Trees & Timber

Category: habitat-food-plots
Topic keys: tree-planting, fruit-trees, apple-trees, timber-management, tsi, hinge-cutting, logging, tree-protection, fencing

Current guidance

As of 2026-05-10, the most recent claim on this subject.

On timber and trees, the show describes an aggressive TSI approach: cutting or girdling any tree with no future timber or wildlife value, favoring low-value species like beech, maples, hackberry, locust, box elder, and elms so oaks and walnuts can flourish, then staying out of the resulting bedding cover and hunting only the edges. On larger properties they suggest staggering TSI mulching, treating about a fifth of the acreage each year for varied regrowth stages, noting TSI needs maintaining rather than a one-time treatment. Don says he isn’t a fan of hinge cutting, preferring to cut worthless trees off outright, and on his own land less than 10% of cut trees are hinge cut. For fruit trees, they recommend caging immediately after planting, quality nursery stock over farm-store trees, and Mike’s Mighty Micros sprays timed after bloom.

How the guidance evolved (most recent 120 of 155)

2022-12-25 Terry advises hunters to locate and manipulate fence crossings on old grown-up cattle pastures to direct deer travel between access points. 41:39 — Episode #149 Frigid Temps and Deer… Merry Christmas 2022!
2023-01-08 Don plans to enhance a client’s stand site by planting about five or six fruit trees near an open farm gate deer already use to cross into ag fields. 25:47 — Episode #151 - Winter Scouting Tips
2023-01-15 Don says tree tubes don’t work well to protect fruit trees since their branch structure differs from trees like oaks. 37:22 — Episode #152 - Are Trade Shows Dying?
2023-01-29 Don advises landowners to make their property drastically different from the neighbor’s through better cover and food, since deer choose comparatively. 27:15 — Episode #154 - Dogs Running Loose on Don’s Farm. HE IS NOT HAPPY!
2023-01-29 Don says the key to improving deer habitat is opening the forest canopy to let in as much sunlight as possible. 28:42 — Episode #154 - Dogs Running Loose on Don’s Farm. HE IS NOT HAPPY!
2023-01-29 Don says a heavily cut, tornado-like clearing may look terrible at first, but one summer of sunlight makes the forest floor explode with new growth. 28:56 — Episode #154 - Dogs Running Loose on Don’s Farm. HE IS NOT HAPPY!
2023-01-29 Terry tells consulting clients that opening the canopy is the fastest way to create thick bedding cover, especially on south-facing hillsides. 29:22 — Episode #154 - Dogs Running Loose on Don’s Farm. HE IS NOT HAPPY!
2023-02-26 Terry recalls that Don heavily cut his home sanctuary’s canopy and used a skid loader to push trees into a pass that funneled deer toward his stand. 20:07 — Episode #158 - Is Hunting Contests Hurting the Hunting Industry?
2023-02-26 Don explains that heavy TSI cuts with skid loader paths are meant to direct deer movement toward hunters, not to increase or decrease overall use of an area. 20:53 — Episode #158 - Is Hunting Contests Hurting the Hunting Industry?
2023-03-12 Don says he is not a fan of hinge cutting because most people cannot even tell a white oak from a red oak before hacking with a chainsaw. 43:13 — Episode #160 - Live with Dr. Bronson Strickland at Whitetail Master Class
2023-04-02 Don recommends buying inexpensive Chinese chestnuts instead of pricier Dunstan chestnuts since he can’t tell any difference between them on his farm. 38:03 — Episode #163 - The Hype of Chestnut Trees…
2023-04-02 Don says roughly half of his consulting clients now discuss installing fences to keep bucks from leaving their property. 60:06 — Episode #163 - The Hype of Chestnut Trees…
2023-04-02 Don plans to plant roughly five to six hundred tree seedlings on his new 40-acre property this week if weather allows. 65:08 — Episode #163 - The Hype of Chestnut Trees…
2023-04-09 Don recommends putting plastic spiral wraps around newly planted fruit tree trunks as soon as possible to protect them. 18:16 — Episode #164 - CRP Programs - Know Facts!
2023-05-28 Don plans to plant about 160 large burlapped oak trees this fall on a newly acquired 40-acre parcel, working with Jay Gingerich. 71:19 — Episode #171 - Take What a Property Gives You!
2023-06-04 Terry describes driving through a severely dry area near Findlay, Ohio, passing Ray and Aiden’s business, where they’re worried about newly planted fruit trees getting enough water. 20:26 — Episode #172 - Don is really worried about EHD in 2023
2023-06-18 Don plans to plant more fruit trees next spring on his newly acquired 40 acres, applying what he learned about the nutrient approach. 13:32 — Episode #174 Holistic & Regenerative Ag Techniques for Food Plotters
2023-09-17 Terry recommended listeners check out the Whitetail Master Academy’s educational videos on fruit trees. 54:25 — Episode #187 - Do Trail Camera’s Spook Mature Bucks?
