Public Land

Category: hunting-strategy
Topic keys: public-land

Current guidance

As of 2026-02-08, the most recent claim on this subject.

Don describes his goal of killing a giant buck on public land as unmet, saying the hardest part is actually locating one. Recent scouting illustrates the obstacle: he drove nine hours out of state only to recognize on arrival it would be a waste of time, and a low-pressure Minnesota tract he had heard about already held other hunters, making the odds extremely low. He says leads and rumors have never actually produced a killed buck for him, and notes mature bucks have grown scarce on Illinois public land as deer numbers there decline. He says he hasn’t given up. Terry also announced that a hunter named Davey killed a 200-inch public-land buck by bow from a saddle.

How the guidance evolved

2019-09-24 Don currently runs trail cameras on public ground, searching for a giant buck he could pursue there to test his skills. 5:31 — Episode 1 - New Show Introduction and Don’s Unique Goal For 2019
2019-11-10 Don’s long-standing goal is to shoot a gross Boone and Crockett buck on public land, and he planned to scout for one. 25:11 — Episode #6 - Don Kills 2 Booners on Back to Back Hunts
2019-11-10 Don planned to check trail cameras and scout public land later in the week for an unpressured spot holding a good buck. 53:11 — Episode #6 - Don Kills 2 Booners on Back to Back Hunts
2019-11-24 Don wants to kill a Boone & Crockett-class buck on public ground someday and is always scouting for that opportunity. 21:27 — Episode #8 - Lock-down is about over. Great hunting the week of Thanksgiving
2019-11-24 Don wouldn’t trade 170-inch-plus bucks on private land for a 150-inch buck on public ground. 22:55 — Episode #8 - Lock-down is about over. Great hunting the week of Thanksgiving
2019-11-24 Don wants to kill a Boone & Crockett buck on public land before he retires his bow. 23:06 — Episode #8 - Lock-down is about over. Great hunting the week of Thanksgiving
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
2020-04-15 Terry plans to scout new trail camera locations this summer to find a good public-land buck in velvet, then slip in early before pressure builds. 5:10 — Episode #19 - Finishing Timber Projects and Starting Food Plot Projects
2020-09-21 Don clarifies he doesn’t own thousands or hundreds of acres — his home farm is 120 acres, and most of his hunting success comes from knocking on doors or public land. 31:41 — Episode #30 - Don prepares for season - Terry has a mishap and misses a target buck PLUS A BIG ANOUNCEMENT
2020-11-25 If a new public-land buck Don is watching survives to next season, he plans to chase it as his next giant. 42:48 — Episode #39 - SPECIAL EDITION - DON SHOOTS ANOTHER GIANT! 2 Bucks = 400”+ of Antler in 2020
2021-06-07 Don plans to hunt both public and private ground in Unit 8 since there’s a large stretch of public land from the Mississippi River to Dubuque. 10:42 — Episode #68 - Germination, Browse Pressure, When To Spray - DON PICKS IOWA UNIT…
2021-07-26 Terry says he has yet to get a trail camera picture of a single buck over about 130 inches on public land in Iowa this year. 49:54 — Episode #75 - Concerned about cell cams, when should i plant, and purple headed freaks…
2021-12-13 Don shot his very first deer on public land in 1979, on November 16 at 7 AM. 9:14 — Episode #95 - Live from Guthrie, KY
