Harvest

Category: scoring-aging
Topic keys: harvest, buck-harvest

Current guidance

As of 2026-04-05, the most recent claim on this subject.

Don and Terry’s latest harvest comments split between crops and deer. Terry observed farmers in Central Illinois picking corn and beans well ahead of schedule, and Don explained many were cutting soybeans early because dry conditions make pods brittle and prone to shattering; he also noted a wet southern Illinois spring meant harvest would start in the north and move south, reversing the usual order. On deer, Don recalled killing five individually targeted bucks in a row after Christmas about fifteen years ago, and Terry reported a Northern Ohio property producing six mature bucks from the same spot this season. A listener asked whether such jumps owe more to the growing season or social pressure against shooting young bucks, left unanswered.

How the guidance evolved

2019-11-10 Don shot and tagged his first Illinois buck Sunday morning, then killed and tagged a second buck the very next afternoon. 1:45 — Episode #6 - Don Kills 2 Booners on Back to Back Hunts
2019-11-10 Don took pride in killing a five-year-old, nearly-170-inch buck off small, non-leased ground with no food plots. 17:32 — Episode #6 - Don Kills 2 Booners on Back to Back Hunts
2019-11-24 Patrick Simpson saw a buck chasing a doe for two days, endured cold rain and sleet in a Lone Wolf climber, and shot the buck around 8:30-9:00 that morning. 6:14 — Episode #8 - Lock-down is about over. Great hunting the week of Thanksgiving
2019-12-01 Don shot his second buck and filled his last Illinois buck tag on November 4. 4:54 — Episode #9 - Terry shoots his second buck of the year and Don scouts for 2020 Season
2019-12-01 Kyle of Team Radical posted a video of his harvest of Uno, a buck he had documented for years. 13:37 — Episode #9 - Terry shoots his second buck of the year and Don scouts for 2020 Season
2019-12-13 Terry harvested his first buck in September, while a second target buck on his farm survived Kentucky’s gun season. 9:10 — Episode #10 - December Tips - Scouting for 2020 - Big Announcement from Real World
2020-11-01 Weakened by COVID after shooting the buck, Don went home and took a two-hour nap instead of immediately checking on the fallen 200-inch deer. 33:49 — Episode #35 - Don shoots his 3rd 200”+ Buck - The story of Mel - A 220” World Class Whitetail
2020-11-23 Terry recounts shooting a good buck the previous morning around 8:45am after a difficult week of hunting. 4:44 — Episode #38 Terry Kills a Illinois 8 Pointer and Don gets wound up on some industry topics! REALLY WOUND UP!
2020-12-07 Don confirms he shot the buck from just a few yards away. 9:26 — Episode #41 - Don and Terry start a new December Series called “Make A Good Spot Great!”
2020-12-07 Don notes the two bucks he shot this year were combined less than 20 yards total distance from his tree. 13:13 — Episode #41 - Don and Terry start a new December Series called “Make A Good Spot Great!”
2020-12-07 Don shot the buck Joey just fifteen minutes into his first hunt, less than 48 hours after predicting the perfect conditions. 42:01 — Episode #41 - Don and Terry start a new December Series called “Make A Good Spot Great!”
2021-10-17 A shooter buck came by during the morning hunt and Brent harvested it. 2:05 — Episode #87 - BUCK DOWN! Lester’s Feet Raffle Winner Got it Done!
2021-10-25 Don recounts that Lester’s Feet raffle winner Brent Ramsey killed his buck on Don’s farm during an October morning hunt. 46:37 — Episode #88 - Hunting MATURE Bucks on October Mornings?
2022-03-13 Don explains that on his farm he culls the smaller two-and-a-half and three-and-a-half year old bucks first, leaving the best two to mature to five and six years old. 29:11 — Episode #108 - Mind Blowing Deer Management with Dr. Bronson Strickland
2022-04-04 A listener wrote that thanks to the hosts’ videos she was able to harvest two bucks in her first year hunting. 49:25 — EPISODE #111 COURAGE or ARROGANCE?
2022-07-10 Don says he harvests about five or six bucks per year on his farm, each at least three and a half years old, with minimal intrusion. 64:47 — Episode #125 - Wheat Prices May Change Late Season Hunting
2022-09-05 Terry relays that their friend Brandon Efferson killed a nice velvet buck on the Kentucky opening day. 3:22 — Episode #133 - Special Guest Mark Luster - Buck Forecast Part 2
2022-09-05 Terry relays that Danny York’s daughter Haley harvested a giant buck the night before, braving thunderstorms to do so. 4:46 — Episode #133 - Special Guest Mark Luster - Buck Forecast Part 2
