Archery Gear

Category: gear-optics
Topic keys: bow-hunting, bowhunting, broadheads, crossbow

Current guidance

As of 2026-06-28, the most recent claim on this subject.

On broadheads, Don favors fixed blades, arguing expandable heads perform poorly on shoulder hits, as with his buck Mel, and that a doe deserves as humane a kill as a buck, so an unproven mechanical head should not be tried on a doe if a hunter would not trust it on a buck. He notes he has never gut-shot a deer in forty-five years of bowhunting. On legal equipment, Don argues that crossbows were the last nail in the coffin for Illinois’s mature buck population. Separately, he reports Joe Miles plans to hunt with traditional gear this year as part of a broader bowhunting trend, and describes funneling his own stand’s approach so shots there come under twenty yards.

How the guidance evolved

2020-01-16 Terry now shoots a Mission crossbow because of a shoulder injury, keeping him within the Mathews family of companies. 5:37 — Episode #13 - 2020 ATA SHOW From Indy - Part 2 of 2
2020-01-16 Mathews sees crossbows as a tool to help people who can’t pull enough poundage or who are injured or elderly stay in the outdoors. 9:52 — Episode #13 - 2020 ATA SHOW From Indy - Part 2 of 2
2020-09-21 Terry describes his crossbow string breaking during a shot at his target buck, sounding like a bomb near his face, and says he’s grateful he wasn’t seriously hurt. 14:22 — Episode #30 - Don prepares for season - Terry has a mishap and misses a target buck PLUS A BIG ANOUNCEMENT
2020-11-16 Don says several different hunters told him in one day that they shot deer straight down from a treestand into the back and lost every one of them. 29:38 — Episode #37 - Understanding the Rut, Aerial Photos of Property, Bad Shot Angles and Broadheads Types
2020-11-16 Don states on the air that he thinks mechanical broadheads should be outlawed, though he doesn’t feel it’s his place to police other hunters’ equipment. 54:08 — Episode #37 - Understanding the Rut, Aerial Photos of Property, Bad Shot Angles and Broadheads Types
2020-11-23 Don declares mechanical broadheads are trash that should be outlawed. 33:42 — Episode #38 Terry Kills a Illinois 8 Pointer and Don gets wound up on some industry topics! REALLY WOUND UP!
2020-11-30 Terry clarifies the broadhead discussion is not a paid promotion since Don has no affiliation with any arrow or broadhead manufacturer. 42:50 — Episode #40 - Transition to Late Season and Picking a Contest Winner- Also, Thoughts about Mel Video
2020-12-14 Don states he has never shot mechanical or expandable broadheads and never will. 12:44 — Episode #42 - Christmas Gift Ideas, Hanging Tree Stands in February, and Last Giveaway for 2020
2020-12-14 Terry admits he did previously shoot mechanical broadheads out of a crossbow. 15:27 — Episode #42 - Christmas Gift Ideas, Hanging Tree Stands in February, and Last Giveaway for 2020
2020-12-28 Terry reveals for the first time that he’s used a crossbow for about four years due to injuries requiring three shoulder surgeries. 66:50 — Episode #44 - New Year’s Resolutions, Bedding Cover, Hunting Cold Temps, and Sharing Hunting Property with Family
2021-01-17 Don Higgins said he opposes mechanical broadheads because hunters owe animals a clean, ethical kill rather than risking wounding and lost game. 30:05 — Episode #47 - Hunting Ethics, Annual Cycle Of Whitetail, Should we leave Social Media?
2021-07-19 Don criticizes mechanical broadheads as cruel junk, arguing hunters use them to compensate for poor shooting skill. 37:54 — Episode #74 Don denied access to hunt and more velvet talk (how does weather affect growth?)
2021-08-30 Don attributes his recent losses of good three-year-old bucks mainly to increased crossbow hunting pressure. 22:32 — Episode #80 - Don’s 2021 Buck Forecast
2021-09-27 Terry had his target buck at 18 yards Thursday night in Kentucky but it was too dark to shoot, seeing him only through binoculars. 5:07 — Episode #84 Don Choice - Iowa or Illinois for Opening Day?
2021-09-27 Don argues fixed-blade broadheads give hunters a much better chance of recovering a deer than mechanical heads when the shot isn’t perfectly placed. 35:13 — Episode #84 Don Choice - Iowa or Illinois for Opening Day?
2021-09-27 Don states his opinion that mechanical broadheads ought to be outlawed. 35:18 — Episode #84 Don Choice - Iowa or Illinois for Opening Day?
