Scoring & Aging — Listener Q&A

Questions 1–40 of 40 in this category. All listener questions

Mature & Trophy Bucks

Question: Terry asks Don to explain what mature bucks need from timber habitat and why open, park-like woods fail to provide it. 5:41 — Cut More Trees! How Aggressive TSI Creates Better Deer Habitat

• Answer: Don explains that a burned firebreak side of a woods left nothing for deer but scattered acorns, with no browse or bedding cover compared to the thick unburned side. 7:06

Question: Matthew asked roughly how many miles separate 170-inch bucks in states like Illinois, Iowa, or Ohio. 47:25 — asked by Matthew — Episode #244 - October Lull? Don and Terry See Bucks Moving in Mid October

• Answer: Don said the closest known 170-inch buck to his farm is about 20 miles away as the crow flies. 48:26

Question: Jordan Mouse asked how often Don would hunt a mature buck from the same stand given a good wind and good access. 54:05 — asked by Jordan Mouse — Episode 238 - 2024 Buck Forecast - MORE GIANTS SHOT THIS YEAR

• Answer: Don said he wouldn’t hesitate to hunt a stand two or three times a week, or more, as long as the wind and access are truly reliable. 54:23

Question: Dave Armstrong asks whether technology like cell cameras is making it harder than ever for good genetic bucks to reach old age. 43:30 — asked by Dave Armstrong — Episode 224 - Saving Fawns and Farming for Nutrients: Insights from Don Higgins

• Answer: Don says hunters will shoot the biggest antlered buck they can find regardless of his age, which he sees as the real driver of the problem. 49:04

Question: Brandon from Rochester, Indiana asks how much a mature buck’s home range typically shrinks and whether one could be held on as little as 10 acres. 49:46 — asked by Brandon — Episode 224 - Saving Fawns and Farming for Nutrients: Insights from Don Higgins

• Answer: Don says he doesn’t believe a buck can be kept on just 10 acres. 50:26
• Answer: Don estimates that only in very rare instances could a small enough home range be as little as around 100 acres. 52:42

Question: An audience member asks how to set up for a mature buck when does and young bucks don’t play the wind the same way. 24:37 — Episode #211 - Live from RWWP Dealer Event - BINGO

• Answer: Don says hunters must blow their scent into an area with low deer likelihood overall, not just for mature bucks. 24:55

Question: Caleb Yoder from Fresno, Ohio asked which stage of progressing from small bucks to bigger bucks was hardest, and when Don realized mature bucks are different. 74:32 — asked by Caleb Yoder — Episode #202 - Strange Sponsorship Requests with Joe Miles

• Answer: Don said, surprisingly, the earliest stages of deer hunting were the hardest, while later stages became easier as knowledge grew and it became a matter of willpower. 75:08

Question: Norman Nestle asks why Iowa is the best state for growing giant bucks and what regulation changes Don thinks Iowa should make. 66:29 — asked by Norman Nestle — Episode 200 - Journey to 200

• Answer: Don says Iowa’s light hunting pressure produces older, bigger bucks, and recommends eliminating both the three-buck limit and the late muzzleloader season, which makes vulnerable bucks easy targets on soybean fields. 68:30

Question: A teenage listener with little hunting experience asks how much experience is needed before hunting mature bucks with a compound bow. 51:18 — asked by Aiden Miller — Episode #193 - Babe is Down!

• Answer: Don recommends mastering each skill level, like consistently killing eight-pointers, before raising the bar rather than jumping straight to mature bucks. 52:14
• Answer: Terry adds that hunters must set their own pace based on their situation rather than social media, family, or peer pressure. 54:33

Question: Ron Eddinger asked whether a human-shaped scarecrow in a tree stand to acclimate deer to a human silhouette is a good idea or a waste of time. 43:15 — asked by Ron Eddinger — Episode 184 - the new G Series no till drill from PH Outdoors.

