Deer Density & Population

Category: land-management
Topic keys: deer-density, deer-population, herd-health, deer-recovery

Current guidance

As of 2026-06-07, the most recent claim on this subject.

The show currently frames deer density around ongoing monitoring and habitat capacity rather than a fixed target. Don reports that his own farm’s deer population has grown enough to damage crops, and that he shot more does and total deer this year than ever before; a spring drone survey there found forty-eight deer, forty does and fawns and eight bucks. Terry says the single most valuable piece of information for a consulting visit is simply how many deer are using a property, and he relays that fellow hunter Todd Hewing has also seen numbers hit hard nearby this fall. Terry additionally notes that in Southeast Ohio even small soybean plots draw deer that have never encountered soybeans before, suggesting pressure from deer moving in from elsewhere.

How the guidance evolved

2019-11-18 Terry describes the spot as having very high deer numbers near houses with little hunting pressure, despite not quite being urban deer. 2:52 — Episode #7 - Hunting during lock down - Things do not always go easy in the “Real World”
2019-11-24 Terry reports deer numbers are down in his Eastern Illinois hunting area this year, partly due to an EHD outbreak, though less severe than the 2012 outbreak. 2:21 — Episode #8 - Lock-down is about over. Great hunting the week of Thanksgiving
2020-03-23 Don said his 120-acre property holds roughly 40 or more antlerless deer and 20 or more antlered deer at once, including does and their fawns. 38:00 — Episode #18 - Taking Advantage During The Bad Times
2020-09-27 Strickland says that improving cover in food-rich but cover-poor landscapes reliably and immediately increases the number of deer and bucks a property holds. 34:12 — Episode #31 - Special Guest Dr. Bronson Strickland - Fetal Programming, Deer Dispersal, Minerals, and CWD
2020-11-16 Don explains that after his big buck harvest, grandsons helped with recovery while he had COVID and no energy. 34:26 — Episode #37 - Understanding the Rut, Aerial Photos of Property, Bad Shot Angles and Broadheads Types
2021-01-25 Terry recalled a stretch when his trail cameras captured nearly as many coyote photos as deer photos, and his deer herd suffered as a result. 54:44 — Episode #48 - Antler Genetics (what is a super doe?) When Do Sheds Fall? And Peeing Out of Your Stand…
2021-03-28 Don recalled that after shooting the deer, he took a two-hour nap before going to retrieve it, which everyone thought was crazy. 2:17 — Episode #58 - Burning Native Grass Tips and Great Questions from 3rd Master Class
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!
2022-03-13 Terry recounts shooting a doe covered in ticks and losing weight, reasoning she shouldn’t take up food or breeding time given her poor health. 51:19 — Episode #108 - Mind Blowing Deer Management with Dr. Bronson Strickland
2022-03-27 Lee Mitchell said he manages a 13,000-acre South Texas ranch where they shoot does hard and plan for droughts, since deer overpopulation can damage native vegetation for years. 52:08 — Episode #110 - Double Episode live from Master Class - Al Foster gives great advise
2022-05-29 Terry notes that truly giant bucks represent only about the top one percent of a deer herd. 25:55 — Episode #119 - Memorial Day Tribute and Aging Bucks on Trail Cam Pics
2022-06-20 Terry urges hunters in drought areas to put out true mineral, not a high-salt product, right now to offset stress heading into insect season. 35:45 — Episode #122 - Extreme Heat Really Hurts the Doe and Fawns!
2022-07-10 Don says the more a landowner diversifies food sources on a property, the better off the deer herd will be. 21:54 — Episode #125 - Wheat Prices May Change Late Season Hunting
2022-07-25 Terry recommended a backup winter feeding plan, such as supplemental feed or bait, to give deer a food source from January through early March before green-up. 30:35 — Episode #127 When to Plant Fall Food Plots?
2022-08-08 Don recalls one January evening when over 70 deer, including 17 antlered bucks, emerged from his wooded sanctuary onto a soybean food plot. 67:31 — Episode #129 - Lessons Learned from a GIANT TYPICAL - Story you haven’t heard!
2022-12-25 Don says brutal cold is the ideal time for a land manager to evaluate their property, since a well-run property should be holding more deer than ever. 6:27 — Episode #149 Frigid Temps and Deer… Merry Christmas 2022!
2022-12-25 Don recalls previously criticizing the DNR because the statewide deer herd was down and nothing was being done, but says that’s no longer the case. 51:03 — Episode #149 Frigid Temps and Deer… Merry Christmas 2022!
2023-03-19 Terry said quality mineral supplements do more than boost antlers, also supporting herd health, parasite control, and doe lactation. 60:19 — Episode #161 - Live from Last Master Class - Inside QuietKat E-Bike
2023-04-02 Don relays that Wes Delks’ client used a thermal drone herd survey and found over 50 deer on his own 100 acres versus only two on all surrounding neighboring properties combined. 7:39 — Episode #163 - The Hype of Chestnut Trees…
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!
2024-08-18 Terry stresses that nutrition is a herd’s best defense against EHD, and supplementation must start in winter and continue through spring. 18:51 — Episode #235 - Is EHD Back in 2024? Bucks Dead in Indiana!
2024-08-18 Terry warns that stockpiling nutrition products now, in a panic over EHD, is already too late to meaningfully help the herd this season. 19:06 — Episode #235 - Is EHD Back in 2024? Bucks Dead in Indiana!
2024-08-18 Don advises getting supplemental nutrition to deer weeks or months ahead of an EHD outbreak, not after it appears. 19:13 — Episode #235 - Is EHD Back in 2024? Bucks Dead in Indiana!
2024-08-18 Don is preparing the next Real World land management guide for 2025, with a strong focus on herd health and nutrient-dense foods. 19:56 — Episode #235 - Is EHD Back in 2024? Bucks Dead in Indiana!
2024-09-08 Don said he has seen more triplet fawns this year than ever before, producing a fantastic fawn crop he attributes to the mild weather. 25:20 — Episode 238 - 2024 Buck Forecast - MORE GIANTS SHOT THIS YEAR
2024-10-13 Don advised finding a deer in its first bed and letting it die there, warning that jumping it from that bed sharply lowers recovery odds. 15:00 — Episode #243 - Target Giant Non-Typical Buck Success - Don Higgins
2024-10-27 Terry recommends keeping a camo deer sled in the truck year-round to make loading deer into truck beds much easier. 31:06 — Episode #245 - Halloween Hunting Should Be Great! Weather and Hunting Forecast from Don Higgins
2024-12-22 Terry argues the biggest takeaway from last week’s episode was that land managers need to focus on deer herd health from now through February. 18:51 — Episode #253 - Do Not Overcomplicate Habitat Projects!
2025-02-23 Don reports his farm’s deer population has grown enough to damage crops, and he shot more does and total deer this year than ever before. 39:16 — Episode #261 - Does GMO Traits Reduce Deer Attraction?
2025-03-10 Terry announces Aaron Gaines has agreed to produce recurring Chasing Giants TV nutrition segments, roughly every six to eight weeks, on improving herd health. 47:21 — Episode #263 - Live from the Iowa Deer Classic
2025-04-13 Don’s drone survey this year found 48 deer on his property: 40 does and fawns, and eight bucks. 23:46 — Episode #268 - Thermal Drone Tells the Truth on Don’s Farm
2025-05-25 Josh Anderson told Terry that a healthy doe leads to a healthy fawn, a healthy buck, and ultimately a happy hunter. 18:18 — #274 - Soil Health: The Foundation of Successful Food Plotting
2025-07-20 Terry said the most valuable information for a consulting visit is how many deer are using the property. 63:31 — Thermal Drones, Trail Cameras & Big Buck Strategies | Chasing Giants Podcast #282
2025-11-23 Terry relays that fellow hunter Todd Hewing has also reported deer numbers hit hard where he hunts nearby. 13:39 — EPISODE 300! Don Changes His Mind on the Rut + Drone Debate Heats Up!
2026-03-01 Don recalls that while his grandfather was alive, there were no deer on this farm. 1:57 — Doubting Thomas, Dealer Event & BIG Scrape Magnet News | Chasing Giants Podcast 314
2026-06-07 Terry noted that in Southeast Ohio, growers with small soybean plots can’t keep deer out even though those deer have never seen soybeans before. 34:00 — The Biggest Mistake Food Plotters Make in June | Chasing Giants #328