2021-09-27 A listener sent Don a video showing his mechanical broadhead deploying prematurely upon release, causing him to miss a mule deer buck twice. 33:09 — Episode #84 Don Choice - Iowa or Illinois for Opening Day?
2021-10-17 Jay explains he isn’t much of a bow hunter and thought giving the hunt to his son, who’d just started bow hunting, would mean more to him. 2:53 — Episode #87 - BUCK DOWN! Lester’s Feet Raffle Winner Got it Done!
2021-10-17 Terry reveals he’s had three shoulder surgeries he rarely discusses and has hunted with a crossbow for the past six years while working back to a compound. 45:21 — Episode #87 - BUCK DOWN! Lester’s Feet Raffle Winner Got it Done!
2021-11-01 Corey Hamilton’s buck was still alive the next morning, requiring him to stalk it and finish it with a second arrow. 6:41 — Episode #89 - 2021 Rut Setting Up To Be FANTASTIC!
2021-11-22 Don explains his skepticism of expandable broadheads stems from too many deer getting hit in the shoulder and wounded rather than humanely killed. 20:28 — Episode #92 - Don in Facebook Jail?
2021-12-13 Don called mechanical broadheads a sadistic deer-wounding tool that takes an unnecessary chance a hunter doesn’t need. 49:49 — Episode #95 - Live from Guthrie, KY
2021-12-13 Don said it wouldn’t bother him if bow season became traditional archery equipment only, saying crossbows and compounds have turned it into an ‘everybody gets a trophy’ pursuit. 91:06 — Episode #95 - Live from Guthrie, KY
2022-05-02 Gene Wensel once described becoming a bow hunter as an apprenticeship, a series of steps deer hunters used to work through. 68:57 — Episode #115 - Don’s Top Four Properties Visited This Year
2022-07-25 Don said he is against mechanical broadheads, believing he would have wounded and lost several bucks, including this one, had he used them instead of fixed blades. 71:37 — Episode #127 When to Plant Fall Food Plots?
2022-08-08 Don states that Joe Miles, though he uses expandable broadheads and a different approach, is a skilled and ethical whitetail hunter. 45:07 — Episode #129 - Lessons Learned from a GIANT TYPICAL - Story you haven’t heard!
2022-08-15 Don advises bowhunters not to rush after a buck shot in the evening, letting it die and recovering it the next morning. 85:06 — Episode #130 - Don buys a scent elimination device
2022-08-22 Don says the impact of crossbow use during archery season has driven the Illinois deer herd’s age structure downward. 75:41 — Episode #131 - Don forms his own Dream Team
2022-09-26 Don attributes declining buck age structure largely to Illinois legalizing crossbows for the whole archery season, sharply increasing hunting pressure. 75:26 — Episode #136 - EHD HITS AGAIN - DON’S FINAL BUCK FORECAST
2022-10-03 Terry recounts an unbelievable week of hunting with two sits where his target buck came within bow range twice. 2:14 — Episode #137 - Tree Season or Deer Season?
2022-10-03 Terry admits he was devastated after failing to draw on the buck, calling it complete operator error rather than the deer detecting him. 4:23 — Episode #137 - Tree Season or Deer Season?
2022-10-03 Don asserts that repeating the same hunting mistake year after year keeps a bow hunter from improving. 5:50 — Episode #137 - Tree Season or Deer Season?
2022-11-20 Terry passed on a close 20-yard shot at a low-to-mid 170s buck rather than take an ethically questionable shot through netting. 8:30 — Episode #144 - Where Did All The Bucks Go?
2022-11-27 Corey, Don’s son-in-law, shot a four-year-old clean 10-point buck scoring around the mid-150s on Don’s farm, his biggest bow kill ever. 3:12 — Chasing Giants Podcast #145 - Bully Bucks and Big Rubs!
2023-02-26 Terry designs his food plots with height variation and Miscanthus dividers specifically to draw deer within bow range, since bowhunters need shots inside 25 yards. 33:33 — Episode #158 - Is Hunting Contests Hurting the Hunting Industry?
2023-07-24 Don states his opinion that crossbows should not be legal for able-bodied hunters during regular archery season. 43:30 — Episode #179 - Is Antler Growth Behind This Year?
2023-07-24 Terry recalls being badly injured and having to go through a medical waiver process to legally hunt with a crossbow in Illinois. 46:02 — Episode #179 - Is Antler Growth Behind This Year?
