Ethics & Philosophy — Listener Q&A

Questions 1–50 of 50 in this category. All listener questions

Hunting Ethics

Question: An anonymous listener from Nashville asks whether a certain big-name hunter who consistently kills giant urban bucks is using a thermal drone to find them. 45:58 — Making Good Tree Stands GREAT | Don Higgins’ Best Habitat Tricks + Doubting Thomas Premiere

• Answer: Don says he believes the hunter is likely using thermal drones to locate and pattern these bucks, calling it the only explanation that makes sense. 48:39
• Answer: Don reports he checked with his local conservation police officer and confirmed hunting drones are illegal in Illinois. 49:14

Question: Jerry Sinclair from Chester, Vermont asks how other hunters react when Don hunts a new area given his reputation for killing big bucks. 59:57 — asked by Jerry Sinclair — Making Good Tree Stands GREAT | Don Higgins’ Best Habitat Tricks + Doubting Thomas Premiere

• Answer: Don says he’s rarely welcomed when entering a new hunting area — usually the opposite — so he keeps a low profile to avoid drawing attention to himself. 60:16

Question: Terry asked Don if he had a story of taking one for the team and doing the right thing, similar to Josh Pretzer’s situation. 29:11 — The Magic of Late October | Cold Fronts, Big Bucks & Character in the Woods | Chasing Giants #295

• Answer: Don recounted mistakenly shooting the wrong buck decades ago; rather than avoid using his tag, he immediately tagged and retrieved the deer himself. 33:24

Question: Dennis follows up asking where the ethical line is with drone use. 16:04 — Episode #263 - Live from the Iowa Deer Classic

• Answer: Don says drones in the wrong hands are a poacher’s dream and are ripe for abuse. 16:52

Question: What is the biggest threat to the deer hunting industry today: technology or ethics, including drones? 11:16 — Episode #258 - Live Podcast from Mt. Hope Ohio

• Answer: Playing Don in reverse, Ray Miller jokingly claims there’s no issue with property-line hunting, corn piles, drones, or bad deer recovery practices. 12:01
• Answer: Terry seriously answers that drones are probably the single most dangerous tool that could be misused negatively in the hunting industry. 13:50

Question: Kurt Myers asked whether it’s ethical to pay landowners or use tipster networks to access a specific giant buck, bypassing local hunters. 35:55 — asked by Kurt Myers — Episode #243 - Target Giant Non-Typical Buck Success - Don Higgins

• Answer: Don said ethics is a personal decision each hunter must make, though he now tries to consider other hunters’ perspectives before chasing tipped-off deer. 45:05

Question: Colin asks whether Don would shoot a legal albino or piebald buck if it matched the caliber he was hunting for. 56:05 — asked by Colin Rajala — Episode 230 - Don says Switchgrass is not the best bedding.

• Answer: Don says yes, he would shoot a mature, legal piebald buck that reached his desired age and antler size. 56:41

Question: Jeff Sparks asked what Don thinks about box blinds and the odds of a five-year-old buck surviving to score 170 on a permission property. 72:18 — asked by Jeff Sparks — Episode #201 - New Year, New Tools, New Websites

• Answer: Don said he sees no real advantage to box blinds, viewing them more as a disadvantage since mature bucks avoid a box blind once they pattern it. 72:35
• Answer: Terry said a box blind mainly helps when taking a kid hunting, filming with a camera crew, or hunting in very late, cold weather. 74:17

Question: Chad Horetzky asked what they would do if a target buck came into range with half its rack broken off. 41:57 — asked by Chad Horetzky — Episode #197 - Don’s Grandson Kills His First Buck!

