Food Plots

Category: habitat-food-plots
Topic keys: food-plots, food-plot, clover, alfalfa, soybeans, corn, deer-attraction, fall-food-plots, brassicas

Current guidance

As of 2026-06-21, the most recent claim on this subject.

The show frames weed control as prevention rather than cure: Don recommends spraying a pre-emergent herbicide such as Resicore over bare dirt right after planting corn, and urges a soil sample before any food-plot project. Browse pressure and drought dominate soybean advice—Don has been testing a deer repellent mixed with glyphosate, a surfactant, and Mike’s Mighty Micros, while Real World Wildlife Products is developing a separate soybean product meant to cut browse pressure. Terry uses Mike’s Mighty Micros for drought stress and plans the same approach on fall brassica plots. On size, Don argues it’s impossible to have too big a food plot. On early sprouting, Terry once warned a lone early plot draws too much deer pressure, but says understanding overseeding changed that concern.

How the guidance evolved (most recent 120 of 630)

2025-07-13 Don believes biochar and humic acid particles absorb nitrogen released from urea and hold it where the corn plant can use it, contributing to strong growth. 25:08 — Episode #281 - How Don Tracks Giant Bucks Years in Advance
2025-07-13 Terry recounted that his drill couldn’t choke down far enough for his alfalfa seed, so he bought off-the-shelf buffalo seed as a substitute, which failed to germinate. 23:07 — Episode #281 - How Don Tracks Giant Bucks Years in Advance
2025-07-13 Terry planted an annual screen strip early and another late this year to test which one holds up better against wind before winter. 25:53 — Episode #281 - How Don Tracks Giant Bucks Years in Advance
2025-07-13 Don recalled trail-camera photos of a mother and small child hauling a wheelbarrow to steal turnips from his food plot on Christmas Day at noon. 28:54 — Episode #281 - How Don Tracks Giant Bucks Years in Advance
2025-07-13 Don closed by urging listeners to get trail cameras out, finalize fall food plot plans, handle weeds, and start practicing with their bows before season arrives. 62:14 — Episode #281 - How Don Tracks Giant Bucks Years in Advance
2025-07-27 Terry reports his Nutri-Crave corn food plot is shaping up to be the best corn crop he has ever grown. 1:57 — Episode #283 “Best Corn Ever? Don & Terry Reveal 2025 Plot Results + Fall Food Plot Timing Tips”
2025-07-27 Terry says it’s been a few years since he’s had this good a spring, and this year he has excellent spring food plots. 2:53 — Episode #283 “Best Corn Ever? Don & Terry Reveal 2025 Plot Results + Fall Food Plot Timing Tips”
2025-07-27 Don plans to add more corn acreage next year because he consistently runs out of corn before the season ends. 3:35 — Episode #283 “Best Corn Ever? Don & Terry Reveal 2025 Plot Results + Fall Food Plot Timing Tips”
2025-07-27 Don planted two rows each of his original NutriCrave corn seed alongside test corn varieties in the same plot to compare them. 4:30 — Episode #283 “Best Corn Ever? Don & Terry Reveal 2025 Plot Results + Fall Food Plot Timing Tips”
2025-07-27 Terry reports his non-GMO corn, never cultivated or sprayed post-emergent, had hardly any weeds this year thanks to pre-emergent herbicide. 5:29 — Episode #283 “Best Corn Ever? Don & Terry Reveal 2025 Plot Results + Fall Food Plot Timing Tips”
2025-07-27 Don advises planting fall food plots 45-60 days before the first expected frost, shifting timing about a week earlier per 100 miles north. 17:19 — Episode #283 “Best Corn Ever? Don & Terry Reveal 2025 Plot Results + Fall Food Plot Timing Tips”
2025-07-27 Terry recommends mixing leftover soybeans at about 15 pounds per acre into fall blends like Deadly Dozen or Dixie Dozen for massive early-season deer attraction. 21:40 — Episode #283 “Best Corn Ever? Don & Terry Reveal 2025 Plot Results + Fall Food Plot Timing Tips”
2025-08-17 Don recalled that the fall of 2012, a severe drought year, was when he traveled to Alaska while conditions back home stayed extremely dry. 1:11 — EP #286 - Preparing for Hunting Season: Plots, Cameras & CWD Truth
2025-08-17 Despite the 2012 drought, Don’s soybeans still produced a fantastic crop that year. 1:29 — EP #286 - Preparing for Hunting Season: Plots, Cameras & CWD Truth
2025-08-17 Don advises never overseeding into green soybeans, since he’s never had good luck with it and recommends waiting until the leaves start turning yellow. 10:16 — EP #286 - Preparing for Hunting Season: Plots, Cameras & CWD Truth
2025-08-24 Don prefers planting fall food plots a week late rather than a week early, since overly mature plants lose palatability. 3:44 — #287 “Predators, Food Plots & Cracker Barrel Woke?
2025-08-24 Terry recommends mixing 10-20 pounds per acre of leftover soybeans into fall food plots regardless of variety. 4:34 — #287 “Predators, Food Plots & Cracker Barrel Woke?
2025-08-24 Don says deer hammer young leftover soybean plants in the two-leaf stage because they are tender, palatable, and high in protein. 5:35 — #287 “Predators, Food Plots & Cracker Barrel Woke?
