As a traditional bow hunter who hunts from the ground in Wisconsin, I see guy's blaming crossbow's, food plots, cameras, and multiple other things for our lack of quality deer, but it is my opinion, it is the hunters themselves who are to blame, not the weapon or food plot or cameras , years ago when we had a quality heard with many mature deer, you could only shoot one deer with your archery tag, an adult buck or a doe, and an adult buck with your gun tag. My archery license this year includes 1 buck tag, 3 free doe tags which includes bucks with antlers measuring less than 3 inches, and the option to buy more for $12.00 each, I no longer gun hunt, but the gun license has the same harvest limits and extended seasons, it is not uncommon during gun season to see snowmobile trailers full of young deer on the highway, many of them buck fawns shot with doe tags. The same guy this year complaining of not seeing many deer, is the same guy who shot 6 last year. Just because the state issues so many tags does not mean we need to fill them all, we must self regulate. Remember the extra 3 doe's you shoot this year, is likely 9 less deer next year, and a few of them may be buck's.

@jimpeters7931

8 ай бұрын

You are very correct sir!

@martymiller6565

7 ай бұрын

Very well said. I couldn't agree more. I get so sick of hearing about the issues with crossbows. I dont personally use them, but I dont think it matters at all if someone does.

I listen every episode. I actually run back old episodes all week while I am working. Keep it up, This is my first year hunting, yes I am using a crossbow. I 100% agree with your views on the crossbow front. It was the easiest way to start. I am switching hard to a compound and honestly and have no desire to gun hunt. Shot my first vertical bow this weekend and I am hooked. Great content, eclectic , yall cover everything. Great job.

@buckydoedowner9040

8 ай бұрын

No need to watch old episodes their all the same... "CROSSBOWSWHAAAAAAAAAAA" hahaha

Welcome to the Midwest dude. Hunter numbers are not declining no matter what your local dnr tells you

This episode is the best one yet. Lots of very valid issues that a lot of hunters just will not recognize or be open minded enough to understand & get on board with.

Can you guys make a short of Don comparing using a crossbow to men in women sports …. 😂 that was great !

@HUNTRPOD

8 ай бұрын

Oh it will happen lol

@thebowtroll

8 ай бұрын

Love it !

@nbhewlett

8 ай бұрын

Perfect analogy lol

@backlund5

8 ай бұрын

I disagree. Don Higgins couldn’t kill a fawn on highly pressured public land with a crossbow. Anyone could kill a deer at the petting zoos little Donny hunts on. I wish THP would bring back the Public Land Challenge and invite Donny boy to participate. It would be comical watching this clown in the woods.

@TheAmericanKid94

7 ай бұрын

Show me on the doll where he touched you.

It’s my first year hunting… I’m 36 year old, women. Rifle hunting… all next weekend. But, I really want to be in the woods more. A compound bow is definitely gonna be my Christmas present to myself 😂 Excited to learn archery and how to navigate the woods! Hoping to harvest a nice doe this year for the freezer! Hunting Missouri public land!

There’s a reason this is resonating with so many. U 3 have found the words so many hunters have felt for decades!! Your point: The dudes that truly care BUT don’t benefit from making things better for everyone is so spot on!!! The “haters” with any silly objections don’t realize u r their best friends!!! 🤯🤔🧐😜🥳 Last: there’s no doubt in my mind this message & discussion is rippling through hunting world. Revolution to make the Midwest great again is underway!!! Keep it up!! 🫵👍👊💪

Hunting in general is becoming a rich mans sport

I’m just here for the crossbow debates

@rodneypeck197

8 ай бұрын

😂😂

@user-sp9hy8tq4j

8 ай бұрын

There is no debate ! It’s not archery

@douglasborgaro6801

8 ай бұрын

@user-9hp Your opinion as law? Sorry, doesn’t work like that.

@Buckeyebeliever66

7 ай бұрын

It’s just your opinion, have them change the law if you can’t take it, less deer get wounded with crossbows then with long bows

Of all the podcasts i listen too your is the one i really pay attention too. I can relate to what your saying as im a large landowner in the midwest. The experience for me is what im after but i can imagine having to hunt public...id quit and go do something else myself. Keep talking these issues and i tell my wife how lucky we are to be in our position. Funny as i started listening tonight a D4 got delivered to my farm for work in the morning...trails and getting my skid steer unstuck. Im interested in your Illinois gig as im looking to buy there myself. Looking for a good neighborhood too buy into and manage for big deer...

@HUNTRPOD

8 ай бұрын

Great to hear man and appreciate the support. We have to keep talking about the good and bad

What is more challenging for an “able bodied” person to accomplish? Driving a side by side to a box blind over a food plot on highly managed private property and killing a deer with a compound or walking 1.5 miles into rugged public land and killing a deer with a crossbow? Which one of these hunting styles is more comparable to a male athlete trying to participate in woman’s sports?

Great interview fellas. Regarding baiting, I've hunted Texas and Oklahoma my whole life. We've rarely killed mature bucks over bait. These deer typically hit it at night. And we have done food plots last few years. Had more success on bucks over a plot. On private land, whats the difference between a feeder and a food plot? Seems very similar when it comes to making harvesting easier/more attractive to deer.

