Seasons & Timing — Listener Q&A

Questions 1–73 of 73 in this category. All listener questions

The Rut

Question: Is it typical to capture bucks fighting on trail camera in mid-January? 53:23 — asked by Mike Kelly — Texas Hunt, Brutal Cold, Late Rut Behavior & Winter Habitat Decisions | Chasing Giants Podcast #309

• Answer: Don explains real fights still happen in January when a doe fawn comes into heat and draws multiple bucks. 53:36

Question: Terry asks whether deer move as well during heavy rain and drizzle as they do after rain breaks, given Don’s rut-timing observations. 24:37 — EPISODE 300! Don Changes His Mind on the Rut + Drone Debate Heats Up!

• Answer: Don says he sees far less movement in heavy rain, but a light drizzle doesn’t slow deer down at all. 24:51

Question: Given cooler temps and rising barometer, what’s going on with all the bucks right now as the rut approaches? 4:18 — Barometer Secrets & Rut Forecast for Early November! | Chasing Giants 297

• Answer: Don answered that every buck he saw that morning was chasing or pushing does rather than feeding, consistent with rising rut activity. 4:35

Question: Is heavier scrape activity creating more competition among bucks this year? 5:56 — Barometer Secrets & Rut Forecast for Early November! | Chasing Giants 297

• Answer: Don answered yes, describing bucks following and bumping does near a feeding area, as interested in the does as in food. 6:10

Question: Given the favorable barometer forecast, when do you go in prepared for an all-day sit, and what decides that? 28:20 — Barometer Secrets & Rut Forecast for Early November! | Chasing Giants 297

• Answer: Don answered he only sits all day for a specific target buck, and only from around November 5 through Thanksgiving weekend. 28:50

Question: Terry asks Don whether the rut is early or if the deer movement is simply due to the recent weather change. 4:44 — asked by Terry — “200-Inch Nebraska Giant: Joe Chambers’ Incredible Buck Story | Chasing Giants Ep. 296”

• Answer: Don explains the rut always falls at the same time since it is the breeding period, but pre-rut activity increases and can create heightened movement resembling the rut. 4:48

Question: Sean Pearson asked why mature buck sightings drop off during the traditional November 5-12 peak window and whether hunting pressure or his more-northern location is the cause. 48:10 — asked by Sean Pearson — Episode #278 - Are Deer Getting Smaller?

• Answer: Don still believes November 5-12 is generally peak time in an average year, but says cold fronts now matter more than the calendar. 49:20
• Answer: Don cites shooting his buck on October 30 during a cold front as proof that fronts, not dates, drive daytime buck movement. 49:48
• Answer: Terry says trail camera data can’t reveal true movement trends; only firsthand time in the woods on the downwind side of bedding areas can. 51:49

Question: Since deer are chasing in both mid-November and mid-December, is there really a second rut, and can you cover it more? 55:49 — asked by Keith Miller — Episode #252 - Don says, “THERE IS NO SECOND RUT!”

• Answer: Don denied a second rut exists, calling it one continuous rut with peaks and valleys, similar to how there’s only one summer with varying hot spells. 56:20

Question: Terry asks whether the rut has started yet in Mexico given how far south they are. 10:44 — asked by Terry — Episode #251 - Update on Don & Joe Miles Kills 2 Giant Mexico Bucks!

• Answer: Joe says it’s classic pre-rut, comparable to late October up north, with scraping, rubbing, and posturing but no chasing yet. 10:53

Question: Alex Dunlavy asked when hunters should start getting aggressive and hunting their rut stands close to bedding. 45:33 — asked by Alex Dunlavy — Episode #245 - Halloween Hunting Should Be Great! Weather and Hunting Forecast from Don Higgins

• Answer: Don plans to wait until Halloween morning to start hunting morning rut stands this year. 46:25

Question: What triggers the pivot point that sets the timing of a doe’s reproductive cycle each year? 19:46 — Episode #227 - Science Behind Summer Solstice and Whitetail

• Answer: Don explains a deer’s pineal gland detects changing daylight length, which drives the annual reproductive and antler-growth cycle. 19:51

Question: Roger Draper from Tennessee asked whether to hunt the last week of October and first week of November, or the first two weeks of November. 52:01 — asked by Roger Draper — Episode #223 - Why are Young Bucks Being Hit on the Roads This Time of Year?