2022-09-05 Terry recalls killing a six-and-a-half-year-old buck two years ago on a 20-acre Kentucky property by patterning it around a single bedding-consistent wind. 71:26 — Episode #133 - Special Guest Mark Luster - Buck Forecast Part 2
2022-09-26 Terry announces that listener and friend Danny York harvested a giant velvet buck he’d been planning all summer. 14:58 — Episode #136 - EHD HITS AGAIN - DON’S FINAL BUCK FORECAST
2022-10-24 Don says harvest in his area is about 90% done and, due to a summer wheat-contracting opportunity, expects more winter wheat than in past years. 29:45 — Episode #140 - Fall Drought - What does that mean for deer hunters?
2022-11-14 A young hunter, in only his second season of bow hunting, killed the nontypical buck Don had been tracking on public land. 5:37 — Episode #143 - Welcome to the Lockdown!
2022-11-14 Wes Delks shot a good buck the night before the recording. 13:42 — Episode #143 - Welcome to the Lockdown!
2022-11-14 Josh, a Whitetail Master Academy attendee, shot the biggest buck of his life that morning in Ohio. 13:51 — Episode #143 - Welcome to the Lockdown!
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!
2022-11-27 Aiden Miller shot the king buck near Middlefield, Ohio this week, an eight-point mainframe with exceptionally long stickers on both G2s. 25:42 — Chasing Giants Podcast #145 - Bully Bucks and Big Rubs!
2022-12-25 Kyle Heuerman shot his second target buck of the year just before dark in a Real World Soybean patch. 1:42 — Episode #149 Frigid Temps and Deer… Merry Christmas 2022!
2023-04-02 Don notes that in one October alone three of his clients shot 200-inch bucks, with two more taking bucks in January and another client also scoring in January. 5:49 — Episode #163 - The Hype of Chestnut Trees…
2023-06-25 Terry observed via farm-equipment YouTube channels that last year’s harvest went smoothly with no mud, supporting the theory drought began the previous fall. 21:28 — Episode 175 - June Food Plot Update
2023-07-03 Don recalled a six-year-old buck he once shot that always had short G2 tines but excellent G3 tines. 36:29 — Episode #176 - Don’s Advice for Battery High Prices
2023-09-10 Terry relayed that a friend at Chambers Customs posted pictures of Nutri-Crave Corn ears as long as his arm, showing a bumper crop. 31:54 — Episode #186 - Disappointing 2023 Buck Forecast
2023-10-15 Ohio hunter Drake Miller harvested a giant 14-point buck with drop tines and sticker points while wearing ASIO gear. 16:00 — Episode #191 - Babe Out In Daylight - Giant Corn Yields for Food Plotters
2023-10-15 Terry congratulates Real World Dream Team member Mark Lester for harvesting the target buck he had hunted since opening season. 70:39 — Episode #191 - Babe Out In Daylight - Giant Corn Yields for Food Plotters
2023-10-15 Mark Lester planted a plot of Real World soybeans specifically targeting the buck he eventually harvested. 71:00 — Episode #191 - Babe Out In Daylight - Giant Corn Yields for Food Plotters
2023-10-22 Don reports the farmer harvested the 220-acre NutriCrave deer corn field this week. 14:11 — Episode 192 - End of October - Tactics and Plans are Changing - PRE RUT!
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!
2023-11-12 Dale Miller from Ohio was this week’s ASIO feature hunter with a typical 10-point buck. 13:21 — Episode #195 - Wes Delks Shoots a Giant and Crossbow Controversy
2023-11-26 Patrick Simpson and Brandon Epperson, visiting from Kentucky, both shot bucks that Saturday morning during the rut. 18:59 — Episode #197 - Don’s Grandson Kills His First Buck!
2023-11-26 Terry reported that Amber Harrison killed a buck she and Andy had reportedly been tracking since 2017 or 2018. 59:13 — Episode #197 - Don’s Grandson Kills His First Buck!
2023-11-26 Terry said he loved seeing the picture of Amber posing behind the big mature buck she killed. 59:31 — Episode #197 - Don’s Grandson Kills His First Buck!
2023-11-26 Don noted this was Amber’s second buck of the season, and she still had an Iowa gun tag for the following weekend. 59:44 — Episode #197 - Don’s Grandson Kills His First Buck!
2024-01-07 Dakota Miller of Ohio harvested a giant eight-point buck while wearing ASIO Gear, featured as the podcast’s spotlight photo. 21:28 — Episode #202 - Strange Sponsorship Requests with Joe Miles
2024-07-28 Terry recounts that Brandon Epperson shot a 200-inch velvet buck on opening weekend last year. 20:46 — Episode 232 - We are starting a TV Show!
