Stand Placement & Access

Category: hunting-strategy
Topic keys: stand-placement, stand-selection, tree-stand, stand-access, access, property-access, stand-strategy

Current guidance

As of 2026-06-14, the most recent claim on this subject.

Current guidance on stand placement centers on access above all else: Don argues that human intrusion, access, and wind direction matter more the smaller the property, and Bryhn Craft agrees that getting to and from food sources without alerting deer is a major factor in killing big bucks. Rather than dictating fixes, Don and Terry say they ask clients how they reach a poorly placed stand and what wind they use it in, letting the client recognize the problem themselves. Don keeps five or six pre-hung Novix stands set on different trees and winds so he can hang-and-hunt once a shooter buck appears, and recommends dropping a tree across an existing exit trail while cutting a new one to redirect deer toward easier access.

How the guidance evolved (most recent 120 of 150)

2020-12-07 Don recommends starting a Miscanthus planting strip 20 yards out from the stand, leaving an open shooting lane between the tree and the grass. 21:33 — Episode #41 - Don and Terry start a new December Series called “Make A Good Spot Great!”
2020-12-07 Don reveals the stand he shot Joey from had sat unused in the woods for two years, waiting for the right conditions. 43:39 — Episode #41 - Don and Terry start a new December Series called “Make A Good Spot Great!”
2020-12-21 Don recommends securing stand access, since a stand without good access can never become a truly great stand. 13:10 — Episode #43 - Making Good Stand Great, Broadhead Debate Update, How We Celebrate a Kill, and Customer Service
2020-12-21 Don cautions that clearing an access path to a stand can inadvertently turn it into an easy deer trail that bucks use instead. 15:24 — Episode #43 - Making Good Stand Great, Broadhead Debate Update, How We Celebrate a Kill, and Customer Service
2020-12-21 Terry recommends building a simple angle-iron step beside fence posts to quietly cross woven wire fences on the way to a stand. 16:25 — Episode #43 - Making Good Stand Great, Broadhead Debate Update, How We Celebrate a Kill, and Customer Service
2020-12-28 Don adds that small food plots can still pull deer over from a nearby travel corridor for a shot, even though big plots provide the real pulling power. 12:21 — Episode #44 - New Year’s Resolutions, Bedding Cover, Hunting Cold Temps, and Sharing Hunting Property with Family
2021-01-04 The speaker advises keeping notes on how wind behaves differently at each stand location since it can bounce off terrain and shift. 58:09 — Episode #45 - Lessons Learned from Captive Research Deer
2021-02-01 Don explains a subtle dip along a switchgrass-to-food-plot edge hides deer as they travel out of cover, something clients often walk right past. 31:55 — #49 - Nutrition: Proteins vs. Fat / Macro and Micro nutrients in Mineral - Know what you need!
2021-03-13 Don identified only two top-notch stand sites on the new Iowa farm, one needing a south-southeast wind and the other a west-northwest wind. 16:52 — Episode #56 RELOAD - Great discussion live from 2021 Master Class #1 - Terry answers some questions on cell cam test
2021-03-13 Don notes the Iowa farm has a road on two sides, giving him access from two directions. 17:49 — Episode #56 RELOAD - Great discussion live from 2021 Master Class #1 - Terry answers some questions on cell cam test
2021-03-22 Don says snow prevented his planned Iowa property visit, so the landowner suggested he wait a week for the fields to firm up. 3:19 — Episode #57 - Discussion about Ethics Continues as guest at the 2nd Master Class put Don on the spot with live questions.
2021-03-28 Terry plans to move one blind and add another, focused on creating good entrance and exit routes for hunters using the stands. 18:16 — Episode #58 - Burning Native Grass Tips and Great Questions from 3rd Master Class
2021-05-24 Don says on consulting visits clients often show him what they think is a great stand location that actually has terrible access. 60:56 — Episode #66 - Don has Mel officially scored. Discussion about planting food plot seed. Is planting seed heavy good or bad?
2021-05-24 Don advises hunters to accept what their property gives them rather than trying to have a stand for every wind direction. 61:16 — Episode #66 - Don has Mel officially scored. Discussion about planting food plot seed. Is planting seed heavy good or bad?
2021-05-24 Don says his neighbors let him cross their harvested ag fields from multiple directions, making it easy to play the wind on his farm. 61:36 — Episode #66 - Don has Mel officially scored. Discussion about planting food plot seed. Is planting seed heavy good or bad?
