Mature & Trophy Bucks

Category: scoring-aging
Topic keys: mature-bucks, mature-buck, trophy-bucks, trophy-buck

Current guidance

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

The hosts describe mature bucks as scarce in recent episodes: Terry said in September 2025 they are getting harder to come by, and Don added in November 2025 that they are now scarce on Illinois public land. When a cold front hits, Don recommends hunting evenings over mornings, since he finds mature bucks moving mostly at night despite the front. He and Al Foster point to Bryhn Craft’s observation that every 200-inch buck was once 180 inches, a reason they give for letting big 180-class deer walk rather than shooting them. Don also notes mature bucks often avoid trail cameras after one photo and prefer brush cover to open ground, and marks November 7th and 8th as the traditional peak dates for killing mature bucks.

How the guidance evolved

2019-09-24 Don predicts 2019 will be a down year for trophy bucks overall. 22:34 — Episode 1 - New Show Introduction and Don’s Unique Goal For 2019
2019-10-06 Don warns hunters can burn out a stand for a mature buck, so they must capitalize when conditions are right and stay away when they’re not. 19:51 — Episode #2 - Update on Opening Week and Targeting Don’s First Booner of 2019
2019-10-06 Don says discipline is what separates hunters who succeed at chasing mature bucks. 18:03 — Episode #2 - Update on Opening Week and Targeting Don’s First Booner of 2019
2019-11-03 Don says October 2025 was the worst October he can remember for mature buck sightings, despite hunting 26 days and seeing deer nearly every outing. 1:22 — Episode #5 - November is Here!
2019-11-03 Don describes Patrick’s harvested buck as having 17 points and exceptional mass. 6:39 — Episode #5 - November is Here!
2019-11-24 Terry notes Don’s land-consulting demand grew significantly after his 2017 harvests of the bucks Trump and Smokey. 52:45 — Episode #8 - Lock-down is about over. Great hunting the week of Thanksgiving
2019-12-13 Terry recounts killing a six-and-a-half-year-old buck he had watched for three years on a 33-acre property, showing mature bucks can be taken even on small acreage. 36:25 — Episode #10 - December Tips - Scouting for 2020 - Big Announcement from Real World
2019-12-23 Terry relayed that Patrick Simpson had an unbelievable year, with this buck being his third of the season and an absolute giant. 9:32 — Episode #11 - Merry Christmas and Late Season Insights
2020-03-14 Don noted that does and young bucks readily follow mowed paths, but many mature bucks won’t use them, preferring tighter cover. 43:39 — Episode #17 - Live from Don Higgins first Master Class of 2020
2020-03-23 Don has a two-year project plan intended to make his property twice as good for growing mature bucks as it already is. 7:12 — Episode #18 - Taking Advantage During The Bad Times
2020-04-15 One of Terry’s goals this year is to shoot a buck over 170 inches on public land. 4:29 — Episode #19 - Finishing Timber Projects and Starting Food Plot Projects
2020-07-13 Terry has identified at least one seven-year-old buck among his trail camera pictures this year, along with a couple of decent but unremarkable bucks. 6:24 — Episode #25 - Don and Terry give an update on their hunting spots and discuss getting into the hunting industry.