2025-08-24 Terry says now is when cheap leftover soybeans work fine for fall plots since they will die at first frost anyway. 6:08 — #287 “Predators, Food Plots & Cracker Barrel Woke?
2025-08-24 Don does not advocate planting a straight soybean plot in fall because it will be lost as soon as it frosts. 6:15 — #287 “Predators, Food Plots & Cracker Barrel Woke?
2025-08-24 Don says deer eat hundreds of plant species, so keeping a wooded sanctuary totally free of food is impossible. 36:36 — #287 “Predators, Food Plots & Cracker Barrel Woke?
2025-08-24 Don recommends adding brassicas like turnips and radishes to plots for their deep taproots that pull nutrients to the soil surface, even if deer hit them less hard. 45:28 — #287 “Predators, Food Plots & Cracker Barrel Woke?
2025-08-31 Terry recommended applying Mike’s Mighty Micros to fall food plots once they germinate and get some leaf growth to boost tonnage despite lost growing time. 60:06 — #288 2025 Buck Forecast: EHD Devastation, Trail Cam Insights & Hard Truths About Trophy Bucks
2025-09-07 Terry planted his fall Deadly Dozen food plot later than ever before, after early September rain softened the ground. 10:44 — Deer Velvet Shedding & Fall Buck Shifts: Don Higgins Responds to Rumors | Chasing Giants Ep. 289
2025-09-07 Terry recommended flooding late fall food plots with Mike’s Mighty Micros once germinated to accelerate growth and deliver nutrients quickly. 11:34 — Deer Velvet Shedding & Fall Buck Shifts: Don Higgins Responds to Rumors | Chasing Giants Ep. 289
2025-09-14 Don explained that soybean maturity is dictated by daylight, and the unusually green patches Terry noticed were caused by nearby security lights affecting the plants’ light exposure. 16:20 — Faith, Hunting & Courage After Tragedy | Chasing Giants Podcast Ep. 290
2025-09-14 Don recommends that owners of small, shaded properties plant soft mast trees like apple, pear, persimmon, or chestnut to provide a unique food source, instead of relying on clover plots. 85:56 — Faith, Hunting & Courage After Tragedy | Chasing Giants Podcast Ep. 290
2025-09-21 Don argues home-brew mineral mixes are inferior, asking why every cattle farmer wouldn’t use them if they were really the best approach. 46:53 — Chasing Giants Ep. 291 | Don’s Public Land Quest & the “Turning Point” Buck Story
2025-09-21 Don says a crabapple tree he grew from seed still grows barely an inch a year even after roughly ten years on his farm. 42:59 — Chasing Giants Ep. 291 | Don’s Public Land Quest & the “Turning Point” Buck Story
2025-09-28 Don recommends a plastic livestock tank of around 300 gallons as a good size for a food-plot water hole. 35:49 — #292 - Public Land Busts, Big Timber Dreams, & Target Bucks
2025-09-28 Don recommends placing water holes in an easy-to-access spot, ideally near a food source, to concentrate deer at one location. 36:09 — #292 - Public Land Busts, Big Timber Dreams, & Target Bucks
2025-10-12 Don estimated all four corn varieties he sampled for tissue analysis would have made over 200 bushels an acre. 10:39 — #294 From Old School to High Tech: Don Higgins Reflects on 40 Years in the Deer Woods
2025-10-26 Joe describes implementing Don’s plan by removing cattle and planting fruit trees, clover, and rye, after which Pancho continued using the property. 16:07 — “200-Inch Nebraska Giant: Joe Chambers’ Incredible Buck Story | Chasing Giants Ep. 296”
2025-10-26 Joe recalls being repeatedly told to trust the process and be patient while his clover plot looked terrible for over two years. 44:39 — “200-Inch Nebraska Giant: Joe Chambers’ Incredible Buck Story | Chasing Giants Ep. 296”
2025-11-30 Don said nutrient-rich soil produces nutrient-rich plants, which in turn produce nutrient-rich food for deer, whether grain or greens. 29:32 — Late Season Starts NOW — Cold Fronts, Bucks on Food, and Thanksgiving Reflections | Episode #301
2025-11-30 Don said a deer eating NutriCrave corn instead of standard ag corn gets more than double the calories from the same half-pound serving. 28:45 — Late Season Starts NOW — Cold Fronts, Bucks on Food, and Thanksgiving Reflections | Episode #301
2025-12-07 Don says whether it’s NutriCrave corn or Gen-two soybeans, this time of year is when those grain sources really shine, with deer hitting them almost daily before dark. 1:29 — Late Season EXPLOSION! Why Giants Are Falling Everywhere | Chasing Giants #302
2025-12-07 Don discovered the late-season pulling power of soybeans years ago through his friend Todd Hewing, noting deer prefer soybeans over anything else, even corn, this time of year. 11:09 — Late Season EXPLOSION! Why Giants Are Falling Everywhere | Chasing Giants #302
2025-12-14 Don observes that whenever deer have access to a good food source, they will be present, as shown by does returning to his property after warm weather. 1:26 — Episode 303 – Late-Season Deer Movement, Winter Food Strategy & The Future of Big Bucks
2025-12-14 Don recommends consulting clients establish a diverse food plot program sufficient to feed their deer herd through the entire winter. 11:07 — Episode 303 – Late-Season Deer Movement, Winter Food Strategy & The Future of Big Bucks