@jesserichardson2519

7 ай бұрын

The difference between food plots and feeders (in Wisconsin): Grow a corn field and also throw a gallon of corn on the ground and watch as the deer ignore the standing corn for the gallon of corn. Does can't resist the free meal, and where they go, during the rut, bucks go. I too have my doubts that your average hunter is shooting mature bucks on bait piles during legal shooting hours. However, nothing screws up deer travel routes like bait piles. Baiting can completely undermine land manager efforts. Sitting over bait piles as a young kid was nice because it guaranteed seeing deer in big woods areas. It was also legal (northern WI). As an adult, I have no interest in sitting over bait piles, nor is it legal in the counties I hunt now. Although I have shot mature bucks on food plots, I much prefer hunting them in their natural environments like swamps and marshes. I enjoy the act of hunting as much as I enjoy harvesting mature bucks.

Don Higgins comin with the heat!!!!!

Man you guys get it. Thank you so much for what you’re doing! I’ve hunted for 17 years and I’m now 25. I watched GA go from amazing when I was a kid, to an unbelievable struggle for harvesting mature bucks when baiting became legal. Sure anyone can now kill 3.5-4.5 year old bucks if you pay enough money and have enough time to put out literal tons of corn. But the age structure and number of bucks in general in Georgia has been decimated. I’m joining this fight with you guys.

What I love most about xbow hunting is being able pull out my xbow from the closet on the morning of my first hunt (which I know is sighted in since it killed a giant buck last year with it), grab my bottle of deer stand whiskey, and head out into the woods for some 100 yard shot glory from one of my box blinds). Sometimes I use my phone (between sips of whiskey) on stand to watch some elite-practice-all-year-vertical-bow types turn their noses up at 3.5 year old deer and repeatedly wound / lose booner bucks…..at least the deer had a fair chance to escape to their coyote chewed up fate. Meanwhile every public piece of land gets driven by shoulder to shoulder blaze orange brown its down hunters (and even they are blaming xbow hunters for not seeing enough big bucks). I tip my whiskey bottle in all of your general directions from my private hunting preserve! Cheers!

Nothing these guys say will make a change. As for crossbows, the argument is over with. Crossbows are not going anywhere.

Here in Ontario I haven't known anything different then crossbow in the archery season now they have improved huge in the last 15 years.I use a crossbow have since I was 12 but also have a recurve I only hunt weekends. Yous have alot of good points and differently understand where yous are coming from.

@mikeborkovic2982

8 ай бұрын

I'm from Ontario to I hunt crossbow and compound love them both and I'm for both. Personally think there's still same amount in effort to harvest a deer area setup wind patterning etc still have to have them in archery range.

@odin7682

7 ай бұрын

Yeah man crossbows have been part of archery season in Ontario since at least the 1990s here (i only know this cus my dad was big into it back then) way way before crossbows that "shoot 100 yards" (can't say I know anyone who'd attempt that shot with a crossbow or compound). I still have some of my dad's old crossbows they were nothing but a peep and a few brass pins to aim with. Haven't really seen a negative effect of xbows here. That said we get 1 tag to use in every season not several and the vast majority of hunters in ontario are gun season only. Where I'm at there's practically Noone hunting in bow season its all gun hunting bait piles, deer drives and dogs. Yeah the deer get spooky after that but you just have to adapt and become a better hunter to counter balance that.

Excellent podcast 👏

There's a good article from back in the day about Aaron warbrittons uncles getting permission on 20 acres in Illinois and all tagging giants the has somewhat covered it

This was great, would you guys ever get involved with any PA regulations in terms of trying to hire a lobbyist or speak with legislators? I also must say that the livestream last night was great and I would enjoy those from time to time, good luck the rest of the way to Jared in Illinois

Crossbow you may have a slight advantage but by no means do we have a leaps and bounds.

Great topics, I hate baiting as well, but still put out some corn feeders, lol.

Oh man I just asked for this one! Gonna start my Jeremy saying mmhmm drinking game😂😂

@HUNTRPOD

8 ай бұрын

It’s guaranteed to get you drunk

As a PA resident who hunts both private and public but specifically targets 3.5 and older bucks (and anymore I pretty much pass them up) I am all about trying to improve the age structure in PA. 100% agree with the crossbow stance of if you’re a jr, sr, military, or handicap limitation by all means use it. I’ve also been in favor of moving our gun season to shotguns like Ohio (unfortunately I think that would never fly). But I think limiting crossbows would help tremendously and if someone we went from centerfire rifles to like shotguns we would start to see some huge improvements in our buck structure. Ultimately I would love to chat with people and help push our buck structure to a better class. And I know many compound bow hunters who feel the same but probably are afraid to speak their mind about crossbow hunting in PA

@douglasborgaro6801

8 ай бұрын

@sharwright What you aren’t acknowledging is that crossbows now hold the majority. You join them in their seasons not the other way around. In more than half the states in the country, 60-70% of the deer taken in the archery seasons are taken with crossbows. Good luck to you in your rallying.

@shaewright2123

8 ай бұрын

Pretty sure PA was doing just fine before they allowed crossbows to general public.

@douglasborgaro6801

8 ай бұрын

@shae Naturally you’re ready to pounce on the crossbows as the fault. The reason people like you always loose the argument is because of the numerous facts found by over half the states in the country for over 30 years. It just doesn’t back up your ideas. I suspect you verify your information with your “ole trick knee.” The weapon you choose does not have such an impact regarding crossbow use.