2021-07-19 Don shares that he was denied hunting permission by both landowners he approached this week, after having secured two new properties the week before. 31:51 — Episode #74 Don denied access to hunt and more velvet talk (how does weather affect growth?)
2021-08-02 Don explains that some mature bucks refuse open mowed paths and prefer brush against their sides, so a narrow herbicide-killed path works better. 26:40 — Episode #76 - Where are the big bucks? August is here! Final Prep
2021-08-02 Terry is trying Don’s herbicide-path trick on his Illinois stand this season to pull deer farther from his stand while staying within bow range. 29:28 — Episode #76 - Where are the big bucks? August is here! Final Prep
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
2021-10-04 Don plans to head back to his Iowa farm on the first cold front after the soybeans are harvested, bringing extra stands to set up. 4:19 — Episode #85 - The Ones That Got Away… New Series by Don
2021-10-04 Don plans to hunt Brent at the stand where he shot the buck Mel last year, going all out to get him a good buck. 12:35 — Episode #85 - The Ones That Got Away… New Series by Don
2021-10-17 Wes advises hunters to manage their property to bring deer trails closer to the stand rather than repeatedly relocating the stand. 49:33 — Episode #87 - BUCK DOWN! Lester’s Feet Raffle Winner Got it Done!
2021-11-15 Don credits his hunting success to having stands scattered everywhere and waiting for the right time to jump into an unpressured one to shoot a buck. 12:57 — Episode #91 - Is Don like CNN News?
2021-12-13 Don advises hanging a stand for a small, isolated hunting spot well before the season rather than waiting until close to hunting it. 85:23 — Episode #95 - Live from Guthrie, KY
2022-03-07 Joe Miles recommends hunters in sparse big-pine woods look for edges and topography changes like cutovers, briars, cane thickets, and creek crossings for stand placement. 34:18 — EPISODE #107 - Don Knows How To Fire Up Southern Folks!
2022-04-25 Terry plans to hang climbing sticks and set a stand roughly 25 feet up at his urban buck spot. 68:13 — Episode #114 - FOOD PLOT SEASON IS HERE!!!!!
2022-05-02 Terry recommends spraying a herbicide path near stands with tall brush or grass in late spring/early summer to pull deer within bow range when trees can’t be dropped or fences built. 6:51 — Episode #115 - Don’s Top Four Properties Visited This Year
2022-05-02 Terry summarizes that the common theme across Don’s top four properties is access from multiple directions and being buffered by what’s outside the boundary. 42:12 — Episode #115 - Don’s Top Four Properties Visited This Year
2022-06-12 Don has just installed a very low, ground-level tree stand this spring, lower than his own head, in a gnarly thicket. 39:04 — Chasing Giants Episode 121 - Residual Herbicide Discussion & Don is Buying a Farm
2022-06-20 Terry recalls climbing about 45 feet up an eight-inch-diameter poplar with a friend and no harness earlier in life, a risk he no longer takes. 43:16 — Episode #122 - Extreme Heat Really Hurts the Doe and Fawns!
2022-06-27 Terry says the biggest mistake feeder hunters make is having no way to exit the stand without spooking deer that come in near dark. 20:06 — Episode #123 - How much does Don spend on batteries for trail cameras?
2022-06-27 Don says wind direction and access are the key factors in designing a property, noting some of his stands are only huntable with an east wind. 56:01 — Episode #123 - How much does Don spend on batteries for trail cameras?
2022-07-10 Terry argues hunters can accommodate multiple people or kids on a property with minimal intrusion if they stay disciplined about access. 63:57 — Episode #125 - Wheat Prices May Change Late Season Hunting
2022-07-25 Don countered that repeated-stand hunting studies must account for access, since good access allows daily hunting of a stand while poor access limits it to a narrow window. 45:31 — Episode #127 When to Plant Fall Food Plots?
2022-09-11 Bobby said that when hunting big-woods deer whose bedding is often unknown, hunters can’t tiptoe around them and must set up exactly where needed. 30:27 — Episode #134 - Bobby Worthington talks Buck Forecast Part 3
2022-09-11 Bobby recommended staying committed to a well-scouted stand location over a couple of years rather than expecting quick results, since it’s a numbers game. 58:09 — Episode #134 - Bobby Worthington talks Buck Forecast Part 3
2022-09-11 Bobby said a heavy trail alone isn’t significant, but a heavy trail formed because terrain forces deer onto it means everything for stand placement. 59:17 — Episode #134 - Bobby Worthington talks Buck Forecast Part 3
2022-09-19 Terry planned to hunt his Kentucky target buck that night, since the buck had been in front of a huntable tree stand about four nights in the last six days. 1:20 — Episode #135 - Buck Dispersal - What does it mean?