2025-12-14 Don relays that a hunter named Lee in Iowa leaves 500 acres of standing crop that gets harvested each spring so deer have food all winter. 13:58 — Episode 303 – Late-Season Deer Movement, Winter Food Strategy & The Future of Big Bucks
2025-12-14 Don says a core principle he preaches to consulting clients is that big food sources have big pulling power for deer. 14:43 — Episode 303 – Late-Season Deer Movement, Winter Food Strategy & The Future of Big Bucks
2026-01-04 Terry and Don plan a new Chasing Giants TV video visiting their food plots to help hunters who still have deer tags make late-season decisions. 4:06 — Kill More Deer. Feed Hungry Kids. | Boone Brothers | Chasing Giants 306
2026-01-11 Terry describes clearing an overgrown pasture near his farm access that was drawing too many deer, after letting another section grow up as habitat over three years. 14:26 — Most Hunters Get This Wrong | The Hard Truth About Killing Mature Bucks | Chasing Giants #307
2026-01-11 Don explains that diversity of food sources is key because different plants carry different minerals and vitamins that deer need. 23:12 — Most Hunters Get This Wrong | The Hard Truth About Killing Mature Bucks | Chasing Giants #307
2026-01-11 Terry says he now never sprays a post-emergent herbicide without adding Mike’s Mighty Micros after seeing the results it produces. 54:18 — Most Hunters Get This Wrong | The Hard Truth About Killing Mature Bucks | Chasing Giants #307
2026-01-25 Don recommends mowing standing corn only when the ground is frozen so the stalks and cobs bust up easily instead of getting pushed into mud. 7:01 — Texas Hunt, Brutal Cold, Late Rut Behavior & Winter Habitat Decisions | Chasing Giants Podcast #309
2026-01-25 Don advises serious land managers to expand their food plot program if plots are already empty by late March, since deer need food most right now. 7:48 — Texas Hunt, Brutal Cold, Late Rut Behavior & Winter Habitat Decisions | Chasing Giants Podcast #309
2026-01-25 Terry says this is the first year he has not run out of food, thanks to strong soybean, corn, alfalfa, and clover production tied to soil health work. 15:02 — Texas Hunt, Brutal Cold, Late Rut Behavior & Winter Habitat Decisions | Chasing Giants Podcast #309
2026-02-01 Don observed 24 deer feeding together in his backyard food plot on corn before dark during the cold snap. 4:53 — CULLING BUCKS: Why Shooting 3½-Year-Old 8-Points Actually Works | Chasing Giants #310
2026-02-01 Don explains that late winter is the peak period of nutritional stress for deer, when quality food sources are in short supply. 5:37 — CULLING BUCKS: Why Shooting 3½-Year-Old 8-Points Actually Works | Chasing Giants #310
2026-02-01 Don plans to plant more food plot acres this year because unusually high numbers of deer are staying on his property. 6:08 — CULLING BUCKS: Why Shooting 3½-Year-Old 8-Points Actually Works | Chasing Giants #310
2026-02-01 Don notes several new bucks have shown up on his property in recent weeks, likely drawn by food, adding further pressure to his food sources. 6:34 — CULLING BUCKS: Why Shooting 3½-Year-Old 8-Points Actually Works | Chasing Giants #310
2026-02-01 Terry observes that this year’s heavy snow has shown how essential corn and soybean food plots are, beyond what a typical cold winter with accessible ground browse requires. 6:58 — CULLING BUCKS: Why Shooting 3½-Year-Old 8-Points Actually Works | Chasing Giants #310
2026-02-01 Don observed deer trails entering a Missouri client’s soybean patch radiating out like spokes on a wheel, with beans stripped near entry points but plentiful farther out. 7:43 — CULLING BUCKS: Why Shooting 3½-Year-Old 8-Points Actually Works | Chasing Giants #310
2026-02-08 Don Higgins reported that after an 8-inch snowstorm and plummeting temperatures, deer stayed piled onto food sources for many days. 1:32 — Snow, Sheds & Sorghum: Late-Season Deer Survival | Chasing Giants #311
2026-02-08 Don Higgins advised that providing supplemental food is the most important thing hunters can do to help deer survive harsh winter weather. 6:04 — Snow, Sheds & Sorghum: Late-Season Deer Survival | Chasing Giants #311
2026-02-08 Don Higgins observed during a property walk that his grain sorghum plot was completely demolished by deer while soybeans remained plentiful. 28:32 — Snow, Sheds & Sorghum: Late-Season Deer Survival | Chasing Giants #311
2026-02-08 Don Higgins plans to find a place to plant more grain sorghum on his property this spring after this year’s plot was totally consumed. 28:57 — Snow, Sheds & Sorghum: Late-Season Deer Survival | Chasing Giants #311
2026-02-08 Terry Hamby recommended adding grain sorghum to a food plot rotation when corn or beans aren’t viable options due to browse pressure. 32:44 — Snow, Sheds & Sorghum: Late-Season Deer Survival | Chasing Giants #311
2026-02-08 Don Higgins experienced the same clover failure as the listener, having drilled clover with his PH G Series drill only to have it die when rain stopped for two months. 52:29 — Snow, Sheds & Sorghum: Late-Season Deer Survival | Chasing Giants #311
