Scouting & Shed Hunting

Category: hunting-strategy
Topic keys: scouting, shed-hunting, rut-report, buck-forecast

Current guidance

As of 2026-03-01, the most recent claim on this subject.

The show describes scouting and shed hunting through recent trips and results rather than fixed rules. Terry recalls hanging trail cameras on a Kentucky timber property, already getting a decent buck on camera, and scouting a roughly 500-acre southern Illinois property becoming available for lease. Don drove eight hours to a low-pressure Minnesota public tract but found other hunters already there and judged the odds of killing a good buck extremely low. Terry found two shed antlers riding his new Grub Implement side-by-side, while Don found about five sheds pulling 23 cameras the day before. Areas east of Don typically show the same deer activity he reports, about one to two days later.

How the guidance evolved (most recent 120 of 167)

2021-08-23 Don secured permission on an Iowa farm but had to coordinate with another local hunter and his two teenage sons who were already hunting the property. 2:20 — Episode #79 - Bachelor Group Dispersal and Iowa Update
2021-08-23 Don is holding off on his buck forecast to check more cameras first, and will announce it next week on the podcast instead of his blog since Facebook now buries his posts. 21:04 — Episode #79 - Bachelor Group Dispersal and Iowa Update
2021-08-30 Don forecast a down year for big bucks, having seen fewer bucks over 170 inches this summer than in about six or seven years. 19:53 — Episode #80 - Don’s 2021 Buck Forecast
2021-09-06 Don argues that paying someone to mark aerial photos of a hunting property is a rip-off since aerials can’t reveal what boots-on-ground scouting can. 14:33 — Episode #81 - TIPS FOR TRACKING YOUR DEER
2021-09-06 Don says that while riding the field edge on a new property with his side-by-side, he instantly identified the ideal stand location after hours of aerial study had failed to reveal it. 14:03 — Episode #81 - TIPS FOR TRACKING YOUR DEER
2021-09-06 Terry plans to fill feeders and spend the day glassing to pattern a betting velvet buck on his property. 72:50 — Episode #81 - TIPS FOR TRACKING YOUR DEER
2021-09-20 Don says this season matches the earlier buck forecast from the show, confirming it’s a down year overall for big bucks. 17:30 — Episode #83 Don’s Buck Inventory shows 32 bucks over 150”
2021-10-25 Don announces this year’s daily rut report will include a daily prize giveaway. 18:45 — Episode #88 - Hunting MATURE Bucks on October Mornings?
2021-10-25 Terry notes the rut report segment draws tens of thousands of viewers. 20:37 — Episode #88 - Hunting MATURE Bucks on October Mornings?
2021-11-01 Don announced he’ll post a new Rut Report on Facebook and Instagram every evening. 66:03 — Episode #89 - 2021 Rut Setting Up To Be FANTASTIC!
2022-02-06 Terry received a QuietKat rack basket that he says will become Don’s shed hunting container for the roughly 46 sheds he expects to find this spring. 17:24 — Episode #103 - Frost Seeding Tips and Tricks - NO SHORTCUTS!
2022-03-20 Don recommends a QuietKat for covering a lot of field edges while shed hunting. 6:42 — EPISODE #109 SHED HUNTING and LIVE FROM MASTER CLASS #2
2022-03-20 Don explains they shed hunt the sanctuary once a year, pushing from one direction then circling with trucks to drive deer back in from the other side. 7:45 — EPISODE #109 SHED HUNTING and LIVE FROM MASTER CLASS #2
2022-04-25 A trail camera Don pulled had not been checked in six months, since October 19, because it was hard to reach. 3:18 — Episode #114 - FOOD PLOT SEASON IS HERE!!!!!