2020-09-08 Don says one of the bucks he’s tracking is among the best three-year-olds he’s seen in over forty years of deer hunting, and confirms the buck is definitely three. 17:14 — Episode #29 - Don previews some HIT LIST and UP-AND-COMER bucks while Terry is chasing a good buck in KY
2020-11-09 Don warned that hunting a stand just once with the wrong wind can burn it for good, especially with a mature buck. 11:51 — Episode #36 Peak Rut Update, Warm Weather, maybe a little election and religion
2020-12-28 Don explains the best bedding cover for mature bucks is typically very thick cover, partly because thicker cover reduces the odds deer encounter human intrusion. 47:25 — Episode #44 - New Year’s Resolutions, Bedding Cover, Hunting Cold Temps, and Sharing Hunting Property with Family
2021-04-19 A Wisconsin landowner told Don he hired a previous consultant whose plan produced abundant deer but no mature bucks, prompting him to bring in Don. 30:47 — Episode #61 - Live from the Midwest Sportsman Show - TOUGH QUESTIONS FROM LIVE CROWD
2021-06-21 Don explains the podcast’s niche isn’t casual hunting-camp talk but focuses on what it takes to dedicate yourself to killing bucks five years old or older. 31:19 — Episode #70 - Fathers Day Talk along with comparison of the Hunting Industry and the Drug Cartel
2021-06-21 Terry states the podcast distinguishes itself by focusing on mature buck hunting advice rather than general deer hunting advice. 33:05 — 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!
2021-08-02 Don manages his isolated farm by letting bucks with real trophy potential live to maturity while culling ones that will never score well. 54:28 — Episode #76 - Where are the big bucks? August is here! Final Prep
2021-08-02 Adam Crummer, a great hunter near Don, killed two giant bucks that, while not 200 inches, were well over Boone and Crockett. 48:11 — Episode #76 - Where are the big bucks? August is here! Final Prep
2021-09-06 Terry has two known mature bucks over five years old on his property but doesn’t think either will score above the low 150s, so he isn’t interested in shooting them this year. 2:15 — Episode #81 - TIPS FOR TRACKING YOUR DEER
2021-09-20 Don states most deer hunters underestimate how critical wind is to mature bucks, who rely on it as much as people rely on their eyes. 5:55 — Episode #83 Don’s Buck Inventory shows 32 bucks over 150”
2021-09-27 Don says his primary target buck is definitely over 170 inches, though he’s unsure if it will reach 180. 23:15 — Episode #84 Don Choice - Iowa or Illinois for Opening Day?
2021-09-27 Don says shooting one buck over 170 inches, whether in Iowa or Illinois, would make this season a success in his eyes. 24:27 — Episode #84 Don Choice - Iowa or Illinois for Opening Day?
2021-10-17 Don defines a mature deer as at least five and a half years old, calling it a totally different animal from younger bucks. 29:17 — Episode #87 - BUCK DOWN! Lester’s Feet Raffle Winner Got it Done!
2021-10-25 Don has noticed he gets better and more pictures of mature bucks using a regular trail camera than a cellular camera. 5:51 — Episode #88 - Hunting MATURE Bucks on October Mornings?
2021-10-25 Terry recommends minimizing intrusion and hunting pressure when targeting mature, trophy-class bucks. 53:23 — Episode #88 - Hunting MATURE Bucks on October Mornings?
2021-11-01 Don’s deer consulting clients had an outstanding October, with three of them killing bucks over 200 inches and others taking bucks scoring 196 and 192 inches. 11:38 — Episode #89 - 2021 Rut Setting Up To Be FANTASTIC!
2021-11-07 Don says he could kill 270-inch bucks this year but will likely pass on killing any buck at all for management reasons. 71:59 — Episode #90 - November 7th - WHERE IS THE RUT
2021-11-29 Don revealed three of his top five bucks came from permission-only properties with no lease paid and no habitat work done. 45:14 — Episode #93 - Don decides to take a break…
2022-01-02 Terry said their teaching goal is for hunters to set a goal, stick to it, and stop shooting every big three-year-old buck. 68:05 — Episode #98 - Don’s Trophy Room, Stolen Gun, and New Title Sponsor
2022-02-27 Don reflects that the shifting arrival pattern of an aging buck shows how little is known about how big bucks change with age. 26:51 — Episode #106 - Don finds sheds of an 8-year-old buck!
2022-03-07 Don warns that rattling antlers near a mature buck can tip him off like blowing a trumpet, since older bucks recognize the sound and grow warier. 56:06 — EPISODE #107 - Don Knows How To Fire Up Southern Folks!
