Gear & Equipment

Category: gear-optics
Topic keys: equipment, gear, product-testing, testing

Current guidance

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

Terry says he has tested numerous deer repellents and has not found one he was satisfied with, and remains genuinely interested to see how their deer repellent testing turns out. Real World’s process starts new products in a small, confidential control group before any broader pilot. Terry notes his farm’s layout is now designed as much for product testing as for hunting given how much testing he does each year, while Don says he only promotes a product after using it firsthand and testing it against the competition. On equipment, Terry’s new PHM7 no-till drill, a lighter, more economical version of the G-series drill, arrived via WildlifeFarming for deer hunters and food plotters.

How the guidance evolved

2019-12-23 Don noted his Reconyx are dependable and good for 40,000 pictures on fresh batteries, regardless of weather conditions. 13:04 — Episode #11 - Merry Christmas and Late Season Insights
2020-01-15 Ruben Alexson said Vortex tested the new low-power scope by shooting beyond a thousand yards with it, even though it’s built for closer engagements. 30:43 — Episode #12 2020 ATA SHOW from Indy - Part 1 of 2
2020-01-16 Terry says Real World only signs sponsors whose products they personally used before being sponsored. 2:48 — Episode #13 - 2020 ATA SHOW From Indy - Part 2 of 2
2020-03-03 Terry noted most food plotters lack access to the large, heavy equipment that crimper rolling really requires. 38:26 — Episode #16 - Food Plots… Frost Seeding, Switchgrass Stratification, and Soybeans
2020-03-23 Don used his skid loader to move fallen trees into position to create deer travel routes right where he wants them past his stands. 4:25 — Episode #18 - Taking Advantage During The Bad Times
2020-04-15 A wind sock is recommended as a good investment for checking wind direction before heading out to hunt. 49:00 — Episode #19 - Finishing Timber Projects and Starting Food Plot Projects
2020-06-15 Don explained he has been testing many trail camera brands to find the best fit for different applications, like public versus private land. 6:36 — Episode #23 - Spring Plots, Trail Cam Test, and the first adversity of the 2020 season for Terry as he suffers serious injury
2020-08-10 Terry has spent $1,500 of his own money on six cell cameras to test them side by side. 19:27 — Episode #27 Season is closing in. Final prep work is being done along with addressing some hurt feelings.
2020-08-10 Terry’s plan is to run his cell-camera test in Kentucky for about three to four weeks before moving top performers to Illinois. 20:23 — Episode #27 Season is closing in. Final prep work is being done along with addressing some hurt feelings.
2020-08-10 Terry expects the last two cameras in his cell-camera test to arrive early next week, giving him preliminary data for the next episode. 82:57 — Episode #27 Season is closing in. Final prep work is being done along with addressing some hurt feelings.
2020-09-21 Terry recommends Dustin at Broken Rack Archery in Batavia, Ohio for anyone near Northern Kentucky or Cincinnati needing a bow shop, calling him a lifesaver after his crossbow malfunction. 16:20 — Episode #30 - Don prepares for season - Terry has a mishap and misses a target buck PLUS A BIG ANOUNCEMENT
2020-10-23 Terry says investing in a good lightweight, quiet tree stand like a Lone Wolf pays off when hunters need to move quickly and adjust their setup on new or last-minute properties. 50:32 — Episode #34 - Late October Check in - Buck Activity Slower Than Expected - Why?
2020-12-21 Terry reveals to Don that the WiseEye camera from his test is the one now installed on Don’s farm test plot. 24:57 — Episode #43 - Making Good Stand Great, Broadhead Debate Update, How We Celebrate a Kill, and Customer Service
2021-01-11 Don explains the pilot program is a limited product release used to gather wider customer feedback before a product becomes a permanent offering. 17:21 — Episode #46 Dual Bolt Crossbow Opinions and New Products from Real World