• Answer: Don recommended against the scarecrow trick, saying deer should never see a human silhouette, and hiding the tree stand better would work far better than trying to acclimate them to one. 44:18
• Answer: Terry added that mature bucks get few chances, so once spooked by something they dislike, gimmicks like a scarecrow are unlikely to work on them. 44:55

Question: Wade Johnson asks whether hunting tight funnels near water is effective for mature bucks and requests tips. 60:55 — Episode #179 - Is Antler Growth Behind This Year?

• Answer: Don says hunters need several funnels and should stay out of them until trail cameras confirm a target buck is using one. 62:18

Question: Nelson Rizzler asked why near-shooter bucks on his public land cameras consistently disappear before reaching maturity. 50:16 — asked by Nelson Rizzler — Episode #138 - Hunting the Full Moon

• Answer: Don said proficient camera users should see bucks return during the rut, and if they don’t, something is happening to those deer, though he has no certain explanation. 53:49

Question: Carl Fritz asks which whitetail state Don would buy land in to manage for mature bucks, and why, factoring in land values and hunting culture. 54:30 — asked by Carl Fritz — Episode #102 - WE ARE GIVING AWAY A TRUCK IN THE LESTER’S FEET RAFFLE!

• Answer: Don picks Ohio, citing its long season, one-buck limit that lets bucks reach older age classes, and legal supplemental feeding. 55:16
• Answer: Don says his one dislike of Ohio is legal baiting, which gets young bucks killed; without it Ohio would be the best whitetail state. 56:38

Question: Nathan Brown asked for a review of the hosts’ season, including what deer they passed, ages, scores, and lessons learned. 48:34 — asked by Nathan Brown — Episode #98 - Don’s Trophy Room, Stolen Gun, and New Title Sponsor

• Answer: Terry said he killed a buck scoring in the high 150s/160s, a four-year-old he had a history with and had passed four times before. 49:34
• Answer: Don said he had no target buck but had several nice four-year-olds located, some near the 170-inch mark he passed. 50:03

Question: Michael Johnson from Bechtlesville, PA asked whether mature does are also a different animal like mature bucks, and whether they’re more attractive to mature bucks during the rut. 45:27 — Episode #91 - Is Don like CNN News?

• Answer: Don answers mature does are no more attractive to a mature buck than an immature doe—bucks just want any doe attracted to them. 46:04
• Answer: Don concludes mature bucks must be hunted as a totally different animal than other deer, with nothing really similar between bucks and does. 48:06

Question: Bo Hammock asks about hunting October mornings in early season, noting good success sitting tight to bedding in the transition area between bedding and food. 42:31 — asked by Bo Hammock — Episode #88 - Hunting MATURE Bucks on October Mornings?

• Answer: Don explains mature bucks five and a half years or older are almost always bedded down before sunrise, making October mornings poor for encountering them. 44:54
• Answer: Don states about 90% of mature bucks killed in October are taken during evening hunts rather than mornings. 45:41
• Answer: Terry adds that with only one access route on his own property, hunting October mornings means he inevitably pushes deer out. 50:37

Question: Jake Justice from Niceville, Florida asks whether mature bucks get accustomed to box blinds sitting openly visible rather than tucked into cover. 63:01 — asked by Jake Justice — Episode #88 - Hunting MATURE Bucks on October Mornings?

• Answer: Don doesn’t believe an openly visible box blind will spook mature bucks. 66:50

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

• 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: How did the 10-year-old buck Terry shot keep slipping through the cracks for so many years? 43:48 — asked by Casey Larson — Episode #80 - Don’s 2021 Buck Forecast

• Answer: Don explains the buck Terry eventually shot at 10 years old simply kept falling through the cracks for reasons he can’t fully pin down. 46:06

Question: An anonymous listener asks how to tell a close friend or family member they can no longer hunt on his property after losing trust in his ethics. 51:24 — Episode #44 - New Year’s Resolutions, Bedding Cover, Hunting Cold Temps, and Sharing Hunting Property with Family

