Hunting Ethics

Category: hunting-ethics
Topic keys: hunting-ethics, ethics, integrity, hunting-philosophy

Current guidance

As of 2026-02-22, the most recent claim on this subject.

On hunting ethics, the show’s most recent claims center on technology and stewardship. Terry argues drones let hunters grid an entire farm and pinpoint a specific bedded buck, and says social-media bucks have been found this way, while Don says that the older he gets, the more anti-technology he becomes about gadgets like drones, and urges hunters to look out for the deer resource rather than their trophy walls. On the shot itself, Don maintains that ethical bowhunters don’t tag another hunter’s kill and don’t repeat a bad shot decision once they’ve learned the hard lesson, and that a doe deserves as humane a kill as a buck, so hunters shouldn’t test an unproven broadhead on a doe if they wouldn’t trust it on a buck.

How the guidance evolved (most recent 120 of 143)

2020-11-25 Don says he knows hunters who hunt harder than he does, but none who put more hours into prep work, a statement that once got him roasted on social media. 45:34 — Episode #39 - SPECIAL EDITION - DON SHOOTS ANOTHER GIANT! 2 Bucks = 400”+ of Antler in 2020
2020-12-14 Don states the podcast will never promote a product they don’t personally believe in. 9:01 — Episode #42 - Christmas Gift Ideas, Hanging Tree Stands in February, and Last Giveaway for 2020
2020-12-21 Don says the older he gets, the more important the chase becomes to him and the less the actual kill means. 40:28 — Episode #43 - Making Good Stand Great, Broadhead Debate Update, How We Celebrate a Kill, and Customer Service
2020-12-28 Don reveals he taped that quote to his gun cabinet door back in the 1970s as an eighth grader. 27:42 — Episode #44 - New Year’s Resolutions, Bedding Cover, Hunting Cold Temps, and Sharing Hunting Property with Family
2021-01-17 Terry Peer said he has no ethical issue shooting a mature target buck over corn, but has the discipline not to shoot a young buck there, unlike many hunters. 24:37 — Episode #47 - Hunting Ethics, Annual Cycle Of Whitetail, Should we leave Social Media?
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?
2021-01-17 Don’s mentor Alan Foster refused to use doe-in-heat scent, believing it took unfair advantage of a buck’s nose-based defenses. 31:09 — Episode #47 - Hunting Ethics, Annual Cycle Of Whitetail, Should we leave Social Media?
2021-01-17 Don Higgins argued a true deer hunter is a conservationist first, concerned with the herd’s well-being as well as the individual animal. 32:26 — Episode #47 - Hunting Ethics, Annual Cycle Of Whitetail, Should we leave Social Media?
2021-03-13 Terry says guys are relying on hunting success to earn a living in the industry, which creates career-driven pressure. 44:17 — Episode #56 RELOAD - Great discussion live from 2021 Master Class #1 - Terry answers some questions on cell cam test
2021-03-13 Don recalls his mentor Al refused to use deer scents, believing it took an unfair advantage of a buck’s nose. 42:15 — Episode #56 RELOAD - Great discussion live from 2021 Master Class #1 - Terry answers some questions on cell cam test
2021-03-22 Don says the best deer hunters he’s known are the most ethical, going beyond what the law allows rather than letting politicians dictate their standards. 13:03 — Episode #57 - Discussion about Ethics Continues as guest at the 2nd Master Class put Don on the spot with live questions.
2021-03-22 Don concludes the law is just a starting point for ethical behavior, not the ultimate standard. 13:46 — Episode #57 - Discussion about Ethics Continues as guest at the 2nd Master Class put Don on the spot with live questions.
2021-03-22 Don says the biggest change in his ethics between hunting years ten-to-twenty and thirty-to-forty is thinking beyond what the law allows. 14:15 — Episode #57 - Discussion about Ethics Continues as guest at the 2nd Master Class put Don on the spot with live questions.
2021-03-22 Terry says he knows for a fact some people refuse to buy Real World Wildlife Products items simply because they dislike Don. 15:17 — Episode #57 - Discussion about Ethics Continues as guest at the 2nd Master Class put Don on the spot with live questions.