• Answer: Don notes November 5-12 has traditionally been a great period, but everything depends on the weather. 52:18
• Answer: Don says not to discount the last week of October, since cold weather then can produce bucks moving in daylight before the rut spreads them out. 54:22

Question: Garrett Larson asked how to split six hours of rut hunting between morning and evening, and how to allocate ten hours across a full day. 22:47 — asked by Garrett Larson — Episode #213 - Turning old cow pasture in deer sanctuary

• Answer: Don said with six hours to hunt during the rut, he’d spend four hours in the morning and the last two hours of the afternoon. 26:08

Question: Why is an east wind one of Don’s best winds to hunt? 54:42 — Ep #208 - Live from the FAE Midwest Sportsman Classic!

• Answer: Don says an east wind lets him hunt the backside of his sanctuary where bucks run the edge during the rut. 55:11
• Answer: Don likes east winds because they almost always come with a weather front that gets deer moving. 55:27

Question: Jason Clark asked why hunters avoid October mornings and what really differs between October and November besides weather and the rut. 59:33 — asked by Jason Clark — Episode #188 - Apple Trees for Whitetails

• Answer: Don said the rut is the biggest difference, since outside the rut mature bucks are usually back in their bed before daylight. 60:14
• Answer: Don explained bucks scent-check the downwind edge of their bedding area before entering, so morning hunters risk being winded before daylight. 61:27
• Answer: Don said he’s recently changed his mind: a cold front in the last week or ten days of October can make morning hunts worthwhile. 62:32

Question: Does the moon significantly influence the timing of the rut, as Charles Alsheimer’s calendars suggested? 39:16 — asked by Timothy Gwen — Episode #186 - Regenerative Ag Practices

• Answer: Don said the moon has minimal impact; the rut is triggered by photoperiodism, or day length, which stays consistent year to year. 41:52
• Answer: Don added the moon does affect observed deer activity patterns, though not the actual timing of the rut. 43:15

Question: Does backdating a doe’s fawn-drop date via trail cameras to predict next fall’s rut activity have any merit? 44:26 — asked by LeBag Buyler — Episode #186 - Regenerative Ag Practices

• Answer: Don said the idea sounds great in theory and would make a good magazine article, but is impractical in the field and would leave hunters frustrated. 45:18

Question: Brian Johnson asked whether Don’s same-time-same-place theory holds through all season stages, including early and late rut. 67:06 — asked by Brian Johnson — Episode #167 - Turkey Season Is Here! Terry Still Hates Turkeys!

• Answer: Don said the same-time-same-place pattern holds well until about the first week of November, before the rut disrupts it. 67:23
• Answer: Don said late-season buck movement is driven more by bad weather than a calendar date, with strange bucks showing up when they most need food. 68:03
• Answer: Don added that in early season, bucks leave bachelor groups and shift to fall range at nearly the same time each year, within 24-48 hours. 69:34

Question: Dave Elvin asked whether Don had noticed mature buck rut movement shifting earlier, into late October and early November, like he had in Missouri. 37:29 — asked by Dave Elvin — Episode #135 - Buck Dispersal - What does it mean?

• Answer: Don confirmed he’s observed a similar shift and now plans to hunt mornings in late October whenever a cold front comes through. 40:51

Question: Would you support shortening archery season if it meant moving gun season outside the rut? 73:55 — Episode #131 - Don forms his own Dream Team

• Answer: Don says he would take that trade, likely shortening the season’s end rather than its start. 74:57

Question: Kevin from Ohio asked what differentiates the giant bucks Don has killed in October versus November — is there a common theme like weather? 135:08 — asked by Kevin — Episode #110 - Double Episode live from Master Class - Al Foster gives great advise

• Answer: Don said October giants are typically killed evenings on a bed-to-feed pattern, while November giants are killed on running patterns chasing does along bedding edges. 135:27

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 — Episode #96 - STAY OUT OF THE SANCTUARY!

• 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: What are the pros and cons of all-day sits, and does Don see much midday deer movement during the rut? 93:42 — Episode #95 - Live from Guthrie, KY

• Answer: Don said trail cameras show mature bucks do have some midday movement, but not nearly as much as people are led to believe. 94:22

Question: Terry asked whether the biggest bucks already bred the first hot does and are now fighting other bucks while searching for the next does coming into heat. 9:29 — Episode #91 - Is Don like CNN News?

• Answer: Don says does don’t come into heat in predictable waves—there are does in heat throughout all of November—so bucks keep searching. 10:01

Question: Clint from Jonesboro, Arkansas asked whether claiming the rut happens the same time every year is like how CNN cherry-picks data to fit a narrative. 36:40 — Episode #91 - Is Don like CNN News?