2022-05-29 Don says he is relying entirely on trusted people’s reports of a giant buck on two new properties with no trail camera or shed evidence. 22:25 — Episode #119 - Memorial Day Tribute and Aging Bucks on Trail Cam Pics
2022-05-29 Terry says that after personally seeing the buck, he would hunt that stand even without a trail camera or shed antler. 22:54 — Episode #119 - Memorial Day Tribute and Aging Bucks on Trail Cam Pics
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
2022-07-10 Terry has five trail cameras on his home farm and three on a permission property so far this season. 10:29 — Episode #125 - Wheat Prices May Change Late Season Hunting
2022-08-15 Don admits he hasn’t gone glassing for bucks even once this summer because he has been too busy, but hopes to soon. 76:01 — Episode #130 - Don buys a scent elimination device
2022-08-22 This year’s trail-camera-based buck forecast will be unique, differing from all previous years’ reports. 6:48 — Episode #131 - Don forms his own Dream Team
2022-08-29 Terry announces that Don will survey his newly added dream team of consultants before giving his buck forecast this year. 4:14 — Episode #132 - 2022 Buck Forecast Part 1
2022-08-29 Wes reports having nine bucks over 140 inches on camera across his Indiana and Kentucky properties this year. 30:10 — Episode #132 - 2022 Buck Forecast Part 1
2022-08-29 Wes notes that last year in Illinois and Kansas he had almost 30 bucks over 140 inches on camera, triple this year’s count. 30:18 — Episode #132 - 2022 Buck Forecast Part 1
2022-08-29 Terry announces that next week another dream team member will appear to share their buck forecast, kept secret as a surprise for listeners. 74:27 — Episode #132 - 2022 Buck Forecast Part 1
2022-09-11 Don shifts his trail cameras each Labor Day from summer feeding areas with bachelor groups to the fall-range properties he has permission to hunt, to monitor buck activity. 6:00 — Episode #134 - Bobby Worthington talks Buck Forecast Part 3
2022-09-11 Don places his trail cameras by July 1 so that by Labor Day he already has good pictures of every buck in the bachelor group before shifting cameras. 12:41 — Episode #134 - Bobby Worthington talks Buck Forecast Part 3
2022-09-11 Bobby said Tennessee bucks generally run 15-20 inches smaller than Midwest deer of the same age, but predicted a strong season with very nice bucks killed. 40:17 — Episode #134 - Bobby Worthington talks Buck Forecast Part 3
2022-09-19 Don spent an entire day checking trail cameras on seven different properties. 2:55 — Episode #135 - Buck Dispersal - What does it mean?
2022-09-19 Terry said he and Don spent weeks with dream team members compiling the buck forecast for the year, to be discussed on the show. 7:42 — Episode #135 - Buck Dispersal - What does it mean?
2022-09-26 Don says none of the five or six bachelor groups he tracks this year have a buck over 150 inches, down sharply from prior years. 74:40 — Episode #136 - EHD HITS AGAIN - DON’S FINAL BUCK FORECAST
2022-09-26 Don attributes declining buck age structure largely to Illinois legalizing crossbows for the whole archery season, sharply increasing hunting pressure. 75:26 — Episode #136 - EHD HITS AGAIN - DON’S FINAL BUCK FORECAST
2022-09-26 Don says far more bucks are now getting killed at three and four years old than in the past, so he no longer counts on any buck surviving to maturity. 77:14 — Episode #136 - EHD HITS AGAIN - DON’S FINAL BUCK FORECAST
2022-09-26 Don predicts a poor buck season overall, saying 140–170 inch bucks that used to be common are becoming increasingly rare. 77:46 — Episode #136 - EHD HITS AGAIN - DON’S FINAL BUCK FORECAST
2022-09-26 Terry worries the combination of low buck numbers and a heavy EHD outbreak could push the herd toward a 2013-level crash. 78:18 — Episode #136 - EHD HITS AGAIN - DON’S FINAL BUCK FORECAST
2022-10-31 Don says his pre-season buck forecast predicted a down year, and the mature bucks he’d typically expect to see simply aren’t showing up. 10:31 — Chasing Giants Podcast #141 - Scrapes are hot… So is the weather!
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!
2023-02-12 Don pulled roughly 10 trail cameras this week, found no new bucks, but confirmed that some previously spotted prospects are still alive. 10:41 — Episode #156 - Looking for a Buck Bed…
2023-03-19 Don and Terry planned to let attendees shed hunt across two switchgrass fields the next day, since a burn was unlikely given the forecast. 4:51 — Episode #161 - Live from Last Master Class - Inside QuietKat E-Bike
2023-09-10 Don said the 2023 buck crop is the worst he can remember in his life, even worse than after the 2012 EHD outbreak. 22:35 — Episode #186 - Disappointing 2023 Buck Forecast
2023-09-10 Don said bucks three years and older are a lot fewer in number now than in the past. 33:14 — Episode #186 - Disappointing 2023 Buck Forecast
2023-09-10 Don predicted the buck age structure will worsen in two or three years as hunters continue to shoot young bucks. 33:37 — Episode #186 - Disappointing 2023 Buck Forecast
2023-09-10 Don’s one-sentence forecast: 2023 will be a terrible year for the number of bucks scoring over 150 inches. 39:32 — Episode #186 - Disappointing 2023 Buck Forecast
2023-09-10 Don added he doesn’t see the buck situation improving in the near future. 39:46 — Episode #186 - Disappointing 2023 Buck Forecast
2023-09-10 Terry framed the season’s real question as deer numbers overall rather than just buck age structure. 79:08 — Episode #186 - Disappointing 2023 Buck Forecast
2023-09-10 Don predicted fewer bucks over 150 inches will be shot this year than in the past decade. 79:38 — 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!