2022-09-19 Don recommends against mowing paths for deer since many mature bucks avoid following a mowed path. 25:45 — Episode #135 - Buck Dispersal - What does it mean?
2022-09-19 Don recommends spraying a narrow herbicide path instead of mowing, so deer still have brush against their sides for security. 26:21 — Episode #135 - Buck Dispersal - What does it mean?
2022-09-26 Terry is figuring out how to get a tree stand into an old fence row of small locusts and cedars on a grown-up dairy farm. 30:08 — Episode #136 - EHD HITS AGAIN - DON’S FINAL BUCK FORECAST
2022-10-03 Terry plans to move his stand or add an obstacle to prevent the same right-side shooting problem next year. 4:48 — Episode #137 - Tree Season or Deer Season?
2022-11-06 Don plans to hunt Monday and Tuesday all day in a stand, taking advantage of the favorable east wind on both days. 26:28 — Chasing Giants Episode #142 - Heat Wave Rut - What will Don do?
2022-11-14 Don’s lockdown-phase approach is to hunt mornings near the downwind edge of bedding cover and hunt afternoons over food sources. 16:49 — Episode #143 - Welcome to the Lockdown!
2022-12-04 In extreme cold, Don hunts right on the edge of the food source rather than bedding areas since deer are piling directly out of cover. 41:34 — Episode #146 - Late Season Decisions and Tactics
2022-12-11 Don recounted that a former Illinois client killed two mature bucks in stands Don had picked out, ones the client said he never would have chosen himself. 3:55 — Episode #147 - Winter Buck Inventory… More Important than Summer?
2023-01-08 Terry said his voice pitch noticeably rose from excitement while walking a new Ohio friend’s property looking at potential stand and habitat opportunities. 4:52 — Episode #151 - Winter Scouting Tips
2023-01-08 Don said he found his client two new stand locations, one less than 10 yards off a road, thanks to flawless access. 22:50 — Episode #151 - Winter Scouting Tips
2023-01-08 Don recommends finding stand locations by eye using terrain features that funnel deer movement, combined with wind direction and access, rather than relying on trail cameras. 24:03 — Episode #151 - Winter Scouting Tips
2023-01-08 Terry said most hunters scout by finding deer sign first and then figuring out how to hunt it, but that approach usually lacks foolproof access. 26:58 — Episode #151 - Winter Scouting Tips
2023-01-08 Don recommends using a chainsaw to drop a tree and push deer movement closer to an existing stand rather than moving the stand deeper into the woods. 28:10 — Episode #151 - Winter Scouting Tips
2023-01-08 Don’s third tip for standing out from bait-using neighbors is to always hunt with the wind, since most hunters don’t play it correctly. 58:32 — Episode #151 - Winter Scouting Tips
2023-02-19 Terry says the Ohio dealer’s farm he toured today has the best access and layout of any property he’s visited this year. 12:34 — Episode #157 Frost Seeding Clover - Soil Builder - Switchgrass
2023-02-19 Terry says the Ohio dealer’s property is the closest to Higgins Three he’s seen this year for access quality. 12:58 — Episode #157 Frost Seeding Clover - Soil Builder - Switchgrass
2023-03-05 Don said he trusts his ‘dream team’ enough that he’d climb into any stand they hung for him without question. 12:30 — Episode 159 - Captive Deer Breeding… Why Don Got Out
2023-03-12 Terry says a property’s success speed depends heavily on access, noting one that day’s gravel-road perimeter access. 58:42 — Episode #160 - Live with Dr. Bronson Strickland at Whitetail Master Class
2023-04-02 Terry explains their consulting plans are less about a magic habitat fix and mostly about how to hunt with pressure and access, then shaping habitat to exploit that access. 8:58 — Episode #163 - The Hype of Chestnut Trees…
2023-04-02 Don reports planting persimmon trees and doing tree stand work this week, part of his ongoing spring habitat projects. 23:06 — Episode #163 - The Hype of Chestnut Trees…
2023-04-02 Terry plans to auger in a telephone pole among short cedar trees on his property because the cedars are too small to hold a ladder stand. 24:47 — Episode #163 - The Hype of Chestnut Trees…
2023-04-09 Terry explains their whole approach is picking an accessible stand location and manipulating habitat to funnel deer within 25 yards of it. 70:07 — Episode #164 - CRP Programs - Know Facts!
