#1 Mistake deer hunters make.

Don discusses the number one reason a lot of #whitetaildeer hunters fail, from his experience. He gives his insight on what that mistake is as well as how to keep from making it. Mature whitetail bucks are a different animal, and you can't expect to consistently take the biggest buck with the wrong techniques and strategies, but this one thing may be the biggest reason.
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[@teenelomz9402]

If only my bull headed uncle would understand this.

[@luckxy7760]

Absolute truth. However, not every property affords this type of hunting

[@koolaidman5421]

Good point. The best thing to do is gather as much knowledge as possible and apply it to get the best odds. Not every property has 100% scent free access and stands in areas to see bucks in daylight. But using knowledge you might be able to get the highest % available and up your odds.

[@ML-ks2lj]

Just gotta work at it habitat improvements. I don't have property yet but one day I will

[@bndwoodlands775]

Very well done videos. To the point, no stuttering and stammering, and concise and short and to the point. No silly music at the beginning. My kind of video. Keep up the good work!

[@2CanTan]

Great video! We need more of your prayer breakfast or group videos on here. I’ve watched /listened to the one at a church where you talk about that field edge and the 40 acre bedding and the men’s breakfast one probably 20 times each. And your exodus about cam pics a lot as well, but I love the way you combine your religion into your stories when you speak. We need more men like you in hunting and thank you.

[@wyattgameradams1364]

Totally right on every level. The more u go in a place the less a big buck will. Great video.

[@rodneygilbert5183]

I live in the middle of my hunting land guess l need to move.

[@waynestevenson9613]

Yeah I’m wondering if I shud hunt my property anymore?!?!

[@kevincooper4429]

P

[@SM-eu5xl]

True statement. I hunt large tracts of public land and since game cameras have gone mainstream and can be purchased dirt cheap, the woods are full of them. Can't walk a ridge, thicket edge, finger, transition zone, etc; without getting your picture taken. Then these same hunters are spending all season walking to and from these cameras checking SD cards. Gotta learn to hunt the hunters as much as the deer anymore.

[@55zachman]

Where do you live?

[@TChannelowashmachines]

I was about to say. Those cameras would grow legs down here

[@tylerparker3024]

Dont hunt the spots people will hunt. Hunt the spots the deer will run to when they get pushed out of those spots. Like a deer drive with strangers.

[@urmom69610]

​@tylerparker3024 if you can legally shoot there, usually already 6 trucks there by 4, can't go where the hunters aren't on public

[@tylerparker3024]

Some pieces you can't but if you find a piece with a real hard to reach area that nobody is willing to go to, that's your best bet. In my experience. Public land hunting definitely stinks there's a lot of people out there. Even if you beat them there they will walk right past you and not think anything of it.

[@WhitetailVigilantes]

So, while great advice, it's kinda short-sighted. Let me explain. You can do all those things (food plots, scrapes, watering holes, etc) and yes, you may effect your hunting in the short term. But in the long term, it's a sound investment. And regarding bedding areas, not everyone has access to bedding areas. That's my case. And I still kill some great bucks. Human intrusion is definitely the biggest factor, but figuring out how to work around it pays dividends.

[@nategremore9162]

I couldn’t have said it any better! Our philosophy to a “T”. We leave ours alone so that the neighbors push the bucks (and does) onto our place.We seldom hunts ours until the fifth or sixth day.

[@richstafford1245]

I love these guys that preach treating your land like a pediatric burn unit. Let’s say say a mature buck beds on a ridge point in a thermal tunnel wind to his back watching his entrance trail. He is virtually invulnerable. A coyote or human bumps him. The bed did its job. Why would he leave? Makes zero sense. He will come back to the same bed on the right wind. You can’t blow mature bucks out of this type of bedding with C4. There are only so many beds like I described. That’s why mature bucks use them. There are 3.5 billion people on this planet and god knows how many predators. If these bucks reacted like these guys want you to believe they would constantly be on the move and run out of bedding areas. They get bumped almost on a daily basis. These guys must think deer just rem sleep in their sanctuaries for eight hours a day lol. I was on a all day sit on public land in PA and watched someone’s radio collared dogs they were training bump the same 100 inch eight point out of thick mountain laurel 4 times in a three hour time frame. He simply circled back to his bed. He never left. He eventually browsed his way to me before dusk but I ran out of shooting light. Btw a hundred inch eight point is a trophy where I hunt.