2023-10-29 Don noticed the buck consistently bedded in a specific switchgrass patch, entering and exiting near the same spot each time. 10:43 — Episode #193 - Babe is Down!
2023-10-29 Don announces a new five-week video series called Own the Rut, starting Sunday October 29, previewing each week’s rut hunting tactics and weather. 28:27 — Episode #193 - Babe is Down!
2023-10-29 Don announces the rut report will expand to YouTube and TikTok this year since it’s being produced as a video series. 30:05 — Episode #193 - Babe is Down!
2023-11-05 Don observed more midday deer movement on his trail cameras yesterday than he had ever seen in a single midday period. 1:35 — Episode #194 - 2nd Target Buck Harvested by Special Guest
2023-11-05 Terry advises hunters with flexible schedules to hold their vacation days open, since flexibility is a huge advantage when weather shifts. 4:46 — Episode #194 - 2nd Target Buck Harvested by Special Guest
2023-11-05 Don notes that November 7th and 8th historically see more giant bucks killed than any other dates, when big bucks typically move. 71:51 — Episode #194 - 2nd Target Buck Harvested by Special Guest
2023-11-12 Don spent an entire day in his tree stand without seeing a single deer, the first time that has happened in his life. 3:02 — Episode #195 - Wes Delks Shoots a Giant and Crossbow Controversy
2023-11-12 Don’s cameras showed activity shutting off around 8am with no midday movement and no mature buck movement for several days during the lockdown phase. 3:28 — Episode #195 - Wes Delks Shoots a Giant and Crossbow Controversy
2023-11-12 Don believes for every buck successfully rattled in, roughly ten others are spooked and educated instead. 6:39 — Episode #195 - Wes Delks Shoots a Giant and Crossbow Controversy
2023-11-26 Don said Saturday, November 18, was probably the premier day of the rut, with activity off the charts across the whole Midwest. 18:38 — Episode #197 - Don’s Grandson Kills His First Buck!
2023-11-26 Terry said Saturday morning was among the top five hunting mornings of his career, with roughly 20 deer and 12 bucks seen chasing. 19:06 — Episode #197 - Don’s Grandson Kills His First Buck!
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 heard that several deer processors were so overwhelmed after the rut weekend that their freezers were completely full. 19:51 — Episode #197 - Don’s Grandson Kills His First Buck!
2023-11-26 Terry said he’s watching for a stretch of really cold weather to set in following the rut for their food plot programs to pay off. 20:07 — Episode #197 - Don’s Grandson Kills His First Buck!
2023-11-26 Don said his trail cameras show a lot of mature buck cruising activity in the days right after the rut peak. 20:52 — Episode #197 - Don’s Grandson Kills His First Buck!
2023-11-26 Don predicted bucks will taper off and lay up in early December to recover from the rut until cold weather triggers renewed movement. 21:24 — Episode #197 - Don’s Grandson Kills His First Buck!
2023-11-26 Don announced he posted his final rut report of the season since the daily pattern isn’t expected to change much now. 21:45 — Episode #197 - Don’s Grandson Kills His First Buck!