2021-03-22 Don states his integrity has never been for sale and he won’t jump from one sponsor to a competing one just for more money. 15:29 — Episode #57 - Discussion about Ethics Continues as guest at the 2nd Master Class put Don on the spot with live questions.
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 states he already has more consulting business than he can handle and doesn’t need more. 60:56 — Episode #59 - Habitat Projects like Water Holes, Food in Bedding, Structure in Bedding along with other topics
2021-06-21 Terry recalls his father teaching him as a kid that applying for a deer tag under family members’ names to guarantee a tag would be illegal. 5:33 — Episode #70 - Fathers Day Talk along with comparison of the Hunting Industry and the Drug Cartel
2021-06-21 Terry states that he and Don will hold their sponsors to the same standard of integrity they’d hold anyone else to. 13:16 — Episode #70 - Fathers Day Talk along with comparison of the Hunting Industry and the Drug Cartel
2021-06-21 Terry says he has mixed feelings on trail cameras, admitting he wouldn’t have killed some big bucks without them, but wishes organizations like Pope and Young addressed hunting ethics more. 29:16 — Episode #70 - Fathers Day Talk along with comparison of the Hunting Industry and the Drug Cartel
2021-06-21 Terry states it’s not his place to push his ethics on others, calling ethics an individual choice while wishing more organizations would take a stand. 30:42 — Episode #70 - Fathers Day Talk along with comparison of the Hunting Industry and the Drug Cartel
2021-06-28 Terry says the hardest thing about killing a booner is finding one. 54:12 — Episode #71 - Trail Cam Deployment, Giant Bucks of Social Media Misused, Raffle Closing Soon!
2021-07-19 Terry recounts that before retiring, businessman Merida renamed his company Sony after refusing to sell its naming rights to an American buyer. 9:02 — Episode #74 Don denied access to hunt and more velvet talk (how does weather affect growth?)
2021-08-16 Terry says he still gets excited seeing unknown bucks show up, but land management now intrigues him more than hunting itself. 55:30 — Episode #78 - People ask questions but do not like the answers!
2021-09-06 Don says it bothers him when hunters lower their standards and shoot a mediocre deer just to call it a good TV buck. 3:43 — Episode #81 - TIPS FOR TRACKING YOUR DEER
2021-09-06 Terry says someone told him that old keys don’t unlock new doors, which helped him decide against forcing a repeat of past hunting strategies. 5:21 — Episode #81 - TIPS FOR TRACKING YOUR DEER
2021-10-11 Don shares his personal saying that hunting is about the chase, not the kill. 60:03 — Episode #86 - 17,764 trail cam pics in 25 days - no bait or attractant
2021-10-11 Terry says he appreciates the freedom to hold a weapon and pursue and harvest an animal as a hunter in this country. 61:11 — Episode #86 - 17,764 trail cam pics in 25 days - no bait or attractant
2021-10-17 Don advises hunters to be honest and properly tag their deer rather than trying to sneak it out of the woods. 60:03 — Episode #87 - BUCK DOWN! Lester’s Feet Raffle Winner Got it Done!
2021-10-17 Wes relays Don’s earlier saying that a hunter should be judged by what deer they pass up, not just by what they shoot. 58:49 — Episode #87 - BUCK DOWN! Lester’s Feet Raffle Winner Got it Done!
2021-10-25 Terry criticizes self-proclaimed ‘purist’ non-baiters who mow down standing corn with a bush hog to create a feeding pile, calling it hypocritical. 62:28 — Episode #88 - Hunting MATURE Bucks on October Mornings?
2021-11-01 Don recalled his father telling him they would do things the right way or not at all, after Don suggested gaming the family deer tag lottery. 57:16 — Episode #89 - 2021 Rut Setting Up To Be FANTASTIC!
2021-11-07 Don says setting and holding to hunting goals matters, since compromising them means you never really had that goal. 14:10 — Episode #90 - November 7th - WHERE IS THE RUT
2021-11-22 Don distinguishes deer killers who don’t care what or how they kill from deer hunters who are conservationists with compassion for individual animals. 19:36 — Episode #92 - Don in Facebook Jail?
2021-11-22 Don explains that a real goal survives temptation; deviating for an obviously injured deer isn’t breaking your goal, but a true goal doesn’t waver. 23:17 — Episode #92 - Don in Facebook Jail?