2023-04-30 Terry says the new access parcel is a game changer, giving Don two or three additional stand spots for his predominant winds. 21:30 — Episode #167 - Turkey Season Is Here! Terry Still Hates Turkeys!
2023-04-30 Don added four new stands to his property this off-season that weren’t there before. 22:17 — Episode #167 - Turkey Season Is Here! Terry Still Hates Turkeys!
2023-04-30 Don moved one stand about 30 yards because too many deer were passing out of range. 25:42 — Episode #167 - Turkey Season Is Here! Terry Still Hates Turkeys!
2023-04-30 Don hung a low shingle-oak stand on the downwind edge of his farm’s preferred bedding area to hunt as a morning rut spot in south winds. 26:42 — Episode #167 - Turkey Season Is Here! Terry Still Hates Turkeys!
2023-04-30 Don currently has four stands or blinds for this year and plans to add two more once his other land projects are finished. 30:56 — Episode #167 - Turkey Season Is Here! Terry Still Hates Turkeys!
2023-05-28 Don recommends giving up on the portion of a property with poor access and letting deer have it, then focusing effort on pulling deer to the accessible part to kill them there. 30:23 — Episode #171 - Take What a Property Gives You!
2023-06-25 Don recommends shingle oak over pine or cedar evergreens for tree stand cover, considering it easier to hide in than conifers. 57:34 — Episode 175 - June Food Plot Update
2023-07-16 Terry advises that hunting directly over a corn pile or feeder requires foolproof access to exit without nearby deer noticing. 50:48 — Episode 178 - The Bucks and The Corn are Growing Fast
2023-09-24 A hunter named Kyle had someone drive a truck in and leave it running near his stand so a target buck wouldn’t be spooked, then he killed the buck later that day. 42:55 — Episode #188 - Apple Trees for Whitetails
2023-10-01 Terry states that without adequate property access, no gimmick or consultant can turn a hunting property into something successful. 26:10 — Episode #189 - Season Opener and Tough Questions
2023-12-03 Don plans to have Austin dig a strategic waterhole on his new property to funnel deer toward his stand. 4:15 — Episode 198 - Buck Traveling Long Distances After The Rut
2023-12-31 Don described a Michigan client’s property where two tree stands are mounted atop an old TV tower, with the top platform sitting 67 feet off the ground. 3:06 — Episode #201 - New Year, New Tools, New Websites
2024-02-18 Terry advises hunters to change the habitat to move buck sign to an accessible location rather than trying to hunt a buck exactly where its sign currently sits. 40:54 — Ep #208 - Live from the FAE Midwest Sportsman Classic!
2024-03-31 Don recommends landowners use positive lures and negative deterrents to funnel deer past their stands. 21:27 — Episode #214 - Don says, “MAKE TURKEY HUNTING GREAT AGAIN!” Easter Sunday
2024-03-31 Terry relayed that Joe Miles hinge-cut a tree to block a second trail, funneling all deer traffic past his stand. 26:50 — Episode #214 - Don says, “MAKE TURKEY HUNTING GREAT AGAIN!” Easter Sunday
2024-04-07 Don plans to put three or four stands up on the new 98-acre property he bought. 1:43 — Episode #215 - Could 2024 be a fantastic antler growing season?
2024-05-05 Terry said most hunters don’t realize how far into their sanctuary they hang stands compared to how conservatively he and Don hunt property edges. 54:50 — Episode #219 - The Most Important Aspect of Hunting Whitetails
2024-05-05 On one plan, Wes used a client’s new cattle pasture as a place for the client’s scent to blow, plus an access route to the stand. 58:12 — Episode #219 - The Most Important Aspect of Hunting Whitetails
2024-06-09 Don described sending about a dozen permission letters and knocking on a dozen doors this spring seeking new hunting access. 23:22 — Episode 225 - Big Antlers this Spring Mean Big Decisions this Fall!
2024-07-14 Don says on consulting visits he asks clients how they access a poor stand and what wind direction they use, letting them realize its flaws. 48:30 — Episode 230 - Don says Switchgrass is not the best bedding.
2024-08-18 Terry plans a trip to Illinois this week to finally hang a tree stand he still needs up, taking advantage of mild weather. 62:29 — Episode #235 - Is EHD Back in 2024? Bucks Dead in Indiana!