2022-03-07 Don relays that his business partner Wes Delks, unable to hunt a giant Indiana buck he’d tracked for two years, gave Don all his intel and asked him to hunt and kill it. 26:01 — EPISODE #107 - Don Knows How To Fire Up Southern Folks!
2022-03-07 Terry says once he started targeting only mature bucks, he got 13 mounts in his basement that were all five-and-a-half years or older, faster than his earlier immature deer. 33:22 — EPISODE #107 - Don Knows How To Fire Up Southern Folks!
2022-03-27 Don said many mature bucks, even in the Midwest, never reach 150 inches no matter how old they get. 31:49 — Episode #110 - Double Episode live from Master Class - Al Foster gives great advise
2022-04-10 Don states that killing big deer requires sacrifices even for owners of prime property, since ownership alone doesn’t guarantee results. 8:43 — Episode #112 - Chasing Giants in the Big North Woods
2022-04-18 Don advises that hunters aiming to consistently kill the biggest bucks year after year must hunt alone, though hunting with family or friends is fine otherwise. 66:03 — Episode #113 Prepare Now… Results Come Later!!!!
2022-05-02 On Don’s #2 Illinois property, the client shot a buck scoring around 190 inches within about two weeks of Don’s consulting visit. 36:09 — Episode #115 - Don’s Top Four Properties Visited This Year
2022-05-29 Don says he only acts on secondhand giant-buck tips from about 5% of the people he trusts most. 25:18 — Episode #119 - Memorial Day Tribute and Aging Bucks on Trail Cam Pics
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
2022-08-08 Don believes what holds most deer hunters back from consistently killing true giants is that they’re already too skilled at killing three and four year old deer. 83:14 — Episode #129 - Lessons Learned from a GIANT TYPICAL - Story you haven’t heard!
2022-08-08 Don observes that even the most nocturnal mature buck will move during daylight when brutally cold temperatures set in during winter. 77:14 — Episode #129 - Lessons Learned from a GIANT TYPICAL - Story you haven’t heard!
2022-09-05 Mark Lester says he would rather harvest an eight-year-old buck scoring around 130 than a four-year-old scoring 160, prioritizing age over score. 47:50 — 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
2022-09-11 Don estimated that only about one in 20 to 25 bucks he starts watching does he ever actually get to hunt and kill. 9:53 — Episode #134 - Bobby Worthington talks Buck Forecast Part 3
2022-09-11 Don said hunters never get to make the same mistake twice with a mature buck, since it won’t give a second chance. 13:22 — Episode #134 - Bobby Worthington talks Buck Forecast Part 3
2022-10-03 Don assesses that Terry’s odds remain good since the buck got close without being spooked, crediting the habitat work. 4:31 — Episode #137 - Tree Season or Deer Season?
2022-10-03 Terry worries about how long he can keep three bucks aged five-and-a-half or older on such a small property before something changes. 6:31 — Episode #137 - Tree Season or Deer Season?
2022-10-03 Don advises that hunters who want to kill bigger bucks must stick to their goals instead of compromising them. 7:40 — Episode #137 - Tree Season or Deer Season?
2022-10-03 Terry plans to host other hunters on his farm and hopes someone takes the two other mature bucks if they show up. 8:33 — Episode #137 - Tree Season or Deer Season?
2022-10-10 Don said that of the 17 promising bucks he tracked surviving into this season, he currently only knows the whereabouts of about four or five. 52:31 — Episode #138 - Hunting the Full Moon
2022-10-10 Terry said he still has three bucks five years or older on his small property this season, spotted separately on opposite ends of a field. 56:38 — Episode #138 - Hunting the Full Moon
2022-11-27 Don has long believed that big rubs are made most of the time by bigger, mature bucks rather than small ones. 13:18 — 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!
2022-11-27 Don asserts that a mature buck is much rarer today than just five years ago due to added hunting pressure and seasons. 51:54 — Chasing Giants Podcast #145 - Bully Bucks and Big Rubs!