@HUNTRPOD

8 ай бұрын

Listen this is a lose lose argument, if crossbows continue to expand, compound guys will continue to spend stupid amounts of money leasing and buying land to insulate themselves from them. Cutting access more and more. Basically you’ll either have to own/family land or be able to afford $100/ac hunting lease. Otherwise you are on public with a guy around every corner. Bottom line is there is a major issue in this hunting community and something has to change

@douglasborgaro6801

8 ай бұрын

@HUNTR I still don’t know if you are aware of this, but there really is no more argument. What I mean, vertical bow hunters are in the minority. This includes PA. If you want to change things you must understand that your ideas are in opposition to the majority. I think you misunderstand the facts. As I said before, there has been more than 30 years of study on crossbow use. The studies have clearly shown again and again that state kill totals haven’t changed in the states that allowed crossbows for all. You are giving crossbows too much credit. They do not account for more success than vertical bows. Fact! I know you don’t like them, but it doesn’t change anything. By by the current count, 28 states now allow full inclusion of crossbows. In time, there will be more. Issues that threaten deer involve length of seasons with firearms, food quality and supply, invasive species and disease and another issue is harvesting bucks to does. Wouldn’t you know, too many of you wise guys in PA are not shooting enough does! There are people who look to blame anything or everything on crossbows. There is plenty of evidence to oppose those ideas and dispose of them. That is another reason why anti-crossbow people always loose the debate. The facts that have been found include: 1. State kill totals haven’t changed. 2. Not taking all the good bucks. 3. Not causing other hunters to quit. 4. No detrimental effect on the deer. 5. Not causing more poaching. State after state has found the same thing by actually collecting the data, as opposed to formulating hasty conclusions based on their trick knee. And this is part of why crossbows have taken over.

All I hear is you complaining about is crossbows

@buckydoedowner9040

8 ай бұрын

Well your ears work great, thats all they do. Its like their mom use to beat them with one.

@HUNTRPOD

8 ай бұрын

Is it possible because they are the root of the hunting issue in the US?

@buckydoedowner9040

8 ай бұрын

@@HUNTRPOD Only in your opinion. Your opinion dont matter much.

@Bullets4Bucks

8 ай бұрын

​@HUNTRPOD literally the most uneducated, narrow-minded comment.

I agree 110% about the crossbows but the earn buck thing is not good for heard in my opinion. I’m from SE Indiana and we used to have some of the best hunting in country but so not much anymore. Once Indiana introduced crossbows,high power rifles and unlimited doe tags our heard went downhill quick. Our mature buck heard has went down hill cause we don’t have the does to give birth to the bucks.

Food prices have also impacted hunters as well. I know myself many hunters who are hunting no longer as a sport but to now feed their families. They need to fill their freezers to supplement food prices. They will shoot anything even if it means clear an entire area out. This is a new big problem only getting worse.

Compound guys that hate on crossbows crack me up. Meanwhile theyre usually running a dozen or more cellular cameras and hunting properties where there is practically no competition from other hunters. But hey.. you're all about the challenge right 🤣

@vonster4117

7 ай бұрын

They are about the challenge. That’s why they don’t like crossbows during the entire archery season. Archery season is for the dedicated who enjoy the challenge of closing a mature buck within 30 yards. You add crossbows to that and it just encourages the less dedicated hunters to go out cause it’s nearly like using a shotgun. If crossbows are going to be allowed it needs to be narrowed to a smaller timeframe. Not the entire archery season.

@bennyjankins4856

7 ай бұрын

@vonster4117 OK Robinhood. If you like using a compound, then use one. 👍If you want a challenge, then hunt public land where you have to compete against other hunters instead of hunting farmed half tame bucks that are fed their whole life.

@vonster4117

7 ай бұрын

@@bennyjankins4856 I hunt both. Don’t hate just cause you’re too lazy to put in the effort it takes to kill mature deer with a bow.

@bennyjankins4856

7 ай бұрын

@@vonster4117 I use both too.

@bennyjankins4856

7 ай бұрын

@@vonster4117 and you have no idea what I've shot. 🤪

What about states that it's illegal to hunt over bait but can feed them year round? I know in TN it's illegal to hunt over bait but I've heard of people feeding the deer to hold them on the property. I believe the rule is 300 yards away from any bait but don't hold me to that. Just curious on yalls thoughts

I hunt one day a week because of work. What would making me shoot 2 does solve? Absolutely nothing except you hate guys hunting weekends getting it done when they can. I get one buck every few years if I’m lucky in NJ. This hating people that hunt weekends is insane

Talk about honesty, alot of the outdoor industry are scammers that hunt everyday on their private land and try to tell the working man how to hunt on his only day off and scam people with land consulting when they could just watch KZread

I focus on hunting areas that are close to a anti hunter that has some woodland because it makes the hunting better all around there!

Just look to Louisiana if you want to see what making it all easier does to deer hunting. I was part of a group trying to stop the state from letting in crossbows. We were ignored due to all the money the state knew it was going to bring in by allowing crossbows. Letting crossbows in didn't make much of an impact until the new compact style came out. It was game on then. That said, the state deciding to boost "primitive firearms" license sales by allowing big bore crack barrel rifles into the season was worse. There isn't a soul in LA that hunts with a real muzzloader anymore. There was very few to begin with. Now every single rifle hunter has a "primitive" weapon. Well, they didn't shorten the seasons to handle the pressure, and the final nail was put in the coffin. Big bucks are hard to come by unless you are on a large tract of private. They were once plentiful on public and now they are very hard to come by. Overall deer numbers are down significantly too. The hunting here has never been even close to the same.