• Answer: Don explains it’s the pineal gland in the deer’s eye, driven by daylight length, that triggers the rut, not other year-to-year environmental factors. 40:05
• Answer: Don adds that in 25 years with captive deer, fawns were born at the same time every year, supporting the consistent-timing claim. 41:00

Question: Eric Perry from Longbottom, Ohio asked what caused the lack of daytime rut movement this year, and whether fawns that enter heat late in January stay late every year. 57:45 — Episode #91 - Is Don like CNN News?

• Answer: Don answers that not every doe comes into heat on exactly the same calendar day each year, though timing patterns exist. 58:58
• Answer: Don adds that doe fawns won’t always come into heat in January—it’s random, since daylight-driven regulation ultimately governs timing. 60:07

Question: Terry asks Don where the rut currently stands on November 7. 1:04 — Episode #90 - November 7th - WHERE IS THE RUT

• Answer: Don says deer movement has not materialized today despite it being his favorite time of year. 1:32

Question: Terry asks whether seeing does with fawns is a better sign lockdown is ending than a single trail-camera photo of a mature buck. 7:45 — Episode #37 - Understanding the Rut, Aerial Photos of Property, Bad Shot Angles and Broadheads Types

• Answer: Don says he relies more on the calendar date than any single sighting, since the rut’s phases repeat at the same time every year. 7:57

Question: With a big temp drop coming, will mature bucks be locked down, and what should hunters expect this coming week? 5:35 — asked by Terry — Episode #36 Peak Rut Update, Warm Weather, maybe a little election and religion

• Answer: Don said the lockdown phase would be in full effect by the next weekend, with mature bucks locked tight to hot does. 5:46

Question: Don restates David’s question on whether they use doe estrus scent during the rut to draw in giant bucks. 72:22 — Episode #29 - Don previews some HIT LIST and UP-AND-COMER bucks while Terry is chasing a good buck in KY

• Answer: Don says he doesn’t use doe estrus scent anymore, has never had it draw in a shooter buck, and thinks scents are overrated. 72:30
• Answer: Terry says he now relies on hunting the downwind side of bedding areas instead of scent, believing being in the right spot matters most. 73:12
• Answer: Don adds it’s better to quietly get into the right spot without disturbing anything than to walk in and hang scent. 74:22

Weather & Drought

Question: Terry asked what Don’s first hay cutting was like and how much he got off given the weather in his area. 3:13 — The Biggest Mistake Food Plotters Make in June | Chasing Giants #328

• Answer: Don called his first hay cutting average, with an early cool spring and adequate moisture but no high temperatures yet. 3:21

Question: Terry asked whether spraying between cuttings during a drought, off the normal schedule, would harm the plant. 12:05 — Grow Bigger Food Plots, Gardens & Fruit Trees – Mike Mitchell Breaks It Down | Chasing Giants #324

• Answer: Mike said the product has no nitrogen, so it won’t burn plants — he’s tried to overdose it for years and never burned anything on his farm. 12:34

Question: Terry asked Mike to explain how Mike’s Mighty Micros helps soybeans during a drought and when to apply it. 35:32 — Grow Bigger Food Plots, Gardens & Fruit Trees – Mike Mitchell Breaks It Down | Chasing Giants #324

• Answer: Mike explained that when soil is too dry for a stressed bean plant to move nutrients through the roots, spraying nutrients on the leaf lets it continue its normal growth cycle. 36:17

Question: Terry asked at what point during a drought farmers should decide it’s time to use the product. 37:58 — Grow Bigger Food Plots, Gardens & Fruit Trees – Mike Mitchell Breaks It Down | Chasing Giants #324

• Answer: Mike said the time to apply is when there’s no rain in the forecast and plants are starting to lay over and droop. 38:03

Question: Terry asked if there’s any issue applying Mike’s Mighty Micros by drone during a drought year. 38:40 — Grow Bigger Food Plots, Gardens & Fruit Trees – Mike Mitchell Breaks It Down | Chasing Giants #324

• Answer: Mike confirmed drone application works, and new labels matching the Vital Force labels will include drone application rates. 39:14

Question: Chad Fox asks for food plot or habitat suggestions for a farm between two rivers that floods every year. 43:59 — asked by Chad Fox — Cut More Trees! How Aggressive TSI Creates Better Deer Habitat

• Answer: Don’s blunt suggestion is to sell the flood-prone farm, noting some property problems simply have no workable solution. 44:20
• Answer: Don adds that clients who follow this advice and buy a second farm always end up with a better hunting property than the first. 44:56