2023-09-24 Don spent an entire day visiting three different orchards and interviewing three apple experts, including two from Ohio State University and one who studies apple DNA. 2:35 — Episode #188 - Apple Trees for Whitetails
2023-09-24 An apple breeder developed disease-resistant apple trees for wildlife and partnered with Jay Gingerich to market them through Gingerich Tree Farm. 3:00 — Episode #188 - Apple Trees for Whitetails
2023-09-24 Don announced that Jay Gingerich’s disease-resistant apple varieties are not yet on his website but should be available within about two months once his new website launches. 14:25 — Episode #188 - Apple Trees for Whitetails
2023-09-24 Andy’s grafted apple trees, using premium rootstock, are expected to grow large and live for about a hundred years. 15:35 — Episode #188 - Apple Trees for Whitetails
2023-09-24 Both apple experts told Don that discount-store trees like those from Walmart would all be dead within ten years, unlike Andy’s trees. 16:55 — Episode #188 - Apple Trees for Whitetails
2023-09-24 Jay Gingerich’s disease-resistant apple trees are expected to grow 30 feet tall and produce 20 bushels of apples every year. 17:07 — Episode #188 - Apple Trees for Whitetails
2023-09-24 Terry said the podcast will announce when Jay Gingerich’s apple trees become available, including pricing and ordering details. 17:26 — Episode #188 - Apple Trees for Whitetails
2023-09-24 Don announced that Jay Gingerich’s apple trees will be sold as bare-root trees that can be shipped anywhere in the country. 17:44 — Episode #188 - Apple Trees for Whitetails
2023-10-08 Terry likens thinning CRP trees to buck management—letting the individuals with the most potential thrive. 75:27 — Episode #190 - Prep for Youth Season - Green Light on Babe
2023-12-03 Don plans to plant apple trees from Gingerich Tree Farm, loosening the soil with a 24-inch auger for better root establishment. 2:02 — Episode 198 - Buck Traveling Long Distances After The Rut
2023-12-03 Don listed incoming apples, pears, chestnuts, 300 spruce trees, and 130 burlapped oak trees from Jay Gingerich for his tree-planting projects. 2:33 — Episode 198 - Buck Traveling Long Distances After The Rut
2023-12-10 Jay Gingerich will be at the Midwest Sportsman Classic with his apple trees. 12:15 — Episode 199 - Dewormer in Deer Feed, Tractors, Screens, and Windmills
2023-12-10 Andy Andreas, the apple breeder working with Jay Gingerich at Gingerich Tree Farm on new apple varieties, will be a speaker at the show. 12:31 — Episode 199 - Dewormer in Deer Feed, Tractors, Screens, and Windmills
2023-12-10 Don told the frustrated caller the only way to stop deer crossing to the neighbor’s property was to build a fence, and the caller did so. 22:59 — Episode 199 - Dewormer in Deer Feed, Tractors, Screens, and Windmills
2023-12-31 Jay Gingerich said exclusive Red Dawn and Rutmaster late-dropping apple trees are currently available and will ship in spring 2024. 54:08 — Episode #201 - New Year, New Tools, New Websites
2024-01-14 Terry advises putting a strategic, prioritized plan together and going in to finish TSI cutting quickly rather than dragging the project out. 27:19 — Episode#203 - Post Season Scouting and Project Advice
2024-01-28 Don recommends clover as a companion crop under fruit trees since it fixes nitrogen, stays shallow-rooted, and provides a secondary food source. 51:55 — Ep# 205 - Don shares trail camera pictures from 2023
2024-03-24 Don consulted on a property in Illinois and two in Iowa this week and planted a bunch of trees. 3:36 — Episode #213 - Turning old cow pasture in deer sanctuary
2024-03-24 Don recommends Tree Pro brand tree tube shelters, based in Lafayette, Indiana, to protect newly planted oaks from deer browsing. 45:29 — Episode #213 - Turning old cow pasture in deer sanctuary
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
2024-04-21 Terry has watched Jay Gingerich’s crew plant and cage 100 fruit trees in just a couple hours. 11:15 — Episode #217 - Now Don wants to go fishing!
2024-04-21 Terry and Don are trying to get Steven Polk’s fencing business going. 12:41 — Episode #217 - Now Don wants to go fishing!