2026-02-15 Don said they put 200 acres of food plots on a heavily wooded, agriculture-poor 1,400-acre Kentucky property, calling it a game changer for that farm. 11:18 — CWD, One-Buck Limits & The Truth About NDA | Chasing Giants 312
2026-02-22 Terry recommends using Dixie Dozen instead of Deadly Dozen in old tobacco fields because leftover nitrogen keeps nitrate levels too high for deer to eat it for years. 9:58 — Chasing Giants LIVE at the Midwest Sportsmen’s Classic | Shipshewana, IN | Presented by FAE
2026-03-01 Terry explains guys without planters can broadcast beans as thick as they want since beans adapt well. 37:12 — Doubting Thomas, Dealer Event & BIG Scrape Magnet News | Chasing Giants Podcast 314
2026-03-01 Terry recommends researching the right alfalfa variety for your area rather than buying random seed, since it’s expensive. 32:50 — Doubting Thomas, Dealer Event & BIG Scrape Magnet News | Chasing Giants Podcast 314
2026-03-01 Don recommends contacting Green Prairie’s Duane Hopkins for alfalfa advice. 32:12 — Doubting Thomas, Dealer Event & BIG Scrape Magnet News | Chasing Giants Podcast 314
2026-03-08 Don is shifting his food plot from beside the wooded sanctuary to the middle of the switchgrass field to also serve as a fire break. 5:27 — Permission Properties, Scrape Magnet Explained, and Our Health Journeys | Chasing Giants Ep. 315
2026-03-08 Terry advises not letting a small food plot be the first thing to sprout, since deer will swarm it as the only browse available. 52:02 — Permission Properties, Scrape Magnet Explained, and Our Health Journeys | Chasing Giants Ep. 315
2026-03-08 Terry says once he understood the benefits of overseeding, he stopped worrying about early plot sprouting attracting browse pressure. 52:53 — Permission Properties, Scrape Magnet Explained, and Our Health Journeys | Chasing Giants Ep. 315
2026-03-08 Don recommends spraying Resicore, a pre-emergent herbicide, over bare dirt right after planting corn to prevent weeds. 53:53 — Permission Properties, Scrape Magnet Explained, and Our Health Journeys | Chasing Giants Ep. 315
2026-03-08 Don strongly recommends doing a soil sample before starting any food-plot planting project. 56:48 — Permission Properties, Scrape Magnet Explained, and Our Health Journeys | Chasing Giants Ep. 315
2026-03-15 Don recommends food plotters shift to a mindset of preventing weeds with pre-emergent herbicide rather than trying to kill them after they’ve already grown. 40:12 — Cut More Trees! How Aggressive TSI Creates Better Deer Habitat
2026-03-29 Don recommends the landowner put all the farm’s ample ag fields into food plots to support the deer herd, since food is the property’s weakest link. 4:37 — INSANE Bedding Cover + 22 Bears on Camera?! | Chasing Giants #318
2026-03-29 Terry announces his new PHM7 no-till drill has arrived—a lighter, more economical version of the G-series drill designed by Paul, aimed at deer hunters and food plotters. 15:11 — INSANE Bedding Cover + 22 Bears on Camera?! | Chasing Giants #318
2026-03-29 Scott has roughly 1,500 acres of food plots lined up to plant this spring, all with Real World seed. 23:39 — INSANE Bedding Cover + 22 Bears on Camera?! | Chasing Giants #318
2026-04-05 Greg Mills reported that one of his customers combined 137 bushels of Real World soybeans from a six-acre food plot after deer fed on it all winter without pod shatter. 19:22 — Why Some Hunting Properties Work Instantly… And Others Fail - Chasing Giants Podcast #319
2026-04-12 Don and Robin planted about 75 trees — 25 persimmon, 25 chestnut, and 25 red cedars — at the Gingerich project. 2:12 — Don Higgins Breaks Down His Favorite Properties of 2026 - Chasing Giants #320
2026-04-12 Don had his first year in 18 years of selling Real World soybeans where deer did not devour every bean, due to weather conditions. 6:36 — Don Higgins Breaks Down His Favorite Properties of 2026 - Chasing Giants #320
2026-04-12 In Don’s area, heavy early-season rain gave soybeans a fast start, but rain stopped from mid-July until early November, hurting pod development. 7:17 — Don Higgins Breaks Down His Favorite Properties of 2026 - Chasing Giants #320
2026-04-12 In the 2012 drought, a well-timed rain during pod fill produced a fantastic soybean crop despite the worst drought of Don’s life. 9:43 — Don Higgins Breaks Down His Favorite Properties of 2026 - Chasing Giants #320
2026-04-12 An Iowa customer shared video of deer hammering an Ag soybean plot while ignoring an adjacent Real World plot they weren’t touching. 10:56 — Don Higgins Breaks Down His Favorite Properties of 2026 - Chasing Giants #320
2026-04-12 Don notes Real World soybean sales have grown every year for 18 years, which wouldn’t happen if the beans themselves had a problem. 11:41 — Don Higgins Breaks Down His Favorite Properties of 2026 - Chasing Giants #320
2026-04-12 Terry credits lucky, well-timed rain—not his skill—for an exceptional food plot corn yield this past year. 13:36 — Don Higgins Breaks Down His Favorite Properties of 2026 - Chasing Giants #320