My hope is every deer hunter in the great 🇺🇸 would listen 2 this Podcast. Truth hurts, but U guys nailed it! Thx. 4 what u guys do

@HUNTRPOD

8 ай бұрын

Appreciate it man

@brianherzfeldt6296

8 ай бұрын

So just to be clear you Guys are not in the hunting industry for the money? Don said he was not and willing to help the young guys out. Yet his consulting fees are some of the highest I have seen at 10,000 for a visit.

@daveyboy8907

8 ай бұрын

its always about the money unfortunately .@@brianherzfeldt6296

Trying to find a 125” buck in the heart of big buck country SE Minnesota on public harder than I thought it was going to be. Just trying to find deer

@HUNTRPOD

8 ай бұрын

Yea man it comes back to do you settle or stick to a hard to achieve goal? It’s not an easy answer

I'm glad to be from Iowa

How big is the new farm in illinois. ? Great episode.

2 years ago in southwest Wisconsin I passed on 20 acres of timber for $4500/acre because I thought it was too high priced. This summer I won an auction on 40 acres of timber for $5700/acre. The sellers were pissed because the neighbor got $9500/acre for theirs but the neighbor had good timber, they had ash bore and oak wilt. They countered me at $7500/acre and I passed. Ended up buying 40 acres just north of there for $8000/acre. $9500-$10000 is not uncommon for rec land up here right now.

@jimpeters7931

8 ай бұрын

Is a deer worth $90,000?

Love the show and listen quite a bit. My question is (and maybe I missed it) have numbers increased for harvest of deer? You dis crossbows a lot for able bodied folks which I use a compound but why does it matter? If harvest numbers haven’t went up dramatically and there’s still lots of big bucks harvested in our state, (Ohio)why change it? Again, I would be in favor of a crossbow season.

I'm a poor working man I have a compound and crossbow, can I hunt your one of your private farms with my compound?

Don said that problem in hunting industry that all about the money. Well he part of problem then because that how he make his money form his Sponsors realworld his masters hunting Academy masters class and Drawing up plans on people's hunting properties for money .lol

@HUNTRPOD

8 ай бұрын

I get the misunderstanding, but it’s the companies lobbying for new laws or new hunters that creates more money for them. Don mainly markets to existing hunters

You guys are disgusting putting down other hunters way of hunting then claiming your helping the greater good why would you try to get any strategy banned if it works for people if you don't wanna hunt a particular way that's fine but to ban something because you don't agree with is just gross

@Bullets4Bucks

8 ай бұрын

Dudes are so entitled and ignorant

I agree with Don on the crossbow....

26 years ago I fell while hunting alone. It was haloween. Spent the night in the woods. Was found the next morning helicoptered out. Life changed.

Baiting isn't the only issue in Ohio, they also need to regulate out-of-state hunters like Kansas and Iowa have. This isn't a slam against out-of-state hunters.

@JH-lc8xd

6 ай бұрын

Yes I agree. Here in ohio we sell at least 40K non resident deer licenses every year. I too hunt other states like a lot of people but it needs to be more regulated here.

Fair question but the whole first 3rd of this podcast was 3 three dudes talking about how their fighting the fight on the Frontline for the guys that benefit from it but aren't doing anything. But I never heard mentioned exactly what you are doing? Don was on the board 10 years ago......ok....

Love the cast, question for y’all. Let’s say they ban crossbow or do something about it. Is it a better option ethically? I’m pro-vertical all day and will be till I can’t but my worry is people will buy a bow sight it in and call it a day. We all no it takes consistency and practice to shoot a real bow ethically so are we now having more wounded deer? More carelessness? I hate crossbows but atleast for the people who don’t have time to practice cuz they work so much or are just lazy there not making matters worse in a way. Just a thought. Appreciate you guys

Bang up job fellas. Awesome podcast keep ‘em rolling!

You guys should get Mitch Rompola on the show. I bet he could teach us all a thing or 2.

I took a good listen to this and I’ve got some things I would like to see change in Illinois. I’m currently a resident have been my whole life. I believe it needs to be a one buck state and farmers around this area are greedy. They take out fence row after fence row so they can get, two more rows of crops in that’s insane by the time my grandkids get my age there won’t be no mature bucks around even if there’s any places to even hunt

Have a question if they made baiting Ileagal in OH tomorrow would you eliminate your food plots?? I mean that would even out the crossbow kills🤔 Also bot use trail Cameras because remember we are somehow making hunting easier

PA should have seperate crossbow and archery seasons. It should be shorter than regular archery. Every tree has a ladderstand with a crossbow hunter in it now. If you want hunt with an easier weapon, you should get a shorter season.

Don, spot on with crossbow comments These guys in my opinion aren't real hunters and don't respect the animals at all --they just want to kill and be cocky about shooting something your really not passionate about. For me just seeing a mature buck at close range is a victory.

I'm not sure our hunting realities match up much but seeing that Miguel's water bottle gave me flashbacks to my youth!

@HUNTRPOD

8 ай бұрын

It’s the spot!

Where I live my road is goes from private to public land. Unfortunately I'm in the public land end of the road. The private land is over run with deer. All season they are in the fields. I'm lucky, very lucky to see a 2.5yo buck or even doe. All that private land doesn't do squat for my deer hunting. So when I pull the trigger on a 4pt I really don't have much choice if I want a deer.