[@ramsaycountry1177]

I agree 100%, almost a month and a half into season and I've only hunted 6 times. And I own almost 600 acres here in Ohio. The less you hunt the more they more in daylight.

[@geba9452]

This is my first year hunting and I’m a,ready learning this the hard way. Had a spot where I set a trail cam up and the first couple times I checked it I had everything from nice bucks to bear to elk to coyotes..So I started going there a lot super excited and now a couple months later I’m lucky to see anything at all on my trail cam it’s crazy how I have literally scared the wildlife away from my lil area by being there all the time...

[@JayN4GO]

Preach son. Only wish you made as many videos as they did.

[@weirdmood8102]

There's not enough to tell, when it comes to mature deer. It's almost as easy as the old adage;" kiss". Keep it simple.... nutrition, solitude, sleep, and wind. Those are the only few things we really need to know, to kill these old fellas. I'm far from a professional hunter, so I could be missing 1,000 other helpful tips and tricks to killing mature deer, But that seems to be the gist to me. Best of luck to you this season, Buddy.

[@kapperoutdoors]

Fantastic stuff! Fully agree, sanctuary is key!! Cheers!!

[@ryanreynolds3630]

Took me many years to learn this. I still struggle with it because I'm addicted and want to be in the woods every chance I get lol. However I get better success when I hunt only the good opportunity days and limit the amount of trail camera checking to only when i go in to hunt as they're all on the way to my stands.

[@thomashood3748]

Great advice. I appreciate that you and a few others are speaking out about the really old 5 1/2 yr old bucks and older are really a different individual deer from the rest of the herd. Much more harder to kill

[@cha-ka8671]

This guy is right and I feel like a moron after listening to him. Thank you for your one single point and it's the truth.

[@sdichampion]

I learned my lesson from years past. I used to burn out stands in desperation to harvest a deer. This year I decided to set up my stand early, 2 cell cameras and try to pattern the deer before trying to go in. I sure hope it help my success. Great video. Thanks

[@tedrickabus2087]

My problem is neighbors compounding the issue. They don't have discipline and don't want to talk about an overall strategy. Just yesterday, he decides he's not having success so he pulls out the rifle and target practices for two hours. And we are seeing heavy pre-rut activity with the smaller bucks. Arrggg!! Clearly you live in an area of excellent genetics. Wish we had that caliber of buck around here. We are in year 4 of APR in our county and they just applied APR to neighboring counties. Hopefully we see bigger deer each year. I just have to live with the neighbors I have and be thankful they only hunt a few weekends a year. I also need to get more disciplined as I love to be out on the land. I try to make September a quiet month.

[@neolightproductions]

Well my property is screwed. I actually use my property for everything. lol.

[@barryklein6521]

Absolutely 💯% If only I could get the rest of my hunting group to understand that...There was an 8 year old 9 point typical that lived on our property its whole life I starting keeping track of him when he was 3...This was a smart buck...He had all of us figured out the hunting areas were burnt out cause my hunting group goes through the motions...Its hard to get everyone on the same page when everyone just wants to do what they want to do... Anyhow, longstory short the 8 year old ended up getting poached by the neibors... Cheers and good luck this year...

[@TheRaghorn]

80% of the woods on this farm which is about 60 acres is rarely stepped on. Some of the land has not been stepped on for 6 years. All stands are set up on the outside edge. I rarely hunt more than 10 days during the whole season and I always kill or pass I nice bucks every year.