2023-01-29 Terry says a 140-inch five-year-old buck is just as hard to kill as a 175-inch five-year-old, since mature bucks are mature everywhere. 1:47 — Episode #154 - Dogs Running Loose on Don’s Farm. HE IS NOT HAPPY!
2023-01-29 Don explains a typical big mature buck survives by finding a small overlooked pocket nobody bothers, which also explains beginner’s luck. 19:21 — Episode #154 - Dogs Running Loose on Don’s Farm. HE IS NOT HAPPY!
2023-02-19 Terry argues the belief that a property can only hold one mature buck is a misconception; multiple mature bucks can coexist without excess intrusion. 36:53 — Episode #157 Frost Seeding Clover - Soil Builder - Switchgrass
2023-02-19 Don says his own property proves multiple mature bucks coexist; he’s repeatedly seen several together during the rut, sometimes yards apart. 37:33 — Episode #157 Frost Seeding Clover - Soil Builder - Switchgrass
2023-02-19 Don says it’s misinformation to think killing a mature buck creates a vacuum that another buck magically fills. 38:06 — Episode #157 Frost Seeding Clover - Soil Builder - Switchgrass
2023-04-02 Don says landowners must get deer, especially mature bucks, bedding on their own property first, even if it means giving up favorite stands. 11:32 — Episode #163 - The Hype of Chestnut Trees…
2023-04-09 Don observes that mature bucks will often refuse to follow a wide mowed path but will readily travel a narrow sprayed path. 11:01 — Episode #164 - CRP Programs - Know Facts!
2023-07-16 Don states he would not take $1,000,000 for the rack of the 200-inch buck he shot in 2004. 23:23 — Episode 178 - The Bucks and The Corn are Growing Fast
2023-08-27 Don credited longtime friend Al Foster with saving him at least a decade on the learning curve of hunting mature bucks, starting the first summer they met. 77:06 — Episode 184 - the new G Series no till drill from PH Outdoors.
2023-09-10 Don said the more experience he gained, the more he realized a mature buck is already hyper-alert, and any call or scent raises his guard further. 54:33 — Episode #186 - Disappointing 2023 Buck Forecast
2023-10-08 Don argues more mature bucks are saved by hunters getting aggressive, and conservative, thoughtful hunting of mature bucks is like chess versus checkers. 7:34 — Episode #190 - Prep for Youth Season - Green Light on Babe
2023-10-22 Don states that despite good weather, his area simply does not have the mature bucks it had in recent years. 1:57 — Episode 192 - End of October - Tactics and Plans are Changing - PRE RUT!
2023-11-19 Terry stressed that if a hunter can’t get close enough to bedding, on the property line or otherwise, the odds of a mature buck in daylight drop drastically. 55:34 — Episode #196 - Lock Down Breaking Loose as Weather Changes
2024-03-31 Terry noted the Wessel brothers said on the Legends Roundtable that average hunters can’t tell the difference between a three-year-old and five-year-old buck. 51:16 — Episode #214 - Don says, “MAKE TURKEY HUNTING GREAT AGAIN!” Easter Sunday
2024-03-31 Don said clients who have already killed several bucks are hardest to help because it’s harder to get them to break old habits. 52:55 — Episode #214 - Don says, “MAKE TURKEY HUNTING GREAT AGAIN!” Easter Sunday
2024-06-02 Terry states that as bucks age they tend to shrink their home range, settling wherever they feel safest from human intrusion. 52:50 — Episode 224 - Saving Fawns and Farming for Nutrients: Insights from Don Higgins
2024-09-08 Terry argued hunters must eliminate every variable and stop taking chances around mature bucks because such deer will not tolerate pressure or intrusion. 4:10 — Episode 238 - 2024 Buck Forecast - MORE GIANTS SHOT THIS YEAR
2024-09-08 Don said years of trail-camera history watching a buck grow up are critical to eventually killing that buck once it becomes a mature target. 7:16 — Episode 238 - 2024 Buck Forecast - MORE GIANTS SHOT THIS YEAR
2024-09-16 Don shared his observation that he gets fewer mature buck pictures from cell cameras than from non-cellular trail cameras. 19:05 — Episode #239 - EHD Is Closing in on Don’s Farm!