8000 only wish it's 30000 to 45000 here in Midwestern Ontario

Say it louder for the people in the back Don! Get crossbows out of archery season.😊

@HUNTRPOD

8 ай бұрын

Hahaha

These guys got half the facts from "trust me bro"

I live in Ohio and things definitely have to change here. Baiting, crossbows and any out of stater being main issues. My buddy hunts private n baits I refuse to do it on the 1 piece of private I hunt...not sporting at all...shooting fish in a barrel....I hunt almost exclusively public land. He wines about not seeing enough deer n sees 10+ a day....would never make it on public as pressured as it is lol I can rant for days but great job fellas saying what everyone else wants to say

Great episode, you boys are definitely doing it right

You guys better start a patreon as I hear DH is going to start charging 10 k per podcast..

I’m from Wisconsin and if I remember this right, I believe Dan Infalt mentioned this too, with earn a buck in our area SE WI you could shoot a doe, shoot a buck, shoot a doe, shoot a buck and so on. I think there was an unlimited amount of deer you could shoot for a while here. So unless that earn a buck was regulated that is also a bad idea. The problem with WI is our genetics in southern WI are so good no one passes a 3.5 year old buck. I know WI would be better than Iowa if we would let our bucks get older. Great podcast as usual guys.

@douglasborgaro6801

8 ай бұрын

Wisconsin is number one in Boone & Crockett Whitetails for the last 100+ years.

@jimpeters7931

8 ай бұрын

You could never shoot more than 2 bucks. 1 archery season, 1 gun season

@jimpeters7931

8 ай бұрын

No Wisconsin will never touch Iowa. First, 1/3 of the state has no ag, so nutrition isn't there. 2nd genetics aren't there except the hills of Western Wisconsin and an occasional beast elsewhere in the state. 3rd, way to many hunters, both resident and non resident on way to small of land parcels. 2 or 3 guys on every 40 isn't exactly big buck success. I laugh everytime these so called experts who have access to 1000's of acres of limited access land try to tell everyone else how we should do it. I'll gladly trade places with Dan anyway and if he kills monsters where I hunt, then he is the real deal

In conclusion..... work hard and buy as much land as possible.

Yeah I live in eastPalestine and I can say Eastliver pool is quite the crack head hotspot. Furthest I go is Calcutta sheets

Upstate NY would be 10x better if we didn’t have a rifle season from end of October to second week of December

I’ve had 8-10 Random giant Pyrenees’s dogs running through my timber. The last week. So bad I hate to say this but it may also become open season. Because I’ve already talked to all the neighbors, and everyone has seen them, no one claims them. So I’m assuming wild pack. N these dogs are almost as big As my mature deer. It’s nuts, how every year at this time, the dog numbers explode on my cameras.

Consider doing an episode with "Death by Bungie." He is from Pennsylvania and is a crossbow hunter. Would be an awesome conversation/ debate.

@derekstone6320

7 ай бұрын

He's great

Real men dont cheat by hunting private land... thats worse than using a crossbows

Facts about crossbows are just facts. We gotta deal in our own ways. Facts are facts. Crossbows are a different animal. Sometimes way different hunters handle them. Can't cry

I don’t think there are anywhere remotely close to enough hunters with enough money to influence property prices to the degree they have changed. I think the real culprit here is interest rates and tax policy that have driven those people with money to purchasing real estate rather than investing in other things. Add a few years of high grain prices on to that where those same people then expect to get high rent for their acres, and they become willing to spend $10-$15,000 per acre in Illinois and Iowa and northern Missouri. If it was the high grain prices alone, you’re not going to be able to pay off $15,000 per acre even at six dollar corn in a reasonable timeframe. It must be outside investors driving land prices.

Here is a good one Jeremy. Just off the top of my head the bucks killed in my small hometown northern lower Michigan 15-1 crossbows to compounds killed all the bucks. And all of of them over a truckload of sugarbeet corn pile. The baiting ban is a joke. 99% of the deer taken in northern Michigan is over bait. They need to ban the sale of bait and put a $10,000 fine on anyone selling it.

@mikeborkovic2982

8 ай бұрын

Lol I call bs and that whole comment. I don't bait but know people who do..big bucks don't come running out to eat corn in a pile it just doesn't work like that. And crossbows and modern compounds are not much different other then I one has to draw back. I hunt with both compound and crossbow. Having a scope doesn't do much at 20 30 40 yards. I can see and I am just as accurate with my compound as I am with my crossbow...

@justinkelley4984

8 ай бұрын

@@mikeborkovic2982 believe whatever you want I know for a fact big mature bucks still make mistakes over bait piles in the right location conditions. And a scope on a crossbow sure as hell helps out in longer distances and right at dark or right after dark when these guys are shooting these big ones.

Need to go after leasing. Lease prices drives up rec land buyer prices. Wildlife on private property is still technically a state resource in all 50. It's illegal to pay someone to hunt their property in Alberta when I hunted there 2018. Go after the leases

@thetrooper1061

8 ай бұрын

Never understood how private land owners can essentially sell the right to hunt state game animals. Without leases you would only have permission ground, and if the owners won't allow hunting at all without payment bam...no hunting property and more big bucks. This would also give land owners incentive to enroll their property in walk on hunting programs...Not hating on private land I own a farm in OH.