2022-03-20 Don says radio-collared research proves mature bucks don’t change their home range from hunting pressure, though they go more nocturnal. 97:58 — EPISODE #109 SHED HUNTING and LIVE FROM MASTER CLASS #2
2022-04-04 Don said this could be the year he finally kills a big buck on public land. 75:29 — EPISODE #111 COURAGE or ARROGANCE?
2022-04-18 On Thursday, Don did a consulting visit in Illinois, then prepared three tree stand locations across two public land properties. 7:15 — Episode #113 Prepare Now… Results Come Later!!!!
2022-05-02 Terry advises hunters to verify whether herbicide use is permitted on public or leased land, noting many properties restrict cutting trees. 9:09 — Episode #115 - Don’s Top Four Properties Visited This Year
2022-07-10 Don has 36 trail cameras deployed across 24 properties, including one tract of public land, as he searches for a big buck. 10:13 — Episode #125 - Wheat Prices May Change Late Season Hunting
2022-09-11 Bobby said he’s killed about half the deer he’s had featured in North American Whitetail, with about five taken on public ground in Tennessee or Illinois. 27:36 — Episode #134 - Bobby Worthington talks Buck Forecast Part 3
2022-09-11 Terry said their strategy is to hunt where other hunters aren’t, because that’s where a mature target buck is more likely to be. 86:46 — Episode #134 - Bobby Worthington talks Buck Forecast Part 3
2022-09-11 Don disagreed with the listener’s assumption, saying his own area gets hunted just as hard as anywhere else. 88:36 — Episode #134 - Bobby Worthington talks Buck Forecast Part 3
2022-11-14 Don drove four hours to hunt a specific public-land buck, only to learn around 1 a.m. via text that someone else had already shot it that weekend. 4:17 — Episode #143 - Welcome to the Lockdown!
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!
2022-11-20 Don described a fellow hunter who stole his tree stand off public land and then filed a false DNR complaint accusing him of illegal activity. 71:39 — Episode #144 - Where Did All The Bucks Go?
2023-02-12 Don says he’ll still use his Novix stands when chasing a public-land buck, even though Novix is no longer a sponsor. 22:27 — Episode #156 - Looking for a Buck Bed…
2023-09-10 Terry said he lacks the patience to hunt public land despite respecting those who do it successfully. 37:05 — Episode #186 - Disappointing 2023 Buck Forecast
2023-09-10 Don’s public-land hunting friend told him older age-class bucks just aren’t there anymore, getting shot at two and three years old. 38:38 — Episode #186 - Disappointing 2023 Buck Forecast
2023-10-29 Don plans to scout an unfamiliar piece of public land the next day. 3:56 — 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
2024-09-22 Don would run trail cameras on all five public-land areas and hunt whichever one holds the biggest buck rather than avoiding pressure. 41:25 — Episode #240 - If Don Was DNR, How He Would Make Illinois Better Than Iowa
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
2025-03-02 Terry’s biggest fear is that OnX is now detailed enough for trespassers to spot hunting blinds and food plots on neighboring private land. 46:09 — Episode #262 - The Controlled Burn on Switchgrass GONE BAD!
2025-03-02 Don decided not to buy two tracts of ground bordering public land, concluding neither was worth the hunting-pressure risk. 44:53 — Episode #262 - The Controlled Burn on Switchgrass GONE BAD!