2024-09-01 Terry credits Al Foster’s pie-slice/dartboard analogy for explaining how wind and access angles must favor the hunter by just one slice over the buck’s ideal wind. 29:11 — Episode 237 - Cell Camera Spooking Mature Deer? Don Thinks Maybe So…
2024-09-01 Don says he first heard Roger Rothhaar discuss the wind-angle concept, which Al then perfected and shared with him, saving him years of learning. 30:04 — Episode 237 - Cell Camera Spooking Mature Deer? Don Thinks Maybe So…
2024-09-08 Don explained he already knows where to hunt on his property and only needs cameras to confirm the target buck is using the area during the right time frame. 7:35 — Episode 238 - 2024 Buck Forecast - MORE GIANTS SHOT THIS YEAR
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
2024-09-16 Terry recommended securing foolproof stand access first, then designing food plots and habitat around that access rather than starting from plot placement. 43:33 — Episode #239 - EHD Is Closing in on Don’s Farm!
2024-09-16 Don advised that a good food plot should improve not just stands on its edge but also stands up to 100 yards away. 44:07 — Episode #239 - EHD Is Closing in on Don’s Farm!
2024-11-10 Don avoids hunting does in his best stands to prevent disturbing the farm before gun season, hunting less productive spots instead. 18:50 — Episode #247 - Lockdown, Drone’s, and Deer Pimps
2024-12-01 Don recommends hunters abandon stands used all season for late season, since mature bucks likely already know they’re being hunted there. 37:08 — Episode #250 - Prepare for Late Season Big Buck Hunting
2025-01-05 Don’s core methodology is keeping target bucks bedded on the client’s own property rather than letting them bed on neighboring land. 8:34 — Episode #255 - Deer Movement and Weather Fronts
2025-01-05 On a roughly 400-acre Ohio property, Don and the client identified ten tree stand locations that can be entered and exited without spooking deer. 10:29 — Episode #255 - Deer Movement and Weather Fronts
2025-01-05 Terry recalls Don teaching him to stop worrying about what deer are currently doing and instead pick stand locations that manipulate future deer movement. 11:15 — Episode #255 - Deer Movement and Weather Fronts
2025-02-23 Don describes hunting near his cattle pasture with his scent blowing back onto the pasture, keeping cattle and deer areas functionally separate. 43:40 — Episode #261 - Does GMO Traits Reduce Deer Attraction?
2025-03-30 Don explained he uses either a negative, like blocking a trail, or a positive, like a food plot, to push or pull deer past his stands. 2:37 — Episode #266 Making a Good Stand a Great Stand
2025-03-30 Don gave a rope scrape as an example of a positive tactic that lures deer within shooting range of a stand. 3:20 — Episode #266 Making a Good Stand a Great Stand
2025-03-30 Don recommends planting a Miscanthus screen so hunters can access and exit a stand undetected, allowing more hunts without burning it out. 4:23 — Episode #266 Making a Good Stand a Great Stand
2025-03-30 Rebuilding the land bridge will pinch deer down within about 20 to 25 yards of Don’s new Chasing Giants blind as they cross the creek. 7:48 — Episode #266 Making a Good Stand a Great Stand
2025-03-30 Terry’s spot near the land bridge can only be hunted with a southeast wind, one of the least common winds, but is deadly when it blows. 10:08 — Episode #266 Making a Good Stand a Great Stand
2025-03-30 Terry describes dropping a tree behind a stand near a cattle-fence gap so deer funnel toward the soybean field without skirting behind the hunter. 12:09 — Episode #266 Making a Good Stand a Great Stand
2025-04-06 Don plans to make the new Chasing Giants blind’s location the number one hub spot on his farm. 17:11 — Episode #267 - Spring Whitetail Habitat Projects - Is it Go Time?
2025-04-06 Don plans to move a blind onto the new field’s edge where the deer come out. 19:03 — Episode #267 - Spring Whitetail Habitat Projects - Is it Go Time?
