BUCK DOWN! Lester’s Feet Raffle Winner Got it Done!

Published: 2021-10-17
Episode page
Duration: 67 min

In this episode

access

After hunting with Don for several days, what’s one takeaway you can bring back to your own property in Southern Illinois? 16:20

bowhunting-culture

Don laments that bowhunting has fallen apart and the sport no longer has good role models. 51:33

buck-management

Don states there is no mature shooter buck available to hunt on his farm this year. 31:43

commitment

Don was committed to getting Brent a deer no matter how many trips it took, planning a return during the rut or the late season if needed. 4:38

consulting

Don announces his consulting business is booked full for the year and will only offer a standby list going forward. 19:27
Don introduces business partner Wes Delks as an alternative consulting option since Wes has been consulting on properties for several years. 19:47
Don emphasizes Wes is not a new consultant, having worked almost 60 properties last year alone. 25:08

consulting-business

Where are you going to be based out of, and how far are you willing to travel for consulting? 24:33

deer-aging

Terry pulled the buck’s front teeth and contacted Heather from deerage.com to expedite forensic aging of the deer. 14:50

faith

Don recalls that before an important early meeting, Wes prayed alone and kept his Bible beside him the whole time. 27:20

fatherhood

As a father who did this to help sick kids rather than win a hunt, what does it mean to watch your son’s successful hunt with Don? 17:24

financial-priorities

Don explains he chose not to buy new trucks, a motorcycle, or a fishing boat, investing his money into buying a hunting property instead. 36:29

first-bow-kill

Brent Ramsey, 21, is a gun hunter from Southern Illinois and this buck was his first deer taken with a bow. 3:18

friendship

Don recounts that two close hunting friends from Ohio, both traditional recurve shooters, passed away within two years of each other, including Tom Simpkins. 33:44

future-hunt

Don promises Brent that next winter he will do everything possible to get him a good buck, at least three and a half years old. 32:05

gift

Jay explains he isn’t much of a bow hunter and thought giving the hunt to his son, who’d just started bow hunting, would mean more to him. 2:53

grandfather

Terry’s grandfather, namesake of the Lester’s Feet foundation, served as the gunner on the front of an amphibious assault boat in World War Two. 65:38
After the war, Terry’s grandfather played major league baseball as a pitcher and later worked in law enforcement. 65:53

harvest

A shooter buck came by during the morning hunt and Brent harvested it. 2:05

humble-beginnings

Don describes growing up with nothing, calling himself a simple country boy who started out very poor. 35:48

hunt-planning

Don met Brent in August, gave him a tour of the farm, and Brent then hunted the property for about three days early in the season. 4:01

hunting-decision

Terry advises that your first gut reaction on a shot is usually right, and if you have to talk yourself into it, it’s likely the wrong decision. 59:09

hunting-ethics

Don advises hunters to be honest and properly tag their deer rather than trying to sneak it out of the woods. 60:03

hunting-philosophy

Wes relays Don’s earlier saying that a hunter should be judged by what deer they pass up, not just by what they shoot. 58:49

injury

Terry reveals he’s had three shoulder surgeries he rarely discusses and has hunted with a crossbow for the past six years while working back to a compound. 45:21

land-ownership

Don worked to pay for every square foot of the 120 acres he now owns, rather than being born into a farm. 36:08

lesters-feet

Brent Ramsey was announced as the winner of the Lester’s Feet raffle from last summer. 1:33
Jay, Brent’s father, was actually the one who won the Lester’s Feet raffle. 2:31
Once the deer is back from the taxidermist in about a month, the team plans to produce a video and promote next year’s Lester’s Feet raffle. 13:29
Don thanks everyone who bought raffle tickets, wishes he could take everyone hunting, and encourages people to buy a ticket again next year. 64:02

mature-buck

Don defines a mature deer as at least five and a half years old, calling it a totally different animal from younger bucks. 29:17

prank

Terry recalls that he and friends put a deer head between the seats of Patrick Simpson’s car to decorate it for his honeymoon after the wedding. 54:42 (light moment)

property-management

Wes advises hunters to manage their property to bring deer trails closer to the stand rather than repeatedly relocating the stand. 49:33

saddle-hunting

Wes shares that a guy reached out to him on Facebook Messenger about saddles, and Wes ended up selling him one. 25:51

