Our Trail Cameras Went DEAD… Where Did All the Deer Go? | Chasing Giants #343

Something strange happened in mid-September — our trail cameras practically went DEAD.
Don went from getting hundreds of deer pictures a day to virtually nothing. Terry started seeing the same thing on multiple properties spread across a huge geographic area.
Is it weather? A seasonal transition? Bucks shedding velvet? EHD? Or something else entirely?
In Episode 343 of the Chasing Giants Podcast, Don Higgins and Terry Peer compare what they're seeing and ask listeners across the Midwest to check their own trail-camera data.
We especially want to hear from YOU: Go back to roughly September 10–11 and look at your camera activity. Did you see a sudden decline in deer movement too? Tell us your state and what you saw in the comments.
But that's just the beginning of this episode.
Don and Terry also dive into one of the biggest challenges food plotters are facing right now: DRY WEATHER.
They discuss what to do when you've planted but haven't gotten rain, how long seed can remain viable waiting for moisture, when it's time to move away from brassicas and toward cereal grains, and why you shouldn't give up on a fall food plot too quickly.
They also cover:
• What to plant when you're getting into October
• Why cereal grains give you a longer fall planting window
• Oats vs. rye vs. winter wheat vs. barley
• When to plant potted fruit trees
• Why December can be an outstanding month for tree planting
• Clover vs. alfalfa during drought
• When to mow clover one final time before hunting season
• Waterhemp problems in soybeans
• The importance of residual herbicides and timely weed control
• What makes a good land-consulting client
• How to choose the right habitat consultant
• Where trail cameras should REALLY be placed around food plots
• Whether mature bucks avoid elevated box blinds
Don also explains why a trail-camera location should be built with the same thought and strategy you would put into a hunting location. Instead of simply observing a large food plot, concentrate deer movement into predictable locations and position cameras accordingly.
And when it comes to elevated blinds, Don explains why there isn't a simple yes-or-no answer. Individual bucks react differently, and how you access and hunt the blind can be just as important as the blind itself.
QUESTION OF THE WEEK:
Did your trail-camera activity suddenly fall off during mid-September?
Drop your location and what you observed in the comments. We'd like to compare reports from hunters across different regions and see whether there is a larger pattern.
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