2025-05-25 Don advises that human intrusion, stand access, and wind direction become far more critical the smaller the property being hunted. 55:24 — #274 - Soil Health: The Foundation of Successful Food Plotting
2025-06-29 Don recounts an Amish landowner, who lacked equipment access but hired contractors, taking his young daughters hunting through the elaborate scent-tube access system. 28:08 — #279 - Live Hot Seat! Don Higgins Faces Tough Questions from Dealers | 2025 RWWP Summit
2025-07-06 Joe said the key to killing a specific buck on the Tracks property was finding the tightest spot on the creek crossing that allowed both a north and south wind option. 51:04 — Episode 280 - Trail Cams, Big Cats, and Camo Drops | Special Guest Joe Miles
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 referenced Bobby Worthington’s concept of rut funnels, spots that seem dead all season but produce giants once the rut kicks in. 42:10 — #288 2025 Buck Forecast: EHD Devastation, Trail Cam Insights & Hard Truths About Trophy Bucks
2025-09-07 Joe Miles posted on social media that he was already in his tree stand hunting on opening evening. 0:38 — Deer Velvet Shedding & Fall Buck Shifts: Don Higgins Responds to Rumors | Chasing Giants Ep. 289
2025-09-28 Terry has bow-hunting permission on the new southern Illinois property, though gun hunters will also be on it this year. 10:05 — #292 - Public Land Busts, Big Timber Dreams, & Target Bucks
2025-09-28 Don recommends placing water holes in an easy-to-access spot, ideally near a food source, to concentrate deer at one location. 36:09 — #292 - Public Land Busts, Big Timber Dreams, & Target Bucks
2025-09-28 Don believes water holes have their place but shouldn’t be deep inside a sanctuary, at most on its edge, to avoid human intrusion. 35:09 — #292 - Public Land Busts, Big Timber Dreams, & Target Bucks
2025-11-02 Don recalled that when scouting a new property last-minute, he simply hung his stand at the first good-looking spot rather than scouting extensively. 27:57 — Barometer Secrets & Rut Forecast for Early November! | Chasing Giants 297
2025-11-02 Don recommends laying an e-bike down flat in the weeds rather than leaving it standing, since deer aren’t bothered when it’s lying down. 49:46 — Barometer Secrets & Rut Forecast for Early November! | Chasing Giants 297
2025-12-07 Don keeps five or six Novix stands and sticks pre-hung on different trees and wind directions, ready to hang-and-hunt whenever a shooter buck shows up. 41:48 — Late Season EXPLOSION! Why Giants Are Falling Everywhere | Chasing Giants #302
2025-12-14 Terry argues that nonresident hunter demand inflates lease prices, forcing hunters to split leases and turning deer hunting access into a rich man’s sport. 52:33 — Episode 303 – Late-Season Deer Movement, Winter Food Strategy & The Future of Big Bucks
2026-01-11 Terry describes clearing an overgrown pasture near his farm access that was drawing too many deer, after letting another section grow up as habitat over three years. 14:26 — Most Hunters Get This Wrong | The Hard Truth About Killing Mature Bucks | Chasing Giants #307
2026-03-15 Don recommends landowners manipulate deer movement by dropping a tree across an existing exit trail and cutting a new one with a saw to create an easy, huntable access point. 13:45 — Cut More Trees! How Aggressive TSI Creates Better Deer Habitat
2026-04-12 Terry notes clients now often preemptively admit a stand puts too much pressure on the core and expect the consultants to reject it. 28:18 — Don Higgins Breaks Down His Favorite Properties of 2026 - Chasing Giants #320
2026-04-12 Don’s approach to a poorly placed stand is to ask the client how they access it and what wind they use, letting them realize the problem themselves. 28:55 — Don Higgins Breaks Down His Favorite Properties of 2026 - Chasing Giants #320
2026-05-17 Bryhn Craft agrees with Don Higgins that having reliable access in and out of food sources without alerting deer is a huge factor for killing big bucks. 53:15 — Why Most Hunters NEVER Kill Big Bucks (Bryhn Craft Tells the Truth) | Chasing Giants #325
2026-06-14 Terry admits cell phones in the tree stand help pass time but are also a serious distraction. 34:40 — #329 | Why Don Higgins Gets More Excited About July Than Opening Day

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 cutting/clearing a path to a stand is a risk to avoid (it may become a deer trail bucks start using) or a deliberate technique for creating a huntable access point.