2021-03-28 Don says the platform he’s been given gives him a responsibility to challenge hunters to think about ethics in their equipment and shot choices. 58:23 — Episode #58 - Burning Native Grass Tips and Great Questions from 3rd Master Class
2021-04-05 Don’s new Genesis drill from WildlifeFarming was delivered to his farm on Friday. 7:29 — Episode #59 - Habitat Projects like Water Holes, Food in Bedding, Structure in Bedding along with other topics
2021-04-05 Don had WildlifeFarming bring him a set of pallet forks for his tractor loader. 8:19 — Episode #59 - Habitat Projects like Water Holes, Food in Bedding, Structure in Bedding along with other topics
2021-04-05 Don replaced his old six-by-six blinds with new, roomier seven-by-seven 360 blinds on his farm. 7:53 — Episode #59 - Habitat Projects like Water Holes, Food in Bedding, Structure in Bedding along with other topics
2021-04-05 Terry warns that a heavy drill’s weight makes it hard to control seed depth in loose late-spring dirt, so frost seeding is better with a drill. 16:15 — Episode #59 - Habitat Projects like Water Holes, Food in Bedding, Structure in Bedding along with other topics
2021-04-05 Terry’s friend Kyle Harman of Team Radical will use his new mulching head to clear entrance trails to a new blind on Terry’s lease. 20:59 — Episode #59 - Habitat Projects like Water Holes, Food in Bedding, Structure in Bedding along with other topics
2021-05-24 Terry says Patrick Simpson’s tractor threw a dust cloud visible from two miles away as he worked the ground. 4:03 — Episode #66 - Don has Mel officially scored. Discussion about planting food plot seed. Is planting seed heavy good or bad?
2021-06-28 Terry reveals WiseEye is testing new trail camera firmware and features using his Real World Complete feed setup. 23:15 — Episode #71 - Trail Cam Deployment, Giant Bucks of Social Media Misused, Raffle Closing Soon!
2021-08-02 Terry warns against stacking a standard SD camera and a cell camera on the same tree because their infrared flashes interfere with each other. 18:48 — Episode #76 - Where are the big bucks? August is here! Final Prep
2021-09-27 Terry says Joe Miles, who designed the ASIO backpack, is a big buck killer who has taken many big deer. 7:53 — Episode #84 Don Choice - Iowa or Illinois for Opening Day?
2021-12-13 Don recommends Reconyx, noting that dividing the cost over the many years they last makes them the cheapest camera long-term. 74:06 — Episode #95 - Live from Guthrie, KY
2022-03-13 Terry notes QuietKat brought demo bikes for attendees to try through the cornfield and ASIO Gear provided new camo samples at the master class. 81:53 — Episode #108 - Mind Blowing Deer Management with Dr. Bronson Strickland
2022-03-27 Joe Miles said his team tested mechanical broadheads by shooting them through duct-taped hog shoulders stuffed with Jell-O, with the footage releasing next week. 2:34 — Episode #110 - Double Episode live from Master Class - Al Foster gives great advise
2022-04-04 Terry plans to post aerial photos in future episodes showing farm project progress and to showcase new equipment. 16:44 — EPISODE #111 COURAGE or ARROGANCE?
2022-04-25 Ethan Fitzwilliam and his wife Caitlin stayed late at night to help Terry fix a flat trailer tire before he drove home. 12:36 — Episode #114 - FOOD PLOT SEASON IS HERE!!!!!
2022-04-25 Terry bought a 65-horsepower cab John Deere tractor. 14:09 — Episode #114 - FOOD PLOT SEASON IS HERE!!!!!
2022-05-08 Terry says the Real World team will test different residual herbicides together this year. 3:54 — Episode #116 - Broadhead Debate with Don Higgins and Joe Miles
2022-05-29 Don plans to test new corn varieties this year with Steve documenting the process on video. 19:00 — Episode #119 - Memorial Day Tribute and Aging Bucks on Trail Cam Pics
2022-06-20 Don clarifies the show isn’t only for big-equipment owners, saying a garden sprayer and string trimmer can make a really nice plot, as Steve demonstrated. 82:22 — Episode #122 - Extreme Heat Really Hurts the Doe and Fawns!