2023-12-03 Don hunted less than usual in November but scouted more than ever, walking many new properties in search of a target buck for this season and next. 1:12 — Episode 198 - Buck Traveling Long Distances After The Rut
2024-01-14 Terry recounts learning that the original owners of a steep Southeast Indiana property he consulted on were moonshiners who hid stills in the woods. 7:00 — Episode#203 - Post Season Scouting and Project Advice
2024-01-14 Don recalls finding old tombstones and abandoned vehicles deep on properties, evidence of history predating the current landowners. 7:43 — Episode#203 - Post Season Scouting and Project Advice
2024-01-28 Terry found a fresh, bright green deer urine spot deep in the woods while scouting a bedding area in bitter cold weather. 5:12 — Ep# 205 - Don shares trail camera pictures from 2023
2024-03-24 Don planned to plant trees, look for shed antlers, and do tree stand work with his grandkids during their spring break visit. 8:43 — Episode #213 - Turning old cow pasture in deer sanctuary
2024-04-14 Joe Johnson explains that an erratic warm winter with swings from the 40s to 70s scattered deer instead of grouping them, hurting shed hunting. 37:47 — Episode #216 - Don Shoots His First Turkey - Friends Episode
2024-04-14 Joe Johnson tracked over 400 miles of walking while shed hunting this season, roughly five miles per antler found. 38:45 — Episode #216 - Don Shoots His First Turkey - Friends Episode
2024-04-14 Joe Johnson recalls Al spotting shed antlers across from Don’s driveway and telling him to stop the truck immediately. 40:36 — Episode #216 - Don Shoots His First Turkey - Friends Episode
2024-06-09 Terry recommended waiting until around July 4 to put out trail cameras rather than pressuring properties with early scouting. 18:05 — Episode 225 - Big Antlers this Spring Mean Big Decisions this Fall!
2024-07-07 Terry and two companions hung 28 trail cameras across seven Illinois properties in a single day. 7:21 — Episode #229 - Final Thoughts on the Buck Named Babe and Cameras are Out!
2024-07-14 Don drove to Iowa and set up a trail camera, hauling a deer block and camera gear through crops and thick cover. 0:50 — Episode 230 - Don says Switchgrass is not the best bedding.
2024-07-28 Joe Miles recounts stumbling onto a hidden hill with three loaded white oaks while scouting a heavily logged swamp property. 43:54 — Episode 232 - We are starting a TV Show!
2024-09-01 Don plans to spend his post-travel time searching for deer, moving and checking cameras that haven’t been checked in a while. 65:12 — Episode 237 - Cell Camera Spooking Mature Deer? Don Thinks Maybe So…
2024-09-01 Don proposes doing the buck forecast segment on next week’s podcast once he has more camera intel. 65:39 — Episode 237 - Cell Camera Spooking Mature Deer? Don Thinks Maybe So…
2024-09-01 Terry explains the buck forecast segment is where Don predicts the season’s harvest and previews target bucks for the year. 65:46 — Episode 237 - Cell Camera Spooking Mature Deer? Don Thinks Maybe So…
2024-09-01 Don claims their buck forecasts have been pretty accurate over the last few years. 66:14 — Episode 237 - Cell Camera Spooking Mature Deer? Don Thinks Maybe So…
2024-09-01 Terry teases that listeners must return next week for episode 238 to hear the buck forecast and possible target buck reveals. 67:19 — Episode 237 - Cell Camera Spooking Mature Deer? Don Thinks Maybe So…
2024-09-08 Don said even with a year of experience on a farm he can know exactly where to be to kill a particular buck at a particular time with a particular wind. 8:37 — Episode 238 - 2024 Buck Forecast - MORE GIANTS SHOT THIS YEAR
2024-09-08 Don said that unlike last year, when older bucks he tracked stayed the same or lost inches, every buck he watched from the previous season added inches this year. 16:38 — Episode 238 - 2024 Buck Forecast - MORE GIANTS SHOT THIS YEAR
2024-09-08 Don predicted that some absolute giant bucks well over 200 inches will be killed this year. 17:11 — Episode 238 - 2024 Buck Forecast - MORE GIANTS SHOT THIS YEAR
2024-09-08 Don estimated the average antler score of Midwest bucks five and a half and older jumped from about 150 inches last year to roughly 170 inches this year. 22:25 — Episode 238 - 2024 Buck Forecast - MORE GIANTS SHOT THIS YEAR