- 2020-12-21 Don cautions that clearing an access path to a stand can inadvertently turn it into an easy deer trail that bucks use instead. 15:24 — Episode #43 - Making Good Stand Great, Broadhead Debate Update, How We Celebrate a Kill, and Customer Service
- 2026-03-15 Don recommends landowners manipulate deer movement by dropping a tree across an existing exit trail and cutting a new one with a saw to create an easy, huntable access point. 13:45 — Cut More Trees! How Aggressive TSI Creates Better Deer Habitat

Questions on this topic (60 of 77)

Terry asks whether Don’s stands are already set on the farm or if he’s waiting on trail camera data first. 2:49 — Episode #85 - The Ones That Got Away… New Series by Don
Brent asked how Don and Terry manage corn plots for hunting, including whether they knock corn down to direct deer movement past stands. 69:54 — Episode#203 - Post Season Scouting and Project Advice
Thomas Chandler of Greenwich, Ohio asked how often Don gets winded by deer given his careful stand placement, and what percent chance a deer coming downwind represents. 52:53 — Episode #219 - The Most Important Aspect of Hunting Whitetails
John Hyestand asks whether an old tree stand should be treated as a known deer concentration area for planning, or as an outdated spot deer have adapted away from. 37:00 — Episode #165 - Farmers Planting Early Creates New Opportunities - EARLY SPRING
For a farm you weren’t prepared to hunt, how would you strategize scouting, finding a tree, and hanging a stand this week? 26:04 — Barometer Secrets & Rut Forecast for Early November! | Chasing Giants 297
Andrew asked how close to a stand he should ride his e-bike to eliminate ground scent when accessing stands. 47:32 — Barometer Secrets & Rut Forecast for Early November! | Chasing Giants 297
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
Curt Maching of Aviston, Illinois asks for the best tips on hunting a property overtaken by invasive bush honeysuckle. 54:58 — Episode #10 - December Tips - Scouting for 2020 - Big Announcement from Real World
Derek Hammond asked whether smaller landowners should hunt deep in a property’s dark reaches to reach less-pressured deer. 56:34 — Episode #29 - Don previews some HIT LIST and UP-AND-COMER bucks while Terry is chasing a good buck in KY
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!
Ray asks if Don would still hunt a proven stand on a cold morning when the neighboring field is still standing corn. 37:17 — Episode #61 - Live from the Midwest Sportsman Show - TOUGH QUESTIONS FROM LIVE CROWD
After hunting with Don for several days, what’s one takeaway you can bring back to your own property in Southern Illinois? 16:20 — Episode #87 - BUCK DOWN! Lester’s Feet Raffle Winner Got it Done!
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
Patrick asks whether a great neighborhood of like-minded managing neighbors matters more than a farm with great access and layout despite surrounding hunting pressure. 58:51 — Episode #171 - Take What a Property Gives You!
Jason Merchant asked if Don relies on a wind sock at his house to know how wind behaves at his hunting spots. 51:46 — Episode #264 - Big Rope Scrapes and Big Bucks!
Jeremy Marvel from Settlersville, Maryland asks why the wind at his stand consistently blows opposite the forecast direction. 57:44 — Episode #246 - Don Says - Best November Hunting in 50 Years
Drew Edwards from Irving, IL, owner of a narrow 40-acre tract accessible only from the west, asks about prioritizing bedding vs. food plots. 51:10 — Episode #136 - EHD HITS AGAIN - DON’S FINAL BUCK FORECAST
Is the strategy to watch a buck check the wind near his bedding area, then slip in and wait for him to circle back? 69:49 — Episode #95 - Live from Guthrie, KY
When walking out to a tree stand in the dark, does Don use a light or go without one? 80:03 — Episode #95 - Live from Guthrie, KY
Wesley Lucas asks what sign Don looks for on a new property to find where a mature buck spends daylight hours. 48:19 — Episode #67 - WATCH OUT FOR FAWNS! Don and Terry both have a close call!
A listener asked how to keep deer from using the same access trail a hunter uses to reach a stand. 77:01 — Episode #105 Live from Shipshewana, IN - 2 Episodes in One!
Bryan asks whether Don has buddies drop him at a stand by ATV so the ATV keeps moving rather than parking. 30:54 — Episode #22 - Special Contest Winner Bryan Medinger and Don has big announcement
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
How do you access a stand for an October morning hunt without blowing deer out on a property with only one way in? 40:34 — Episode #5 - November is Here!
Jacob Wessels asks if mature bucks travel the downwind field edge instead of just inside the timber, and how to hunt that spot without getting winded. 36:27 — Episode #34 - Late October Check in - Buck Activity Slower Than Expected - Why?
Zev Ham asks how to hunt a stand when the timber sits on the property’s east side but the prevailing wind is usually from the west, limiting access. 42:40 — Episode #34 - Late October Check in - Buck Activity Slower Than Expected - Why?