• Answer: Don answers he’s observed over decades that the most successful mature-buck hunters hunt alone, since bringing others doubles scent and noise. 52:06
• Answer: Don adds that since it’s the listener’s first year hunting, he should decide his personal goals, as hunting can be solitary or social depending on priorities. 53:28

Question: Cole Reagan asked whether extremely high doe densities push mature bucks onto neighboring properties with less competition for bedding and food. 47:16 — asked by Cole Reagan — Episode #40 - Transition to Late Season and Picking a Contest Winner- Also, Thoughts about Mel Video

• Answer: Don says if does consider an area the safe zone, mature bucks are there too, calling the whole ‘doe factory’ idea a misleading fallacy. 48:36
• Answer: Terry adds that a skewed buck-to-doe ratio can hurt rut hunters, though he prefers more does to protect younger bucks. 54:11

Question: Craig Koopman from Bartelso, Illinois asks what calling and rattling techniques work best for each part of the hunting season. 19:22 — asked by Craig Koopman — Episode #13 - 2020 ATA SHOW From Indy - Part 2 of 2

• Answer: Don says he avoids calling and rattling because for every mature buck brought in, twenty times more will be spooked off by it. 20:43
• Answer: Terry says he doesn’t rattle, and on rare occasions calls only while watching the deer’s reaction, never blind. 22:01

Question: Brian asks Don’s opinion on rattling, calling, and decoys for mature bucks and whether they help or hurt more. 40:47 — asked by Brian — Episode #9 - Terry shoots his second buck of the year and Don scouts for 2020 Season

• Answer: Don believes for every mature buck lured by decoy, rattle, or call, at least 20 others get spooked or educated. 41:24
• Answer: Terry agrees he is completely against blind calling or rattling without seeing the deer’s reaction. 43:08

Aging Deer

Question: Thomas Stein asked Don to walk through his decision-making process for choosing when to kill a buck on his farm. 53:30 — asked by Thomas Stein — Deer Velvet Shedding & Fall Buck Shifts: Don Higgins Responds to Rumors | Chasing Giants Ep. 289

• Answer: Don explained he manages his farm so the best bucks in each older age class remain, culling lesser bucks to make room for younger ones. 55:54
• Answer: Don predicted the listener’s five-and-a-half-year-old eight-point buck likely would not repeat his 15-inch antler jump next year. 57:29

Question: Mike asks whether bucks in steep, rugged terrain reach a higher age class than bucks in flatter, more accessible farm country. 57:53 — asked by Mike — Episode 237 - Cell Camera Spooking Mature Deer? Don Thinks Maybe So…

• Answer: Don agrees steep terrain is tougher to hunt than flat areas in some situations. 58:50
• Answer: Don explains rugged topography narrows travel corridors, creating more defined funnels than flat, open cover. 59:17

Question: Joe asks Don whether older bucks, nine and a half or older, start letting their guard down, or if increased daylight movement is just happenstance. 13:00 — asked by Joe Miles — Episode #154 - Dogs Running Loose on Don’s Farm. HE IS NOT HAPPY!

• Answer: Don agrees older bucks become overconfident after surviving years of pressure in their home range, causing them to move more in daylight. 13:53

Question: Terry asks whether an older buck’s easier killability is due to personality/guard letting down, or because its core area shrinks to a smaller, safer spot. 17:29 — asked by Terry — Episode #154 - Dogs Running Loose on Don’s Farm. HE IS NOT HAPPY!

• Answer: Don agrees older bucks likely do feel safer in a smaller core area, which is why they settle there as they age. 17:57

Question: Bryce Bowling asks whether it’s rarer today to harvest a quality 8.5-year-old buck or a 200-inch buck, and why. 46:47 — asked by Bryce Bowling — Episode #148 - Are Bucks Shedding Antlers Early This Year?