2024-09-08 Terry predicted that within two more years there will be a shortage of really good five and six year old bucks due to premature harvest of future giants. 30:06 — Episode 238 - 2024 Buck Forecast - MORE GIANTS SHOT THIS YEAR
2024-09-08 Terry specifically predicted a shortage of five and six year old bucks in 2026 and 2027. 30:15 — Episode 238 - 2024 Buck Forecast - MORE GIANTS SHOT THIS YEAR
2024-09-08 Terry predicted elite top-end bucks will be killed alongside many really good three year olds that hunters will mistakenly claim are five or six years old. 31:49 — Episode 238 - 2024 Buck Forecast - MORE GIANTS SHOT THIS YEAR
2024-10-20 Terry said they’re trying to figure out how to merge Don’s rut report into the weekly Friday video. 60:28 — Episode #244 - October Lull? Don and Terry See Bucks Moving in Mid October
2024-10-27 Don explains the rut report will now include other Chasing Giants TV team members reporting their own sightings to him. 11:53 — Episode #245 - Halloween Hunting Should Be Great! Weather and Hunting Forecast from Don Higgins
2024-10-27 Wes Delks reported opposite deer activity in Central Indiana compared to what Don saw that day. 12:12 — Episode #245 - Halloween Hunting Should Be Great! Weather and Hunting Forecast from Don Higgins
2024-11-03 Starting Halloween night, Don’s nightly rut report moves to the Chasing Giants TV social media pages and will feature reports from the wider hunting team. 17:13 — Episode #246 - Don Says - Best November Hunting in 50 Years
2024-11-03 Don plans to post a short video every evening detailing what he saw, where he hunted, and his tactics for the next day. 18:07 — Episode #246 - Don Says - Best November Hunting in 50 Years
2024-11-03 Don says that running trail cameras starting July 1 is personally as exciting to him as hunting itself. 51:36 — Episode #246 - Don Says - Best November Hunting in 50 Years
2025-01-12 Don calls that ice-storm spring his best-ever shed hunting day, finding 17 antlers concentrated in two distinct bedding areas. 29:52 — Episode #256 - Hard Winter and Early Buck Shed? Illinois CWD Announcement
2025-01-12 After heavy TSI cutting opened up a five-acre woodlot, Don found eight shed antlers there the following ice-storm winter, more than one per acre. 31:11 — Episode #256 - Hard Winter and Early Buck Shed? Illinois CWD Announcement
2025-01-19 Don argues it’s too early to shed hunt because he believes more than 95% of bucks still carry their antlers, so hunters searching now needlessly stress deer. 3:54 — Episode #257 - Too Early to Shed Hunt - Show some compassion!
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!
2025-02-23 Don observes that despite covering ten properties by side-by-side in freezing weather, he and his team found zero shed antlers all week in Iowa. 26:43 — Episode #261 - Does GMO Traits Reduce Deer Attraction?
2025-02-23 Iowa locals reportedly say there’s more property trespassing for shed antlers and mushrooms than for anything else, including deer season. 27:00 — Episode #261 - Does GMO Traits Reduce Deer Attraction?
2025-03-16 Joe found a handful of shed antlers while looking around Don’s property. 12:07 — Episode #264 - Big Rope Scrapes and Big Bucks!
2025-07-06 Joe planned to spend all of next Saturday and Sunday deploying the rest of his cameras in the swamp to locate a target buck. 8:32 — 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”
2025-08-31 Terry announced that Don would give his buck forecast for the upcoming season during this episode. 0:31 — #288 2025 Buck Forecast: EHD Devastation, Trail Cam Insights & Hard Truths About Trophy Bucks
2025-08-31 Don checked several trail cameras on Labor Day weekend before recording to confirm predictions he’d already formed about the season. 0:51 — #288 2025 Buck Forecast: EHD Devastation, Trail Cam Insights & Hard Truths About Trophy Bucks
2025-08-31 Don said he scouted the new property and picked two tree stand locations he can hunt from regardless of wind direction. 13:01 — #288 2025 Buck Forecast: EHD Devastation, Trail Cam Insights & Hard Truths About Trophy Bucks
2025-08-31 Don’s buck forecast is that many hunters will kill bucks in the 130 to 160 inch range this year, though top-end giants remain rare. 21:32 — #288 2025 Buck Forecast: EHD Devastation, Trail Cam Insights & Hard Truths About Trophy Bucks