2021-11-29 Don argued that if a hunter compromises their goal, they never really had a goal to begin with, only a dream. 8:30 — Episode #93 - Don decides to take a break…
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 Terry said he and Don would rather pay for gear they believe in than take sponsorship money for products they don’t fully trust. 76:46 — Episode #95 - Live from Guthrie, KY
2022-03-07 Terry says if a deer is worth ruining a friendship or your relationship with God over, you’ve lost focus on what matters as an outdoorsman. 28:44 — EPISODE #107 - Don Knows How To Fire Up Southern Folks!
2022-05-08 Don believes for every mature buck killed because of a cell camera, five others get saved due to the human intrusion the camera causes. 19:13 — Episode #116 - Broadhead Debate with Don Higgins and Joe Miles
2022-05-08 A friend told Terry that cell cameras actually cause more hunting intrusion, since hunters rush in on a last-minute picture in bad conditions. 18:08 — Episode #116 - Broadhead Debate with Don Higgins and Joe Miles
2022-05-08 Don argues most crossbow users aren’t in love with the crossbow or with archery itself. 27:42 — Episode #116 - Broadhead Debate with Don Higgins and Joe Miles
2022-05-08 Don worries a generation of hunters is losing basic deer-hunting skill and knowledge because of reliance on technology. 29:26 — Episode #116 - Broadhead Debate with Don Higgins and Joe Miles
2022-05-08 Don states that ethics take over where the law ends. 30:39 — Episode #116 - Broadhead Debate with Don Higgins and Joe Miles
2022-05-08 Don says the Holy Spirit gives each person a sense of right and wrong. 31:52 — Episode #116 - Broadhead Debate with Don Higgins and Joe Miles
2022-05-08 Terry says people in the hunting community are too quick to judge others for doing things differently. 32:35 — Episode #116 - Broadhead Debate with Don Higgins and Joe Miles
2022-07-17 Terry argues deer hunting should never be treated as a competition, since unlike golf, no two hunting situations or opportunities are ever identical. 30:51 — Episode #126 - Should we have deer hunting competitions?
2022-07-17 Terry says the true challenge of deer hunting, for him, is creating and manipulating habitat to attract, grow, and hold bucks to maturity, with actual hunting being the smallest part. 31:30 — Episode #126 - Should we have deer hunting competitions?
2022-07-17 Terry believes there will never be enough hunters sharing the same management goals, since everyone hunts for a different reason. 42:34 — Episode #126 - Should we have deer hunting competitions?
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!
2022-08-22 Don says Joe, of ASIO Gear, is a person of integrity who isn’t selling cheap junk for profit. 38:19 — Episode #131 - Don forms his own Dream Team
2022-09-11 Bobby said when hunting a specific target buck, he won’t shoot any other deer that comes through, considering it luck rather than a legitimate kill. 31:40 — Episode #134 - Bobby Worthington talks Buck Forecast Part 3
2022-09-11 Don urged hunters to clean up their deer before taking photos, avoiding bloody gore or hanging tongues, since every photo represents the sport to non-hunters. 95:28 — Episode #134 - Bobby Worthington talks Buck Forecast Part 3
2022-09-26 Don preaches that hunters should be conservationists first and deer hunters second. 7:39 — Episode #136 - EHD HITS AGAIN - DON’S FINAL BUCK FORECAST
2022-10-17 Don commits that if another hunter takes a buck he’s chasing, he’ll shake their hand rather than resent them. 11:26 — Episode #139 - Plans Can Change… Goals Stay The Same!
2022-10-17 Terry states he has never shot a net-booner buck and says no single buck is worth jeopardizing a relationship at this point in his life. 21:14 — Episode #139 - Plans Can Change… Goals Stay The Same!
2022-10-17 Terry says tearing down someone else for self-promotion is selfish and a bad approach for a new business owner. 42:57 — Episode #139 - Plans Can Change… Goals Stay The Same!
2022-11-06 Don distinguishes ‘deer hunters,’ whom he considers conservationists giving back to the habitat, from ‘deer killers,’ who only care about buying a tag and killing a deer. 42:44 — Chasing Giants Episode #142 - Heat Wave Rut - What will Don do?