[@jasonnester9514]

Helps To have good big land to hunt in Is mere mortals have small average high hunting pressure will never see any thing over 80” never

[@chasinggiantswithhigginsou6147]

"mere mortals"?? I encourage you to listen to this podcast where I share my story and how I got to where I am today. I have a saying that I have applied to many things in life including my deer hunting - "you can make excuses, or you can look for solutions" kzbin.info/www/bejne/baiTZqh9bqqSl7M

[@mikelauer8352]

Don "The Legend" Higgins agree 100%.

[@davidepool5884]

New subscriber. I don’t hunt much anymore due to a back injury, but I still enjoy learning anything about deer and deer hunting. I never thought I’d see the day when I wouldn’t enjoy deer hunting. I deer hunted for 8 to 10 years after my injury. Every year it became more difficult, and painful trying to get set up, and then setting there for hours. I finally had to give it up. I have gone a few times and hunted on the ground. It’s very hard to enjoy something that you love doing when you are in constant pain.

[@mrglock2313]

The first time I've seen you, and I already like you. Me personally when I am "Buck" hunting I actually have a rule for my main spot, I stay out all the time and 2 things have to happen. November 1st and a proper wind I may not get my wind until Nov 5th but once I get it I go in and usually kill the first sit!! I have even bucked out here in IL the same day. 👍

[@chiya2006]

That’s exactly what I was thinking about a spot I regularly hunt on a private property last season. A hunter who has a permission on the same spot, last year he decided to put a few trail cams around. A week or two prior to hunting season, he increased his visits to those cams, changing their spots, basically he was all over the place leaving his scents. Hunting season came and it was the worst year for me and my hunting buddies. We did not see a single deer in daytime hours. They all went nocturnal which was very odd considering we’ve been hunting this spot for about 6 years. I did think about those frequent visits had ruined our spot then, but I didn’t have a solid reason to mention it to that guy, but seeing this video just proofed my concerns and my gut feelings were right 🙁

[@jeffsnider7842]

I get what you are saying but i giggle when i see the feed sacks piled up behind you sir. That feed doesn’t deliver itself.

[@thomastaylor3419]

It took me too long to realize how monumental it is to have perfect access in and out so the deer do not realize they are being hunted. Easy to do on my little 15acres. I have to be more creative on our lease in Missouri where I cant manipulate my access. Shot my 3 best bucks the last 3 years. (Should have had a 4th) just paying way more attention to access, and of.course wind.

[@Tonnsfabrication]

I am not a hunter, but I own 100 acres in the hills of Ohio and I can tell you where I always see big bucks. They're always on the sections of land that I seldom visit. I have two lakes with a really brushy willow thicket in between, the bucks really like that area, I see them in there all the time. The does could care less about the firewood buggy , they just stand off the edge of the trail and watch you go by.

[@chasinggiantswithhigginsou6147]

If you would be so kind as to allow me the priveledge of hunting your land I would be grateful and treat it like it was my own. Thanks

[@fjbsr2338]

Your absolutely right about the human intrusion 👍🏼that’s why I hunt where no one else gos 👍🏼 and I harvest that big buck every year. And I never take anything under 6 points ..... Hunt smart and hunt safe👍🏼👍🏼

[@patrickbush9526]

Mistake deer hunters make. You should just buy a deer. That way you don't have to freeze your butt off in that uncomfortable deer stand

[@mattsweet7918]

Easy to say and do if you own your hunting property. Can’t stop the landowner from mowing fields, cutting firewood, and riding his ATV on the woods roads.

[@HarvestOutdoors]

I wish he would parallel this with size of the property. How many acres is his sanctuary?

[@DrawnArchery]

Great video Don! I'm ready to become your Ohio apprentice!

[@johnjohnson-sm3yf]

Every word you said is true . I go in usually a month ahead to check stands ect and stay out till hunting day . Seems to work why change anything.

[@danhagins8225]

I totally agree, I hunt all ways down wind.

[@louiscooper6572]

Best advice I've got off KZbin or anything article on killing big bucks thanks don ....