2026-04-12 Don explains that corn largely determines its yield very early, around the V2–V3 growth stage. 13:54 — Don Higgins Breaks Down His Favorite Properties of 2026 - Chasing Giants #320
2026-04-12 Don’s two favorite 2025 properties, in Illinois and Ohio, were small (40 and about 62 acres) but bordered huge no-hunting sanctuaries offering food potential. 20:57 — Don Higgins Breaks Down His Favorite Properties of 2026 - Chasing Giants #320
2026-04-12 Don says a small property bordering huge food-less hunting sanctuaries is a recipe for killing big mature deer. 27:52 — Don Higgins Breaks Down His Favorite Properties of 2026 - Chasing Giants #320
2026-04-12 Don describes a clover food plot treated with biochar and humic as a lush, uniform, bright-green carpet with no bare dirt. 30:51 — Don Higgins Breaks Down His Favorite Properties of 2026 - Chasing Giants #320
2026-04-26 Don planted pumpkin seeds in about eight spots in the middle of his corn plot, protecting them with cardboard before spraying herbicide. 15:35 — Don Shares Personal News + The #1 Mistake Hunters Make | Chasing Giants Podcast 322
2026-04-26 Don recommends adding diverse food sources like pumpkins to make a farm stand out to deer, helping hold them and keep them from wandering off and getting shot elsewhere. 17:04 — Don Shares Personal News + The #1 Mistake Hunters Make | Chasing Giants Podcast 322
2026-04-26 Terry plans to plant a bunch of blackberries this year as a new food source for deer on his property. 18:19 — Don Shares Personal News + The #1 Mistake Hunters Make | Chasing Giants Podcast 322
2026-04-26 Don recommends clearing leaves to bare dirt and pouring deer mineral straight onto the ground, saying there’s no real disease concern. 40:35 — Don Shares Personal News + The #1 Mistake Hunters Make | Chasing Giants Podcast 322
2026-04-26 Don recommends putting a large corn and soybean plot along one edge of a big tillable field, saying it’s impossible to have too big a food plot. 44:27 — Don Shares Personal News + The #1 Mistake Hunters Make | Chasing Giants Podcast 322
2026-05-10 Terry’s frost-seeded clover, planted the previous fall, came back this year as the best stand of clover he’s ever had. 8:28 — Grow Bigger Food Plots, Gardens & Fruit Trees – Mike Mitchell Breaks It Down | Chasing Giants #324
2026-05-10 Terry planned to plant corn and soybeans soon, with alfalfa nearly ready for first cutting. 8:57 — Grow Bigger Food Plots, Gardens & Fruit Trees – Mike Mitchell Breaks It Down | Chasing Giants #324
2026-05-10 Don Higgins found that during last summer’s drought, some soybean pods developed but lacked moisture to push the bean out, so deer weren’t eating them. 35:07 — Grow Bigger Food Plots, Gardens & Fruit Trees – Mike Mitchell Breaks It Down | Chasing Giants #324
2026-05-10 Terry planned to watch his food plots for drought stress and apply Mike’s Mighty Micros when needed, expecting the same approach to work on fall brassica plots. 39:55 — Grow Bigger Food Plots, Gardens & Fruit Trees – Mike Mitchell Breaks It Down | Chasing Giants #324
2026-05-10 A customer reported burning his whole clover field after using a sprayer that hadn’t been cleaned from a previous application. 49:42 — Grow Bigger Food Plots, Gardens & Fruit Trees – Mike Mitchell Breaks It Down | Chasing Giants #324
2026-05-17 Bryhn Craft agrees with Don Higgins that having reliable access in and out of food sources without alerting deer is a huge factor for killing big bucks. 53:15 — Why Most Hunters NEVER Kill Big Bucks (Bryhn Craft Tells the Truth) | Chasing Giants #325
2026-05-24 Don finished planting all of his food plots for the spring. 18:30 — Why Mature Bucks Go Nocturnal | Chasing Giants Podcast 326
2026-05-24 Terry plans to prioritize his new Southern Illinois property next week, planting about five acres of beans with Austin once the rain breaks. 22:45 — Why Mature Bucks Go Nocturnal | Chasing Giants Podcast 326
2026-05-24 Duane Hopkins’ research indicates soybean fields yield about the same once plant populations reach roughly 80,000 or more per acre, regardless of higher counts. 27:35 — Why Mature Bucks Go Nocturnal | Chasing Giants Podcast 326
2026-05-24 Duane Hopkins advised that if a soybean field still has 80,000 or more plants per acre after losses, replanting probably isn’t worth it. 28:26 — Why Mature Bucks Go Nocturnal | Chasing Giants Podcast 326
2026-05-31 Don recounts that drilling soybeans into tall weeds and spraying Liberty plus a pre-emergent the same day worked perfectly, with clean rows of beans coming up. 6:13 — Why BIG BUCK Areas Often FAIL Deer Hunters | Chasing Giants 327
2026-05-31 Terry explains that mixing soybeans and sorghum in the same plot prevents effective post-emergent herbicide use, letting weeds take over. 55:04 — Why BIG BUCK Areas Often FAIL Deer Hunters | Chasing Giants 327
2026-06-07 Terry said the ideal is avoiding a repeat of last year, when it turned extremely hot and then stayed dry for thirty-five days. 4:51 — The Biggest Mistake Food Plotters Make in June | Chasing Giants #328