2022-07-10 Terry says Real World is testing new nutrition products this year and will keep a close eye on trail cameras to track results. 11:45 — Episode #125 - Wheat Prices May Change Late Season Hunting
2022-08-08 Don says nutrient analysis is meaningless if deer won’t eat the plant, so utilization cages are critical in Real World’s product testing. 15:16 — Episode #129 - Lessons Learned from a GIANT TYPICAL - Story you haven’t heard!
2022-08-08 ASIO Gear’s back-ordered camo that Terry had been waiting for finally arrived, in time for the coming season. 18:27 — Episode #129 - Lessons Learned from a GIANT TYPICAL - Story you haven’t heard!
2022-08-08 Terry recommends trail camera season as one of the best times of year to use a QuietKat. 50:07 — Episode #129 - Lessons Learned from a GIANT TYPICAL - Story you haven’t heard!
2022-08-22 Don explains Real World’s three-step testing process: their own farms first, then pro staff nationwide, then a limited pilot program. 44:01 — Episode #131 - Don forms his own Dream Team
2023-04-30 Terry reminds Don he needs to pick up another seven-foot 360 blind since he’s cleared a spot for it. 73:43 — Episode #167 - Turkey Season Is Here! Terry Still Hates Turkeys!
2023-04-30 Don has some 360 blinds in his shed after taking delivery of a semi load this week. 73:50 — Episode #167 - Turkey Season Is Here! Terry Still Hates Turkeys!
2023-09-10 Terry recently purchased a Brenton Firearm, a high-end AR hunting rifle chambered in Straight Wall Legend. 61:15 — Episode #186 - Disappointing 2023 Buck Forecast
2023-09-10 Don learned never to break in new equipment mid-season after new gloves caused a bad release trip that cost him a buck. 74:50 — Episode #186 - Disappointing 2023 Buck Forecast
2023-10-08 The team changed strategy for the close-range youth hunt by mounting a Vortex holographic sight on the Brenton firearm. 12:55 — Episode #190 - Prep for Youth Season - Green Light on Babe
2023-11-19 Don’s dad bought a new Bad Boy mower from Terry, who brought it up on a trailer. 1:48 — Episode #196 - Lock Down Breaking Loose as Weather Changes
2024-03-03 Terry reports a customer sent test samples comparing Ag Corn versus NutriCrave, pulled February 13 and tested February 23. 57:51 — Episode #210 - What to do with Bush Honeysuckle
2024-03-24 Terry’s new New Holland 75-horsepower cab tractor arrived this week, and he switched away from green tractors because his new employer doesn’t allow them. 5:48 — Episode #213 - Turning old cow pasture in deer sanctuary
2024-04-28 Don announces his new g series drill was delivered this week from WildlifeFarming. 4:13 — Episode #218 -Spring Food Plots - Is it time to plant?
2024-04-28 Don explains free calibration stickers for drills are available on the Real World website with an order, or for about $4 without one. 5:27 — Episode #218 -Spring Food Plots - Is it time to plant?
2024-04-28 Terry reports three new drills arrived at Cornerstone this week for their dealer customers. 5:51 — Episode #218 -Spring Food Plots - Is it time to plant?
2024-05-05 Terry explained the grain sorghum pilot blend was chosen from testing multiple varieties across all their farms last year, selecting the two best performers. 8:22 — Episode #219 - The Most Important Aspect of Hunting Whitetails
2024-05-05 Don plans to use his new drill on the tractor to apply humic acid to all his food plots the same afternoon. 60:17 — Episode #219 - The Most Important Aspect of Hunting Whitetails
2024-05-19 Terry recommends evaluating perennial plots over multiple years in side-by-side comparisons rather than judging them after just one year. 16:35 — Episode #221 - Crop Rotations for Food Plotters and Deer Water Holes
2024-05-19 Don estimates fewer than 10% of North American food plotters really have the equipment and setup to justify planting corn. 25:21 — Episode #221 - Crop Rotations for Food Plotters and Deer Water Holes
2024-07-07 Don notes QuietKat electric bikes are handy for getting around crop field edges but become a muddy disaster when conditions are wet. 8:45 — Episode #229 - Final Thoughts on the Buck Named Babe and Cameras are Out!