[@michaelcope2329]

I have a small tract, my area also has houses scattered throughout, so no matter where you go they smell humans, farm dogs that get loose and roam and vehicles on country roads that travel through the area, everyone shoots guns in their backyards, rides 4 wheelers, etc. They do country stuff, most all of them also pour corn in their back yards that abut the woods and shoot deer from their house when they see them in their yard. There are some big bucks around but no matter what they move at night almost year around, occasionally you will see one during daylight but its only during the rut or a significant cold weather event. To a large extent it doesn't matter how we use our property because of adjoining property types and uses, again, there are always people in around this area as there is a small rural community in the area where our property is located. I think by and large this is common for most small tract land owners. What I"ve noticed the deer do is this, 1) Regardless of time of year the deer move during odd hours, forget daylight and dark they move around 10 am high noon or 2 pm, why, I can only figure that is when they know the least amount of people are in the woods 2) Forget hunting feeders they will not go to them during daylight unless its super cold and has been raining and their basically cold wet and hungry and then its only does and it will be very late in the evening at or near dark before they show up 3) Shooting houses, fixed ladder stands and even climbers, not good they can pick em out a mile away and most of the deer walk around looking up because the hunting pressure is so high here in LA and especially my area, you have to get on the ground or very near ground level and get covered up 4) They move half between paved roads and interior trails on the property, so say your property has a road that fronts your S property line that runs E and W and then about 200 yards back from that you have an interior trail or road that also runs E to W, the deer will split the difference between the 2 trails or roads and travel damn near down the middle between the 2 and again during daylight this will be done at 10 am 12 pm or 2 pm it will not be done near sunrise or sunset, at those times they are on lock down due to experience from hunting pressure and general activity of neighbors that are moving at or near those times either leaving for work or coming home from same 5) They will come to food plots during day light at dusk but only for about the first 2 weeks of the season, even if you don't shoot in those plots after the season is open for 2 weeks they will avoid food plots like the plague until well after dark most of the time the slap middle of the night say 2 to 3 am Here is what works for us Our season ends in January, so from there on until after Turkey season ends at the beginning of May is your window to work the property, once May rolls around back out and do not go back in until mid to late August at that time pick a weekend and do all of your fall/winter prep and get it done in 2 days then do not return until opening day then at opening day hunt as much as you want to but just make sure your hunting the wind, your scent control is on point, don't do or use any of the gimmick crap so NO decoys, grunt calls, can calls, tinks rut sticks, etc., while yes that stuff works on some deer some of the time, its typically the young bucks during their 1st or 2nd rut. Not that there aren't exceptions and some monster old mature bucks fall for it and are killed using those strategies but on small tracts in high pressure areas its a no go. Sneak in with good wind and try and disturb the area as little as possible, also, vehicles don't scare deer, hunters walking in the woods does, we drive the truck in to within about 30 yards or so of where we plan on hunting and then walk. Just turn off the radio, your door sensors, etc, and open close doors very quietly. Nothing seems to mess within them as much as walking around does, I think thats because your leaving scent with every step and also human foot steps are simply not a natural sound in the woods and they have learned to associate it with predation. 4 wheelers also, those are chariots of death, they know that 4 wheeler is brining predators, but the trucks don't seem to bother em. Once the gate opens and your on the property talking and all activity except getting to and from hunting location is as close to zero as possible, get in, hunt leave. If you kill 1, track and drag out as quietly as possible, take pictures, dress and clean off the property if possible if not at your gate by the road. No hollering yelling high fiving and picture fest in the woods, get the deer and get out and also if you want to hunt a deer that is gonna move at 10 a.m. be in that spot for daylight so everything has had many hours to settle down since you came in. Same goes for other times, you better have been in there for 2 to 3 hours minimum before you think they'll walk. You can't go in at 830 for a 10 am movement, they have to have time to forget about you coming in. I worked my backside off to afford our property and its pointless to put in those kind of hours and make the sacrifices my family made to have land of our it we never go enjoy it, if all I'm trying to do is kill a monster buck every year, I can go and outfitter hunt and do that for a whole lot less money and time than all that is required for most of us to own our own place. I've added up the time and money in a small tract operation and its staggering, again, if it was purely big bucks I could go to Texas or Canada every year for $3,500.00 to about $7,500.00 (depending upon size of deer and location) and spend a week at a low fence or no fence (free range) operation be treated like royalty and kill a very respectable buck for the wall every single year. While we kill a few deer, do I have anything like Don does on my wall, no, and maybe never will, unless I can make the jump and 1 day own 1,000 acres of my own and turn it into my own little Texas type place. I own my place because sometimes I like to just go sit the woods and be at peace and enjoy watching the woods go to sleep or wake up, or spending a day on the tractor to unwind from the office, maybe shoot some squirrels and cut some firewood. So while I do agree to some extent with what he says, maybe the title of the video should be #1 mistake 5.5+ year old plus mature trophy buck hunters make Also there should be some talk in here about if that is what your trying to, avoid buying small tracts and either go on outfitter hunts or save up until you can buy hundreds or thousands of acres and control it with an iron fist, everyone needs to remember that stuff on outdoor and sportsman channel is not the realty for the vast majority of the hunting population but is for the uber wealthy minority of people like Blake Shelton and that guy McMillian, when your flying private jets and hunting exclusive well managed very large private properties its different and we all need to acknowledge that. Not hating on them, wish I had that kinda time and money to enjoy that lifestyle but in the hunting and outdoor community those types and those types of hunts are 1%ers. Last but not least public lands get blasted year around with pressure now, people hiking, camping, biking, atv's, birding, canoeing, hunting, etc., and yet somehow someway giant mature bucks are killed every year on public ground, so killing them on land that is used and set aside as a monster buck preserve is possible, it just takes some work.