@HUNTRPOD

8 ай бұрын

This is a topic we talk about allll the time. I think again the insulation from liberal laws is driving up leasing demand and costs

this is Oliver

1st class whitetails of Ohio leasing that ground up like crazy! Rutland Ohio

The idea that the public land Hunter using a crossbow has an unfair advantage over guys who spend 100s thousands on private ground or leases and food plots is absolutely Fing hilarious. The deer farmer bubble is strong in this podcast. Ask the tracking guys in the North East, the guys hunting deer on Prince of Wales Alaska, Zone A in California or Roesevelt Elk in Washington and Oregon if they think deer hunting over private land with food plots is serious hunting All of these groups would laugh People hunt in different ways The deer farmer community isn’t in a position to be judgy or play tough guy in the hunting community. In fact they are towards the bottom right above rifle hunters over corn piles in Texas private land hunting. BTW I would and do all these styles just pointing out the obvious deer hunting private in Midwest isn’t the sport of the most hard ass hunters

@ritualghost

8 ай бұрын

I mean their point is valid though that overhunting for longer periods of time on public has driven people to spending money on leases/purchasing land that probably wouldn't have

Glad y’all had Don back on.

Your stance on crossbows is spot on. I do believe we need a earn a buck in places where there are way to many deer. With all the states that have check in through a app all they have to do is add a camera feature and you have to take a picture of the deer and it would be time stamped and dated. But breaking a culture on shooting does is bad is going to be hard. I’ve done control hunts where that was main intentions was shooting does and the states offers free buck tags through a lottery on the same hunt and once them names are drawn that morning there’s always a bunch of older guys that get up and leave why not hunt your already there?

As a new hunter i dont understand what you guys are saying, what exactly makes shooting a doe so much more of a chore than shooting a buck?

I’m a land owner but confused on why he said non land owners have most to gain. How in the hell is that ? The non land owners have the least to gain , they don’t have the money to buy property or they would and would definitely have most to gain.

What’s crazy to me, is that the more gear the industry sales, whether it be crossbows, compound bows, rifles, camo, license, whatever, means more hunters = more sales, but in turn these more hunting numbers effect the deer herd in a negative way, because it’s supply and demand, more hunters, more gear sold, more deer killed. What happens to these industry sales when all the deer are gone? Or the numbers are shit. Truthfully, If I was salesman, owner, producer, manufacturer of hunting gear. I’d prefer selling this amount of merchandise/gear every year from now on. 100% over selling a higher amount in a short time frame of sale say the next 50 years, when the limited resources (deer herd) runs out. It’s simple supply and demand. More deer=more hunters=more sales! Less deer=less hunters due to less experiences=less sales. I would want to believe n think most of industry, would be the top level conservationists. If not to do anything but to increase and extend there sales over a longer period and of time. I mean put antler restrictions, earn a buck system. Limit the state to state residents only. Something. I mean here in ky, they allowed crossbows this year, during archery, which I do disagree with but, where it use to have only a 10 day or season, n be only for those with disabilities or senior citizen, but they shortened the archery season by a month, instead of Feb 28th it stops, mid jan like the 20th. So they tried to balance it out. Gun season its like 15 days and it’s 2nd week of nov every year. N it’s a 1 buck state. N 2 does with archery only, unless in a zone 1 county. So they done things to even it out. But is it enough? I myself buy a sportsman’s license every single year. I haven’t killed a buck since 2015ish. Because I’m looking for that older age class. 4-5 year olds only. This year I haven’t even been in the woods, I’m an archery hunter only, I don’t rifle hunt anymore. This year I haven’t been in the words because of a shoulder injury, falling down a hillside in July, landing on my shoulder and dislocated it. I can draw my bow and have been shooting but have major pains when drawing it. I could crossbow hunt, but I’m not. It’s a less lethal rifle to me. In the timber country I hunt. Most shots are within a 100yards during fall/ winter when leaves are off. During early season within 40 yards. No reason not to use a bow. If I can’t kill effectively and efficiently with a bow. I’m not gonna hunt. I’ve put to much into it the last 25 years, on the same 100 acre farm. Trying to increase numbers and the age/sex ratio. Even last year had my target 5 year old buck at 85 yards opening morning of rifle season. This f I’d have had a gun or crossbow in the tree he’d be on my wall. But I had the compound. Told my cuz about it later that morning n he kills a big mature deer yearly, but lives in the southern part of the county where AG is big. There’s not any AG around me for 4-5 miles at least that’s not summer hay fields. We are essentially hunting two different herds, two completely different habitats, within the same county. He said man get the gun out. I bet your neighbors are. I was tempted after having him at that range, trying to call him in, closer for a bow shot, and he just stood there looking, when with a gun or xbow, I’d have gotten the job done. But I wouldn’t lower my standards, so I ate the soup. Oh well.

I would like to make a suggestion, it would be a great episode! Bring on Mike Tonkavich with the ODOW and measure up your claims about crossbows and rifles destroying hunting with historical stats of overall harvest totals and buck age structure. I think it would be very beneficial to be able to see proof of what you claim to be fact. Numbers and research will tell the true story. Just because i experience something one way doesn't mean its actually whats going on in the big picture.

@curtyoder2210

7 ай бұрын

I think we all can agree we would want as many people possible experiencing the great outdoors and hunting. But why do we always find ourselves thinking it needs to be through deer hunting? Maybe the best solution is to put together organizations that advocate small game hunting to introduce new hunters instead of trying to pack more hunters onto less deer on public property.