2022-11-20 Terry stated he set a personal buck-hunting goal and is willing to wait as long as six years to achieve it rather than compromise. 10:13 — Episode #144 - Where Did All The Bucks Go?
2022-11-20 Don said he’s reconsidering his big-buck chasing approach after a season of soul-searching. 70:19 — Episode #144 - Where Did All The Bucks Go?
2022-11-20 Don plans to gradually buy small tracts of land, even just 20 acres, so he doesn’t have to answer to anyone for permission. 72:53 — Episode #144 - Where Did All The Bucks Go?
2022-11-20 Don predicted he’ll have roughly eight target bucks this year, about half of last year’s total of 17. 72:41 — Episode #144 - Where Did All The Bucks Go?
2022-11-27 Don advises treating hunting neighbors as you’d want to be treated, but warns against letting people who contribute nothing to habitat use you as a doormat. 65:53 — Chasing Giants Podcast #145 - Bully Bucks and Big Rubs!
2022-12-25 Don says he’ll only sit a tree stand in brutal, howling-wind cold if a giant buck is involved, not just to shoot a doe or a cull buck. 4:37 — Episode #149 Frigid Temps and Deer… Merry Christmas 2022!
2023-01-15 Don says the company built its reputation on brutal honesty, stating their integrity is not for sale even when people dislike hearing it. 60:58 — Episode #152 - Are Trade Shows Dying?
2023-01-29 Joe Miles says he filmed many hunts in his 30s and early 40s but stepped back from filming to focus on pure hunting, wanting to start again. 16:59 — Episode #154 - Dogs Running Loose on Don’s Farm. HE IS NOT HAPPY!
2023-02-26 Terry argues that all hunting contests should be completely outlawed since hunting is personal and there’s no fair way to compare different hunters’ opportunities. 44:35 — Episode #158 - Is Hunting Contests Hurting the Hunting Industry?
2023-02-26 Terry observes that as land managers get deeper into habitat work, the significance of hunting and the kill itself matters less to them. 51:01 — Episode #158 - Is Hunting Contests Hurting the Hunting Industry?
2023-03-05 Don said within five minutes of leaving that sale, he knew he was done with the captive deer business for good. 38:52 — Episode 159 - Captive Deer Breeding… Why Don Got Out
2023-03-19 An audience member said he walked away from a promising piece of ground after seeing a stand with chains and a trail camera, once he realized Don was hunting it. 77:35 — Episode #161 - Live from Last Master Class - Inside QuietKat E-Bike
2023-04-09 Don argues his real objection isn’t hunting captive deer in a pen, but the dishonesty of not showing the fence in harvest photos. 58:51 — Episode #164 - CRP Programs - Know Facts!
2023-07-16 Don admits he has likely cost himself more money in the hunting industry than he ever earned because he refuses to compromise his ethics and stay quiet. 24:00 — Episode 178 - The Bucks and The Corn are Growing Fast
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?
2023-08-13 Don argues withholding big-buck information isn’t selfish, comparing it to not being obligated to let a friend ride your new motorcycle just because he wants to. 58:27 — Episode #182 - Don’s Buck Management Plan for 2023
2023-09-10 Don said having a story for life, even when a target buck gets away, is part of what makes deer hunting so fun. 78:48 — Episode #186 - Disappointing 2023 Buck Forecast
2023-10-15 Don reflects that no matter how high expectations are, hunting offers no guarantees, even on a great property. 12:39 — Episode #191 - Babe Out In Daylight - Giant Corn Yields for Food Plotters
2023-10-15 Terry says ultimately it comes down to every listener personally choosing to do the right thing regarding baiting laws. 42:56 — Episode #191 - Babe Out In Daylight - Giant Corn Yields for Food Plotters
2023-10-15 Don reflects that he didn’t understand the importance of avoiding human intrusion back then, likely bumping the deer he pursued. 68:26 — Episode #191 - Babe Out In Daylight - Giant Corn Yields for Food Plotters
2023-10-29 Don reflects that the older he gets, the less the kill means to him and the more the chase itself matters. 19:31 — Episode #193 - Babe is Down!
2023-10-29 Don states that deer hunting means different things to different people and no one should be pressured into someone else’s standards. 55:48 — Episode #193 - Babe is Down!