2024-05-19 Don consulted on 50 properties this year and only advised about five clients (roughly 1 in 10) to consider putting a fence on a property line. 3:58 — Episode #221 - Crop Rotations for Food Plotters and Deer Water Holes
2024-05-19 Don never pushes fences on clients; it’s a personal choice he simply throws out as a suggestion. 4:17 — Episode #221 - Crop Rotations for Food Plotters and Deer Water Holes
2024-05-19 Don argues a fence is a fence and why it’s there doesn’t matter, since the person who built it is simply trying to achieve their own goal, whether bucks or buffalo. 11:46 — Episode #221 - Crop Rotations for Food Plotters and Deer Water Holes
2024-06-02 Don explains that cicadas don’t actually eat tree leaves; instead they land on the bark, burrow into branches, and lay their eggs in the branch or trunk of the tree. 2:07 — Episode 224 - Saving Fawns and Farming for Nutrients: Insights from Don Higgins
2024-06-02 Don spent part of the week spraying weeds and briefly tried spraying his fruit trees for cicadas before realizing it was a waste of time. 1:33 — Episode 224 - Saving Fawns and Farming for Nutrients: Insights from Don Higgins
2024-06-02 Don explains that the apple and fruit trees Jay Gingerich sells descend from parent trees in an abandoned orchard that survived twenty untended years, giving them natural pest and disease resistance. 4:41 — Episode 224 - Saving Fawns and Farming for Nutrients: Insights from Don Higgins
2024-06-02 Don observed that trees he planted from Jay and from Andy’s not-yet-public stock had noticeably fewer cicadas on them than his other trees this spring. 5:16 — Episode 224 - Saving Fawns and Farming for Nutrients: Insights from Don Higgins
2024-06-02 Don started moving the nursery’s plastic variety tags from newly planted orchard trees onto the wire cages so he can track which variety each tree is. 6:27 — Episode 224 - Saving Fawns and Farming for Nutrients: Insights from Don Higgins
2024-08-18 Andy Andreas, breeder of specialty apple trees sold at Gingerich Tree Farm, will give a seminar at the Coldwater, Michigan event. 11:01 — Episode #235 - Is EHD Back in 2024? Bucks Dead in Indiana!
2024-09-16 Terry recommended Jay Gingerich’s newer disease-resistant apple tree varieties, which don’t require the spraying older apple varieties needed. 61:16 — Episode #239 - EHD Is Closing in on Don’s Farm!
2024-12-22 Don says Andy Andreas’ apple breeding program is likely the best in the world, even surpassing Cornell University’s program. 9:48 — Episode #253 - Do Not Overcomplicate Habitat Projects!
2024-12-22 Don relays that Jay Gingerich suggested using screen wire wrapped around trunks as an alternative tree-protection method. 51:58 — Episode #253 - Do Not Overcomplicate Habitat Projects!
2024-12-22 Terry plans to use the screen-wire trunk-wrap method on trees he currently has on order, calling it a fabulous idea. 52:02 — Episode #253 - Do Not Overcomplicate Habitat Projects!
2025-01-12 Mike Gruber reports that after following Don’s logging advice, his property went from having no deer tracks to holding over a dozen bucks and 150-inch-plus bucks yearly. 24:33 — Episode #256 - Hard Winter and Early Buck Shed? Illinois CWD Announcement
2025-01-19 Terry toured a Western Kentucky property and called it the best logging job he’s ever seen, praising the crew’s clean ruts and top-notch equipment. 14:07 — Episode #257 - Too Early to Shed Hunt - Show some compassion!
2025-01-26 The team also plans weekly content covering soil health, food plots, and TSI to help viewers manage habitat. 7:42 — Episode #258 - Live Podcast from Mt. Hope Ohio
2025-02-09 Don describes four special disease-resistant apple varieties sold by Jay Gingerich’s Gingerich Tree Farm: Raptor, Red Dawn, Jehovah’s Choice, and Steady Eddie. 15:13 — Episode #259 Apple Tree Spacing in Deer Plots
2025-02-09 Don credits apple breeder Andy Andreas with years of work developing these disease-resistant, large-growing fruit trees. 15:26 — Episode #259 Apple Tree Spacing in Deer Plots
2025-02-09 Don recommends always planting clover at the base of fruit trees to double up the food source underneath them. 17:15 — Episode #259 Apple Tree Spacing in Deer Plots
2025-02-09 Don advises clients to have a logger come in and cut every tree they want, but require them to also take the less valuable species. 40:52 — Episode #259 Apple Tree Spacing in Deer Plots
2025-03-02 Terry clarifies that if a logger already leaves small oaks and walnuts standing, a separate TSI cut for valueless trees may not be necessary. 35:10 — Episode #262 - The Controlled Burn on Switchgrass GONE BAD!
2025-03-16 Don explains clover as a legume adds nitrogen for the trees and provides an extra food source, like a clover plot on steroids. 7:44 — Episode #264 - Big Rope Scrapes and Big Bucks!
2025-03-16 Don dug up, hauled, and replanted fruit trees and cages from a farm he sold after a deal changed, to salvage them for habitat management. 9:08 — Episode #264 - Big Rope Scrapes and Big Bucks!
2025-03-16 Don plans never again to plant the same tree twice given how much extra work it caused. 10:09 — Episode #264 - Big Rope Scrapes and Big Bucks!