Did you guys hit on CWD?

@HUNTRPOD

8 ай бұрын

We did towards the end

Ohio has $15 doe tags resident and non resident only good on private land (not public) and till gun season starts (no longer good once gun season starts) but if u wanna shoot a doe with your bow much cheaper option!

Good stuff. I think overbearing hunting regulations that the average person cant understand has a huge influence on new people hunting. Some States require applications for tags and it takes too many years to get a tag so they simply lose interest. The fear of gun regulation has a negative influenced on the publics view. Most people live in metropolitan areas and simply become oblivious to anything outside of the big city. I also think the public hunting is way over saturated causing poor experiences for public hunters. Farmers with poor experiences with hunters limits permission hunting. The cost of everything is higher and adding to those expenses by buying land and taxes on that land is more challenging for the average person. The subdividing of farms over the years has also made huntable land smaller making hunting a spontaneous event rather than being able to hunt the animal. The big one is less adults introducing children to hunting as it is getting harder to compete with all the other distractions in the world. I see not harvesting does or "lesser bucks" as a problem causing over population of deer and thereby higher incidence of disease causing some areas to become decimated due to over population leading to inconsistent harvests year to year. People concerned about consuming EHD deer is an issue even though it is not a problem for humans. Finally, the lack of unity, level of expectation and indifference of the hunting community over ridiculous issues is one people tire of.

Xbows recruited all the lazy people that didn’t wana learn anything and just extend their gun season , period !

You cannot tell me that a crossbow is more lethal than a modern compound. You can pick up any compound and put it in the 10 ring in less than 5 shots. You all say you want a challenge pick up a Stickbow. If we go by your logic Trad bow hunters should have a longer season than compound hunters

@tmoney8785

6 ай бұрын

I mean it is 100% more Lethal for the fact that less can go wrong than with a com pound bow. I have no problem with crossbows myself whatever makes you happy. Lot of boomers seem to get mad over them

1:06:14 exactly

I’ve dreamed of owning recreational land for a decade. Now that I’ve got a decent nest egg the land gets more expensive by the day. With interest rates being sky high it seems I’ll never be able to own anything more than my 3 acres my house sits on. I’ve looked at other states but it seems silly to drive over 5 hours to hunt when I can kill a doe in my yard. I’ve been saying it for years as well that hunting is turning into a rich man’s sport. I’m lucky enough to have a couple hundred acres of permission however it’s shared with other hunters who don’t care to manage anything. There is a major rich man culture in this state that insults you for taking bucks less than 5 years old. The majority of people that shoot 150 or bigger class deer in this state every year have hundreds of acres of manicured land. Public land is terribly managed and super pressured. Illinois DNR could learn a lot from Iowa when it comes to their public land. There is a huge separation in the hunting world between the type of hunters. It’d be nice if we weren’t so divided. The best thing to happen to the hunting culture is to go back to stick bow hunting only and get rid of videos and social media. It’d drop out about 95% of the population 😂 I think there are many issues in Illinois causing these prices and one of the biggest is corporations, and foreign entities buying up farmland. They can buy land for 20,000 an acre and not bat an eye. There’s also a ton of Family Farms that have a monopoly in their little area and they’ll either never sell or it’ll be bought by another rich farm family.

One of the absolute best podcasts I ever seen. Don might be my favorite hunting "celebrity" after this. I think a lot of them feel like this but are scared to say it.

I agree with Don about the subject of crossbows 100%!! Gun hunter turned crossbow hunters, are flooding the woods here in Indiana. Our mature buck numbers here have simply plummeted since the implementation of crossbows during the archery season. And that's not Dons opinion or my opinion, that is a simple fact. Gun hunter turned crossbow hunters are not going to pass up 2 and 3 year old bucks. They simply enjoy pulling the trigger too much

I know for a fact that Ohio parks spent 33000 an acre on park land

@HUNTRPOD

8 ай бұрын

Holy shit

I hate that it’s legal in some states to bait deer. If you have to rely on bait piles to kill deer you shouldn’t be hunting anyway! Seeing as CWD can be spread through bodily fluid why don’t states outlaw bait piles? Makes you wonder.

I don't care either way on crossbow but, this doesn't make sense, you guys are down on crossbows then the next sentence your advertising for Hoyt, Hoyt sends you both a couple free bows for the advertisement, then I am stuck paying more for a new bow because they had to make up for the free bows they gave away. Lol it's kinda like a dog biting a person the person kicks the dog, it's a big circle of everyone chasing there own complaint in one way or another. I'm not giving you a hard time with this comment so don't think I am I just thought it was funny how you get free Hoyt bows for ads and you want crossbows not legal, it's a huge money game, one person pays the next and so on. Welcome to America lol my only issue are road hunters or poachers, those are the people that destroy hunting and makes legit hunters look bad, I had someone shoot a grouse on my property 15ft from my no trespassing sign, and they shot from the center of the road, I was standing in my yard 100 yards from those idiots, trespassing laws need to be far stricter. Crossbow hunters will come and go and in the end the true hunters will still be there, it's just a fad so don't get the blood pressure too high guys

@kristopherbrissenden362

8 ай бұрын

I hope you are correct. I own a 157 acres and this year I do not have a deer older than 3 on it. I'm not even hunting trying to get a buck to live so I have a target

@byronross8667

8 ай бұрын

@@kristopherbrissenden362 the younger generation does the fad thing, I give it 2-3 years and there will be a lot of crossbows for sale, I have 162 acres here and I have struggled with poachers and neighbor's shooting deer off my back fields. I have caught couple mature bucks on camera however I have learned that if a mature buck's see that flash or red light from a camera they won't come around that area, I used black out cameras where there's no flash or red led lights and I caught mature bucks that way. You generation will not last mark my word

@buckydoedowner9040

8 ай бұрын

Hoyt dont make trad bows.. these guys are frauds.