2023-07-24 Terry once caught himself admitting his trophy wall would look different had he used a crossbow the prior ten years, prompting him to work back to a compound. 46:46 — Episode #179 - Is Antler Growth Behind This Year?
2023-08-06 Joe Miles took his son to Africa, sat at a waterhole one afternoon and saw nine species of big game, and called it a magical bowhunter’s paradise. 2:12 — Episode #181 - What is new with Asio Gear?
2023-09-10 Don said the crossbow was the final straw that decimated the Illinois deer herd’s quality. 27:36 — Episode #186 - Disappointing 2023 Buck Forecast
2023-10-29 Don recounts shooting the buck named Babe on Wednesday evening after calling his shot in advance. 1:18 — Episode #193 - Babe is Down!
2023-10-29 Don recommends waiting a minimum of two hours before trailing a deer that runs out of sight, even after a seemingly perfect hit. 14:48 — Episode #193 - Babe is Down!
2023-11-05 Don calls Mathews a fantastic sponsor. 38:58 — Episode #194 - 2nd Target Buck Harvested by Special Guest
2023-11-12 Terry describes shooting a coyote at about 60 yards with his crossbow off a monopod while sharing a blind with Don. 84:26 — Episode #195 - Wes Delks Shoots a Giant and Crossbow Controversy
2023-12-03 Tarif Al Khatib shot a giant Texas buck with a bow while wearing ASIO gear. 13:35 — Episode 198 - Buck Traveling Long Distances After The Rut
2024-08-25 Don says he has never gut-shot a deer in forty-five years of bowhunting. 20:36 — Episode #236 - Antler Genetics Follow Mother or Father?
2024-09-08 Don said he is hoping Mathews delivers his new bow this week so he can start shooting it and get it tuned in. 58:40 — Episode 238 - 2024 Buck Forecast - MORE GIANTS SHOT THIS YEAR
2024-10-06 Don made a clean heart shot on a doe during his third hunt of the season, and she only ran about 60 yards before dying. 3:37 — Episode #242 - Stop Hunting October Mornings
2024-12-08 Joe admits his shot on the first Mexico buck wasn’t his best work and that he needs to sharpen his skills. 16:28 — Episode #251 - Update on Don & Joe Miles Kills 2 Giant Mexico Bucks!
2024-12-08 Joe says that after more than thirty-five years of bow hunting, this was the best two days of hunting he’s ever had. 18:04 — Episode #251 - Update on Don & Joe Miles Kills 2 Giant Mexico Bucks!
2024-12-22 Don has an appointment scheduled for LASIK eye surgery, mainly wanting to stop wearing glasses because they interfere with shooting his bow. 1:59 — Episode #253 - Do Not Overcomplicate Habitat Projects!
2025-04-20 Don plans to try turkey hunting with his bow after buying decoys and calls, once Austin’s visit wraps up. 58:22 — Episode #269 - Genetics, Nutrition, or Age (which is more important)
2025-09-28 Don realized right after releasing his arrow that the buck he’d hit wasn’t the same big buck he had seen minutes earlier in the dark. 24:53 — #292 - Public Land Busts, Big Timber Dreams, & Target Bucks
2025-10-19 Don opposes expandable broadheads because although they leave a bigger hole on a good hit, they perform poorly on shoulder hits, as with his buck Mel. 44:27 — The Magic of Late October | Cold Fronts, Big Bucks & Character in the Woods | Chasing Giants #295
2025-10-19 Don argued a doe deserves as humane a kill as a buck, so hunters shouldn’t experiment with an unproven broadhead on a doe if unsure about using it on a buck. 46:25 — The Magic of Late October | Cold Fronts, Big Bucks & Character in the Woods | Chasing Giants #295
2025-12-14 Don asserts that the introduction of crossbows was the last nail in the coffin for Illinois’s mature buck population. 45:01 — Episode 303 – Late-Season Deer Movement, Winter Food Strategy & The Future of Big Bucks
2026-01-11 Terry says he’ll carry his Mathews bow on the Texas trip but also has a new Brenton six millimeter ARC ready to shoot. 6:39 — Most Hunters Get This Wrong | The Hard Truth About Killing Mature Bucks | Chasing Giants #307
2026-06-14 Don relays that Joe Miles plans to hunt with traditional gear this year as part of a bowhunting trend. 35:29 — #329 | Why Don Higgins Gets More Excited About July Than Opening Day
2026-06-28 Don says the bucks he shoots at this stand are all under 20 yards away thanks to the funneling techniques. 24:26 — Making Good Tree Stands GREAT | Don Higgins’ Best Habitat Tricks + Doubting Thomas Premiere