2025-03-23 Don spent the day doing habitat work, planting a batch of fruit trees including pears, persimmons, and apples. 2:26 — Episode #265 - How To Plant Fruit Trees - Wildlife Orchards
2025-03-23 Don recommends attending an Andy Andreas apple tree seminar if given the chance, calling him a class of his own in fruit tree breeding. 6:39 — Episode #265 - How To Plant Fruit Trees - Wildlife Orchards
2025-03-23 Don says the Gingerich bare-root trees he picked up have the best root system of any bare-root tree he’s ever planted. 6:55 — Episode #265 - How To Plant Fruit Trees - Wildlife Orchards
2025-03-23 Don warns that buying fruit trees from a farm store or Walmart is a big mistake compared to quality bred nursery stock. 7:25 — Episode #265 - How To Plant Fruit Trees - Wildlife Orchards
2025-03-23 Don relays that Andy Andreas’s breeding and rootstock are designed so these apple trees will live a hundred years. 8:52 — Episode #265 - How To Plant Fruit Trees - Wildlife Orchards
2025-03-23 Don reports his fruit tree survival rate is typically over ninety-five percent, losing just one of forty trees last year. 18:04 — Episode #265 - How To Plant Fruit Trees - Wildlife Orchards
2025-03-23 Don learned the hard way that deer will find and chew unprotected fruit trees overnight if not caged immediately after planting. 18:33 — Episode #265 - How To Plant Fruit Trees - Wildlife Orchards
2025-03-30 Don noted apple tree size depends on the rootstock it’s grafted to, and Gingerich Tree Farm uses the biggest rootstock available. 32:55 — Episode #266 Making a Good Stand a Great Stand
2025-03-30 Don said these big-rootstock apple trees grow at least 30 feet tall and 30 feet across. 33:23 — Episode #266 Making a Good Stand a Great Stand
2025-04-06 At 61, Don says he still plants fruit trees every spring for future benefit. 30:44 — Episode #267 - Spring Whitetail Habitat Projects - Is it Go Time?
2025-04-06 This spring Don planted 30 apples and pears in a new orchard plus more elsewhere and a dozen persimmons. 31:02 — Episode #267 - Spring Whitetail Habitat Projects - Is it Go Time?
2025-04-06 Don says the best apples he’s ever had came from Mike Mitchell’s Oak Hall Valley Orchard near Sullivan, Illinois. 32:18 — Episode #267 - Spring Whitetail Habitat Projects - Is it Go Time?
2025-04-06 Don says he only recently realized how critical micronutrient sprays are for fruit production, after learning from Mike and Andy. 33:42 — Episode #267 - Spring Whitetail Habitat Projects - Is it Go Time?
2025-04-20 Terry plans to plant his newly arrived trees this week while also taking Joe and Al turkey hunting. 6:17 — Episode #269 - Genetics, Nutrition, or Age (which is more important)
2025-04-20 Don recommends watching the Andy Andreas apple presentation because those disease-resistant tree varieties are cutting edge for wildlife plantings. 8:15 — Episode #269 - Genetics, Nutrition, or Age (which is more important)
2025-04-20 Don notes there was a cold spell about a week prior where the temperature dropped to 26 degrees one night. 8:36 — Episode #269 - Genetics, Nutrition, or Age (which is more important)
2025-04-20 Because his apple trees hadn’t bloomed yet, a 26-degree freeze that would have destroyed a blooming crop caused no damage this year. 8:56 — Episode #269 - Genetics, Nutrition, or Age (which is more important)
2025-04-20 Don says he lost his pear crop last year because his pear trees bloom slightly earlier than his apple trees. 9:09 — Episode #269 - Genetics, Nutrition, or Age (which is more important)
2025-05-11 Don noted his Mike’s Mighty Microbes-sprayed fruit trees stayed green much later into fall than untreated trees nearby. 25:48 — Episode #272 - Farming for Nutrients - Better Food Plots
2025-05-11 Mike said his soil booster combines biochar, worm castings, and compost to amend ground when planting trees. 52:28 — Episode #272 - Farming for Nutrients - Better Food Plots
2025-05-18 Terry recommends two-by-four welded wire fencing because it can be woven directly onto T-posts without needing clips. 3:30 — Episode #273 - Clover Maintenance and Spring Planting
2025-05-18 Don plans that once his plots are planted, his next project is figuring out a better tree-cage fencing system. 3:51 — Episode #273 - Clover Maintenance and Spring Planting
2025-06-29 Terry says Andy Andreas’s depth of knowledge on apple tree science is so advanced he can barely comprehend the opening of Andy’s explanations. 4:03 — #279 - Live Hot Seat! Don Higgins Faces Tough Questions from Dealers | 2025 RWWP Summit