[@thadsmith9226]

What time of year would be best to put out cameras and hang stands?

[@chasinggiantswithhigginsou6147]

I like to hang stands in the winter right after season closes. As for cameras, I start putting them out in early July

[@JustinMentionedIt]

This man knows what he is talking about , an old fella taught me this trick

[@bgorges2792]

Great video. One thing I have been wondering though: How much hunting pressure is TOO much pressure? i.e. How often can/should I hunt my property? I have my land set up exactly like you describe in this video but I always second guess how often I should be hunting it because I want to limit the pressure I am putting on my 40 acres during the season.

[@chasinggiantswithhigginsou6147]

If you have your stands in the "right spots" and always play the wind, you can hunt it about every day depending on how it lays out

[@jasonsparks4601]

@@chasinggiantswithhigginsou6147 hunting it every day.....only if you leave zero trace/scent. Entry and exit are key to the game!

[@scottpulver4920]

Outstanding advice. Would you agree that some property should only be afternoon hunts? Primarily due to access. I have access to 105ac in southern Ohio and entry to stands for the morning is a challenge unless I walk WAY out and around and bring a change of clothes. I do use a utv and a atv to work on trails ect. When I leave after weed whacking or whatever I’ll have deer(doe) watching me and within two hours of leaving the bucks are there. I have used my machines to make deer stop and look then turn them towards my stands. I want my daughter to get a Ohio giant this season from a ground blind eye to eye. Thank you for your advice and I’ll keep watching.

[@brandonyoung7760]

I have a property I started hunting last year. Deer were everywhere. Shot a good mature 4½+ buck on opening morning. Over the spring I put in a homemade blind, ¼ acre kill plot, water hole and this year the only deer I've seen is does and small bucks. Only a mature deer on cams once in a blue moon. I think from here on out I'll maintain my food plot and leave the rest of the property alone.

[@715outdoors2]

I have 40 acres from my grandpa and dad, the built the cabin smack dab in the middle of it. It's hard to keep noise down and during the gun hunt theres so much activity that if you don't fill your tag opening morning you may not see another deer. Very frustrating.