2023-11-05 Terry says he isn’t wired for public-land hunting and can’t do it, even though he respects hunters who take on that extra challenge. 63:16 — Episode #194 - 2nd Target Buck Harvested by Special Guest
2023-11-12 Don urges hunters to take deer pictures with class, displaying the animal respectfully instead of as a bloody mess. 16:42 — Episode #195 - Wes Delks Shoots a Giant and Crossbow Controversy
2023-11-12 Terry recalls Don repeatedly telling him that hunting ethics come down to what’s in your heart, not the weapon in your hand. 85:12 — Episode #195 - Wes Delks Shoots a Giant and Crossbow Controversy
2023-11-26 Don noted some hunters consider trail cameras unethical, yet he uses them himself, showing that ethical standards vary among hunters. 44:32 — Episode #197 - Don’s Grandson Kills His First Buck!
2023-11-26 Don said what’s in a man’s hand matters far less than what’s in his heart when it comes to hunting ethics. 45:19 — Episode #197 - Don’s Grandson Kills His First Buck!
2023-11-26 Don clarified he’s only against crossbows in archery season for able-bodied hunters, not for people with physical limitations. 46:25 — Episode #197 - Don’s Grandson Kills His First Buck!
2023-11-26 Terry said some listeners are passionate about using drones to pattern deer bedding, even though his own opinion is completely opposite. 47:20 — Episode #197 - Don’s Grandson Kills His First Buck!
2023-12-17 Don says that after 200 episodes, chasing big deer has become more important to him personally than actually killing them. 12:48 — Episode 200 - Journey to 200
2024-04-14 Don says Al Foster’s choice to hunt with a recurve bow instead of a legal crossbow or compound reflects his deep hunting ethics. 14:08 — Episode #216 - Don Shoots His First Turkey - Friends Episode
2024-07-07 Terry says he and Don hold to the rule that no deer, no matter how big, should ever be allowed to ruin a relationship. 47:17 — Episode #229 - Final Thoughts on the Buck Named Babe and Cameras are Out!
2024-07-14 Terry said one deer shot at a stand years ago doesn’t mean success there can be repeated consistently for clients paying for consulting. 48:02 — Episode 230 - Don says Switchgrass is not the best bedding.
2024-07-14 Terry said he and Don won’t deviate from their age-structure or size goals for a buck just because it has an unusual characteristic. 57:24 — Episode 230 - Don says Switchgrass is not the best bedding.
2024-09-08 Don cited wildlife biologist Bronson Strickland’s maxim that hunters should never say never and never say always about deer behavior. 3:27 — Episode 238 - 2024 Buck Forecast - MORE GIANTS SHOT THIS YEAR
2024-09-22 Don walked away from hunting a known giant buck on public land in another state out of respect for the hunter who found it. 41:50 — Episode #240 - If Don Was DNR, How He Would Make Illinois Better Than Iowa
2024-10-13 Terry highlighted Bobby Worthington’s Whitetail hunting philosophy video series on Chasing Giants TV, noting its second episode released October 10. 31:13 — Episode #243 - Target Giant Non-Typical Buck Success - Don Higgins
2024-10-13 Terry stressed that no deer is worth letting a stand get between friends, saying integrity and character outlast any buck. 45:49 — Episode #243 - Target Giant Non-Typical Buck Success - Don Higgins
2024-11-10 Don criticizes hunters he calls ‘deer pimps’ who won’t do their own habitat and food-plot work but exploit others’ efforts to find big bucks. 57:53 — Episode #247 - Lockdown, Drone’s, and Deer Pimps
2024-12-08 The Wensel brothers taught Terry and Don at last year’s Legends Roundtable not to refer to hunting as ‘a sport.’ 19:12 — Episode #251 - Update on Don & Joe Miles Kills 2 Giant Mexico Bucks!
2024-12-22 Don states he’s had many chances to hunt on consulting clients’ properties but never does, on principle. 15:53 — Episode #253 - Do Not Overcomplicate Habitat Projects!