2025-08-31 Don recalled that the buck he shot in 2023, named Babe, was six years old but had lost about five inches from the prior year due to a poor growing season. 15:54 — #288 2025 Buck Forecast: EHD Devastation, Trail Cam Insights & Hard Truths About Trophy Bucks
2025-09-21 Don brought his full setup—trail cameras, cable locks, tree stands, and his new Mathews bow—prepared to hunt if the sign looks promising. 3:32 — Chasing Giants Ep. 291 | Don’s Public Land Quest & the “Turning Point” Buck Story
2025-09-21 Don describes trying to avoid being recognized while buying his hunting license and eating out during his scouting trip. 30:00 — 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 Terry hung trail cameras on the Kentucky timber property and already got pictures of a decent buck. 7:38 — #292 - Public Land Busts, Big Timber Dreams, & Target Bucks
2025-09-28 Terry scouted a roughly 500-acre property in southern Illinois that’s becoming available, with the owner planning to lease half of it next year. 9:37 — #292 - Public Land Busts, Big Timber Dreams, & Target Bucks
2025-10-19 Terry announced the Chasing Giants rut report will now be a typed social media post instead of video, posted across multiple accounts. 21:54 — The Magic of Late October | Cold Fronts, Big Bucks & Character in the Woods | Chasing Giants #295
2025-10-26 Don plans to begin posting a written rut report in the final days of October across his, Terry’s, and Real World’s social media accounts. 9:03 — “200-Inch Nebraska Giant: Joe Chambers’ Incredible Buck Story | Chasing Giants Ep. 296”
2025-10-26 Terry announces new hunts released on the Chasing Giants TV YouTube channel and an upcoming rut report on their social media platforms. 66:09 — “200-Inch Nebraska Giant: Joe Chambers’ Incredible Buck Story | Chasing Giants Ep. 296”
2025-11-02 Terry said followers of Don, Chasing Giants TV, and Real World Wildlife Products will see a daily rut report shared across social media. 23:35 — Barometer Secrets & Rut Forecast for Early November! | Chasing Giants 297
2025-11-02 Don said areas east of him typically see the same deer activity patterns he reports about one to two days later. 24:39 — Barometer Secrets & Rut Forecast for Early November! | Chasing Giants 297
2026-03-01 Terry found two shed antlers while riding his new Grub Implement side-by-side. 14:55 — Doubting Thomas, Dealer Event & BIG Scrape Magnet News | Chasing Giants Podcast 314
2026-03-01 Don found about five sheds while pulling 23 cameras the previous day. 15:13 — Doubting Thomas, Dealer Event & BIG Scrape Magnet News | Chasing Giants Podcast 314

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: Camera placement timing: Don sets his cameras by July 1, while Terry recommends waiting until around July 4 to avoid pressuring properties.
- 2022-09-11 Don places his trail cameras by July 1 so that by Labor Day he already has good pictures of every buck in the bachelor group before shifting cameras. 12:41 — Episode #134 - Bobby Worthington talks Buck Forecast Part 3
- 2024-06-09 Terry recommended waiting until around July 4 to put out trail cameras rather than pressuring properties with early scouting. 18:05 — Episode 225 - Big Antlers this Spring Mean Big Decisions this Fall!
Guidance may have changed: Trajectory of Midwest buck quality: Don says he doesn’t see the situation improving in the near future, then reports average scores jumped from 150 to 170 inches the following year.
- 2023-09-10 Don added he doesn’t see the buck situation improving in the near future. 39:46 — Episode #186 - Disappointing 2023 Buck Forecast
- 2024-09-08 Don estimated the average antler score of Midwest bucks five and a half and older jumped from about 150 inches last year to roughly 170 inches this year. 22:25 — Episode 238 - 2024 Buck Forecast - MORE GIANTS SHOT THIS YEAR

Questions on this topic (60 of 63)

Has Don had a chance to work much on his hunting property yet this offseason? 2:13 — Episode #14 - Don and Terry talk deer during the superbowl…
The listener also asks how Don decides exactly where to set up a trail camera when he finds a small out-of-the-way patch of cover. 41:06 — Episode #154 - Dogs Running Loose on Don’s Farm. HE IS NOT HAPPY!