• Answer: Don agreed with Chad, saying it’s up to each hunter, but he personally sees no need to shoot a buck with a busted-up rack. 43:05

Question: Tom asks whether nonresident hunters who pay heavily to hunt are more selective about deer than residents paying little for their tags. 47:53 — asked by Tom — Episode #182 - Don’s Buck Management Plan for 2023

• Answer: Don argues there shouldn’t be a resident-versus-nonresident conflict, since the real divide is between serious hunters and irresponsible ones regardless of residency. 48:34

Question: Edward Miller asks how much information about big bucks he should keep to himself without being selfish. 57:10 — asked by Edward Miller — Episode #182 - Don’s Buck Management Plan for 2023

• Answer: Don says it is not selfish at all to keep trail-camera and scouting information private, since finding mature bucks takes real personal effort. 58:21

Question: How have hunting ethics on public land changed since Don first started hunting there? 69:30 — Episode #161 - Live from Last Master Class - Inside QuietKat E-Bike

• Answer: Don said last season he witnessed the worst display of sportsmanship between two public-land hunters he’d ever seen, souring him on public hunting. 70:10

Question: An audience member asked whether easy local deer processing makes hunters pull the trigger quicker, and its effect on the population. 46:14 — Episode 159 - Captive Deer Breeding… Why Don Got Out

• Answer: Don relayed that a cameraman for a famous hunter filmed him shooting a 135-inch buck. 46:46
• Answer: Don relayed that the hunter left the buck unprocessed, saying he’d rather keep hunting for something bigger. 47:02

Question: Billy Ayers asks what Don and Terry think about hunting contests like coyote hunts, small game hunts, and shed antler contests. 39:36 — asked by Billy Ayers — Episode #158 - Is Hunting Contests Hurting the Hunting Industry?

• Answer: Don says he no longer enters big buck contests, believing they bring out the worst in people once money and prizes are involved. 41:14

Question: A listener with a stand on a neighbor’s fence line asks what an ethical distance from a property line is. 61:42 — asked by Dale — Chasing Giants Podcast #145 - Bully Bucks and Big Rubs!

• Answer: Don says ethics is personal with no universal right answer, unlike black-and-white game law. 62:10
• Answer: Don says setting up on a property line next to a neighbor who has invested heavily in habitat, while contributing nothing yourself, is unethical. 64:31

Question: Paul asks whether it’s true that a rival consultant said Don and Tony LaPratt only care about selling products and would kill any 200-inch buck on shared land. 28:12 — asked by Paul — Episode #126 - Should we have deer hunting competitions?

• Answer: Don says no one is bound to hunt one property forever; skilled hunters can travel to where bigger deer live and prove their claims by actually killing them instead of just talking. 29:54

Question: Are elevated hunting blinds with home comforts (‘outhouses’) ethical? 23:23 — asked by Fran Yates — Episode #116 - Broadhead Debate with Don Higgins and Joe Miles

• Answer: Don admits he personally has five comfort-equipped elevated blinds on his own farm. 23:59
• Answer: Don says he prefers a tree stand in cold weather but admits he’ll take the comfort of a heated blind when temperatures hit zero. 25:32

Question: An audience member finds a trail-camera buck far bigger than usual on a friend’s land and asks Don whether to pursue permission to hunt it. 24:46 — EPISODE #107 - Don Knows How To Fire Up Southern Folks!

• Answer: Don recounts a similar situation with a friend’s trophy buck; he called the friend first to avoid harming the friendship, backed off, and urges treating others as you’d want to be treated rather than letting a deer compromise relationships. 26:48

Question: An audience member with only rifle access to a target buck’s bedding area asks the panel whether he should take up rifle hunting for that deer. 37:22 — EPISODE #107 - Don Knows How To Fire Up Southern Folks!

• Answer: Terry tells the questioner not to let others dictate his hunting method — hunters’ standards evolve over time, from rifle at distance to bow at close range, and that’s a personal journey. 38:03
• Answer: Don agrees it’s a personal, legal choice and says he doesn’t look down on hunters who choose differently, even though he personally only bowhunts. 38:26
• Answer: Joe says hunting shouldn’t be about competition between hunters using different methods — the real competition is with the animal itself. 39:58

Question: Easton McNeil from Mansfield, Ohio asked whether growing disregard for hunting laws should just be accepted as a trend, or whether there’s a better way to address it. 53:29 — asked by Easton McNeil — Episode #89 - 2021 Rut Setting Up To Be FANTASTIC!