[@baileysmith6664]

If everything is fairly quiet it shouldn't matter, deer will come very close to camps when winter starts they will come in for hay or corn right in the camps yard (in Ontario baits legal)and we see does at night when we stay there and my view out of my favorite stand is beside an abandoned maple syrup shack if it's always there it doesn't bother them same reason people put there treestands and pop ups up weeks or months before they hunt, and give them a reliable food source like a food plot or bait if it's legal where you are

[@thewiedbraukfam]

Be great if I could talk my buddy out of thinking he has to go in and rako half the 60 acres we hunt...🙄

[@RobbiePicou]

I have been driving this point home to my hunting buddies the last several years, a few just don't get it, or they don't want to give up their bad habits. And yes, those guys do not have any mature bucks on their walls, imagine that. Every year one of them says something like, "I don't understand where all the deer went", I always reply with, they are next door, you ran them all off.

[@kennethheern4896]

It makes since. I have 50acres, with good cover a 10 acre hay field and a old pond. I know I overhunt it. In 2015 I stayed out of the property, never went in to hunt until the last day of gun season. About 1/2 hour before sunset a nice buck came out and gave me a 30 yard shot. When retrieved him he scored 154”. Now I know that’s not a giant to some, but it was the biggest buck I’d ever had a chance to harvest. I need to try that again, but it’s hard to stay out.

[@daytonsanders7422]

Buddys just got like pallets of deer feed lol

[@fenderbenderxaddo5974]

You speak truth! Why is it that I can’t convince the people I hunt with that this is real? I’m gonna share this video and see if they will listen to you. Probably not, they’re not that smart!

[@th9539]

As always....Don keeps it simple and sticks to the facts derived from years of trial and error (aka experience)

[@dennismitchell5010]

100% agree. I try to just hunt my stand a couple of times a season.

[@drumandball]

Totally believe this idea! So many guys turn their property into a playground for hunters and not a habitat for deer

[@montemaguire4596]

How about public land ??

[@chasinggiantswithhigginsou6147]

sounds like a good topic for another video!

[@ronbrown8559]

If what you are saying is true, and I believe it is then why would anyone hunt public ground! People everywhere jumping deer every other day leaving scent everywhere! And that’s all you hear today is Hunt Public Ground! Total waste of time in my opinion! With six trucks in the parking lot why would I want to be number seven! Crazy!

[@xkoldfuzionx]

I couldn't agree with you more. Only problem is, we share hunting rights with an old timer that can't seem to figure that out and is always walking the property year round, even scouting during hunting seasons. We deal with what we have as most of us are forced to do.

[@WorkingClassBowhunter]

This is great. Love this topic. Thanks for the video!

[@dukeman7595]

Deer need access to good cover for bedding, water and food. They also will not remain in an area with high populations of coyotes; this means controlling the predator's, controlled burning and maintaining food plots. Check out Dr. Grant Woods from Branson, Missouri he has some excellent footage.

[@sethrooker5144]

Couldn’t agree more! Great insight on this simple reminder. Over pressure is so detrimental.

[@zombiekiller5568]

Can I get a it's about time...when you hunt State Park none of that stuff works. I've owned 20 acres 15 years that I only hunt ( two weeks only) in November your strategy is true that's why I hunt State Park. Because opening day I'm ready to go to the woods.

[@bobbyshields7682]

The actual secret is thousands of private acres with low pressure and a deep pocket book. Anyone can kill big bucks with that scenario. Advice isn't universally applicable.

[@budt525]

Trail cameras save a lot of big bucks. You have to change batteries . You run out of space on your sd card. Hunters just have to check them regularly. They just can't help themselves.

[@ES-lh1tj]

FINALLY!!! Someone with the absolute right answer!!...unlike that idiot from Whitetail Habitat Solutions who constantly plays on his property like a jungle gym. STAY OFF YOUR PROPERTY AND YOU"LL SHOOT BIG BUCKS! It works for me on all my properties.

[@TheIceman101]

Good stuff, I do the same on my property.