• Answer: Don says a quality 8.5-year-old buck and a 200-inch buck are about equally rare, though a 200-inch buck alone is rarer than an average 8.5-year-old. 47:05

Question: At what age do most bucks reach their peak in antler development? 28:54 — asked by Levi Rosenthreader — Episode #112 - Chasing Giants in the Big North Woods

• Answer: Don says bucks rarely peak before age six, usually peaking between six and seven years old. 30:20
• Answer: Don notes he has seen wild Illinois bucks hit their best rack as late as nine and a half years old. 30:28
• Answer: Terry frames the answer as a bell curve, noting exceptions exist but most bucks peak where the curve centers. 30:43

Question: Greg (Saint Joseph, Illinois) asked whether Don has seen bucks over seven years old become noticeably more relaxed and easier to encounter with age. 60:02 — asked by Greg — Episode #110 - Double Episode live from Master Class - Al Foster gives great advise

• Answer: Don said the toughest age range to kill a mature buck is roughly five-and-a-half to seven-and-a-half; bucks get easier before and after that window. 60:44

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 — Episode #96 - STAY OUT OF THE SANCTUARY!

• 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: Once a buck is an eight-pointer or ten-pointer at two or three years old, will he always stay that point count, or can he add points? 50:50 — asked by John Petershaw — Episode #95 - Live from Guthrie, KY

• Answer: Don said it’s not true that an eight-pointer always stays an eight or a ten always stays a ten; bucks can add more points as they age. 51:50

Question: Fred Zink asked how to know whether a three- or four-year-old buck is likely to grow into a larger 170-180+ class deer. 71:51 — asked by Fred Zink — Episode #58 - Burning Native Grass Tips and Great Questions from 3rd Master Class

• Answer: Don relayed a captive-industry rule: bucks scoring 140 at two or 170 at three years old have very good odds of eventually breaking 200 inches. 73:06
• Answer: Don cited Mel as an example, pushing 160 inches at two years old and already over 200 by three years old. 73:28

Question: Terry asked whether the buck Don killed on November 3 was seven or six years old. 15:58 — Episode #39 - SPECIAL EDITION - DON SHOOTS ANOTHER GIANT! 2 Bucks = 400”+ of Antler in 2020

• Answer: Don confirmed the buck was a six-year-old. 16:02

Antler Scoring

Question: Garrett asked whether it’s plausible that a wild-killed 250-plus-inch deer could really be aged at only three and a half years old by tooth analysis. 43:06 — asked by Garrett Stoops from Ashland, Ohio — Why Some Hunting Properties Work Instantly… And Others Fail - Chasing Giants Podcast #319

• Answer: Don confirmed it is possible for a deer to reach 250-plus inches by age three, but stressed it is extremely rare. 45:56

Question: Will Don make any bold predictions this year and call his shot again like he did with a buck named Babe? 37:13 — asked by Jason Hesselberg — Episode #227 - Science Behind Summer Solstice and Whitetail

• Answer: Don says it’s too early to make predictions on his farm’s bucks this year, but he’d have a better answer by late August or September 1. 39:48

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

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

Question: Joe asked whether Don said the buck was a 180-inch eight-point, four-by-four. 9:46 — Episode #181 - What is new with Asio Gear?

• Answer: Don clarified that counting a double G2 and two extra stickers on one base, the buck would gross about $1.80 (180 inches). 9:51

Question: Terry asked whether the buck has around 10 inches of nontypical antler. 10:12 — Episode #181 - What is new with Asio Gear?

• Answer: Don said counting the double G2 as nontypical, the buck has more than 10 inches of nontypical antler. 10:20

Harvest

Question: A listener asked whether this year’s jump in high-scoring buck harvests stems from an exceptional growing season or growing social-media pressure against shooting young bucks. 36:12 — asked by Chasing Dougherty — Episode #249 - Another Big Archery Buck! Terry Peer and Don Higgins Discuss

• Answer: Don attributed this year’s harvest jump mainly to exceptional growing conditions rather than social media’s slow influence, though he thinks social media plays a small role. 36:58

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