• Answer: Don said hunters shouldn’t report every secondhand rumor, but should report law violations they personally witness, and must set an ethical example for younger hunters. 58:43
• Answer: Terry said he keeps the game warden’s number in his phone and will report anyone he personally sees breaking game laws. 60:21

Question: Al Foster asks Don what bothered him most about bowhunter ethics from years ten to twenty, and what bothers him most now, crossbows aside. 39:51 — asked by Al Foster — Episode #56 RELOAD - Great discussion live from 2021 Master Class #1 - Terry answers some questions on cell cam test

• Answer: Don says the best whitetail hunters he came to admire over time were consistently the most ethical ones, not those willing to do anything legal to kill a deer. 41:55
• Answer: Don says what bothers him most today is the lack of good ethical role models in the hunting industry for young hunters to look up to. 42:50

Question: A seminar attendee, possibly tied to a trail camera company, asked Don what he thinks of cell cameras. 28:58 — Episode #47 - Hunting Ethics, Annual Cycle Of Whitetail, Should we leave Social Media?

• Answer: Don framed hunting ethics as personal choices hunters make that go beyond what the law requires. 29:23
• Answer: Don said he owns one cell camera but struggles with cameras that let hunters instantly react and rush in to kill an animal. 35:15

Question: Terry asks Don to restate the quote he taped to his gun cabinet door, referenced in the Mel video. 27:12 — Episode #44 - New Year’s Resolutions, Bedding Cover, Hunting Cold Temps, and Sharing Hunting Property with Family

• Answer: Don states his gun-cabinet quote: hunters should be judged more by what they choose not to shoot than by what they do shoot. 27:23

Question: Terry asks whether Don would rather be known for passing a 216-inch buck on camera over maturity doubts, or for killing three 200-inch deer on unfenced land he didn’t own. 28:11 — Episode #44 - New Year’s Resolutions, Bedding Cover, Hunting Cold Temps, and Sharing Hunting Property with Family

• Answer: Don answers that, forced to choose, he’d rather be known as the guy who let the 200-inch deer walk because it hadn’t met his age-based maturity goal. 30:49

Question: Logan DeGroote asks how Don and Terry celebrate after harvesting a target buck: quiet reflection, a party with friends, or immediately planning the next hunt. 35:51 — asked by Logan DeGroote — Episode #43 - Making Good Stand Great, Broadhead Debate Update, How We Celebrate a Kill, and Customer Service

• Answer: Don says he feels quiet satisfaction from outwitting a mature buck on its own turf with a bow, rather than throwing any celebration. 37:21
• Answer: Terry says as soon as he saw his buck go down from the tree stand, he immediately called his wife rather than celebrating with a group. 38:23
• Answer: Don confirms he doesn’t wait long to move on; he’s already planning his next buck to chase before the current season even ends. 41:36

Question: Jacob asks whether modern hunters, obsessed with gadgets and social media, are losing touch with nature and the true reality of hunting. 65:00 — Episode #27 Season is closing in. Final prep work is being done along with addressing some hurt feelings.

• Answer: Don answers that hunters are stewards entrusted with big game herds for a time, and owe it to the next generation to leave the resource in better shape than they found it. 68:36
• Answer: Terry warns that when a target buck becomes an obsession, big deer make good people really bad, leading to jealousy and lost priorities. 75:36

The Hunting Industry

Question: Jeremy Randolph asks Don what advice he would give his 20-year-old self about the hunting industry. 57:44 — asked by Jeremy Randolph — “200-Inch Nebraska Giant: Joe Chambers’ Incredible Buck Story | Chasing Giants Ep. 296”

• Answer: Don says his biggest career regret is some of the people he partnered with, admitting he tends to see the good in everyone. 58:59
• Answer: Don identifies jealousy, more than ego or social media, as the biggest problem in the hunting industry, driving critics to attack others’ trophies. 61:55

Question: Jeremy Randolph asks Terry for business advice on breaking into the hunting industry. 58:08 — asked by Jeremy Randolph — “200-Inch Nebraska Giant: Joe Chambers’ Incredible Buck Story | Chasing Giants Ep. 296”

• Answer: Terry advises entrants to avoid commoditizing existing products and instead create a new niche product, then decide whether to grow or sell it. 63:50

Question: Terry asked Don whether turning a hobby or passion into a career or business causes it to lose its original appeal. 22:24 — asked by Terry — #294 From Old School to High Tech: Don Higgins Reflects on 40 Years in the Deer Woods

• Answer: Don said hunting and land management are still just as enjoyable; what’s lost its appeal is dealing with some of the people in the public side of the business. 23:10