2024-09-29 Don says most out-of-the-way spots he checks with trail cameras won’t turn up the caliber of mature buck he’s actually looking for. 54:51 — Podcast #241 - Don’s Target Buck Revealed - Non-Typical Giant!
2024-10-06 Don plans to produce a hunt video documenting the buck if he manages to harvest him this season, following years of trail-camera and video history. 8:13 — Episode #242 - Stop Hunting October Mornings
2024-10-06 Don said that when someone gives advice about mature bucks, listeners should ask how many five-year-old bucks that person has actually killed following it. 31:51 — Episode #242 - Stop Hunting October Mornings
2024-10-27 Don clarifies their advice centers on Midwest hunting of mature bucks age five and older, whose behavior differs from younger deer. 9:52 — Episode #245 - Halloween Hunting Should Be Great! Weather and Hunting Forecast from Don Higgins
2025-01-12 Don says some mature bucks have unique personalities and only move in daylight when extreme cold weather combines with a strong food source. 26:52 — Episode #256 - Hard Winter and Early Buck Shed? Illinois CWD Announcement
2025-02-09 Don predicts the client on this new property will kill booner bucks nearly every year given the surrounding sanctuary and county history. 12:26 — Episode #259 Apple Tree Spacing in Deer Plots
2025-03-10 Don relays Doctor Crowell’s theory that many giant 250-inch-plus bucks resulted from accidental line breeding occurring naturally in the wild. 26:01 — Episode #263 - Live from the Iowa Deer Classic
2025-06-22 Terry recalls the 10-year-old buck he shot on Don’s farm was so large the taxidermist had to buy two different forms and mix and match them to fit. 20:19 — Episode #278 - Are Deer Getting Smaller?
2025-09-21 Terry says mature bucks are getting harder and harder to come by. 6:29 — Chasing Giants Ep. 291 | Don’s Public Land Quest & the “Turning Point” Buck Story
2025-10-19 Josh Pretzer’s bucket-list goals were killing a giant 170-plus-inch eight pointer and killing a big buck with a recurve. 26:48 — The Magic of Late October | Cold Fronts, Big Bucks & Character in the Woods | Chasing Giants #295
2025-10-26 Terry announces that guest Joe Chambers took advantage of the cold front and shot a giant buck scoring over 200 inches. 3:50 — “200-Inch Nebraska Giant: Joe Chambers’ Incredible Buck Story | Chasing Giants Ep. 296”
2025-10-26 Don recommends hunting evenings over mornings right now, since mature bucks are still moving mostly at night despite the cold front. 5:57 — “200-Inch Nebraska Giant: Joe Chambers’ Incredible Buck Story | Chasing Giants Ep. 296”
2025-10-26 Joe and Al scored the buck together, arriving at a gross score of 201 1/8 inches. 30:43 — “200-Inch Nebraska Giant: Joe Chambers’ Incredible Buck Story | Chasing Giants Ep. 296”
2025-11-02 Don noted that November 7th and 8th are traditionally the days when more mature bucks are killed than any other dates on the calendar. 21:05 — Barometer Secrets & Rut Forecast for Early November! | Chasing Giants 297
2025-11-02 Don argues that consistently killing mature bucks in October and the late season proves a hunter truly understands how a buck uses the wind. 36:33 — Barometer Secrets & Rut Forecast for Early November! | Chasing Giants 297
2025-11-30 Don said mature bucks are now scarce on Illinois public land, with overall deer numbers way down there as well. 44:30 — Late Season Starts NOW — Cold Fronts, Bucks on Food, and Thanksgiving Reflections | Episode #301