With rain expected this week, what scouting or indoor projects does Don plan to accomplish? 49:41 — Episode #20 - Food Plot Prep Continues - Native Grass and Miscanthus in the Ground
Terry asks Don to describe his recent trip to Iowa. 3:27 — Episode #61 - Live from the Midwest Sportsman Show - TOUGH QUESTIONS FROM LIVE CROWD
Terry asks what Don looks for when scouting a newly accessed property this late in the season. 4:41 — Episode #61 - Live from the Midwest Sportsman Show - TOUGH QUESTIONS FROM LIVE CROWD
Terry asks what Don’s plans are between now and deploying trail cameras into velvet season. 5:57 — Episode #61 - Live from the Midwest Sportsman Show - TOUGH QUESTIONS FROM LIVE CROWD
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
Are early-dropping antlers just another myth like an early rut, or does whitetail antler drop naturally vary from season to season? 55:43 — Episode #100 - Chasing Giants Episode 100 - Predator Control, Doe Factory, Moving Scrapes
An audience member asks Don’s opinion on placing a camo-clad mannequin in a stand before season to acclimate deer. 13:00 — Episode #263 - Live from the Iowa Deer Classic
Terry asked Don why he varies his shed-hunting aggressiveness by situation and what his plan is for finding sheds this year. 35:30 — Snow, Sheds & Sorghum: Late-Season Deer Survival | Chasing Giants #311
Terry asked whether Don would ever shed hunt with snow on the ground given reduced visibility. 36:57 — Snow, Sheds & Sorghum: Late-Season Deer Survival | Chasing Giants #311
What are the survival chances and antler prospects for a shed-hunted buck with a gooey, infected antler base? 37:55 — Episode #160 - Live with Dr. Bronson Strickland at Whitetail Master Class
A listener asks how to locate bedding areas on his pressured Indiana property without spooking deer through intrusion. 55:29 — Episode #246 - Don Says - Best November Hunting in 50 Years
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
Terry asked where people can follow Don’s rut report and whether it’s posted anywhere besides Facebook. 25:21 — Episode #36 Peak Rut Update, Warm Weather, maybe a little election and religion
If you acquire a new property to hunt, is there a point where you should not go in and scout it before hunting? 35:54 — Episode #80 - Don’s 2021 Buck Forecast
What time of day and weather conditions does Don recommend for checking trail cameras? 104:47 — Episode #95 - Live from Guthrie, KY
Gerald asked whether a buck missing part of its skull cap on a shed pedicle would grow abnormal antler tissue that spring or heal back to normal. 33:49 — 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
Amos Hershberger asks what Don expects for antler growth this year given Ohio’s mild winter and early green-up. 27:23 — Episode #215 - Could 2024 be a fantastic antler growing season?
Daniel Bortex asks whether Don would allow a shed hunting dog on his property. 38:12 — Episode #215 - Could 2024 be a fantastic antler growing season?
Does the switchgrass burn timing usually correspond with Don’s annual shed hunting day? 1:32 — Episode #262 - The Controlled Burn on Switchgrass GONE BAD!
Does Don still maintain his sanctuaries during shed season, or is that the one time of year he’s okay with human intrusion? 60:25 — Episode #46 Dual Bolt Crossbow Opinions and New Products from Real World
Eric Woodside asks what approach to take when gaining permission on a new property in mid-to-late October without being able to walk the whole property first. 45:42 — Episode #34 - Late October Check in - Buck Activity Slower Than Expected - Why?
Zach Zimmerman also asked how sensitive Don is about wind direction when pulling SD cards from his trail cameras. 41:49 — Episode #185 - Bucks are starting to shift - Fall Plots, GET THEM IN
Ryan asked how to scout diligently in Iowa when bucks are likely to shift their range and move into new areas by hunting season. 39:14 — Episode #73 - How much bigger will bucks get? Don’s best and worst of the week!
Jason Clark asks about advice claiming July is a great time to start mock scrapes that will keep mature deer returning throughout the season. 48:30 — Episode #126 - Should we have deer hunting competitions?
Terry asks Joe Johnson whether coyotes ever carry off shed antlers and chew on them, based on his dog’s shed-chewing habit. 23:33 — Episode #56 RELOAD - Great discussion live from 2021 Master Class #1 - Terry answers some questions on cell cam test
Terry asked Don to explain his strategy for shed hunting his sanctuary from each direction. 67:01 — Episode 159 - Captive Deer Breeding… Why Don Got Out
Wesley asks when it’s too late to scout the right tree for a target buck spotted via trail camera on a new property. 60:43 — Episode 237 - Cell Camera Spooking Mature Deer? Don Thinks Maybe So…
Rick from Greensburg, PA asks how to better predict wind behavior at specific stand locations so he stops wasting hunting time. 19:09 — Episode #143 - Welcome to the Lockdown!