2025-09-21 Don says a crabapple tree he grew from seed still grows barely an inch a year even after roughly ten years on his farm. 42:59 — Chasing Giants Ep. 291 | Don’s Public Land Quest & the “Turning Point” Buck Story
2025-09-28 The landowner contracted Chasing Giants Land Consulting to divide the 500-acre Kentucky timber tract into three separate tracts. 6:56 — #292 - Public Land Busts, Big Timber Dreams, & Target Bucks
2025-10-12 Terry said logging, TSI, and switchgrass work are long-term plays that pay off for a property years beyond just this season’s shooter buck. 44:47 — #294 From Old School to High Tech: Don Higgins Reflects on 40 Years in the Deer Woods
2025-11-02 Don told Corey that deer cleaned up every pear that dropped from a planted pear tree, showing how quickly wildlife use planted fruit trees. 46:36 — Barometer Secrets & Rut Forecast for Early November! | Chasing Giants 297
2026-01-18 Don says he isn’t a fan of hinge cutting because if a tree is worthless enough to hinge cut, it’s better to cut it off and let something good grow up. 18:49 — LIVE at 360 Blinds: No Script, No Filters — Just Real Questions | Chasing Giants 308
2026-01-18 On his own property, less than 10% of trees Don cuts for bedding-area enhancement are hinge cut; most are simply cut off and left to fall. 19:17 — LIVE at 360 Blinds: No Script, No Filters — Just Real Questions | Chasing Giants 308
2026-02-08 Terry Hamby noted a common misconception that a TSI project only needs to be done once rather than maintained over time. 13:24 — Snow, Sheds & Sorghum: Late-Season Deer Survival | Chasing Giants #311
2026-02-08 Don Higgins recommended staggering TSI mulching on larger properties by treating about a fifth of the acreage each year to maintain varied regrowth stages. 13:08 — Snow, Sheds & Sorghum: Late-Season Deer Survival | Chasing Giants #311
2026-02-15 Don advised his Kentucky client to leave the property’s timber untouched for ten to fifteen years while the regrown cattle pasture matures into better deer habitat. 5:45 — CWD, One-Buck Limits & The Truth About NDA | Chasing Giants 312
2026-03-08 Don plans to plant trees this year in the half of the field bordering his wooded sanctuary that he left unburned. 4:38 — Permission Properties, Scrape Magnet Explained, and Our Health Journeys | Chasing Giants Ep. 315
2026-03-08 Don advises not spraying fruit trees with Mike’s Mighty Micros until after the buds and blooms have set. 46:04 — Permission Properties, Scrape Magnet Explained, and Our Health Journeys | Chasing Giants Ep. 315
2026-03-15 Don explains TSI (timber stand improvement) as cutting and killing less desirable trees to open the canopy and create ground cover, freeing growing space for the remaining trees. 1:26 — Cut More Trees! How Aggressive TSI Creates Better Deer Habitat
2026-03-15 In his consulting plans Don calls for a very aggressive TSI, cutting or girdling any tree standing that will never have timber or wildlife value. 2:08 — Cut More Trees! How Aggressive TSI Creates Better Deer Habitat
2026-03-15 Don recommends killing low-value species like beech, maples, hackberry, locust, box elder, and elms to let oaks and walnuts flourish. 3:09 — Cut More Trees! How Aggressive TSI Creates Better Deer Habitat
2026-03-15 Don recommends doing a TSI for thick bedding cover, then staying out to limit intrusion and hunting only the edges so deer keep using the property day after day. 11:01 — Cut More Trees! How Aggressive TSI Creates Better Deer Habitat
2026-03-29 In a YouTube video, Mike Mitchell demonstrated taking living timber soil from the forest floor and using it to back-fill fruit trees for beneficial microorganisms. 17:38 — INSANE Bedding Cover + 22 Bears on Camera?! | Chasing Giants #318
2026-04-12 Don and Robin planted about 75 trees — 25 persimmon, 25 chestnut, and 25 red cedars — at the Gingerich project. 2:12 — Don Higgins Breaks Down His Favorite Properties of 2026 - Chasing Giants #320
2026-04-12 Jay’s apple trees were selected for late bloom and late drop, avoiding frost damage and timing fruit drop to hunting season. 17:21 — Don Higgins Breaks Down His Favorite Properties of 2026 - Chasing Giants #320
2026-04-12 Don recommends telling loggers they can only work the property when the ground is frozen in winter or hard and dry in summer, not muddy. 51:51 — Don Higgins Breaks Down His Favorite Properties of 2026 - Chasing Giants #320
2026-05-10 Brian taught that when planting a fruit tree, the dug-out dirt should be replaced with living timberland soil rich in necromass and biology. 5:29 — Grow Bigger Food Plots, Gardens & Fruit Trees – Mike Mitchell Breaks It Down | Chasing Giants #324