[@ryanfarmer5155]

My deer season is about 12 to 15 days long tops, I don't hit the woods until last week of October, hunt the November days with right winds, I stay out all October basically, I never go close to bedding and I hunt outsides. I kill my buck every year. This year I tagged out my first hunt evening hunt, October 31st. Dons right on point

[@alexkulik3978]

He gives very good advise, however he leaves out one important factor, The Rut. A big Buck loves the security of undisturbed bedding area, but when the Rut kicks in, he maybe 4-5 miles away chasing hot Does. If he survives the peak of the Rut and isn’t killed, he may return to the security of his undisturbed bedding area. IMHO, you must include Does in your strategy as well. If your property won’t hold Does, then big Bucks have no reason to to be there during the Rut.

[@davidtpierce]

HALLELUJAH Don. !!!!! It took me awhile to actually "Adhere" to this same mindset. But I Promise you that the very same year that I did I noticed a Big difference and now that I've made it a Priority it gets better every year .!!! I've taken some of my "great idea" in the wood food plots and planted them in switchgrass, miscanthus and shrubs for bedding and STAYED THE HECK OUT.....And now, I do exactly what you mentioned and hunt the edges as they head/come to my food plots. Thanks for the Best advice ever!!!!!!

[@hancharik6678]

I got a really nice place to hunt.. but i got quads and random people all through it. Everytime i get a good buck on camera i get people walking a trail scouting or doing something stupid & never see it again.

[@jimnesbitt9596]

Right on !

[@Djsweepaman]

#1 way to kill mature bucks. Setup within 100 yards of his bed.

[@outside2585]

I get this and want to abide by it, I just can't seem to identify prime buck zones on my 500 acres. it's such thick backwoods, there's no rhyme or reason it seems. But this is definitely sound advice. Thanks!

[@nickwest1476]

Don't have anything close to those size of deer you just showed. Don't know anything about you, but all I see is let me manage your property. It gets old with everyone saying " Give me your money!" I love to sit in a tree but hate commercialization of something that's suppose to be a tradition not a business! Working class guy like me has to live where I hunt bc I can't afford to drive everywhere and drag stuff in and out all the time. Im not 20!

[@williambowfishing]

Ted Miller has killed many big mature deer over horizontal rubs. BUT ...he's not in there all the like your talking about which I 100% agree

[@ronny8383able]

Agree 110%

[@hoythunter4853]

Thumbs up or thumbs down? I literally cannot decide. A little over the top against other methods that work but also it makes sense. Especially, if you stick with the point he's really intending to make. I haven't watched his other videos but will check them out. In the end, no button push from me. I do think it encouraged me to be even more cautious this year. Thanks!

[@chasinggiantswithhigginsou6147]

I did acknowledge that those other tactics work to a degree but when you are hunting 5 and 6 year old bucks the rules change. Thanks for watching!

[@hoythunter4853]

@@chasinggiantswithhigginsou6147 thanks for the fast reply! Agree, you did acknowledge them. I think overall, I followed your point. Well taken by me too. Maybe it will help me. There's some 190s on my permission properties, I hope to get.

[@mattd8411]

Agree 100 percent people don't realize how smart and private these bucks are. I have a few places I won't even hunt till its the rut seems like it pays off. Thanks for the video.

[@v10squirrel]

I think you need daily human activity or none. IE golf course some have big deer don’t mind the humans or none as you say. 3 weeks before your hunter kills it every time

[@mlcatfish75]

Simple but very good advice!

[@boblangeland1333]

So when do you start? Opening day of bow, mid October, end of October. 1 week before gun? How much pressure is too much?

[@mikeguy9668]

What youre saying works on private. On public you do your research, hunt the weather and go in where they live. Ive killed my biggest on my 1st sit

[@JoeMilesMWT]

Great video Don....100%.....it’s amazing how quickly a great property can go down hill when guys are in there all the time “ making it better”....thanks for sharing!

[@lloydholt324]

I have had some realy nice bucks on my an then there gone an we dont go on our property alot when we no there in here i am pretty sure that my neighbor has been slipping in here on my property bumping the bucks out thats shitty but i thought that is whats scaring the big bucks out

[@lloydholt324]

Thats write blame the neighbor when you have video so dont you say any thing to me again

[@DanShimer]

I agree with leaving the middle alone and hunting the edges! The more you visit areas the less likely it is to see the mature deer.

