Ep. #226 - Mineral Site Placement and Predator Activity Special Memories of Fathers on Father’s Day

Published: 2024-06-16
Episode page
Duration: 71 min

In this episode

babe-buck

• Brett Petty asked whether Don regrets shooting Babe given this year’s excellent antler growth, and whether Babe might have scored over 200. 37:51

cedar-trees

• Don states cedars are among the most drought-tolerant trees a person can plant. 26:00
• Don recalls trying to start a cedar thicket years ago by collecting and scattering cedar seed himself, but the effort produced zero germinated cedar trees. 28:34
• Don points to Jay Gingerich at Gingerich Tree Farm, who grows thousands of potted cedars annually and sells out every year to habitat managers, as proof cedar planting has demand. 29:33
• Justin Hughes asked why Don plants cedar trees when much of the hunting industry advocates cutting cedars down to improve habitat. 24:54

fatherhood

• Don reflects that the thing he remembers most about his own father is that his dad never gave up on him, even through his troubled teenage years. 68:01

fawn-mortality

• Don states this year will see far more fawns killed by farm equipment than typical, due to unusually late and thick hay cutting overlapping fawn drop. 14:09
• Terry notes this year’s favorable weather for antler growth could carry a hidden long-term cost, potentially lowering the age structure of the deer herd several years from now. 14:59

food-plots

• Terry recommends saving leftover fall food-plot seed and blending it with fresh seed the next season rather than storing it separately or over-seeding to compensate. 23:25

land-consulting

• Don relays that Wes Delks observed a repeat client’s follow-up properties are always significantly better than the original property once the client understood why the first one fell short. 51:36
• Don believes diligent follow-up with clients, more than anything else, is what sets his consulting apart from other land-management consultants. 59:31
• Brandon Pearson asked if Don or Terry ever had to tell a land consult client their property couldn’t support their goals, and what usually causes that. 49:18

mineral-sites

• Mike Womhoff asked whether placing mineral in the same spots year after year trains coyotes and bobcats to target those areas as a food source. 34:15

personal-business

• Terry announces that starting Monday, June 17, he returns to full-time work with a company his family is acquiring. 60:05

personal-life

• Terry jokes that while walking his daughter down the aisle he might pull a Glock from his coat and hand it to his new son-in-law. 69:40 (light moment)

personal-milestone

• Don explains the episode is being recorded early because his daughter’s wedding falls on June 16, which is Father’s Day this year. 0:37

real-world

• Don announces Real World finally opened its first Canadian dealer last year, who will host an in-person event attended by sales manager James and co-owner Gene. 16:26
• Don recounts that he, Duane Hopkins, Jean, and James recently traveled south to meet with a company as Real World explores dealer and distributor growth in the South. 17:32

seed-storage

• Trevor Hagen asked whether an unopened three-year-old bag of Deadly Dozen stored at 68 degrees would still have good germination, or if he should just buy new seed. 19:35

southern-market

• Terry explains the Southern hunting market differs from the Midwest largely because of drought, which pushes growers to focus on fall rather than spring plantings. 18:30

trail-camera-timing

• Russell Hilliard asked about putting trail cameras out earlier than the usual Fourth of July rule since crops are behind this year. 46:22

trail-cameras

• Don asserts there is a genuine market for premium, reliable trail cameras despite the industry’s race-to-the-bottom pricing trend. 33:40
• Adam Rosendale asked for an update on Don’s possible trail camera manufacturing partnership. 31:23

Deer activity

• Babe (harvest) 38:59

Listener questions

Question: Trevor Hagen asked whether an unopened three-year-old bag of Deadly Dozen stored at 68 degrees would still have good germination, or if he should just buy new seed. 19:35 — asked by Trevor Hagen

• Answer: Don answers that proper storage, kept cool and dry, is the critical factor determining whether old seed will still germinate well. 21:17

Question: Justin Hughes asked why Don plants cedar trees when much of the hunting industry advocates cutting cedars down to improve habitat. 24:54 — asked by Justin Hughes

• Answer: Don explains he and many land managers plant cedars, and whether it makes sense depends heavily on the region and how aggressively cedars reproduce there. 25:15

Question: Adam Rosendale asked for an update on Don’s possible trail camera manufacturing partnership. 31:23 — asked by Adam Rosendale

• Answer: Don says he has no update yet from the person considering the project, who remains busy with his own successful business. 31:36

Question: Mike Womhoff asked whether placing mineral in the same spots year after year trains coyotes and bobcats to target those areas as a food source. 34:15 — asked by Mike Womhoff

• Answer: Don says he would keep using the same mineral sites year after year without worrying much about predators keying in on them. 35:15

Question: Brett Petty asked whether Don regrets shooting Babe given this year’s excellent antler growth, and whether Babe might have scored over 200. 37:51 — asked by Brett Petty

• Answer: Don says he does not regret shooting Babe and that you can’t second-guess such decisions in hindsight. 38:29

Question: Russell Hilliard asked about putting trail cameras out earlier than the usual Fourth of July rule since crops are behind this year. 46:22 — asked by Russell Hilliard

• Answer: Don explains waiting closer to July gives bucks more antler growth done, producing a much better single trail-camera picture of a buck’s rack. 48:02

Question: Brandon Pearson asked if Don or Terry ever had to tell a land consult client their property couldn’t support their goals, and what usually causes that. 49:18 — asked by Brandon Pearson

• Answer: Don says the culprit is usually poor property layout or too many hunters trying to hunt a property suited for far fewer. 49:43

Sponsors this episode

• Real World Wildlife Products

Recorded early due to Don’s daughter’s wedding falling on Father’s Day, the episode covered habitat and business updates. Don warned that late, thick hay cutting overlapping fawn drop would cause more fawn deaths by farm equipment this year, while Terry noted good antler-growth weather could later lower the herd’s age structure. Don defended planting cedars for their drought tolerance, citing Jay Gingerich’s Gingerich Tree Farm as proof of demand, though a listener question prompted him to explain the choice depends on region. Terry announced he was returning to full-time work with a family-acquired company. Business updates included a first Canadian dealer event and a Southern trip with Duane Hopkins, Jean, and James exploring dealer growth. Listener questions covered seed germination, trail-camera timing, predator concerns at mineral sites, and Don’s stance that he didn’t regret shooting Babe despite this year’s strong antler growth. Don closed by recalling that his father never gave up on him.

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