2025-01-05 Don says he won’t encourage anyone to shoot someone’s livestock over an isolated incident, since livestock inevitably gets out sometimes as part of being a good neighbor. 49:38 — Episode #255 - Deer Movement and Weather Fronts
2025-01-12 Don argues hunters must act as ethical stewards and shouldn’t shoot every deer without limit just because DNR opens an unrestricted CWD season. 7:35 — Episode #256 - Hard Winter and Early Buck Shed? Illinois CWD Announcement
2025-01-12 Don says that even if a neighbor breaks a pact to pass a buck, he’ll still pass it himself rather than shoot just because the neighbor might. 13:47 — Episode #256 - Hard Winter and Early Buck Shed? Illinois CWD Announcement
2025-01-19 Don says hunters who bloodthirstily push stressed deer off their land chasing early sheds show no compassion, urging people instead to be conservationists. 6:34 — Episode #257 - Too Early to Shed Hunt - Show some compassion!
2025-01-19 Terry states that sitting on a property line facing and shooting across into a neighbor’s land is unethical, disagreeing with Don’s more permissive view. 43:07 — Episode #257 - Too Early to Shed Hunt - Show some compassion!
2025-03-23 Don states that character and integrity matter more than deer hunting knowledge when choosing new consultants. 33:13 — Episode #265 - How To Plant Fruit Trees - Wildlife Orchards
2025-03-23 Don says he refuses to hunt clients’ properties even when invited, because taking someone’s money and shooting their buck isn’t right. 37:32 — Episode #265 - How To Plant Fruit Trees - Wildlife Orchards
2025-05-18 Duncan Dobie, former editor of North American Whitetail, told Don he’s never seen anyone with a stronger sense of right and wrong who can’t stay quiet about it. 40:37 — Episode #273 - Clover Maintenance and Spring Planting
2025-05-18 Don says he gained a lot of faith in God after continuing to do the right thing through a difficult months-long situation where someone wronged him. 42:28 — Episode #273 - Clover Maintenance and Spring Planting
2025-05-18 Don says he can think of two big names in the hunting industry who claim to be Christian but are, in his view, absolute crooks. 46:50 — Episode #273 - Clover Maintenance and Spring Planting
2025-07-06 Joe said everyone’s hunting method is just ‘a way,’ not the only way, and anyone claiming their method works everywhere is being shortsighted. 28:20 — Episode 280 - Trail Cams, Big Cats, and Camo Drops | Special Guest Joe Miles
2025-08-31 Terry said he cares more about which buck he’s hunting than what stage it’s in, so he has no special desire to kill a velvet buck. 2:40 — #288 2025 Buck Forecast: EHD Devastation, Trail Cam Insights & Hard Truths About Trophy Bucks
2025-09-28 Don says ethical bow hunters don’t tag another buck’s kill and don’t repeat a bad shot decision after learning the hard lesson once. 27:08 — #292 - Public Land Busts, Big Timber Dreams, & Target Bucks
2025-10-19 Josh Pretzer called the game warden to report accidentally killing two deer and was told he had to use his either-sex tag rather than buy another. 28:09 — The Magic of Late October | Cold Fronts, Big Bucks & Character in the Woods | Chasing Giants #295
2025-10-19 Don recounted mistakenly shooting the wrong buck decades ago; rather than avoid tagging it, he immediately tagged and retrieved the deer himself. 33:24 — 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
2025-11-23 Terry argues unlike a cell camera or dog, a drone lets someone grid an entire farm and pinpoint exactly where a specific deer is bedded before a hunt. 40:19 — EPISODE 300! Don Changes His Mind on the Rut + Drone Debate Heats Up!
2025-11-23 Terry says bucks seen on social media have been found and targeted for hunts based on thermal drone imagery beforehand. 42:17 — EPISODE 300! Don Changes His Mind on the Rut + Drone Debate Heats Up!
2025-11-23 Don says hunters need to start looking out for the deer resource instead of their trophy walls. 43:34 — EPISODE 300! Don Changes His Mind on the Rut + Drone Debate Heats Up!
2026-01-04 Don credits a business realignment about seven or eight years ago, driven by pure intentions rather than selfishness, with causing the business to suddenly explode. 33:48 — Kill More Deer. Feed Hungry Kids. | Boone Brothers | Chasing Giants 306
2026-02-22 Don states that the older he gets, the more anti-technology he becomes regarding modern hunting gadgets like drones. 23:38 — Chasing Giants LIVE at the Midwest Sportsmen’s Classic | Shipshewana, IN | Presented by FAE

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: Whether cell cameras net reduce or increase human intrusion on mature bucks: Don says more bucks are saved than killed, a friend told Terry cameras cause more rushed, poorly-timed intrusion.