2026-01-11 Don believes drones are an excellent tool in the right hands but could quickly decimate mature bucks in an area in the wrong hands, based on firsthand experience. 13:15 — Most Hunters Get This Wrong | The Hard Truth About Killing Mature Bucks | Chasing Giants #307
2026-02-01 Don states his farm has produced three 200-inch class bucks in recent years: Smoky at 206 inches, Male at 221 inches, and Doubting Thomas at 203 inches. 33:05 — CULLING BUCKS: Why Shooting 3½-Year-Old 8-Points Actually Works | Chasing Giants #310
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 believes trapping coyotes is harder than shooting big deer, since coyotes are just as smart as mature bucks. 39:37 — Don Higgins Breaks Down His Favorite Properties of 2026 - Chasing Giants #320
2026-05-17 Terry Peer calls Bryhn Craft a major deer killer, noting that both he and his son consistently take down giant bucks. 2:15 — Why Most Hunters NEVER Kill Big Bucks (Bryhn Craft Tells the Truth) | Chasing Giants #325
2026-05-24 Bryhn Craft’s comment that every 200-inch buck was once a 180-inch buck stuck with Don as a reason not to shoot every mature 180-class deer. 56:57 — Why Mature Bucks Go Nocturnal | Chasing Giants Podcast 326
2026-05-24 Al Foster made the same point in the Doubting Thomas video that Bryhn Craft made about letting big bucks walk. 57:11 — Why Mature Bucks Go Nocturnal | Chasing Giants Podcast 326
2026-06-28 Don notes mature bucks often avoid cameras once they detect them, so he only gets one photo before they stop returning. 1:59 — Making Good Tree Stands GREAT | Don Higgins’ Best Habitat Tricks + Doubting Thomas Premiere
2026-06-28 Don explains many mature bucks do not like to be in the open, preferring brush pressed against their sides for cover. 22:40 — 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: Six weeks apart, Don calls shooting one buck over 170 inches this season’s success standard, then says he’ll likely pass on killing any buck for management reasons.
- 2021-09-27 Don says shooting one buck over 170 inches, whether in Iowa or Illinois, would make this season a success in his eyes. 24:27 — Episode #84 Don Choice - Iowa or Illinois for Opening Day?
- 2021-11-07 Don says he could kill 270-inch bucks this year but will likely pass on killing any buck at all for management reasons. 71:59 — Episode #90 - November 7th - WHERE IS THE RUT

Questions on this topic

Craig Koopman from Bartelso, Illinois asks what calling and rattling techniques work best for each part of the hunting season. 19:22 — Episode #13 - 2020 ATA SHOW From Indy - Part 2 of 2
Brett Petty asked how much hunting with two family members would reduce their chances of killing mature bucks compared to hunting alone. 35:17 — EPISODE #111 COURAGE or ARROGANCE?
How smart are deer, and what is the smartest thing you’ve seen a deer do? 22:43 — Ep #208 - Live from the FAE Midwest Sportsman Classic!
Do you have tips for judging a deer’s score while hunting, and is using binoculars a must? 56:48 — Episode #87 - BUCK DOWN! Lester’s Feet Raffle Winner Got it Done!
Liam, 15, who manages 70 acres in southwest Missouri, asks what’s most important for holding mature whitetails and keeping a buck comfortable in daylight. 44:23 — Episode #283 “Best Corn Ever? Don & Terry Reveal 2025 Plot Results + Fall Food Plot Timing Tips”
What is Don’s opinion on drag rags, are they truly effective, and how can hunters hide their scent trail while using one? 33:28 — Episode #125 - Wheat Prices May Change Late Season Hunting
Is it a misconception that mature bucks won’t eat from feeders, and does it improve the longer feed is out? 53:30 — 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!