A comment to Don about the cross bow hunters ? I do agree that able body people should use compound bows to harvest deer.....although l feel like they might not be very good at it and are less likely to wound a deer with the crossbow ....and lve had to go to the crossbow because of a shoulder injury that l got in a coal mining accident on top of being 60 years old and don't like being compared to a transgender trying to be able to compete .....but l do agree to certain level...just feeling like that remark was a bit extreme

The winners of the world are able to delay gratification. The mass of others choose not to delay any pleasure then complain they are unable to find any when it's gone

I see all their points. The main issue is this. You have Trophy hunters, which are these 3 guys here. And you have meat hunters, which is what God put deer on this planet for. Deer are here for a food source. Not to mount, hang on your wall to boost your ego and show off to your buddies. Sorry guys, this is y’all. Personally I won’t shoot a buck under 5.5 years of age and at least 150 score. However I can afford groceries and my wife and I work hard and are financially blessed & I hunt 18,500 acres of private & we kill 180-200 doe per season. However my buddy who is a police officer. His wife had an accident and is disabled. They have a few daughters. They live on 20 acres and he’s killed 10 deer THIS WEEK. 9 doe and 1 2.5 year old buck. He strictly kills to fill the freezer and kinda like if you live in Alaska, he kills fast as possible to fill that freezer because he doesn’t want to risk going through the year and running out of venison. So maybe we need to stop and think about WHY we deer hunt. Are we hunting for food? Or are we hunting for antler size? If your the later of the two you should probably be quiet on this topic because your hunting for the wrong reasons. It’s simple, ask yourself WHY DID GOD PUT DEER ON EARTH? Once you answer that question, you just solved your “issues”. Keep in mind, your goals and the states goals are not the same thing. Their goal is to improve the quality of the heard. Your goal is to improve the quality of antler size. The meat hunters has not made it a rich man’s sport. ITS THE TROPHY HUNTERS who made it a rich man’s sport. It’s y’all competing with each other with the goal to shoot a buck with the largest antlers possible. Most meat hunters hunt public, and it’s the trophy hunters are ruining it for the meat hunters because the state is not willing to pay the price per acre a trophy hunter is willing to pay. Y’all are a victim of your own creation. And I’ll be honest, I’m one of them also. If you ever find yourself passing on a doe because you don’t want to deal with it,, there’s your sign. It’s the cold hard truth. ELVIS HAS LEFT THE BUILDING. 🎤

@HUNTRPOD

8 ай бұрын

Appreciate the thought into this Brett. That said purely hunting for sustenance out of necessity is very rare. The same people saying I only hunt for meat are also ordering $15 value meals at McDonalds. I don’t think there is anything wrong with hunting for meat only. I eat venison 4-6 times per week, and I aim to brim out my freezer every year. I also don’t think there is anything wrong with challenging yourself to kill a mature buck. If it were as simple as why are deer here, we would be in a much different world on many other situations in everyday life

just had neighbor shoot 8 1/2 year old buck I had history with. he shot it with crossbow not sure about baiting but it is what it is. I could have shot him on several occasions with a crossbow but I don't consider that a challenge. It is what it is. Meigs county Ohio

I agree with your views on crossbows. If it has a scope and and a stock it is not archery. But banning baiting in Ohio, I do not agree with. No reason the guy who has five acres should not be able to bait and pull a deer out of your food plot. The deer don’t belong to anyone, until someone puts there tag on them. As far as I am concerned food plots are baiting as well. If a hunter cannot shoot a deer over bait. He should not be allowed to shoot one over a food plot.

@chaddial4123

8 ай бұрын

Do you feel the guy baiting deer onto 5 acres or less should be entitled to then just automatically go onto the property hes pulling deer off of to retrieve them after they are shot when they run back across the property line? I have a problem with those people going through my bedding areas or sanctuaries to blood trail deer because now they are ruining my investment i made to have a good hunting property. Two sides to every story.....

@jasonbarnes3188

8 ай бұрын

In this state the law requires you to get permission, before you go on a neighboring property to retrieve game. If the land owner denies you permission, you are out of luck. One of the downsides to hunting small tracts of land. But if five acres is all a person has to hunt. Then they have to make the best of it. The attitude that my neighbor owns less ground than me. So I should be able to dictate how he hunts. Is one of the big parts of what’s ruining hunting. If people with that attitude get there way. The us will be like England, where only those who are affluent will have the right to hunt. If it doesn’t belong to you, you have no right to tell someone what they can and cannot do on there property.

What is the name of the Ohio lobbyist group against baiting?

Feeding and farming for deer is a double edged sword. It helped the deer numbers but commercialized and hurt the heritage of real deer hunting. Many younger hunters don't know the difference.

@HUNTRPOD

7 ай бұрын

Very true