- 2022-05-08 Don believes for every mature buck killed because of a cell camera, five others get saved due to the human intrusion the camera causes. 19:13 — Episode #116 - Broadhead Debate with Don Higgins and Joe Miles
- 2022-05-08 A friend told Terry that cell cameras actually cause more hunting intrusion, since hunters rush in on a last-minute picture in bad conditions. 18:08 — Episode #116 - Broadhead Debate with Don Higgins and Joe Miles
Guidance may have changed: What counts as the true challenge of deer hunting: finding a booner buck itself, versus habitat manipulation being the real challenge with actual hunting the smallest part.
- 2021-06-28 Terry says the hardest thing about killing a booner is finding one. 54:12 — Episode #71 - Trail Cam Deployment, Giant Bucks of Social Media Misused, Raffle Closing Soon!
- 2022-07-17 Terry says the true challenge of deer hunting, for him, is creating and manipulating habitat to attract, grow, and hold bucks to maturity, with actual hunting being the smallest part. 31:30 — Episode #126 - Should we have deer hunting competitions?
Guidance may have changed: Whether weapon choice carries ethical weight: opposing legal crossbow use for able-bodied archery hunters versus saying what’s in a man’s hand matters far less than his heart.
- 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?
- 2023-11-26 Don said what’s in a man’s hand matters far less than what’s in his heart when it comes to hunting ethics. 45:19 — Episode #197 - Don’s Grandson Kills His First Buck!

Questions on this topic

Edward Miller asks how much information about big bucks he should keep to himself without being selfish. 57:10 — Episode #182 - Don’s Buck Management Plan for 2023
Tom asks whether nonresident hunters who pay heavily to hunt are more selective about deer than residents paying little for their tags. 47:53 — Episode #182 - Don’s Buck Management Plan for 2023
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
Barry Holt from Gap, Pennsylvania asks what’s more frustrating: a neighbor shooting a buck on your target list, or one you wanted to let grow more years. 51:12 — Episode 199 - Dewormer in Deer Feed, Tractors, Screens, and Windmills
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?
Colin asks whether Don would shoot a legal albino or piebald buck if it matched the caliber he was hunting for. 56:05 — Episode 230 - Don says Switchgrass is not the best bedding.
Jacob asks whether modern hunters, obsessed with gadgets and social media, are losing touch with nature and the true reality of hunting. 65:00 — Episode #27 Season is closing in. Final prep work is being done along with addressing some hurt feelings.
Dennis follows up asking where the ethical line is with drone use. 16:04 — Episode #263 - Live from the Iowa Deer Classic
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 is the biggest threat to the deer hunting industry today: technology or ethics, including drones? 11:16 — Episode #258 - Live Podcast from Mt. Hope Ohio
An audience member finds a trail-camera buck far bigger than usual on a friend’s land and asks Don whether to pursue permission to hunt it. 24:46 — EPISODE #107 - Don Knows How To Fire Up Southern Folks!
An audience member with only rifle access to a target buck’s bedding area asks the panel whether he should take up rifle hunting for that deer. 37:22 — EPISODE #107 - Don Knows How To Fire Up Southern Folks!
An audience member asks what the right thing to do is upon finding a target buck’s shed just over the property fence line. 57:52 — Episode #211 - Live from RWWP Dealer Event - BINGO
An anonymous listener from Nashville asks whether a certain big-name hunter who consistently kills giant urban bucks is using a thermal drone to find them. 45:58 — Making Good Tree Stands GREAT | Don Higgins’ Best Habitat Tricks + Doubting Thomas Premiere
Jerry Sinclair from Chester, Vermont asks how other hunters react when Don hunts a new area given his reputation for killing big bucks. 59:57 — Making Good Tree Stands GREAT | Don Higgins’ Best Habitat Tricks + Doubting Thomas Premiere
Frank Shannon asks Don to share the top one or two things he dislikes about the hunting industry. 36:49 — Episode #273 - Clover Maintenance and Spring Planting
Terry asked Don if he had a story of taking one for the team and doing the right thing, similar to Josh Pretzer’s situation. 29:11 — The Magic of Late October | Cold Fronts, Big Bucks & Character in the Woods | Chasing Giants #295
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
A seminar attendee, possibly tied to a trail camera company, asked Don what he thinks of cell cameras. 28:58 — Episode #47 - Hunting Ethics, Annual Cycle Of Whitetail, Should we leave Social Media?