Jason Trosch asked what Don thinks about mature bucks returning to a TSI bedding area after permitted nighttime raccoon hunting with dogs on his timbered property. 35:57 — Episode #11 - Merry Christmas and Late Season Insights
Michael Johnson from Bechtlesville, PA asked whether mature does are also a different animal like mature bucks, and whether they’re more attractive to mature bucks during the rut. 45:27 — Episode #91 - Is Don like CNN News?
A teenage listener with little hunting experience asks how much experience is needed before hunting mature bucks with a compound bow. 51:18 — Episode #193 - Babe is Down!
An audience member asks how to set up for a mature buck when does and young bucks don’t play the wind the same way. 24:37 — Episode #211 - Live from RWWP Dealer Event - BINGO
Cole Reagan asked whether extremely high doe densities push mature bucks onto neighboring properties with less competition for bedding and food. 47:16 — Episode #40 - Transition to Late Season and Picking a Contest Winner- Also, Thoughts about Mel Video
Wade Johnson asks whether hunting tight funnels near water is effective for mature bucks and requests tips. 60:55 — Episode #179 - Is Antler Growth Behind This Year?
How did the 10-year-old buck Terry shot keep slipping through the cracks for so many years? 43:48 — Episode #80 - Don’s 2021 Buck Forecast
Troy Carper from Memphis, MO asks how many bedding locations a mature buck uses and whether bucks share beds with other deer. 37:53 — Episode #136 - EHD HITS AGAIN - DON’S FINAL BUCK FORECAST
Nelson Rizzler asked why near-shooter bucks on his public land cameras consistently disappear before reaching maturity. 50:16 — Episode #138 - Hunting the Full Moon
Carl Fritz asks which whitetail state Don would buy land in to manage for mature bucks, and why, factoring in land values and hunting culture. 54:30 — Episode #102 - WE ARE GIVING AWAY A TRUCK IN THE LESTER’S FEET RAFFLE!
Jesse Fromm asked whether mature bucks take advantage of habitat improvements or big property changes right away, or if they wait for younger bucks to normalize new areas first. 35:48 — Why Some Hunting Properties Work Instantly… And Others Fail - Chasing Giants Podcast #319
If trail cameras had never existed, how and when would you scout for a mature buck and go about hunting him? 31:00 — Episode #172 - Don is really worried about EHD in 2023
Caleb Yoder from Fresno, Ohio asked which stage of progressing from small bucks to bigger bucks was hardest, and when Don realized mature bucks are different. 74:32 — Episode #202 - Strange Sponsorship Requests with Joe Miles
Nick Collins asked Terry what the top three hunting lessons or things he fundamentally learned from Don have been. 44:15 — Episode #188 - Apple Trees for Whitetails
Listener Randall Barr asked what recommendations Don would make for managing for mature bucks, including possible crossbow season date limits. 42:09 — Late Season Starts NOW — Cold Fronts, Bucks on Food, and Thanksgiving Reflections | Episode #301
Matt asked why a mature buck would remain nocturnal in an area with good habitat and low hunting pressure despite little real danger. 49:53 — Why Mature Bucks Go Nocturnal | Chasing Giants Podcast 326
Nathan Brown asked for a review of the hosts’ season, including what deer they passed, ages, scores, and lessons learned. 48:34 — Episode #98 - Don’s Trophy Room, Stolen Gun, and New Title Sponsor
Joseph Jansen asks if mature five-plus-year-old bucks avoid areas once they spot a trail camera, and if Don has seen one avoid a camera. 60:05 — Episode #28 - Don’s Buck Forecast and Terry defends Rednecks using zip ties
Terry asks what techniques increase the odds of getting a picture of the toughest buck to pattern. 62:25 — Episode #28 - Don’s Buck Forecast and Terry defends Rednecks using zip ties
Nathan Kelsey from Kirksville, Missouri asks how to determine whether a property has enough quality bedding cover or needs added switchgrass. 44:39 — Episode #44 - New Year’s Resolutions, Bedding Cover, Hunting Cold Temps, and Sharing Hunting Property with Family
An anonymous listener asks how to tell a close friend or family member they can no longer hunt on his property after losing trust in his ethics. 51:24 — Episode #44 - New Year’s Resolutions, Bedding Cover, Hunting Cold Temps, and Sharing Hunting Property with Family
Scott Hesselberg asked whether Don has ever let a buck live to 8-9 years old to see if it reaches a much bigger rack, as some hunting-industry figures claim happens. 58:28 — Episode #278 - Are Deer Getting Smaller?