2026-05-10 Mike backfilled two newly planted trees with timber soil and saw six to eight inches of growth, versus two to three inches on trees without it. 6:05 — Grow Bigger Food Plots, Gardens & Fruit Trees – Mike Mitchell Breaks It Down | Chasing Giants #324
2026-05-10 For fruit tree planting, only the top three to five inches of timberland soil should be collected, since that’s the tree’s root zone. 6:40 — Grow Bigger Food Plots, Gardens & Fruit Trees – Mike Mitchell Breaks It Down | Chasing Giants #324
2026-05-10 Terry lost one pear tree to fire blight last year among his fruit trees. 13:40 — Grow Bigger Food Plots, Gardens & Fruit Trees – Mike Mitchell Breaks It Down | Chasing Giants #324
2026-05-10 Mike’s Mighty Micros contains sulfur, which can thin apple blooms, so it shouldn’t be sprayed until bloom is finished. 14:28 — Grow Bigger Food Plots, Gardens & Fruit Trees – Mike Mitchell Breaks It Down | Chasing Giants #324
2026-05-10 Mike sprays his apple trees roughly every ten days with Mike’s Mighty Micros during the season. 14:49 — Grow Bigger Food Plots, Gardens & Fruit Trees – Mike Mitchell Breaks It Down | Chasing Giants #324
2026-05-10 Mike continues spraying his apple trees until fall color change so they enter winter fully charged with nutrients for spring growth. 15:09 — Grow Bigger Food Plots, Gardens & Fruit Trees – Mike Mitchell Breaks It Down | Chasing Giants #324
2026-05-10 Mike said trees treated with the micros grew less than usual during last year’s severe drought but didn’t wilt like an untreated newly planted tree would. 37:07 — Grow Bigger Food Plots, Gardens & Fruit Trees – Mike Mitchell Breaks It Down | Chasing Giants #324
2026-05-10 Mike explained that training limbs into an open bowl shape empties the tree’s center, letting moisture escape and reducing disease risk. 44:02 — Grow Bigger Food Plots, Gardens & Fruit Trees – Mike Mitchell Breaks It Down | Chasing Giants #324
2026-05-10 Cutting a young tree back reduces top growth so the root system can develop and strengthen in the first year. 45:04 — Grow Bigger Food Plots, Gardens & Fruit Trees – Mike Mitchell Breaks It Down | Chasing Giants #324
2026-05-10 Removing first-year blooms redirects the tree’s energy into reproduction and top growth instead of fruit it can’t yet support. 46:38 — Grow Bigger Food Plots, Gardens & Fruit Trees – Mike Mitchell Breaks It Down | Chasing Giants #324
2026-05-10 Terry’s neighbors had a peach tree whose limbs were all broken by a critter climbing up for the peaches, since the tree couldn’t support the added weight. 46:58 — Grow Bigger Food Plots, Gardens & Fruit Trees – Mike Mitchell Breaks It Down | Chasing Giants #324
2026-05-10 Mike’s high-density trellised trees are allowed to bear apples in their second year, sooner than standard trees. 47:37 — Grow Bigger Food Plots, Gardens & Fruit Trees – Mike Mitchell Breaks It Down | Chasing Giants #324
2026-05-10 Terry keeps a dedicated pump sprayer for fruit trees and garden plants, mixing the product with water collected from household dehumidifiers. 50:05 — Grow Bigger Food Plots, Gardens & Fruit Trees – Mike Mitchell Breaks It Down | Chasing Giants #324

Questions on this topic (60 of 103)

Dean Wessels from Fairbury, Illinois asks how to establish good bedding cover in timber, including whether to use TSI, hinge cutting, or girdling. 45:12 — Episode #13 - 2020 ATA SHOW From Indy - Part 2 of 2
Mark White asked what fruit tree species to plant on his one-acre plot, how many, and how to arrange them for deer. 49:18 — Episode #187 - Do Trail Camera’s Spook Mature Bucks?
After harvesting timber and opening the canopy, should the listener plant switchgrass, plant food plots, or leave the area to native undergrowth? 34:12 — Episode #14 - Don and Terry talk deer during the superbowl…
Is it important to have a mix of old growth, new growth, and in-between timber types on a property? 37:06 — Episode #14 - Don and Terry talk deer during the superbowl…
An anonymous listener asks whether logging-created stagnant water holes that drew away his mature bucks are creating a self-inflicted disaster for his buck herd. 50:30 — Don Higgins Breaks Down His Favorite Properties of 2026 - Chasing Giants #320
Does Don prefer clover or alfalfa around fruit trees, and why? 76:49 — Episode #169 - Don is Testing More Corn Seed. WHY?
Do you have a preference on when logging is done on a property? 45:18 — Episode #191 - Babe Out In Daylight - Giant Corn Yields for Food Plotters
Will the upcoming double brood of cicadas damage young fruit trees this year? 36:58 — Ep #208 - Live from the FAE Midwest Sportsman Classic!