Chris Chapman asked if trail cameras hinder hunting’s unknown-factor thrill, and whether Don or Terry would hunt an unfamiliar property without camera intel. 49:36 — Episode #78 - People ask questions but do not like the answers!
Paul asks whether it’s true that a rival consultant said Don and Tony LaPratt only care about selling products and would kill any 200-inch buck on shared land. 28:12 — Episode #126 - Should we have deer hunting competitions?
Al Foster asks Don what bothered him most about bowhunter ethics from years ten to twenty, and what bothers him most now, crossbows aside. 39:51 — Episode #56 RELOAD - Great discussion live from 2021 Master Class #1 - Terry answers some questions on cell cam test
Jeff Sparks asked what Don thinks about box blinds and the odds of a five-year-old buck surviving to score 170 on a permission property. 72:18 — Episode #201 - New Year, New Tools, New Websites
An audience member asked whether easy local deer processing makes hunters pull the trigger quicker, and its effect on the population. 46:14 — Episode 159 - Captive Deer Breeding… Why Don Got Out
An audience member asked whether Don plants sheds ahead of time at Master Classes for advertising purposes. 62:27 — Episode 159 - Captive Deer Breeding… Why Don Got Out
Billy Ayers asks what Don and Terry think about hunting contests like coyote hunts, small game hunts, and shed antler contests. 39:36 — Episode #158 - Is Hunting Contests Hurting the Hunting Industry?
Terry asks Don to restate the quote he taped to his gun cabinet door, referenced in the Mel video. 27:12 — Episode #44 - New Year’s Resolutions, Bedding Cover, Hunting Cold Temps, and Sharing Hunting Property with Family
Terry asks whether Don would rather be known for passing a 216-inch buck on camera over maturity doubts, or for killing three 200-inch deer on unfenced land he didn’t own. 28:11 — Episode #44 - New Year’s Resolutions, Bedding Cover, Hunting Cold Temps, and Sharing Hunting Property with Family
How have hunting ethics on public land changed since Don first started hunting there? 69:30 — Episode #161 - Live from Last Master Class - Inside QuietKat E-Bike
A listener with a stand on a neighbor’s fence line asks what an ethical distance from a property line is. 61:42 — Chasing Giants Podcast #145 - Bully Bucks and Big Rubs!
Logan DeGroote asks how Don and Terry celebrate after harvesting a target buck: quiet reflection, a party with friends, or immediately planning the next hunt. 35:51 — Episode #43 - Making Good Stand Great, Broadhead Debate Update, How We Celebrate a Kill, and Customer Service
Easton McNeil from Mansfield, Ohio asked whether growing disregard for hunting laws should just be accepted as a trend, or whether there’s a better way to address it. 53:29 — Episode #89 - 2021 Rut Setting Up To Be FANTASTIC!
If Don set hunting laws, would he keep cell camera regulations the same or outlaw them during hunting season? 15:38 — Episode #116 - Broadhead Debate with Don Higgins and Joe Miles
Are elevated hunting blinds with home comforts (‘outhouses’) ethical? 23:23 — Episode #116 - Broadhead Debate with Don Higgins and Joe Miles
Chad Horetzky asked what they would do if a target buck came into range with half its rack broken off. 41:57 — Episode #197 - Don’s Grandson Kills His First Buck!
Terry asks if Don’s view on trail camera data has changed since the Smokey and Trump years, given he now uses cell cam intel to plan hunts. 29:54 — Episode #257 - Too Early to Shed Hunt - Show some compassion!
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
Kurt Myers asked whether it’s ethical to pay landowners or use tipster networks to access a specific giant buck, bypassing local hunters. 35:55 — Episode #243 - Target Giant Non-Typical Buck Success - Don Higgins

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