Question: Terry asked Don to script the ideal weather for the next six months to maximize antler growth on his property. 24:22 — When Managing Deer Means Saying NO to Giants | Chasing Giants Podcast #304

• Answer: Don said he’d want near-normal to slightly above-normal winter temperatures with limited snow but average rainfall. 25:02

Question: Terry asks whether Don’s deer favor clover or Deadly Dozen plots more in warmer weather versus grain in cold weather. 3:12 — Episode 303 – Late-Season Deer Movement, Winter Food Strategy & The Future of Big Bucks

• Answer: Don explains deer favor grain when temperatures run below normal and favor green food plots when temperatures run above normal, hammering grain as it gets colder. 3:39

Question: How is the recent rain and weather forecast likely to affect Don’s hunting strategy as season opens? 14:05 — #292 - Public Land Busts, Big Timber Dreams, & Target Bucks

• Answer: Don expects the warm eighty-degree forecast to keep bucks bedded until near dark, limiting daylight movement early in the season. 14:28

Question: With no rain coming, will all the crops around Don be out by the second week of October? 18:18 — #292 - Public Land Busts, Big Timber Dreams, & Target Bucks

• Answer: Don isn’t sure about the second week of October, but is confident the crops will be gone by November 1, the rut. 18:28

Question: Terry asks how storms, flooding, and spring weather affect deer health. 42:29 — asked by Terry — Episode #270 - Deer Nutrition with Dr. Aaron Gaines

• Answer: Aaron predicts more ticks from the wet weather and displacement of flooded-out deer to different habitat away from food sources. 43:10

Question: Will the current brutal cold and snow contribute to stress and cause early shedding? 27:42 — asked by Heath — Episode #256 - Hard Winter and Early Buck Shed? Illinois CWD Announcement

• Answer: Don doesn’t think current conditions have stressed deer enough yet to cause significantly early shedding. 31:42

Question: Terry asks Don to confirm there is no fixed October lull, but rather weather dictates when bucks move throughout the month. 9:20 — Episode #246 - Don Says - Best November Hunting in 50 Years

• Answer: Don confirms weather trumps everything regardless of when a cold front arrives during October. 9:35
• Answer: Don clarifies their advice specifically targets Midwest hunters pursuing one particular mature buck, not general hunting. 10:27

Question: Eric asked whether drought-related stress could cause bucks to drop antlers earlier, similar to its effect on overall antler growth. 54:34 — asked by Eric Billington — Episode#203 - Post Season Scouting and Project Advice

• Answer: Don explains early antler drop results from stress, which can stem from injury or harsh weather like ice storms. 54:47

Question: What were the weather conditions during the youth hunt? 4:13 — Episode #191 - Babe Out In Daylight - Giant Corn Yields for Food Plotters

• Answer: Don got fourteen minutes of video of Babe at 50 yards after the boys left. 5:28

Question: Kurt Myers from Washington, Pennsylvania asked whether this year’s drought will positively or negatively affect antler growth. 59:36 — asked by Kurt Myers — Episode #176 - Don’s Advice for Battery High Prices

• Answer: Don said ideal antler growth conditions are close to average, slightly warmer and wetter than normal, since warmth boosts blood flow and moisture spurs new plant growth. 60:12

Question: How do you make sure newly planted fruit trees get enough soil moisture until their roots grow down and become self-sufficient? 23:18 — asked by Austin — Episode #172 - Don is really worried about EHD in 2023

• Answer: Don recommends deeply watering new trees only twice a month, on the 1st and 15th, fully drenching the entire root ball each time so roots are forced to grow outward seeking moisture. 25:01

Question: Nathan from Indianapolis asked whether fall drought would hinder bucks’ antler growth, fetal programming for next year, and oak regeneration from acorns. 23:40 — asked by Nathan — Episode #140 - Fall Drought - What does that mean for deer hunters?

• Answer: Don says he can’t answer the fetal programming question directly but would like to check with researcher Lee Mitchell’s data on the 2012 drought. 24:22
• Answer: Don says the extremely dry soil this fall could have some effect on oak regeneration, though one bad year likely won’t hurt the forest much. 26:16
• Answer: Don says in his area deer are not currently stressed by the drought because there is still plenty of food and water available. 27:52

Question: Don asked Lee Mitchell to describe what he observed during the 2012 drought and its effect on deer body weight and antler score. 49:11 — Episode #110 - Double Episode live from Master Class - Al Foster gives great advise

• Answer: Lee Mitchell said the 2012 drought caused a 15% drop in antler score and about a 20-pound drop in buck body weight. 50:36

Question: Eli Beachy asked whether antler strength differs year to year, noting more busted antlers this year. 15:51 — asked by Eli Beachy — Episode #105 Live from Shipshewana, IN - 2 Episodes in One!