2026-06-07 Don plans to test a new deer repellent on his soybean plots while spraying weeds this week. 9:25 — The Biggest Mistake Food Plotters Make in June | Chasing Giants #328
2026-06-07 Don plans to spray four products together on his soybeans: glyphosate, surfactant, Mike’s Mighty Micros, and a deer repellent. 11:55 — The Biggest Mistake Food Plotters Make in June | Chasing Giants #328
2026-06-07 Terry said his farm’s layout is now designed as much for product testing as for hunting, given how much testing he does each year. 32:16 — The Biggest Mistake Food Plotters Make in June | Chasing Giants #328
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
2026-06-07 Don said he could tell by visually inspecting corn ears alone which varieties would test higher in nutrient density. 38:08 — The Biggest Mistake Food Plotters Make in June | Chasing Giants #328
2026-06-07 Don noted NutriCrave corn has a distinctive deep orange color. 38:33 — The Biggest Mistake Food Plotters Make in June | Chasing Giants #328
2026-06-07 Don recalled spotting NutriCrave corn from 100 yards away on an Ohio farm just by its color, and confirmed it with the client. 39:04 — The Biggest Mistake Food Plotters Make in June | Chasing Giants #328
2026-06-14 Don reports getting five inches of rain since the last recording, ending a dry stretch on his food plots. 1:01 — #329 | Why Don Higgins Gets More Excited About July Than Opening Day
2026-06-14 Don sprayed a deer repellent mixed with herbicide on his soybeans to try to reduce browse pressure. 2:26 — #329 | Why Don Higgins Gets More Excited About July Than Opening Day
2026-06-14 Terry says his clover looks amazing, having mowed it three times already and cut alfalfa the previous week. 4:14 — #329 | Why Don Higgins Gets More Excited About July Than Opening Day
2026-06-14 Don sprayed clethodim to kill grass in his plots once it dried out enough. 4:40 — #329 | Why Don Higgins Gets More Excited About July Than Opening Day
2026-06-14 Terry is testing two hairy vetch varieties this spring and three varieties overseeded on soybeans this fall. 53:54 — #329 | Why Don Higgins Gets More Excited About July Than Opening Day
2026-06-21 Terry described his own plots this week: corn waist-high, but late-planted soybeans only a few inches tall with weeds emerging despite residual herbicide. 4:33 — #330 - Can Supplemental Feeding Add 15”+ to a Buck? Don Higgins Answers
2026-06-21 Terry found that placing a utilization cage in his alfalfa this year showed deer browsing had reduced growth by roughly 10 inches. 9:02 — #330 - Can Supplemental Feeding Add 15”+ to a Buck? Don Higgins Answers
2026-06-21 Don announced Real World Wildlife Products is developing a new soybean-related product to cut browse pressure, planned for heavy testing next year. 9:41 — #330 - Can Supplemental Feeding Add 15”+ to a Buck? Don Higgins Answers

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: Both same date: Terry warns against letting a small food plot sprout first because deer will swarm it as the only browse, yet also says overseeding understanding made him stop worrying about early sprouting attracting browse pressure.
- 2026-03-08 Terry advises not letting a small food plot be the first thing to sprout, since deer will swarm it as the only browse available. 52:02 — Permission Properties, Scrape Magnet Explained, and Our Health Journeys | Chasing Giants Ep. 315
- 2026-03-08 Terry says once he understood the benefits of overseeding, he stopped worrying about early plot sprouting attracting browse pressure. 52:53 — Permission Properties, Scrape Magnet Explained, and Our Health Journeys | Chasing Giants Ep. 315

Questions on this topic (60 of 260)

John Marasky from Campbellsport, Wisconsin asks how to balance human intrusion from food plot maintenance work against disturbing deer on his small 30-acre property. 39:42 — Episode #132 - 2022 Buck Forecast Part 1
Easton Gruber asks if Don screens only the edges of feeding areas or splits them with switchgrass lines between clover, Deadly Dozen, soybeans, and corn. 45:52 — Episode #132 - 2022 Buck Forecast Part 1
Brad Hemmire asks whether Don strategically plants NutriCrave corn around certain stands to funnel deer along the edges. 65:50 — Episode #132 - 2022 Buck Forecast Part 1
Robbie asks how he can compete with an untouched 50-acre bedding sanctuary in the middle of his 200-acre property. 45:27 — Episode #41 - Don and Terry start a new December Series called “Make A Good Spot Great!”
Ryan asks for the difference between Real World Switchgrass and Real World Bedding in a Bag. 47:10 — Episode #41 - Don and Terry start a new December Series called “Make A Good Spot Great!”
Tim Brown from Carrollton, Illinois asks why deer prefer browsing in an open harvested ag bean field over his food plot planted with the same soybean variety. 46:40 — Episode #248 - Big Buck Down! Wes Delks Joins Us to Discuss UHAUL
Chase Myers asked whether sunflowers make a good food plot for deer. 32:50 — Episode #187 - Do Trail Camera’s Spook Mature Bucks?
