Don Higgins / Higgins Outdoors

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Don Higgins / Higgins Outdoors

Higgins Outdoors is a multi-faceted business offering a variety of services and products
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09/03/2026

Posting this for my friends in Iowa. Get ready for season by sharpening your shooting skills and support a great cause.

09/02/2026

This chart represents my entire deer hunting career having started hunting in the 1970s. I have literally seen and experienced the rise and the fall of our whitetail herd. The fall? Yes, I’m aware that we still have plenty of deer but I am talking about the quality of a well managed deer herd. When we add the next layer to this chart at the end of the 2020s I have no doubt the downward trend will continue. Why is that?

We as hunters have failed to understand that mature bucks are a very limited resource. The number of hunters vying for this limited resource has grown significantly since the 1970s, hunting regulations have increased opportunities significantly and technology has increased significantly. Yes, deer herds also grew significantly since the 70s but poorly thought out regulations have failed to maintain good age structure and s*x ratios.

With continued increases in hunting pressure on mature bucks combined with continued advances in technology, the downward trend will not only continue but will increase in severity. Frankly, deer hunters themselves are the biggest problem. We embrace expanded seasons, liberalization of weapons and advancements in technology. The writing is on the wall. Our kids and grandkids will only be able to read about and dream about the good ole days.

It would be amazing if a Midwestern state would scrap all current deer hunting regulations and management practices and start over from scratch. If they were willing to do so, they could become the envy of every other state wildlife agency in the country and hunters would line up to hunt there. Will that ever happen? I doubt it. Why? Hunters are their own worst enemy. They would fight every change tooth and nail. Mark my words, giant whitetail bucks will become more and more rare. It’s already happening.

09/01/2026

It didn’t take the deer and other critters long to start using the creek crossing. Part of having a great stand location is funneling or concentrating deer movement. These creek crossings absolutely do that.

08/31/2026

Here is an interesting story that shows just how far whitetail bucks can travel. This buck found himself entangled in a hammock in a central Illinois backyard last fall. The homeowner, being an ethical outdoorsman, cut the deer loose. The deer escaped carrying part of the hammock entangled in his antlers. The very next day the buck was photographed 4 miles away! But that’s not the end of the story. Recently another bowhunter was preparing his treestands for the upcoming hunting season when he found the bucks shed antler with part of the hammock still entwined in it. That shed antler was 15 miles from where the buck had become entangled in the hammock! (Photo in the comments of the shed antler)

The more I learn about these amazing creatures the more I realize how little we really know about them.

08/29/2026

I am honored to have been chosen as the first guest on this new podcast with Cameron Derr from Hawke optics. I think you will agree that Cameron makes for a great podcast host with good questions, allowing his guests to fully answer and then great follow up questions. Check it out; linked in comments below.

08/28/2026

Smokey has one of the most iconic racks of any whitetail buck. The frontal view shows every point which makes it great for logos such as these from Chasing Giants podcast, New Illinois organization and Whitetail Life magazine.

After killing my first 200” buck in 2004 it took me 13 years to kill the second one (Smokey) in 2017. There will never be another Smokey.

08/27/2026

Walker and I (and Andrea) poured concrete over the creek crossing that washed out last spring. Do it right or do it twice. Yeah this is the second attempt but I will bet it doesn’t wash out again. We definitely did it right this time.

All of this for a deer crossing that connects bedding cover on one side to food on the other. I told Walker that this crossing will still be here when he is my age. I can only imagine the bucks that will walk across it in the next 50 years. Hopefully Walker will one day tell his kids and grandkids that he remembers the day we poured the concrete on this crossing.

08/26/2026

Woodsmanship. What is it? Why is it so important for success in the outdoors? Why is it lacking with so many deer hunters today? Sounds like a great topic for the next Chasing Giants podcast.

08/25/2026

The deer were really on the move today. I deleted over 1500 photos from 8 cell cameras. That is the most of any day this summer. On a typical day I delete 150-500 photos.

This buck is very typical of the bucks I try to cull - 3 years old, clean 8 point, short tines. The odds of him ever becoming a giant are very low. He’s gotta go!

The bucks are hammering the ropes doctored with Scrape Magnet from Real World Wildlife Products I’m getting photos of bucks on the ropes every day.

08/22/2026

Tomorrow evening, August 23, I will be at the Springfield, Illinois Scheels store from 7-9pm for their after hours 2026 hunting event. I will be there with Kory Hamilton and Duane Hopkins from Real World Wildlife Products to answer your food plot and deer hunting questions. There will also be vendors from over 20 different companies representing their products. There will be giveaways, Refreshments and competitions. I hope to see you there!

Address

Gays, IL
61928

Website

http://www.higginsoutdoors.com/, https://www.realworldwildlifeproducts.com/

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