• Answer: Don believes wetter years produce weaker antlers. 16:15
• Answer: Don cited biologist Lee Mitchell’s finding that the 2012 drought significantly reduced antler quality and body weights. 17:01

Question: For flooded plots with surviving green cover but no real yield, should growers keep the cover or terminate early to replant sooner? 21:43 — Episode #75 - Concerned about cell cams, when should i plant, and purple headed freaks…

• Answer: Terry says in most cases don’t plant the fall plot too early, because it will mature too much and lose palatability before hunting season. 21:54

Late Season

Question: Terry asks whether exotic deer go into shock and die in the cold because they lack the muscle mass or fat buildup to withstand cold. 2:45 — CULLING BUCKS: Why Shooting 3½-Year-Old 8-Points Actually Works | Chasing Giants #310

• Answer: Don explains exotic deer species are adapted to specific climates and are simply not equipped to survive extreme cold weather events like the recent storm. 3:29

Question: Ray Delongpray asks whether the same-time, same-place theory still holds late season given hunting pressure, food, snow depth, and temperature. 61:16 — asked by Ray Delongpray — Kill More Deer. Feed Hungry Kids. | Boone Brothers | Chasing Giants 306

• Answer: Don says the same-time, same-place theory holds especially well in early and late season, though timing shifts more with weather than other times. 61:46
• Answer: Don says a buck that comes to a food source this winter will likely return next winter under similar conditions, as long as he’s still alive. 62:54

Question: Terry asks how cold Don is willing to sit in a treestand at this point in his life for a target buck versus using a heated blind. 32:57 — Episode 303 – Late-Season Deer Movement, Winter Food Strategy & The Future of Big Bucks

• Answer: Don says with a buddy heater and propane cylinder outside a blind, he doesn’t care how cold it gets and will sit there, though he wouldn’t tolerate the same cold in an open treestand anymore. 33:43

Question: Why are so many big bucks showing up on social media as soon as this cold front and snow arrived? 0:44 — Late Season EXPLOSION! Why Giants Are Falling Everywhere | Chasing Giants #302

• Answer: Don explains it’s the perfect late-season recipe: bucks hit food sources before dark in the afternoon, which is when hunters are killing them. 0:47

Question: Will bucks’ range shrink toward a bachelor-group-like pattern when they find good thermal cover and food together? 28:50 — Late Season EXPLOSION! Why Giants Are Falling Everywhere | Chasing Giants #302

• Answer: Don confirms bucks stop wandering across the countryside when they have good cover and food nearby. 29:00

Question: Terry asked whether a mature buck’s home range shrinks during late season as his metabolism slows down. 21:36 — Late Season Starts NOW — Cold Fronts, Bucks on Food, and Thanksgiving Reflections | Episode #301

• Answer: Don said a buck’s range typically shrinks in late season, centered around nearby food quality and cover. 21:40
• Answer: Don added that a buck with security and food close by will stay put and not range far. 22:21

Question: Terry asked Don to describe the most brutal cold, windy late-season hunting conditions he’s ever experienced. 31:38 — Late Season Starts NOW — Cold Fronts, Bucks on Food, and Thanksgiving Reflections | Episode #301

• Answer: Don recounted a blizzard hunt where he rattled in an eight-pointer and a ten-pointer but missed both shots because of thick brush. 35:54

Question: Terry asks why late May weather has been unseasonably cold. 2:32 — #274 - Soil Health: The Foundation of Successful Food Plotting

• Answer: Don explains ideal antler growth needs temperature and rainfall slightly above normal, avoiding extremes in either direction. 2:48

Question: Derek McClure from Bethany, Missouri asked how to kill a specific buck that survived to late season on a property without a food source. 81:39 — asked by Derek McClure — Episode #202 - Strange Sponsorship Requests with Joe Miles

• Answer: Don said if there’s no food source in the late season, there simply won’t be deer there, no matter the tactic. 82:22
• Answer: Don said food is the key to locating late-season bucks, and hunters should back up from the food source to find bedding areas. 83:49

Question: Terry asked whether ‘bad weather’ driving late-season movement means the first cold night or an extended stretch of cold and food shortage. 68:47 — Episode #167 - Turkey Season Is Here! Terry Still Hates Turkeys!