Contradictions & open questions

Places where the show’s advice on this subject appears to disagree with itself, either between speakers or over time. Both claims are shown as they were said, with dates. Nothing here is resolved — which one applies is the reader’s call, and the owners’.

Guidance may have changed: Don says outlawing mechanical broadheads isn’t his place to police others’ equipment, then a week later flatly declares mechanical broadheads trash that should be outlawed, no disclaimer.
- 2020-11-16 Don states on the air that he thinks mechanical broadheads should be outlawed, though he doesn’t feel it’s his place to police other hunters’ equipment. 54:08 — Episode #37 - Understanding the Rut, Aerial Photos of Property, Bad Shot Angles and Broadheads Types
- 2020-11-23 Don declares mechanical broadheads are trash that should be outlawed. 33:42 — Episode #38 Terry Kills a Illinois 8 Pointer and Don gets wound up on some industry topics! REALLY WOUND UP!
Guidance may have changed: Terry gives his crossbow-use duration as about four years, then under a year later states it has been six years, for the same injury-driven switch.
- 2020-12-28 Terry reveals for the first time that he’s used a crossbow for about four years due to injuries requiring three shoulder surgeries. 66:50 — Episode #44 - New Year’s Resolutions, Bedding Cover, Hunting Cold Temps, and Sharing Hunting Property with Family
- 2021-10-17 Terry reveals he’s had three shoulder surgeries he rarely discusses and has hunted with a crossbow for the past six years while working back to a compound. 45:21 — Episode #87 - BUCK DOWN! Lester’s Feet Raffle Winner Got it Done!
Guidance may have changed: Don says he’d be fine with archery season restricted to traditional equipment only, faulting crossbows and compounds alike, versus later saying only crossbows should be illegal for able-bodied hunters.
- 2021-12-13 Don said it wouldn’t bother him if bow season became traditional archery equipment only, saying crossbows and compounds have turned it into an ‘everybody gets a trophy’ pursuit. 91:06 — Episode #95 - Live from Guthrie, KY
- 2023-07-24 Don states his opinion that crossbows should not be legal for able-bodied hunters during regular archery season. 43:30 — Episode #179 - Is Antler Growth Behind This Year?
Guidance may have changed: Don advises letting an evening-shot buck die overnight before recovery, versus recommending only a minimum two-hour wait before trailing, even on a seemingly perfect hit.
- 2022-08-15 Don advises bowhunters not to rush after a buck shot in the evening, letting it die and recovering it the next morning. 85:06 — Episode #130 - Don buys a scent elimination device
- 2023-10-29 Don recommends waiting a minimum of two hours before trailing a deer that runs out of sight, even after a seemingly perfect hit. 14:48 — Episode #193 - Babe is Down!