scoring-bucks

Do you have tips for judging a deer’s score while hunting, and is using binoculars a must? 56:48

small-property-management

What’s the best advice for someone with small, long-term permission ground that holds a lot of big mature bucks but has very limited stand positions? 39:52

stand-locations

Don’s farm has around a dozen stands and blinds, but only two of them allow morning access. 30:48

stand-setup

Terry says he gets more satisfaction from setting up stand location and wind to get a deer within 25 yards than from bragging about long shots. 48:22

taxidermy

Justin Nice of Tina’s Taxidermy donated the mount for Brent’s buck. 14:16

traditional-archery

Have you two ever considered adding a personal challenge by hunting with traditional archery tackle like a recurve or longbow, especially this year with no true giant to chase? 43:38

trophy-photos

Terry carries a set of fake competition taxidermy eyes to insert into harvested deer before taking photos to improve their appearance. 53:00
Did you have any idea trophy pictures would become such a big production? 52:30

trust

Don states plainly that he trusts Wes as a consultant. 20:09

venison-processing

Don highly recommends B&M Venison Processing, run by Brian and Maria Teets, who process all of Don’s and Terry’s deer in the Effingham/Central Illinois area. 14:00

Deer activity

Mel (history) 7:26
Smokey (history) 7:33
unnamed buck (harvest) 11:55
unnamed buck (harvest) 26:17
unnamed buck (history) 32:49
unnamed buck (history) 34:23
unnamed buck (harvest) 53:13

Listener questions

Question: What’s the best advice for someone with small, long-term permission ground that holds a lot of big mature bucks but has very limited stand positions? 39:52 — asked by Kyle Malone

Answer: Don says don’t tell anyone about the spot and avoid even parking your truck near it. 40:23
Answer: Don also advises staying on the landowner’s good side and consistently showing appreciation for the access provided. 40:42
Answer: Wes adds that he’s always trying to secure new hunting permissions. 41:32
Answer: Terry says he maintains contact with landowners year-round rather than only reaching out right before hunting season. 41:44

Question: Have you two ever considered adding a personal challenge by hunting with traditional archery tackle like a recurve or longbow, especially this year with no true giant to chase? 43:38 — asked by Josh

Answer: Don says he’d seriously consider traditional gear if confident hitting vitals at 20 yards, but right now he’d struggle even at 10 yards, so he sticks with modern equipment. 44:35

Question: Do you have tips for judging a deer’s score while hunting, and is using binoculars a must? 56:48 — asked by Matt Jackson

Answer: Don judges live bucks by mentally comparing them to specific mounted bucks on his wall whose exact scores he already knows from measuring. 57:35

Question: After hunting with Don for several days, what’s one takeaway you can bring back to your own property in Southern Illinois? 16:20

Answer: Brent says his key takeaway is prioritizing access and wind direction and avoiding walking through the middle of a property, something he hadn’t fully considered. 16:41

Question: As a father who did this to help sick kids rather than win a hunt, what does it mean to watch your son’s successful hunt with Don? 17:24

Answer: Jay says it’s a huge opportunity that his son’s first bow kill happened with Don Higgins, in the very stand where Don once killed his buck Mel. 18:12

Question: Did you have any idea trophy pictures would become such a big production? 52:30

Answer: Brent says he knew photos would happen but hadn’t considered how much effort would go into them. 52:35

Question: Where are you going to be based out of, and how far are you willing to travel for consulting? 24:33

Answer: Wes says he’s based out of Illinois and Indiana but travels as far as needed, having covered 14 states last year. 24:38

The episode centered on the Lester’s Feet raffle hunt: Jay had actually won it but gave it to his son Brent, a 21-year-old gun hunter from Southern Illinois, since bow hunting would mean more to him. Don hosted Brent on his farm, giving him a tour in August before Brent hunted about three days early season and harvested a buck with his bow, his first ever. The deer was donated a mount by Tina’s Taxidermy, and Terry pulled its teeth to have deerage.com’s Heather age it. Don announced his consulting business was full for the year, pointing people to standby lists or his trusted partner Wes, who worked nearly 60 properties last year. Listener questions covered judging deer while hunting, gaining permission on limited-stand ground, and whether traditional archery held appeal. Brent said his key takeaway was prioritizing wind and access on his own land, and Jay called watching his son’s hunt with Don a meaningful opportunity.

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