Question: An anonymous Indiana listener asked whether a TV hunter with a huge trophy room of giant bucks is simply elite or paying for access to deer. 47:19 — #288 2025 Buck Forecast: EHD Devastation, Trail Cam Insights & Hard Truths About Trophy Bucks

• Answer: Don said he doesn’t believe one hunter can consistently kill 200-inch deer year after year without outside help, no matter how much money he has. 49:20

Question: Frank Shannon asks Don to share the top one or two things he dislikes about the hunting industry. 36:49 — asked by Frank Shannon — Episode #273 - Clover Maintenance and Spring Planting

• Answer: Don says his biggest frustration is that there’s no apprenticeship left — anyone with a desire can start a podcast or channel without paying dues. 38:10
• Answer: Don also dislikes that some low-integrity people have built public reputations they don’t deserve, deceiving fans who don’t know their true character. 39:58

Question: An audience member asks Don whether he wants supporters to defend him against critics or stay silent. 37:46 — Episode #260 - Live From the Legends Roundtable - Midwest Sportsmans Classic

• Answer: Don says he has come to recognize that critics are typically people doing less than him. 38:15

Question: Terry asked whether social media pressuring hunters to become trophy hunters too soon is a good or bad thing. 39:48 — Episode #249 - Another Big Archery Buck! Terry Peer and Don Higgins Discuss

• Answer: Don called it a bad thing, saying social media wrongly makes hunters feel lesser unless they shoot a big buck, and that state agencies should better manage age-class and sex ratios instead. 40:21

Question: Joe Chambers from Nebraska asks Don about the mental, emotional, and spiritual shift from targeting three-to-four-year-old bucks to only five-and-a-half-year-old and older bucks. 62:52 — Episode #247 - Lockdown, Drone’s, and Deer Pimps

• Answer: Don says the key difference is you must stop caring what others think, since targeting only mature bucks means having seasons where you tag nothing. 63:10
• Answer: Don says a big hurdle is that hunters have gotten very good at killing three- and four-year-olds, and that approach won’t work on older deer. 64:14

Question: Ralph Moore asked Don to describe negative aspects of being in his position within the hunting industry, beyond the well-known haters. 53:40 — asked by Ralph Moore — Episode #218 -Spring Food Plots - Is it time to plant?

• Answer: Don says his biggest negative is not having enough hours in the day to show people the respect they deserve. 57:40

Question: As a 16-year-old chasing a mega giant, how can I get my name out to bigger hunting brands? 71:39 — asked by Randy Dearman — Episode #191 - Babe Out In Daylight - Giant Corn Yields for Food Plotters

• Answer: Don’s best advice is to be yourself and not worry about the industry at 16. 72:06
• Answer: Terry urges patience, saying credibility and recognition come from consistently killing mature bucks. 74:41

Question: An anonymous listener from Slippery Rock, PA asks how Don handles being called an elitist and slandered for pursuing mature deer. 42:39 — asked by anonymous — Episode 175 - June Food Plot Update

• Answer: Don says he gives people their voice but blocks them when they cross the line, aiming to treat others the way he wants to be treated. 44:32

Question: Tyler Glenn, in his twenties, asked Don and Terry how to properly break into the hunting industry. 53:27 — asked by Tyler Glenn — Episode 101 - Mowing Corn, Dead Coyotes, and Working in the Hunting Industry

• Answer: Don advises finding a unique angle and staying true to yourself rather than just tagging companies for free gear. 55:53
• Answer: Terry adds that aspiring industry figures should first learn to hunt well to build credibility before seeking sponsorship. 60:59

Question: Jay Peterson from Woodlawn, Illinois asks how sponsorships work in the hunting industry. 44:22 — asked by Jay Peterson — Episode #77 - Would you shoot this buck? Still looking for a shooter.

• Answer: Don explains sponsorships usually run year to year and range from a product discount to a paid deal. 45:52
• Answer: Terry adds that he and Don have paid for their own gear for years and are fine continuing to do so without sponsors. 52:05

Question: Listener Adam Rosendale asked Don where he started, what his first steps into the hunting industry were, and how his career has evolved. 36:05 — asked by Adam Rosendale — Episode #25 - Don and Terry give an update on their hunting spots and discuss getting into the hunting industry.