Ron Eddinger asked whether a human-shaped scarecrow in a tree stand to acclimate deer to a human silhouette is a good idea or a waste of time. 43:15 — Episode 184 - the new G Series no till drill from PH Outdoors.
A listener asks why his large food plot shows no social pressure among deer while smaller kill plots do, and if splitting plots creates pressure. 74:10 — Episode #133 - Special Guest Mark Luster - Buck Forecast Part 2
Bo Hammock asks about hunting October mornings in early season, noting good success sitting tight to bedding in the transition area between bedding and food. 42:31 — Episode #88 - Hunting MATURE Bucks on October Mornings?
Jake Justice from Niceville, Florida asks whether mature bucks get accustomed to box blinds sitting openly visible rather than tucked into cover. 63:01 — Episode #88 - Hunting MATURE Bucks on October Mornings?
Adam Rosendale from Forest, Ohio asked Don to elaborate on mature buck tendencies for morning hunting outside of November. 46:36 — Episode #89 - 2021 Rut Setting Up To Be FANTASTIC!
Brian asks Don’s opinion on rattling, calling, and decoys for mature bucks and whether they help or hurt more. 40:47 — Episode #9 - Terry shoots his second buck of the year and Don scouts for 2020 Season
Matthew asked roughly how many miles separate 170-inch bucks in states like Illinois, Iowa, or Ohio. 47:25 — Episode #244 - October Lull? Don and Terry See Bucks Moving in Mid October
Jordan Mouse asked how often Don would hunt a mature buck from the same stand given a good wind and good access. 54:05 — Episode 238 - 2024 Buck Forecast - MORE GIANTS SHOT THIS YEAR
Mark Godfrey asked whether he should relocate a trail camera after a mature buck spots it and ‘wins the game.’ 56:44 — Episode #249 - Another Big Archery Buck! Terry Peer and Don Higgins Discuss
Can too much bedding create a doe sanctuary where mature does drive out mature bucks, and would those bucks return during the October rut? 25:57 — Episode #18 - Taking Advantage During The Bad Times
Terry asks Don to explain what mature bucks need from timber habitat and why open, park-like woods fail to provide it. 5:41 — Cut More Trees! How Aggressive TSI Creates Better Deer Habitat
Norman Nestle asks why Iowa is the best state for growing giant bucks and what regulation changes Don thinks Iowa should make. 66:29 — Episode 200 - Journey to 200
If you kill a mature deer, will another mature buck move into that home range if it has great habitat, and can hunters use this to their advantage? 34:42 — Episode #157 Frost Seeding Clover - Soil Builder - Switchgrass
Patrick Taylor from Grenada, Mississippi asks why mature bucks that notice a trail camera often are never photographed there again. 59:56 — Episode #38 Terry Kills a Illinois 8 Pointer and Don gets wound up on some industry topics! REALLY WOUND UP!
Are you worried about your scent blowing into a cornfield or neighbor’s woods where a buck could smell you? 90:46 — EPISODE #109 SHED HUNTING and LIVE FROM MASTER CLASS #2
Dave Armstrong asks whether technology like cell cameras is making it harder than ever for good genetic bucks to reach old age. 43:30 — Episode 224 - Saving Fawns and Farming for Nutrients: Insights from Don Higgins
Brandon from Rochester, Indiana asks how much a mature buck’s home range typically shrinks and whether one could be held on as little as 10 acres. 49:46 — Episode 224 - Saving Fawns and Farming for Nutrients: Insights from Don Higgins

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