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
Clint from Southern Indiana asked what the best way is to find a giant buck, starting fresh without a home property. 20:16 — Episode #110 - Double Episode live from Master Class - Al Foster gives great advise
Terry asked Joe Miles, who hunts all over the country, whether he has insights on finding big deer beyond trail cameras. 24:48 — Episode #110 - Double Episode live from Master Class - Al Foster gives great advise
Terry asked Bobby what the buck crop looks like this year compared to past years, and what trends he’s seeing. 35:11 — Episode #134 - Bobby Worthington talks Buck Forecast Part 3
Greg Schimbarger asked what strategies Don uses to find his next giant buck during down years — targeting a known giant, or setting up properties and waiting. 90:27 — Episode #134 - Bobby Worthington talks Buck Forecast Part 3
A listener asks whether shed-hunting videos showing hunters quickly finding lots of sheds on camera are staged for content. 45:01 — Don Shares Personal News + The #1 Mistake Hunters Make | Chasing Giants Podcast 322
Terry asks Mark Lester how many states he is running trail cameras or scouting in this season. 44:50 — Episode #133 - Special Guest Mark Luster - Buck Forecast Part 2
What’s the difference between multiple people walking a consulting client’s property during hunting season versus shed hunting on it? 36:38 — Episode #259 Apple Tree Spacing in Deer Plots
How should he pick the right entry/exit trails and scout doe activity on his rectangular, river-bordered property? 21:48 — Episode #108 - Mind Blowing Deer Management with Dr. Bronson Strickland
What is Travis’s strategy for approaching his stand access — waiting for daylight or moving in the dark? 35:31 — Episode #108 - Mind Blowing Deer Management with Dr. Bronson Strickland
What’s the best way to define specific buck bedding areas on a swampy, hardwood-and-conifer property surrounded by ag? 59:41 — Episode #108 - Mind Blowing Deer Management with Dr. Bronson Strickland
Russell Hilliard asked about putting trail cameras out earlier than the usual Fourth of July rule since crops are behind this year. 46:22 — Ep. #226 - Mineral Site Placement and Predator Activity Special Memories of Fathers on Father’s Day
Have you found any shed yet? 15:10 — Doubting Thomas, Dealer Event & BIG Scrape Magnet News | Chasing Giants Podcast 314
Mark Jackson from Indianapolis asked how much attention Don pays to scrapes when scouting in Iowa and whether he builds stand placement around them. 21:20 — Episode #58 - Burning Native Grass Tips and Great Questions from 3rd Master Class
Tony Schrader from La Crescent, Minnesota asked whether checking trail cameras for daylight buck movement contradicts only hunting best spots when conditions are right. 48:53 — Episode #35 - Don shoots his 3rd 200”+ Buck - The story of Mel - A 220” World Class Whitetail
What have you observed while shed hunting or burning switchgrass about how deer use cover to survive brutal late-season cold? 25:27 — Late Season EXPLOSION! Why Giants Are Falling Everywhere | Chasing Giants #302
When you get a new permission property, do you scout and hang a stand right away, or wait for a shooter buck to show up? 38:08 — Late Season EXPLOSION! Why Giants Are Falling Everywhere | Chasing Giants #302
Terry asked Don to explain the origin of the buck forecast segment and give new listeners a rundown of what it is. 15:15 — #288 2025 Buck Forecast: EHD Devastation, Trail Cam Insights & Hard Truths About Trophy Bucks
Terry asked whether anything could still change Don’s forecast this late in the year, or if it was locked in. 22:21 — #288 2025 Buck Forecast: EHD Devastation, Trail Cam Insights & Hard Truths About Trophy Bucks
Joe Johnson asks Don about the “same time, same place” shed-hunting pattern, referencing a buck he tracked via sheds for years. 50:57 — Episode #57 - Discussion about Ethics Continues as guest at the 2nd Master Class put Don on the spot with live questions.
Benjamin Murray asked whether buck poop is always clumped together versus individual pellets, and whether large clumps reliably indicate a buck versus either sex. 39:32 — Episode #12 2020 ATA SHOW from Indy - Part 1 of 2
When shed hunting a football-field-sized area with cover on both sides, should you walk end to end, start in the middle, or walk halfway and circle back? 30:19 — Episode #53 - Iowa Deer Classic, Deer Foundering, Cull Bucks, and Don gets fired up about politics at the end
Taylor from Vermont asked what tactics work for locating and targeting a mature buck out of state during early season in a short amount of time. 61:11 — Episode #23 - Spring Plots, Trail Cam Test, and the first adversity of the 2020 season for Terry as he suffers serious injury
Did you get pictures of a target buck this week? 6:07 — Episode #131 - Don forms his own Dream Team
How many sheds has Joe found this year so far? 4:15 — EPISODE #109 SHED HUNTING and LIVE FROM MASTER CLASS #2
Is this shed count a big year so far for Joe? 4:22 — EPISODE #109 SHED HUNTING and LIVE FROM MASTER CLASS #2
When does Joe actually start looking for sheds? 8:25 — EPISODE #109 SHED HUNTING and LIVE FROM MASTER CLASS #2
When will Joe stop shed hunting for the season? 8:50 — EPISODE #109 SHED HUNTING and LIVE FROM MASTER CLASS #2

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