Episode #96 - STAY OUT OF THE SANCTUARY!

Published: 2021-12-20
Episode page
Duration: 65 min

In this episode

100th-episode

Terry floated making the podcast’s 100th episode a special one where listeners get to submit questions for his and Don’s wives to answer. 33:16

antler-genetics

Josh Anderson asked whether a fawn buck’s antler potential comes more from his mother, his father, or both. 50:50

broadheads

Ron Eddinger asked what fixed broadhead Don uses, after learning why the podcast dislikes expandable broadheads. 36:14

buck-age

A young man at Don’s Michigan seminar asked if three-and-a-half-year-old bucks there are equal to five-and-a-half-year-olds in states like Iowa or Illinois. 25:18

buck-behavior

Roger Rothhaar taught Don decades ago that a mature buck will walk 100 yards out of his way to use an open gate or fence hole rather than jump the fence. 22:09

buck-genetics

Josh Anderson asked whether hunters should let prime bucks survive the rut to breed again and target them in the late season instead. 57:51

doe-estrus-cycle

Curtis Dameron asked whether an unbred doe truly re-enters estrus 28 days later, and if so, whether that permanently shifts her cycle. 44:29

doe-factory-myth

Ethan Olson asked why his mature bucks leave his 330-acre property once pre-rut hits, despite holding older bucks earlier in the year. 41:15

dollywood

Terry attended a packed church service inside a log cabin chapel at Dollywood, estimating about 200 people crammed in for the amusement-park service. 14:58

faith

Don shared a meme noting that while the world says seeing is believing, with God believing is seeing, and the more you believe the more He reveals Himself. 13:42

fundraiser

Terry announced that between Lester’s Feet and the event’s attendees, they raised about $20,000 for Kevin Yoder’s family to help pay medical bills. 1:57

habitat-management

Terry advised using a skid loader to push fallen logging tops into brush ‘highways’ that funnel deer past a hunter’s stand as new growth comes in. 39:35
Mike Gruber asked how to turn 50 acres of mature timber with virtually no ground cover into a bedding sanctuary for deer. 38:06

land-bridge

Don recommended building a culverted land bridge across a swamp splitting a property in half, giving deer an easy crossing path and creating a huntable pinch. 19:33

michigan

Don reported about 400 people turned out for his Michigan seminar despite a stormy night carrying a high wind advisory. 18:06

prayer

Terry’s mother had spent the day praying for help for the Saint Clair family when Austin Raisor unknowingly pulled into their exact driveway to help. 12:55

sanctuary

Don stressed that a true sanctuary means zero human intrusion whatsoever, not occasional trail cameras or mowed paths, telling consulting clients to simply stay out. 31:17
Terry advised against pressuring sanctuaries this late in the season, including coyote hunting on them, since deer have already been heavily bumped and chased. 30:27

Terry thanked BuyAFarm.com for their continued support, noting they took a risk stepping out on a limb to help the podcast get started. 35:00

tornado

Don stayed overnight at a Kentucky farm store owner’s place after the Guthrie event, and a tornado came through right where he was staying. 3:33
Terry described how the tornado that hit Bowling Green passed right over their Cave City hotel, staying off the ground but ripping the roof off. 4:55

tornado-relief

Austin Raisor drove blindly toward Western Kentucky to help tornado victims and coincidentally ended up at the storm-damaged home of a close family friend. 12:14
Terry asked listeners to keep Western Kentucky, parts of Illinois, and Arkansas in their prayers following the devastating tornado. 62:59
Terry commended Rich Hixson of Eastern Ohio, noting stories of people feeling called to go help him with tornado relief work. 63:19

whitetail-master-course

Don announced that only the March 17 and 24 Whitetail Master Course Thursday sessions still had openings, with all other classes already full. 32:12

Deer activity

160 inch 10 pointer (trail-camera) 27:23
unnamed buck (trail-camera) 29:16
unnamed buck (harvest) 31:40
Mel (harvest) 56:31
Smokey (harvest) 56:31
the pork tine buck (harvest) 60:37

Listener questions

Question: A young man at Don’s Michigan seminar asked if three-and-a-half-year-old bucks there are equal to five-and-a-half-year-olds in states like Iowa or Illinois. 25:18

Answer: Don said a three-and-a-half-year-old buck is the same anywhere and isn’t as smart as a five-and-a-half-year-old, though Michigan’s scarcity of older bucks makes the numeric comparison fair. 25:54

Question: Ron Eddinger asked what fixed broadhead Don uses, after learning why the podcast dislikes expandable broadheads. 36:14 — asked by Ron Eddinger

Answer: Don said he currently uses Slick Trick Magnum 125-grain fixed broadheads, the biggest model made, and is happy with their flight and blood trail, though not sponsored by them. 36:51

Question: Mike Gruber asked how to turn 50 acres of mature timber with virtually no ground cover into a bedding sanctuary for deer. 38:06 — asked by Mike Gruber

Answer: Don recommended hiring a logger to remove nearly every mature conifer, letting sunlight hit the ground so the property regrows into a thick bedding sanctuary within a couple years. 38:13

Question: Ethan Olson asked why his mature bucks leave his 330-acre property once pre-rut hits, despite holding older bucks earlier in the year. 41:15 — asked by Ethan Olson

Answer: Don said Ethan had bought into the ‘doe factory’ myth; shooting too many does pressures the property and drives off security-seeking bucks. 42:52

Question: Curtis Dameron asked whether an unbred doe truly re-enters estrus 28 days later, and if so, whether that permanently shifts her cycle. 44:29

Answer: Don confirmed an unbred doe does re-enter estrus 28 days later but clarified this does not permanently shift her cycle to breed late in future years. 45:47

Question: Josh Anderson asked whether a fawn buck’s antler potential comes more from his mother, his father, or both. 50:50

Answer: Don said it’s widely accepted among captive deer breeders that a buck gets at least 60%, sometimes up to 75%, of his antler genetic traits from his mother. 51:08

Question: Josh Anderson asked whether hunters should let prime bucks survive the rut to breed again and target them in the late season instead. 57:51

Answer: Don explained a buck’s genetics and ability to produce healthy offspring don’t change with age, though he liked the idea of letting prime bucks breed and shooting them late season. 58:09

The episode opened with tornado relief updates: Terry asked listeners to keep Western Kentucky, parts of Illinois, and Arkansas in their prayers, and Terry and Don shared stories of survival and coincidence, including Austin Raisor unknowingly ending up at a storm-damaged home where Terry’s mother had been praying for help, and Don riding out a tornado overnight at a Kentucky farm store owner’s house. Terry also credited Rich Hixson with drawing volunteers to relief work and announced roughly $20,000 raised for Kevin Yoder’s family. Land management dominated the rest of the show: Don covered building a culverted land bridge across a swamp, keeping true sanctuaries free of any human intrusion, and turning mature timber into bedding cover by logging conifers. Listener questions addressed buck maturity comparisons across states, fixed broadhead preference, doe estrus cycling, antler genetics from does, and whether prime bucks should be spared through the rut.

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