Richard Smith asks whether burying whole pears to grow pear trees is viable, or if he should start seeds in pots or just buy started trees. 41:43 — Chasing Giants Ep. 291 | Don’s Public Land Quest & the “Turning Point” Buck Story
Jacob asks whether Don does habitat or timber work inside his wooded property or leaves it untouched. 40:42 — Episode #61 - Live from the Midwest Sportsman Show - TOUGH QUESTIONS FROM LIVE CROWD
Ray asks what to do with the felled tops after a 40-acre TSI cut. 47:18 — Episode #61 - Live from the Midwest Sportsman Show - TOUGH QUESTIONS FROM LIVE CROWD
John Jay asks whether woods can get too thick after TSI for deer to use. 58:22 — Episode #61 - Live from the Midwest Sportsman Show - TOUGH QUESTIONS FROM LIVE CROWD
Mark from Rudolph, Wisconsin asks about using small bedding sanctuaries with evergreen perimeter plantings and brush clumps for thermal cover. 53:40 — Episode #115 - Don’s Top Four Properties Visited This Year
John asks whether it’s harmful to keep American plum seedlings in black three-gallon pots from the hardware store. 32:43 — Episode 230 - Don says Switchgrass is not the best bedding.
Mark Mathews of Weaverville, North Carolina asked what TSI/timber improvements Don makes to sanctuaries and whether red osier dogwood is a good hinge-cutting companion plant. 43:54 — INSANE Bedding Cover + 22 Bears on Camera?! | Chasing Giants #318
An audience sawmill worker asks how to convince hunters doing excessive hinge cutting to stop ruining high-value timber. 51:12 — Episode #263 - Live from the Iowa Deer Classic
Malen Born Sugar asks how important it is to cut trails through a thick, freshly cleared 40-acre timber tract. 55:28 — Episode #263 - Live from the Iowa Deer Classic
Brandon asks whether Don plants fruit trees to diversify food sources beyond food plots near ag land. 39:33 — Episode #263 - Live from the Iowa Deer Classic
Brandon asks how often fruit trees need pruning to maximize production. 40:10 — Episode #263 - Live from the Iowa Deer Classic
Terry asked Don what triggers the need to re-address a clear-cut area once invasive saplings regrow into an impassable jungle. 11:40 — Snow, Sheds & Sorghum: Late-Season Deer Survival | Chasing Giants #311
What materials do you prefer for funneling deer, and does it change with location or terrain? 52:10 — Episode #160 - Live with Dr. Bronson Strickland at Whitetail Master Class
A dealer trimming 60 apple trees asks when Don stops trimming trees on his own farm. 46:31 — Episode #211 - Live from RWWP Dealer Event - BINGO
The same dealer asks which chestnut variety Don prefers for planting. 46:58 — Episode #211 - Live from RWWP Dealer Event - BINGO
The dealer asks whether Don tubes his chestnuts or uses cages. 47:39 — Episode #211 - Live from RWWP Dealer Event - BINGO
Land and Martin from Claypool, Indiana ask what to plant on a wet 10-acre weedy patch instead of grass to create better winter bedding cover. 53:52 — Making Good Tree Stands GREAT | Don Higgins’ Best Habitat Tricks + Doubting Thomas Premiere
Luke Cooper asked about burning timber periodically like prairie burns, referencing Don’s past comment about a wood burned too clean for cover. 31:43 — Episode #163 - The Hype of Chestnut Trees…
Terry asks whether adding four T-posts around the tree cage fence would stop the doe from pushing her head through. 2:26 — Episode #273 - Clover Maintenance and Spring Planting
Ethan Royer asked how much consideration Don gives to present and future timber value versus habitat work on consulting properties. 44:01 — Episode #86 - 17,764 trail cam pics in 25 days - no bait or attractant
Terry asks Don when he tubes a tree versus when he cages a tree. 28:36 — Episode #266 Making a Good Stand a Great Stand
Terry asks which other fruit trees, besides apple and pear, get caged. 30:43 — Episode #266 Making a Good Stand a Great Stand
Terry asks whether oaks, persimmons, and chestnuts are tubed. 30:57 — Episode #266 Making a Good Stand a Great Stand
Terry asks what Don puts around caged trees’ trunk base to stop varmints biting through the bark and cambium layer. 31:06 — Episode #266 Making a Good Stand a Great Stand
An anonymous Michigan listener buying 150 acres with a 13-acre field asks how to plant it, proposing clover/chicory, brassicas, corn, and beans. 38:28 — Episode #266 Making a Good Stand a Great Stand
Terry asked how to navigate spraying Mike’s Mighty Micros on fruit trees through spring and summer. 13:46 — Grow Bigger Food Plots, Gardens & Fruit Trees – Mike Mitchell Breaks It Down | Chasing Giants #324
Terry asked whether the micros absorb through green leaves and stop once leaves dry up. 15:28 — Grow Bigger Food Plots, Gardens & Fruit Trees – Mike Mitchell Breaks It Down | Chasing Giants #324
Terry asked whether wildlife orchard owners should wait for bloom petals to fall before spraying, then spray every mowing. 15:49 — Grow Bigger Food Plots, Gardens & Fruit Trees – Mike Mitchell Breaks It Down | Chasing Giants #324
Terry asked whether Mike’s Mighty Micros should be applied with a fine mist sprayer. 16:20 — Grow Bigger Food Plots, Gardens & Fruit Trees – Mike Mitchell Breaks It Down | Chasing Giants #324
Terry asked what Mike recommends for trimming young fruit trees before they’re strong enough to bear fruit. 43:07 — Grow Bigger Food Plots, Gardens & Fruit Trees – Mike Mitchell Breaks It Down | Chasing Giants #324
Terry asked what to do with a first-year fruit tree that’s blooming — grow apples or remove the blooms? 46:03 — Grow Bigger Food Plots, Gardens & Fruit Trees – Mike Mitchell Breaks It Down | Chasing Giants #324
Terry asked how many years growers should remove blooms before letting a young tree bear fruit. 47:08 — Grow Bigger Food Plots, Gardens & Fruit Trees – Mike Mitchell Breaks It Down | Chasing Giants #324
What do you recommend for us habitat managers in terms of fruit trees? 26:29 — Episode 225 - Big Antlers this Spring Mean Big Decisions this Fall!