Questions on this topic

Would you draw on a target buck near an unaware doe, risking her spooking and ruining the shot? 34:59 — Episode #191 - Babe Out In Daylight - Giant Corn Yields for Food Plotters
Randall Barr asks Don to clarify whether he’d let a grandson hunt with a crossbow if not yet strong enough to draw a compound bow. 76:51 — Episode #119 - Memorial Day Tribute and Aging Bucks on Trail Cam Pics
Drake Evans asked whether shot placement is the most important, often-overlooked skill for consistently killing mature bucks. 31:11 — Episode #218 -Spring Food Plots - Is it time to plant?
A listener asks if a water hole along a travel corridor makes a good bow stand setup for cruising bucks. 38:57 — Episode #61 - Live from the Midwest Sportsman Show - TOUGH QUESTIONS FROM LIVE CROWD
Amber asks for advice overcoming buck fever that hits before she even draws her bow. 36:38 — Episode #263 - Live from the Iowa Deer Classic
Parker Redicker asks if Don would switch to a crossbow if guaranteed to kill bigger bucks than with his compound. 42:07 — Episode #179 - Is Antler Growth Behind This Year?
Adrian Nestle asked why Don dislikes expandable broadheads if shots are close, since a bigger hole would make the deer die faster. 43:44 — The Magic of Late October | Cold Fronts, Big Bucks & Character in the Woods | Chasing Giants #295
Garrett asks whether allowing straight-wall rifles in Illinois firearms season will make hunting too easy, like crossbows did. 58:51 — Episode #186 - Disappointing 2023 Buck Forecast
Given his limited access and opportunities, does Don still think it’s wrong for him to hunt with a crossbow? 68:28 — Ep# 205 - Don shares trail camera pictures from 2023
Linden Derstein asked whether patiently waiting for a perfect low-risk shot, more than broadhead type, is the real key to Don’s success. 43:53 — Episode #59 - Habitat Projects like Water Holes, Food in Bedding, Structure in Bedding along with other topics
Neil Putnam asks how Don fits in practice shooting time, his regimen for staying in control on a shot at a trophy deer, and how many arrows he shoots. 61:49 — Episode #81 - TIPS FOR TRACKING YOUR DEER
Ed Foley asks for advice on tracking and recovering a hit deer after the shot, especially when blood trails are sparse. 55:09 — Episode #129 - Lessons Learned from a GIANT TYPICAL - Story you haven’t heard!
Do crossbow hunters have a bigger advantage than hunters using trail cameras and cell cameras to watch deer movement? 46:44 — Texas Hunt, Brutal Cold, Late Rut Behavior & Winter Habitat Decisions | Chasing Giants Podcast #309
Thomas asks for guidance on arrow selection, fletching, and weight for best penetration and more ethical kills. 44:17 — Episode #45 - Lessons Learned from Captive Research Deer
Damon Marley asks why Don switched from a recurve to a compound bow instead of staying with instinctive shooting. 13:00 — Chasing Giants LIVE at the Midwest Sportsmen’s Classic | Shipshewana, IN | Presented by FAE
If Don could lobby for one change to Illinois’s deer hunting regulations, what would it be? 43:49 — Chasing Giants Podcast #145 - Bully Bucks and Big Rubs!
Have you ever had a target buck pegged, missed the shot, and gotten another chance at him? 43:37 — Episode #114 - FOOD PLOT SEASON IS HERE!!!!!
Why would Don do a broadhead debate with Joe Miles if he already agrees with Don’s mechanical broadhead concerns? 51:01 — Episode #114 - FOOD PLOT SEASON IS HERE!!!!!
Ron Eddinger asked what fixed broadhead Don uses, after learning why the podcast dislikes expandable broadheads. 36:14 — Episode #96 - STAY OUT OF THE SANCTUARY!
Dell Hoover asked whether Don has ever tried hunting over a deer decoy to draw a buck closer or if it’s simply not part of his approach. 47:23 — Episode 238 - 2024 Buck Forecast - MORE GIANTS SHOT THIS YEAR
Levi Yoder asks why Don chose to shoot an older bow instead of his new Mathews bow in a recent photo with Babe. 34:41 — Episode #194 - 2nd Target Buck Harvested by Special Guest
Eric, a first-year hunter from Northern Illinois, asked about arrow and broadhead setup after getting poor penetration with a light mechanical setup. 50:46 — Episode #58 - Burning Native Grass Tips and Great Questions from 3rd Master Class
Eric followed up asking whether Terry pays attention to overall arrow weight or front-loads weight to improve penetration. 59:52 — Episode #58 - Burning Native Grass Tips and Great Questions from 3rd Master Class
Calvin Hurley asks Don why he prefers fixed-blade broadheads over mechanical ones. 48:54 — Episode #37 - Understanding the Rut, Aerial Photos of Property, Bad Shot Angles and Broadheads Types
Is there a buck Don regrets shooting, and what’s the story behind it? 21:06 — #292 - Public Land Busts, Big Timber Dreams, & Target Bucks

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