[@bradleybrauning2397]

Very true advise. Pressure is the number one key, especially for a small parcel of property.

[@james4598]

I haven't hunted in 3 yrs ltil 3 yrs ago messed up first 2 yrs this year I was in woods only 20 yrs and killed small 7 point buck stay way from center of woods I found out let them come to you

[@mattwilkie9713]

3:04 I've never thought to try a horizontal scrape... Genius!

[@jennawhitt7925]

This is true… however have you noticed places where people are in everyday such as hospital properties, parks, etc the deer are abundant and fearless of humans… so do you just keep your sent around all year and allow your deer to get comfortable with human scent and associate it with something positive such as food ?

[@DavidGonzalez-ek3zh]

Absolutely true!!! Great stuff.

[@tywarden5426]

We had a buck with drop times on both sides and they both split into 2 we counted atleast 18 points main frame not counting his drops

[@chopperchopper1418]

Go into a bucks' main bedding area. If he knows that , he'll move away and pay alimony.

[@mrnova5769]

Respect a man that tells it how it is. What you see is what you get.. I subscribed the internet needs more like him

[@coopshomestead4176]

I enjoyed. Thinking how to apply to some public land.

[@kennylainhart7148]

Amen!!!! Great Great advice 👍

[@davidredford3111]

Been trying in new York will never happen I'm in North country to many hunters they shoot everything got neighbors who shoot all the spikes

[@michaellavazza960]

Ted Miller has giants on his horizontal rubs every year...

[@chasinggiantswithhigginsou6147]

and I have giants on rope scrapes every year. That isnt the point. I acknowledge in the video that horizontal rubs work. The question is, does Mr Miller SHOOT BIG MATURE BUCKS over his horizontal rubs year after year. Getting photos of giants and killing them are two different things. Thank you for the comment; I knew this topic would come up.

[@michaellavazza960]

Higgins Outdoors he has opportunity yes but passes a lot. I mean it’s like your rope scrapes guys will be putting those up and cameras. I agree w your principle...I hunt public and the key is finding secure bedding, staying out of it and getting in/out undetected!

[@iowajohn883]

Ted Miller shoots giants more often than any “professional “ from Illinois. Guy is a monster slayer and nobody is more humble about than him

[@chasinggiantswithhigginsou6147]

@@iowajohn883 this isnt a "bash Ted Miller" video. I dont know him so I dont have any opinion about him whatsoever or his hunting tactics. The true message of this video is spot on. I promote rope-scrapes (versus horizontal rubs) but you know how many bucks I have shot over rope scrapes? ZERO! I simply use them for gathering buck inventory info and place them out on the edges and not in the heart of a property. I have absolutelty no idea how Mr Miller uses horizontal rubs but if he is killing giants year after year I would bet he isnt stomping into a bucks bedroom and jacking with them on a regular basis. Again, this video has absolutely nothing to do with Ted Miller but has a very solid message. Thank you for watching and commenting.

[@sethpayne9616]

I just read these comments and I would like to add that Ted Miller's horizontal rub set up does appear on video to be right on the edge of bedding cover next to open field. So Mr Higgins concept is spot on! Thanks for the FREE info sir, some of us really appreciate it!

[@stanleymachowski7066]

shot more nice deer on a new place becuse i had no sent there, over hunt a place you will see less deer

[@gregorioswood2380]

Good advice, if you own a big piece of private deer property, not sure that covers many of us hunters.

[@marvinmcafee4275]

Really appreciate the fact you get to the point an don't drag things on forever

[@jimmyperez5881]

Love this sir thank ya

[@jonathanfunnell4167]

BEAUTIFUL DEER

[@rodneyharrison7107]

Sounds to me you need a property that works for you. Some of us just got use what we got. Even if it is less than ideal?