Can Don elaborate on what happened with the potted trees he had to remove after a property deal fell through? 47:28 — Episode #227 - Science Behind Summer Solstice and Whitetail
A listener asked what tree Don would plant in open logged areas. 42:27 — Episode #105 Live from Shipshewana, IN - 2 Episodes in One!
Terry asked Don to name the one thing about apples that most surprised him or that he had completely wrong. 5:34 — Episode #188 - Apple Trees for Whitetails
Terry asked whether Jay Gingerich will start selling these disease-resistant apple trees immediately or wait for demand to build. 11:33 — Episode #188 - Apple Trees for Whitetails
After an aggressive TSI cut on new land, would planting oak saplings be a good idea? 32:58 — Episode #262 - The Controlled Burn on Switchgrass GONE BAD!
What is the best time to TSI your property for optimal results next season? 17:47 — LIVE at 360 Blinds: No Script, No Filters — Just Real Questions | Chasing Giants 308
What is Don’s philosophy on hinge cutting, where it’s good or bad, especially for creating bedding areas? 18:29 — LIVE at 360 Blinds: No Script, No Filters — Just Real Questions | Chasing Giants 308
In hill country, would you use hinge cutting to funnel deer along a ridge without creating bedding? 20:09 — LIVE at 360 Blinds: No Script, No Filters — Just Real Questions | Chasing Giants 308
Do you prescribe fire before doing TSI? 50:44 — LIVE at 360 Blinds: No Script, No Filters — Just Real Questions | Chasing Giants 308
What are the tree/shrub planting recommendations after a timber harvest? 10:09 — #279 - Live Hot Seat! Don Higgins Faces Tough Questions from Dealers | 2025 RWWP Summit
What would cause an animal to dig up freshly planted fruit trees treated with Quantum Soil Nutrient at the roots? 43:09 — #279 - Live Hot Seat! Don Higgins Faces Tough Questions from Dealers | 2025 RWWP Summit
Cody Steutzman asks Don’s thoughts on logging a property and how long to wait afterward before starting a deer management plan. 58:16 — Episode 303 – Late-Season Deer Movement, Winter Food Strategy & The Future of Big Bucks
Jason Brasda asks how to handle a neighboring outfitter whose ladder stand and food plot sit right on his property line. 42:38 — Episode #254 - Don Improving Cell Cameral Locations, No-Till Food Plots, and Winter Habitat Projects
Russ Casda asked whether planting fruit trees within a clover food plot would give him more efficient dual food sources. 35:34 — Episode #59 - Habitat Projects like Water Holes, Food in Bedding, Structure in Bedding along with other topics
Brad asks whether he should cut or spray paths through timber cluttered with treetops, TSI debris, and multiflora rows for deer movement. 43:22 — Episode #66 - Don has Mel officially scored. Discussion about planting food plot seed. Is planting seed heavy good or bad?
Natalie asks how to log her 118-acre Michigan property for income and wildlife habitat, and whether Don’s consulting service advises on logging. 48:05 — Episode #28 - Don’s Buck Forecast and Terry defends Rednecks using zip ties
Terry asks whether bad experiences with loggers not following the agreed plan are common everywhere or just in his area. 53:07 — Episode #28 - Don’s Buck Forecast and Terry defends Rednecks using zip ties
Greg Schroeder asked whether Steven the mailman is still delivering Don’s mail flawlessly, since he hadn’t heard mention of him lately. 28:39 — #294 From Old School to High Tech: Don Higgins Reflects on 40 Years in the Deer Woods
Jason Hesselberg asked whether his mature bucks will return to his property once ongoing logging finishes, or relocate elsewhere permanently. 43:33 — #294 From Old School to High Tech: Don Higgins Reflects on 40 Years in the Deer Woods

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