2024-07-14 Terry blamed his poor plots on bad weather luck, deer browse pressure, and lacking adequate spraying equipment this year. 3:27 — Episode 230 - Don says Switchgrass is not the best bedding.
2024-07-14 Terry noted cleaning crooks and corners of a square-box ATV sprayer with any neutralizer cleaner is really tough. 22:21 — Episode 230 - Don says Switchgrass is not the best bedding.
2024-09-08 Terry said he is having trouble finding a consistent peep-sight anchor point because of the intermediate bifocals in his new hunting glasses. 57:36 — Episode 238 - 2024 Buck Forecast - MORE GIANTS SHOT THIS YEAR
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
2024-10-27 Don describes using a skid loader bucket to haul whole deer back to his old farmstead before field dressing them there. 27:55 — Episode #245 - Halloween Hunting Should Be Great! Weather and Hunting Forecast from 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
2024-12-29 Don and Duane Hopkins tested several cereal grain varieties popular in the dairy industry on Don’s farm this year. 4:10 — Episode #254 - Don Improving Cell Cameral Locations, No-Till Food Plots, and Winter Habitat Projects
2025-01-12 After spending four hours clearing snow with his skid loader, Don ordered a snowblower attachment for it. 3:19 — Episode #256 - Hard Winter and Early Buck Shed? Illinois CWD Announcement
2025-03-16 Don is testing WiseEye trail cameras and was very impressed with the accompanying software after a lesson at the Iowa show. 55:56 — Episode #264 - Big Rope Scrapes and Big Bucks!
2025-03-23 Don says Terry will get a new test batch of mineral to try on his Ohio properties since Don can’t legally use it in Illinois. 49:01 — Episode #265 - How To Plant Fruit Trees - Wildlife Orchards
2025-04-27 Terry announces that Emerson Day is now fully outfitted with ASIO Gear as of that day. 13:19 — Episode #270 - Deer Nutrition with Dr. Aaron Gaines
2025-05-04 Terry and Don plan to test and video-document many cover crop, no-till, and regenerative farming solutions this year, now that Green Prairie is a new resource. 4:48 — Episode #271 - Cool Wet Spring Concerns for Antler Growth and Nutrition
2025-05-04 Nutritional products are set to be tested on Don’s Ohio properties this year. 5:13 — Episode #271 - Cool Wet Spring Concerns for Antler Growth and Nutrition
2025-05-04 Terry explains new product testing starts with a very small, confidential control group before it’s ever expanded into a broader pilot program. 6:13 — Episode #271 - Cool Wet Spring Concerns for Antler Growth and Nutrition
2025-05-04 Don notes that new products often start with just one bag of seed, so he and Terry sometimes split a single bag to test between their two farms. 7:13 — Episode #271 - Cool Wet Spring Concerns for Antler Growth and Nutrition
2025-05-04 Dwayne gave Don new clover varieties to test, which Don planted in the new fruit orchard plot featured on a Chasing Giants TV video. 7:20 — Episode #271 - Cool Wet Spring Concerns for Antler Growth and Nutrition
2025-05-18 Don says he only promotes a product after using it firsthand and testing it against the competition. 13:27 — Episode #273 - Clover Maintenance and Spring Planting
2025-06-22 Terry says he is genuinely interested to see how the deer repellent testing turns out. 5:09 — Episode #278 - Are Deer Getting Smaller?
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
2025-07-27 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”
2025-08-17 Don said he began encouraging hunters not to turn in their deer for CWD testing due to how agencies handled positive cases. 20:11 — EP #286 - Preparing for Hunting Season: Plots, Cameras & CWD Truth
2025-08-31 Don decided not to buy the borrowed Black Widow recurve because he thinks it’s too short for him. 6:49 — #288 2025 Buck Forecast: EHD Devastation, Trail Cam Insights & Hard Truths About Trophy Bucks
2025-08-31 Terry said he has low blood pressure and gets cold very easily, needing heavier ASIO layers than most hunters. 57:49 — #288 2025 Buck Forecast: EHD Devastation, Trail Cam Insights & Hard Truths About Trophy Bucks