Questions on this topic

Rick Lundberg asks how far Don would disturb a bedding sanctuary to search for a deer he’s 98% sure he killed. 18:13 — Episode #263 - Live from the Iowa Deer Classic
What role do worms and parasites play as stress on a deer herd, and should hunters worry about it? 19:05 — Episode #160 - Live with Dr. Bronson Strickland at Whitetail Master Class
Gary Hall asked what Don and Terry do when someone shoots a deer that runs onto their property—let them track it, or make them wait until dark. 49:02 — Episode #92 - Don in Facebook Jail?
An audience member from Southern Ohio asks Terry if he has a different perspective than Don’s skepticism about doe calling given his area’s short food supply. 9:04 — Episode #211 - Live from RWWP Dealer Event - BINGO
Terry asked what impact taking far more deer than usual off the property had on its overall holding capacity. 8:17 — Thermal Drones, Trail Cameras & Big Buck Strategies | Chasing Giants Podcast #282
Lance Fisher asks whether a mature six-point buck could be a dominant bully buck keeping other bucks away, and about bully buck trends generally. 44:13 — Episode 303 – Late-Season Deer Movement, Winter Food Strategy & The Future of Big Bucks
Christopher Palmer also asks Don’s thoughts on drones for recovering deer given Indiana’s first drone-poaching case. 16:40 — Chasing Giants LIVE at the Midwest Sportsmen’s Classic | Shipshewana, IN | Presented by FAE
Ryan asked how to ethically recover a deer after a possibly marginal bowshot without video confirmation, including whether to use a tracking dog. 42:32 — Episode 192 - End of October - Tactics and Plans are Changing - PRE RUT!
Terry asks whether they’re seeing unusually high deer numbers or simply higher quality bucks on this Mexico hunt. 11:35 — Episode #251 - Update on Don & Joe Miles Kills 2 Giant Mexico Bucks!

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