How do you identify where to put a sanctuary on a new property? 30:07 — LIVE at 360 Blinds: No Script, No Filters — Just Real Questions | Chasing Giants 308
What was the most out-of-the-box stand entrance/exit plan you’ve seen or prescribed? 24:42 — #279 - Live Hot Seat! Don Higgins Faces Tough Questions from Dealers | 2025 RWWP Summit
Tyler Glenn asks what winter projects Don would recommend starting as hunting season ends. 60:58 — Episode 303 – Late-Season Deer Movement, Winter Food Strategy & The Future of Big Bucks
A Brookville, Indiana hunter asked for advice on hunting mature bucks bedding in thick honeysuckle he struggles to access. 19:53 — Episode #214 - Don says, “MAKE TURKEY HUNTING GREAT AGAIN!” Easter Sunday
Kevin from Michigan asks Don to explain how he knew a stand location was the right spot to kill the buck Trump. 32:49 — Episode #56 RELOAD - Great discussion live from 2021 Master Class #1 - Terry answers some questions on cell cam test
Do you look for a stand with great access first and improve habitat around it, or find deer funnel areas first and then locate the best stand site? 24:45 — 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
Jason Hesselberg asked whether Don sets up specific stand sites near water to use rising thermals. 43:55 — Episode #98 - Don’s Trophy Room, Stolen Gun, and New Title Sponsor
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 Don to explain how mature bucks use quartering wind. 50:20 — Episode 159 - Captive Deer Breeding… Why Don Got Out
Justin Fallon asked how to know the right time to use a favorable wind, beyond the rut and dropping temperatures, on a stand near a funnel with food and water. 47:26 — Episode #6 - Don Kills 2 Booners on Back to Back Hunts
Seth asks if it’s too risky to hunt a stand where wind blows across a 40-50 yard wide river into another block of timber. 52:13 — Episode #30 - Don prepares for season - Terry has a mishap and misses a target buck PLUS A BIG ANOUNCEMENT
Logan asks if fencing off part of a food plot could create a safe dead zone to blow his scent into. 27:14 — Episode 237 - Cell Camera Spooking Mature Deer? Don Thinks Maybe So…
Steve asks whether flooding a property with mock scrapes or keeping just one scrape near the stand makes more sense. 42:13 — Episode 237 - Cell Camera Spooking Mature Deer? Don Thinks Maybe So…
Patrick asks if Don has heard of using mulch as a quiet pathway to a tree stand and whether the smell would deter deer. 49:49 — Episode 237 - Cell Camera Spooking Mature Deer? Don Thinks Maybe So…
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!
Kevin Holm asks whether to start habitat work with bedding pockets and cover or with food plots first after an 80% timber reset. 36:59 — Chasing Giants LIVE at the Midwest Sportsmen’s Classic | Shipshewana, IN | Presented by FAE
How do you share a property you’ve had access to for years with someone who just got granted permission right before bow season? 37:18 — Episode #2 - Update on Opening Week and Targeting Don’s First Booner of 2019
Devin Allen from Jonesboro, Arkansas asks how to secure a mature buck living in a small 1.5-acre timber patch surrounded by cut ag fields. 31:53 — Chasing Giants Podcast #141 - Scrapes are hot… So is the weather!
Cooper Cox asked whether Don or Terry ever encountered a buck they deemed unkillable, referencing a hunter who tracked a buck only via trail camera. 30:54 — Episode #135 - Buck Dispersal - What does it mean?
Steve Sheber asked whether Don creates scrape trees near his stand or blind, what design he’d use, whether he’d put a trail camera on them, and if cellular cameras help. 49:01 — Episode 184 - the new G Series no till drill from PH Outdoors.
Ben from Minerva, Ohio asked what good property access actually looks like, since people say it’s key but rarely describe it concretely. 72:07 — Episode 184 - the new G Series no till drill from PH Outdoors.
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…
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
Does Don go in completely without a light, not even a red light? 36:21 — Episode #108 - Mind Blowing Deer Management with Dr. Bronson Strickland
Ryan Pataki asked what the most important thing is when selecting a stand location. 61:13 — Episode 198 - Buck Traveling Long Distances After The Rut
A listener asked how Don handles urinating during an all-day tree stand sit — using a bottle or peeing off the stand. 39:01 — Episode #89 - 2021 Rut Setting Up To Be FANTASTIC!
Mario Casasola asks whether it’s better to relocate wary stands to a slightly different, more concealed spot within the same site, or abandon the location and start fresh. 57:41 — Episode #255 - Deer Movement and Weather Fronts
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
Ian asked how Don would read terrain features and hunt three big ridges on his property. 23:47 — Episode #58 - Burning Native Grass Tips and Great Questions from 3rd Master Class
Jared from Illinois asked why Don and Terry never discuss thermals, especially near rivers, when talking about hunting the wind. 27:28 — 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

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