• Answer: Don said heavy snow of six inches or more combined with bitter cold is what really triggers deer movement, more than cold alone. 69:14
• Answer: Terry added that once snow covers the ground, deer have little else to eat, making nearby standing corn or beans the real game changer. 69:21

Question: Terry asks what deer are going through in the bitter cold, comparing it to cattle he saw bunched up out of the wind. 5:27 — asked by Terry — Episode #149 Frigid Temps and Deer… Merry Christmas 2022!

• Answer: Don says deer behave just like cattle, getting out of the wind as much as possible and consuming extra calories to stay warm. 5:48

Question: Since Don’s first book released in 2006, has he changed his views on hunting mature bucks after another decade and a half of experience? 56:56 — Episode #46 Dual Bolt Crossbow Opinions and New Products from Real World

• Answer: Don says the one thing he’s revised since his 2006 book is his view on late-season success — he now credits quality food sources over just having prime property. 57:57

Question: When does Don stop hunting mornings? 39:29 — asked by Patrick — Episode #8 - Lock-down is about over. Great hunting the week of Thanksgiving

• Answer: Don keeps hunting mornings until December 1, then switches to evening hunts only for the rest of the season. 39:54

Turkey Hunting

Question: Terry jokingly asks Don how much he’d enjoy deep sea fishing, given how he took to turkey hunting. 65:13 — asked by Terry — Episode 230 - Don says Switchgrass is not the best bedding.

• Answer: Don jokes he doesn’t think he’d like deep sea fishing and will just stick with whitetails. 65:24

Question: How does Al Foster like hunting turkeys on Terry’s Dry Ridge, Kentucky property? 14:50 — asked by Terry — Episode #216 - Don Shoots His First Turkey - Friends Episode

• Answer: Al Foster says Terry’s property is a target-rich turkey environment with lots of birds, though the group still made costly mistakes. 15:32

Question: How many toms did Al Foster think were gobbling before the birds came off the roost that morning? 16:16 — asked by Terry — Episode #216 - Don Shoots His First Turkey - Friends Episode

• Answer: Al Foster estimates the group could hear roughly eight to twelve gobbling toms that morning, despite muffled hearing in the ground blind. 16:34

Question: Did the group weigh the turkey after Al Foster shot it that day? 17:03 — asked by Terry — Episode #216 - Don Shoots His First Turkey - Friends Episode

• Answer: Al Foster says the turkey weighed right around 19 pounds, possibly more, and was a big, strong adult bird. 17:05
• Answer: The turkey had roughly an 11-inch beard and spurs over an inch long. 17:15

Question: An audience member asked whether spring turkey hunting on Don’s farms pressures the deer. 68:07 — Episode 159 - Captive Deer Breeding… Why Don Got Out

• Answer: Don said turkey hunters should stay on green fields along the edge. 68:31
• Answer: Don said to stay out of the deer sanctuary regardless. 68:39

Question: Can I help remove some turkeys since I haven’t killed my first turkey yet? 48:40 — EPISODE #109 SHED HUNTING and LIVE FROM MASTER CLASS #2

• Answer: Terry says Joe Johnson has first dibs on a turkey there, and the asker can be second. 48:51

Early & Gun Season

Question: Terry asks whether Don’s grandson Walker has a specific buck goal for gun season or is still ready to shoot anything. 23:48 — EPISODE 300! Don Changes His Mind on the Rut + Drone Debate Heats Up!

• Answer: Don says that if they’re patient, Walker should get his biggest buck ever by the time the weekend is over. 24:15

Question: Should he hunt more in early season instead of waiting, after a target buck got killed on a neighbor’s property? 24:17 — Episode #108 - Mind Blowing Deer Management with Dr. Bronson Strickland

• Answer: Don says October cold fronts trigger rut-like buck movement, so he hunts those fronts hard rather than waiting for November. 24:27

Question: Taylor from Vermont asked what tactics work for locating and targeting a mature buck out of state during early season in a short amount of time. 61:11 — asked by Taylor — Episode #23 - Spring Plots, Trail Cam Test, and the first adversity of the 2020 season for Terry as he suffers serious injury

• Answer: Don said he doesn’t believe anyone without prior knowledge of an area can consistently locate and kill mature bucks out of state in a short time. 61:37
• Answer: Terry said without years of prior scouting, food plots, and trail camera data on a property, there’s just no way to reliably kill a mature buck quickly. 63:24

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