2025-08-31 Terry announced that he and Don will run tests on Chasing Giants TV to see if a product helps push soybean pods along despite the drought. 59:08 — #288 2025 Buck Forecast: EHD Devastation, Trail Cam Insights & Hard Truths About Trophy Bucks
2025-09-21 Don brought his full setup—trail cameras, cable locks, tree stands, and his new Mathews bow—prepared to hunt if the sign looks promising. 3:32 — Chasing Giants Ep. 291 | Don’s Public Land Quest & the “Turning Point” Buck Story
2025-09-21 Don says this new bow is the hardest-shooting bow he’s ever shot, burying arrows deep into the target. 4:41 — Chasing Giants Ep. 291 | Don’s Public Land Quest & the “Turning Point” Buck Story
2025-12-07 Don says the Novix climbing sticks surprised him with how solid they are once locked into place. 41:36 — Late Season EXPLOSION! Why Giants Are Falling Everywhere | Chasing Giants #302
2026-03-08 Don says they tested the rope-scrape scent last fall across nine states on 54 properties, including his own farm. 13:35 — Permission Properties, Scrape Magnet Explained, and Our Health Journeys | Chasing Giants Ep. 315
2026-03-08 Terry says Hawk’s new 8x32 binoculars, shown to him by Cameron, are prized for being small and compact. 19:31 — Permission Properties, Scrape Magnet Explained, and Our Health Journeys | Chasing Giants Ep. 315
2026-03-08 Terry says of everything he’s ordered from Hawk so far, he’s most excited about the new compact binoculars. 20:21 — Permission Properties, Scrape Magnet Explained, and Our Health Journeys | Chasing Giants Ep. 315
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 Real World works with WildlifeFarming, which distributes the pH drill implements and accessories. 16:27 — INSANE Bedding Cover + 22 Bears on Camera?! | Chasing Giants #318
2026-06-07 Don said he’s tested numerous deer repellents over the years and hasn’t found one he was satisfied with. 31:16 — 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
2026-06-14 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
2026-06-28 Don announces he took delivery of a new 60-horsepower cab Kubota tractor with a finish mower for mowing clover plots and access lanes. 6:01 — Making Good Tree Stands GREAT | Don Higgins’ Best Habitat Tricks + Doubting Thomas Premiere
2026-06-28 Don recommends listeners look up Grub Implement in Covington, Indiana for equipment deals and let them bid on what’s needed. 7:35 — 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: Differs on how many stages precede a pilot program: three steps (own farms, then pro staff nationwide, then pilot) versus a small confidential control group expanding directly into a broader pilot program.
- 2022-08-22 Don explains Real World’s three-step testing process: their own farms first, then pro staff nationwide, then a limited pilot program. 44:01 — Episode #131 - Don forms his own Dream Team
- 2025-05-04 Terry explains new product testing starts with a very small, confidential control group before it’s ever expanded into a broader pilot program. 6:13 — Episode #271 - Cool Wet Spring Concerns for Antler Growth and Nutrition

Questions on this topic

Kyle from Oakland City, Indiana asks Terry what horsepower tractor is good for land management tasks like brush hogging, planting, and general farm work. 40:51 — Episode 199 - Dewormer in Deer Feed, Tractors, Screens, and Windmills
Terry asks Don what drives him to keep testing new products instead of sticking with what already works, and whether it’s pride. 11:41 — Episode #273 - Clover Maintenance and Spring Planting
Jeff Sanil from Breeze, Illinois asked for a deer repellent recommendation to avoid putting up a fence. 28:36 — The Biggest Mistake Food Plotters Make in June | Chasing Giants #328
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
Nate from Byron, Minnesota asked whether to buy a tractor or a Ranger Can Am for his 40-acre property. 54:34 — Episode #278 - Are Deer Getting Smaller?
Terry asks Steve Shields how he handled a camera malfunction during the turkey hunt and what it ultimately means. 24:57 — Episode #216 - Don Shoots His First Turkey - Friends Episode
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

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