2025-07-06 Don named Lee Mitchell as his second Mount Rushmore pick, guaranteeing he is the best public-land deer hunter despite being low-key. 27:06 — Episode 280 - Trail Cams, Big Cats, and Camo Drops | Special Guest Joe Miles
2025-07-27 Terry recalls that during his freshman year of college, he and friends scouting public land discovered a cultivated marijuana grow deep in a national forest. 43:04 — Episode #283 “Best Corn Ever? Don & Terry Reveal 2025 Plot Results + Fall Food Plot Timing Tips”
2025-09-21 Don is out of state trying to locate a public land giant buck, though he doesn’t yet know if he’s found one. 1:20 — Chasing Giants Ep. 291 | Don’s Public Land Quest & the “Turning Point” Buck Story
2025-09-21 Terry notes Don has long had a stated goal of killing a public land giant and is now venturing outside his usual areas to pursue it. 3:00 — Chasing Giants Ep. 291 | Don’s Public Land Quest & the “Turning Point” Buck Story
2025-09-28 Don drove eight hours to scout a low-pressure Minnesota public tract known for good bucks after hearing about it from a source. 1:17 — #292 - Public Land Busts, Big Timber Dreams, & Target Bucks
2025-09-28 Don found the Minnesota tract already had other hunters and concluded the odds of killing a good buck there were extremely low. 1:59 — #292 - Public Land Busts, Big Timber Dreams, & Target Bucks
2025-09-28 Don already has a Minnesota hunt booked for winter plus several trips planned in Wisconsin and Iowa. 4:24 — #292 - Public Land Busts, Big Timber Dreams, & Target Bucks
2025-09-28 Don says he hasn’t given up on the dream of shooting a giant buck on public land and will keep pursuing it. 5:11 — #292 - Public Land Busts, Big Timber Dreams, & Target Bucks
2025-09-28 Don says he has chased public-land buck leads and rumors for years but has never actually killed a buck because of a tip. 10:38 — #292 - Public Land Busts, Big Timber Dreams, & Target Bucks
2025-11-30 Don described Lee Mitchell as one of the best deer hunters he knows, who has taken giants including a 200-inch buck. 8:05 — Late Season Starts NOW — Cold Fronts, Bucks on Food, and Thanksgiving Reflections | Episode #301
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
2026-02-01 Don recounts a hunter who sabotaged his hunt for a public-land buck, including stealing his tree stand, before shooting the deer himself. 43:53 — CULLING BUCKS: Why Shooting 3½-Year-Old 8-Points Actually Works | Chasing Giants #310
2026-02-01 Don recalls driving nine hours out of state to hunt public land last fall but immediately recognizing it would be a waste of time upon arrival. 46:10 — CULLING BUCKS: Why Shooting 3½-Year-Old 8-Points Actually Works | Chasing Giants #310
2026-02-01 Don states one of his goals has been to kill a giant buck on public land, though finding a giant on public land is the toughest part. 46:27 — CULLING BUCKS: Why Shooting 3½-Year-Old 8-Points Actually Works | Chasing Giants #310
2026-02-01 Don states Lee Mitchell has been a successful public-land Whitetail hunter in Georgia, manages a ranch in Texas, and has hunted in Kansas, Iowa, and Illinois. 47:06 — CULLING BUCKS: Why Shooting 3½-Year-Old 8-Points Actually Works | Chasing Giants #310
2026-02-08 Terry Hamby announced that hunter Davey killed a 200-inch buck on public land with a bow from a saddle, filmed by Luke of Timberline Productions, airing soon on Chasing Giants TV. 33:40 — Snow, Sheds & Sorghum: Late-Season Deer Survival | Chasing Giants #311