• Answer: Don said he started as an outdoor writer so he could earn money to buy his own hunting equipment without taking money from his family. 37:31
• Answer: Don said Gordon Whittington at North American Whitetail published his first magazine article in August 1996, and his career grew from there. 37:42
• Answer: Don said his early assumption that pro staff members had to be elite hunters was wrong; what actually matters is having a unique angle. 42:33

Mentorship

Question: David Mathews asks if Don plans to add more consultants to his team and how a young guy could be considered for such a position. 44:04 — asked by David Mathews — Don Higgins Breaks Down His Favorite Properties of 2026 - Chasing Giants #320

• Answer: Don says he’s not currently looking to add anyone since his six consultants — Terry West, Derek Burkholder, Bobby Worthington, David Elliott, and Caleb Gehman — can handle the workload. 47:13

Question: An audience member asks what can be done to get more kids involved in hunting as youth participation declines. 17:32 — Episode #211 - Live from RWWP Dealer Event - BINGO

• Answer: Don says involving kids starts at home when they’re young, not once they’re already teenagers. 17:46

Question: Nick Collins asked Terry what the top three hunting lessons or things he fundamentally learned from Don have been. 44:15 — asked by Nick Collins — Episode #188 - Apple Trees for Whitetails

• Answer: Terry said the first lesson was realizing mature bucks use bedding areas differently than other deer in the herd. 46:23
• Answer: Terry said the second lesson was a different approach to herd management and buck harvest decisions. 47:10
• Answer: Terry said the third lesson was structuring food plots and bedding with transition zones for low-intrusion hunting. 47:35
• Answer: Terry added a non-hunting lesson: Don always looks for the good in people and trusts everyone, balancing Terry’s more pessimistic nature. 48:13

Question: Damon Marling asked what percentage of Don’s hunting knowledge came from others versus himself, whether he’s learned from consultants like Grant Woods, and whether amateurs ever taught him something. 66:36 — asked by Damon Marling — Episode 184 - the new G Series no till drill from PH Outdoors.

• Answer: Don estimated it’s roughly fifty-fifty between his own experience and lessons learned from others. 66:42
• Answer: Don said he doesn’t follow consultants like Grant Woods, Tony Pratt, or Jeff Sturgis, though a comment from Tony Pratt once got him thinking about his own experience. 67:28
• Answer: Don said he has learned a great deal from amateur hunters and consulting clients over the years. 70:55

Question: Maynard Miller asked why young people often hate on successful people instead of learning from them, and requested advice for young hunters. 29:33 — asked by Maynard Miller — Episode #138 - Hunting the Full Moon

• Answer: Don advised evaluating the source of information and finding people with a proven track record of success in that specific field to learn from. 30:52

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

• 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: Ian asked what Don wants to accomplish next in his hunting career after already killing multiple 200-inch deer. 23:56 — asked by Ian — Episode #58 - Burning Native Grass Tips and Great Questions from 3rd Master Class

• Answer: Don said the older he gets, the more he enjoys helping other people succeed rather than chasing his own next trophy. 25:22
• Answer: Don also said he’d still like to shoot a giant on public land and has leads on possible bucks to chase this year. 26:30

Question: An audience member asked Don and Terry what life advice they’d give to younger kids listening, outside of hunting. 67:20 — Episode #58 - Burning Native Grass Tips and Great Questions from 3rd Master Class

• Answer: Don’s advice was to dream big, because God’s reality is bigger than anything a person can imagine. 67:53
• Answer: Terry’s advice was to remember how it feels when someone helps you, and pass that same kindness on to someone else. 70:24

Question: Wes Delks asks Terry how his deer hunting has changed since meeting Don. 63:54 — asked by Wes Delks — Episode #57 - Discussion about Ethics Continues as guest at the 2nd Master Class put Don on the spot with live questions.

• Answer: Terry says the biggest change is hunting less but only in the right conditions, which improved his success killing mature bucks. 64:16

Question: Terry asks Don to sum up in a nutshell why they are doing this podcast. 10:48 — Episode 1 - New Show Introduction and Don’s Unique Goal For 2019

• Answer: Don says the podcast’s purpose is to share factual, effective information that helps other hunters succeed, which he finds rewarding. 11:35

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