Beyond just feeding corn, what should hunters look for in a supplemental feed program? 24:35 — Episode #14 - Don and Terry talk deer during the superbowl…
Given limited visit dates, should the listener prioritize more food and less cover, or more cover and less food? 43:05 — Episode #14 - Don and Terry talk deer during the superbowl…
Dustin asked what food source works best for maximum draw on a 10-acre plot surrounded by hundreds of acres of timber during late season. 34:43 — Episode#203 - Post Season Scouting and Project Advice
A listener asks how the Master Class differs from what he learned as a kid, and whether hunting technique or food plots matter more. 49:30 — Episode #139 - Plans Can Change… Goals Stay The Same!
Kyle Wenger asked what to plant in leftover waterway and terrace acreage excluded from his family’s new monarch-butterfly CRP program. 38:38 — Episode #219 - The Most Important Aspect of Hunting Whitetails
David Aman asked whether using a pre-emergent herbicide on soybeans would still let an overseeded green plot come up in the fall. 44:39 — Episode #166 - Spring Herbicides
A listener asked what to do about weeds in an orchard overseeded with Real World Clover and Chicory, and whether clethodim is safe to use. 32:21 — Prayers, Peace & Planting Strategy | Spring Food Plot Advice | Chasing Giants 323
A listener asked whether Real World would release its own hairy vetch seed variety after seeing it used as a soybean cover crop. 40:54 — Prayers, Peace & Planting Strategy | Spring Food Plot Advice | Chasing Giants 323
Terry asks Joe, on the Higgins Hot Seat, the most surprising or off-the-wall thing Don Higgins ever told him to do on two properties. 42:35 — “200-Inch Nebraska Giant: Joe Chambers’ Incredible Buck Story | Chasing Giants Ep. 296”
Jerry Kienas asks if his food plot program is missing anything for antler growth, and how to attract and hold bigger bucks. 66:46 — Episode #83 Don’s Buck Inventory shows 32 bucks over 150”
Delmer Bontrager from Ligonier, Indiana asked if Don walked back his claim that switchgrass can’t be too thick, and how to handle foxtail in new switchgrass. 58:54 — Episode #76 - Where are the big bucks? August is here! Final Prep
Why isn’t planting corn in alternating rows with vining legumes like lab lab more common in food plots? 52:32 — Episode #169 - Don is Testing More Corn Seed. WHY?
Does Don prefer clover or alfalfa around fruit trees, and why? 76:49 — Episode #169 - Don is Testing More Corn Seed. WHY?
Paul Whitworth asks how Don’s Pumpkin Hills experiment turned out last year. 36:20 — Episode #148 - Are Bucks Shedding Antlers Early This Year?
Tyler Walter asks Don and Terry’s opinions on no-till food plots, specifically broadcasting seed without a drill on sandy loam soil. 42:38 — Episode #119 - Memorial Day Tribute and Aging Bucks on Trail Cam Pics
What spring-planted brassica or mix would attract deer to new small food plots before fall overseeding? 46:45 — Episode #20 - Food Plot Prep Continues - Native Grass and Miscanthus in the Ground
Casey Kimrey of Warrington, Missouri asks how to hunt in December with no food plots, relying only on browse and cut ag fields. 59:20 — Episode #10 - December Tips - Scouting for 2020 - Big Announcement from Real World
Should switchgrass be planted instead of Miscanthus to screen a food plot from open ag ground? 33:48 — Ep #208 - Live from the FAE Midwest Sportsman Classic!
Would sugar beets help deer make it through hard Central Michigan winters? 49:57 — Ep #208 - Live from the FAE Midwest Sportsman Classic!
Richard Smith asks whether burying whole pears to grow pear trees is viable, or if he should start seeds in pots or just buy started trees. 41:43 — Chasing Giants Ep. 291 | Don’s Public Land Quest & the “Turning Point” Buck Story
Joshua Holm asks whether a snowmobile trail crossing his sanctuary and food plot does more harm than good for his deer hunting. 57:11 — Chasing Giants Ep. 291 | Don’s Public Land Quest & the “Turning Point” Buck Story
Billy Gays from Saint Louis asked whether putting screens through the middle of food plots would direct deer closer to a stand. 45:30 — Episode #218 -Spring Food Plots - Is it time to plant?
Alex Dunker from Hull, Illinois asked Don to speak on properly sizing perennial clover plots. 49:00 — Episode #218 -Spring Food Plots - Is it time to plant?