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: Terry describes their strategy as hunting where other hunters are not, while Don says he would hunt whichever of five public areas holds the biggest buck regardless of pressure.
- 2022-09-11 Terry said their strategy is to hunt where other hunters aren’t, because that’s where a mature target buck is more likely to be. 86:46 — Episode #134 - Bobby Worthington talks Buck Forecast Part 3
- 2024-09-22 Don would run trail cameras on all five public-land areas and hunt whichever one holds the biggest buck rather than avoiding pressure. 41:25 — Episode #240 - If Don Was DNR, How He Would Make Illinois Better Than Iowa
Guidance may have changed: Don gives the driving time to the out-of-state public-land tract that turned out to be a wasted trip as eight hours in one account and nine hours in the other.
- 2025-09-28 Don drove eight hours to scout a low-pressure Minnesota public tract known for good bucks after hearing about it from a source. 1:17 — #292 - Public Land Busts, Big Timber Dreams, & Target Bucks
- 2026-02-01 Don recalls driving nine hours out of state to hunt public land last fall but immediately recognizing it would be a waste of time upon arrival. 46:10 — CULLING BUCKS: Why Shooting 3½-Year-Old 8-Points Actually Works | Chasing Giants #310

Questions on this topic

Kent Taber asks whether Don has ever planted grass inside wooded cover on his farm, since the best public-land bedding areas he finds have grass among brush and briars. 34:41 — Episode #156 - Looking for a Buck Bed…
Terry asks Don what else he accomplished this week besides spraying stand paths, including any public land work. 9:48 — Episode #115 - Don’s Top Four Properties Visited This Year
An anonymous Pennsylvania listener asked whether Don only kills big bucks because of a special property, and how successful he’s been off his own farm. 62:10 — Episode #231 - Timing is Key: When to Plant Fall Plots
Joey Kessinger asks what Don uses for public-land stand sets since screw-in steps aren’t allowed there. 23:51 — Episode #263 - Live from the Iowa Deer Classic
Would Don shoot an unfamiliar three-and-a-half-year-old buck on public land rather than risk another hunter taking him? 78:36 — Episode #125 - Wheat Prices May Change Late Season Hunting
Andy Hendrix asks how Don would hunt if given five equally good public-land areas to choose from. 40:54 — Episode #240 - If Don Was DNR, How He Would Make Illinois Better Than Iowa
Adam Norton from Ankeny, Iowa asks whether Iowa should ban trail cameras on public land and if there are benefits to doing so. 48:17 — Episode #246 - Don Says - Best November Hunting in 50 Years
Vince Peterson from Seymour, Nebraska asks whether Don congratulates hunters who kill bucks he was targeting, and whether it discourages him. 42:04 — CULLING BUCKS: Why Shooting 3½-Year-Old 8-Points Actually Works | Chasing Giants #310
Austin Hepburn asks how often Don strays from established stand setups to hunt more mobile if stands need to move. 53:36 — Episode #22 - Special Contest Winner Bryan Medinger and Don has big announcement
Since public land only allows a small pre-season window, do you leave your stands on state land year-round? 27:36 — Episode #5 - November is Here!
What are your thoughts on Senator Mike Lee’s public land sale bill? 38:46 — #279 - Live Hot Seat! Don Higgins Faces Tough Questions from Dealers | 2025 RWWP Summit
Rick Maga asked whether the Whitetail Master Academy benefits public land hunters or is only useful for landowners. 44:31 — Episode #207 - Was Don a Hippie?
When scouting public land this year for shed hunting or future hunting spots, what should be the top priority? 28:45 — Episode #151 - Winter Scouting Tips
Brandon Cox asked for the top three ways to set his 200 acres apart from bait-using neighbors for daylight deer movement in hill country. 57:06 — Episode #151 - Winter Scouting Tips
How long did Don hunt public land before acquiring his current farm? 68:25 — Episode #161 - Live from Last Master Class - Inside QuietKat E-Bike
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
How does Don find bucks on state land or spots hours from home — word of mouth, past hunting grounds, or scouting miles? 20:07 — Chasing Giants Podcast #145 - Bully Bucks and Big Rubs!
Chris Andrews asks how to locate a target buck on public land, the main obstacles there, mobility versus private land, and dealing with pressure from others. 41:01 — Episode #2 - Update on Opening Week and Targeting Don’s First Booner of 2019
Luke McCoy asks what compromises, if any, one should make on public land between good access and staying away from human intrusion. 47:39 — Episode #75 - Concerned about cell cams, when should i plant, and purple headed freaks…
An audience member asked how a public-land hunter can apply Don’s private-land management knowledge to kill a big buck. 41:26 — Chasing Giants #155 - Hilarious Episode Live from Middlefield, OH
Trey Brown from Fair Play, South Carolina asks how much attention to pay to wind direction and scent control when limited to high-pressure public land. 55:35 — Podcast #241 - Don’s Target Buck Revealed - Non-Typical Giant!
Since Don set a goal to kill a Boone and Crockett buck on public land, has he wavered on that goal? 31:59 — EPISODE #109 SHED HUNTING and LIVE FROM MASTER CLASS #2
Can you predict a buck’s yearly pattern on heavily pressured public land, or is it a waste of time? 96:39 — EPISODE #109 SHED HUNTING and LIVE FROM MASTER CLASS #2
Did Don walk around and scout the Minnesota property, or cut bait given the pressure and small size of the tract? 2:29 — #292 - Public Land Busts, Big Timber Dreams, & Target Bucks
Does Don have more plans to scout public land up north, or is he playing it by ear? 4:03 — #292 - Public Land Busts, Big Timber Dreams, & Target Bucks

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