2024-09-22 Terry shot a 10-year-old buck on Don’s property that would never have qualified as legal under an antler point restriction. 49:31 — Episode #240 - If Don Was DNR, How He Would Make Illinois Better Than Iowa
2024-10-20 Terry reported that friend Patrick Simpson brought his son Bryson along and Bryson got a buck on Saturday night during youth season. 10:09 — Episode #244 - October Lull? Don and Terry See Bucks Moving in Mid October
2024-11-03 Terry announces that Brian Kraft’s son Clay just texted confirmation he shot a buck this morning believed to be over 200 inches. 65:18 — Episode #246 - Don Says - Best November Hunting in 50 Years
2024-11-03 Terry says Brian Kraft’s typical buck could break into the top 10 typicals ever killed without a bow in Missouri. 67:29 — Episode #246 - Don Says - Best November Hunting in 50 Years
2024-11-10 Patrick Simpson hunted in Iowa this week, passed back through Illinois, and shot a buck. 7:33 — Episode #247 - Lockdown, Drone’s, and Deer Pimps
2024-11-10 Don tagged his target giant buck this year on just the fourth hunt of the season, unusually early. 18:36 — Episode #247 - Lockdown, Drone’s, and Deer Pimps
2024-11-24 Don shot Zacchaeus with his new Mathews bow the same day it arrived, taking it to the woods that evening. 24:38 — Episode #249 - Another Big Archery Buck! Terry Peer and Don Higgins Discuss
2024-11-24 Terry described standing on his ladder stand and shooting his buck at just nine to ten yards, watching it fall less than twenty yards away. 29:10 — Episode #249 - Another Big Archery Buck! Terry Peer and Don Higgins Discuss
2024-11-24 Terry noted Wes Delks’ buck, nicknamed U Haul, was the first deer taken from what Wes had originally called ‘Higgins two point o.’ 48:56 — Episode #249 - Another Big Archery Buck! Terry Peer and Don Higgins Discuss
2024-11-24 Don agreed this may have been the best growing year for antlers in decades. 43:35 — Episode #249 - Another Big Archery Buck! Terry Peer and Don Higgins Discuss
2025-09-14 Terry observed that farmers were already picking corn and beans in Central Illinois well ahead of the normal schedule. 13:05 — Faith, Hunting & Courage After Tragedy | Chasing Giants Podcast Ep. 290
2025-09-14 Don observed many farmers cutting soybeans early this year because dry conditions make the pods brittle and prone to shattering, causing yield loss. 13:42 — Faith, Hunting & Courage After Tragedy | Chasing Giants Podcast Ep. 290
2025-09-14 Don noted that due to a wet spring in southern Illinois, this year’s harvest would start in the north and move south, reversing the typical pattern. 14:50 — Faith, Hunting & Courage After Tragedy | Chasing Giants Podcast Ep. 290
2025-11-30 Don recalled that about fifteen years ago he killed five individually targeted bucks in a row, all after Christmas during the late season. 11:41 — Late Season Starts NOW — Cold Fronts, Bucks on Food, and Thanksgiving Reflections | Episode #301
2025-12-07 Terry says a Northern Ohio property he worked on has produced six mature bucks harvested from the same spot this season alone. 3:45 — Late Season EXPLOSION! Why Giants Are Falling Everywhere | Chasing Giants #302
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

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’s stated culling age differs: one describes removing two-and-a-half and three-and-a-half year olds first, the other sets a three-and-a-half year minimum for every buck harvested on the farm.
- 2022-03-13 Don explains that on his farm he culls the smaller two-and-a-half and three-and-a-half year old bucks first, leaving the best two to mature to five and six years old. 29:11 — Episode #108 - Mind Blowing Deer Management with Dr. Bronson Strickland
- 2022-07-10 Don says he harvests about five or six bucks per year on his farm, each at least three and a half years old, with minimal intrusion. 64:47 — Episode #125 - Wheat Prices May Change Late Season Hunting

Questions on this topic

What wind direction did Don have when he shot Babe? 53:02 — Ep #208 - Live from the FAE Midwest Sportsman Classic!
A listener asked whether this year’s jump in high-scoring buck harvests stems from an exceptional growing season or growing social-media pressure against shooting young bucks. 36:12 — Episode #249 - Another Big Archery Buck! Terry Peer and Don Higgins Discuss
Terry asked whether the buck Don killed on November 3 was seven or six years old. 15:58 — Episode #39 - SPECIAL EDITION - DON SHOOTS ANOTHER GIANT! 2 Bucks = 400”+ of Antler in 2020

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