Would it be good or bad to mix Egyptian wheat with newly planted switchgrass? 50:49 — Episode #256 - Hard Winter and Early Buck Shed? Illinois CWD Announcement
Dan Schultz from Brilliant, Wisconsin asked how to balance applying Mike’s Mighty Microbes as directed weekly with limiting human intrusion on food plots and fruit trees. 63:40 — Episode #272 - Farming for Nutrients - Better Food Plots
Lamar asks how wide a buffer is needed between a food plot and a tilled field, and whether sprayed Miscanthus would die. 23:17 — Episode #61 - Live from the Midwest Sportsman Show - TOUGH QUESTIONS FROM LIVE CROWD
Parker asks the best time of year to do woods work like food plots or bedding areas. 31:33 — Episode #61 - Live from the Midwest Sportsman Show - TOUGH QUESTIONS FROM LIVE CROWD
Derek asks how many acres of a 20-acre wooded property he should clear for a food plot. 32:37 — Episode #61 - Live from the Midwest Sportsman Show - TOUGH QUESTIONS FROM LIVE CROWD
Terry asks why and how soybeans get inoculated when planting into old pasture or CRP ground. 35:13 — Episode #61 - Live from the Midwest Sportsman Show - TOUGH QUESTIONS FROM LIVE CROWD
Brian Koehler from De Forest, Wisconsin asks whether seven acres of Real World Gen-two soybeans will hold deer on his property through winter. 72:38 — Episode #115 - Don’s Top Four Properties Visited This Year
Rob Effingham asked whether it’s worth planting soybeans in drought-affected early July for deer forage, or waiting to plant cereal grains later. 39:38 — Episode #176 - Don’s Advice for Battery High Prices
Tim Gwen asked whether he could mix clover and chicory into his Deadly Dozen fall plot planting. 53:20 — Episode #231 - Timing is Key: When to Plant Fall Plots
Terry asked how many pounds per acre of leftover soybeans Don typically mixes into his fall plots. 34:01 — Episode #231 - Timing is Key: When to Plant Fall Plots
Phil asked whether deer in large ag areas take longer to adapt to a new food source, based on his slow brassica plot results. 33:30 — Episode #19 - Finishing Timber Projects and Starting Food Plot Projects
Josh Myers of Wellington, Ohio asked whether pre-emergent herbicide sprayed on a Miscanthus planting would spread into his adjacent clover plot. 34:33 — INSANE Bedding Cover + 22 Bears on Camera?! | Chasing Giants #318
Terry follows up asking whether the pre-emergent will actually leach through the ground beyond the sprayed area. 35:31 — INSANE Bedding Cover + 22 Bears on Camera?! | Chasing Giants #318
Brian Scott asks what he can broadcast into standing soybeans before harvest so another food source is ready once the beans are gone. 57:43 — Episode #27 Season is closing in. Final prep work is being done along with addressing some hurt feelings.
An audience member asks whether standing NutriCrave corn should be mowed for late-season deer food. 30:52 — Episode #263 - Live from the Iowa Deer Classic
How do Real World Gen-two beans compare to regular ag beans during early growth, and are they more attractive? 42:35 — Episode #125 - Wheat Prices May Change Late Season Hunting
What percentage of Don’s hunting time is spent near food plots versus natural funnels, and how do food plots factor into his strategy? 56:54 — Episode #125 - Wheat Prices May Change Late Season Hunting
John Helmick asked whether to fully replant his failed clover plot in spring or frost seed it instead, and when and how much seed to use. 52:10 — Snow, Sheds & Sorghum: Late-Season Deer Survival | Chasing Giants #311
Carl Piro asks Don and Terry to clarify when to apply residual herbicides in spring food plots and how they affect seeding and clover. 20:23 — Chasing Giants Episode 121 - Residual Herbicide Discussion & Don is Buying a Farm
Logan Schmidt asks Don’s thoughts on alfalfa as a food plot crop and whether he uses a green forage/legume in his rotations. 56:52 — Chasing Giants Episode 121 - Residual Herbicide Discussion & Don is Buying a Farm
Mylon Yoder asked whether a mineral claiming to make nighttime bucks feed in daylight is real or just a marketing scheme. 47:10 — Episode #264 - Big Rope Scrapes and Big Bucks!
Brent Lender asked if adding a sorghum blend would be a good option alongside his corn, beans, and deadly dozen rotation. 49:47 — Episode #264 - Big Rope Scrapes and Big Bucks!
Jason Merchant asked what he should spend $7,000 on for food plot equipment with his 42-horsepower tractor and rototiller. 52:01 — Episode #264 - Big Rope Scrapes and Big Bucks!
Daniel Morell asks Don to explain the difference between supplemental feeding and food plots, given states are banning feeding over CWD concerns. 58:32 — Episode #90 - November 7th - WHERE IS THE RUT
Matt Markway asks what to use for herd vitamins in Illinois since mineral can’t be put out there. 44:33 — Episode #240 - If Don Was DNR, How He Would Make Illinois Better Than Iowa
A West Tennessee listener managing a 1,000-acre tract with ag and cover crops asks what to plant in small food plots for diversity. 52:31 — Episode #246 - Don Says - Best November Hunting in 50 Years
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
An audience member asks what Don recommends for overseeding a Miscanthus stand that came in spotty the first year. 27:52 — Episode #211 - Live from RWWP Dealer Event - BINGO
Land and Martin from Claypool, Indiana ask what to plant on a wet 10-acre weedy patch instead of grass to create better winter bedding cover. 53:52 — Making Good Tree Stands GREAT | Don Higgins’ Best Habitat Tricks + Doubting Thomas Premiere
Andy Hendrix from Anderson, South Carolina asks whether, lacking a local dealer, he should replant his half-acre plot in clover or trees instead of Dixie Dozen. 56:39 — Making Good Tree Stands GREAT | Don Higgins’ Best Habitat Tricks + Doubting Thomas Premiere

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