818 - The Early Season Blueprint for Killing Mature Bucks | Ben Davis
The Southern Outdoorsmen Hunting PodcastShow Notes
Archery seasons are opening soon across the country, and early-season success comes down to one thing: acorns. Ben Davis of central Alabama joins us to break down his complete early-season feed tree blueprint — how to find the oaks that are actually hot, the overlooked sign that tells you a tree is about to fire before the deer even pattern it, and how to hunt it without blowing it out. It's a wide-open early-season how-to for every deer hunter, then a deep, technical dive into traditional bow hunting for those who want to take it all the way. In this episode: How deer feeding on green acorns tells you a tree is 1–2 weeks from getting hot The oak-drop calendar — chestnut/mountain oaks, then white oaks, then red and water oaks late season Reading feed sign — busted hulls, fresh droppings, and ground disturbance under a hot tree Why your first sit on a fresh tree is almost always your best one Scouting before rain to erase your intrusion and get a free pass Late-morning feed tree kills — and why wind gets deer on their feet Creek crossings, entry and exit, and the water-scent problem that wrecks slam-dunk setups Isolated oaks vs. stands of oaks, and getting tight to bedding cover Getting into traditional archery without getting over-bowed — form and instinctive shooting Bare-shaft tuning, arrow spine, weight-forward setups, and picking a broadhead Sharpening fixed-blade heads and getting a true burr The story of a mature Alabama buck taken with a recurve — and the recovery that almost didn't happen Plus mentors, hard-earned lessons, and why he'd rather hunt sign than stare at a trail camera
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More from The Southern Outdoorsmen Hunting Podcast
Kyle had gone almost 20 years without killing a mature buck with a bow. Then, on Alabama's opening weekend, he jumped one out of his bed at 12 yards in an old cattle catch pen. Instead of leaving, he sat down in the grass, and the buck came back 15 minutes later. With Jacob on his honeymoon, Kyle and Thomas Myers join Andrew to break down that hunt, how to hunt a Black Belt cattle farm, and your questions. In this episode: - Hurricane knocked green acorns to the ground: will deer still eat them? - What can you learn from seeing deer at night? - HOT TAKE: bow shots past 60 yards aren't bowhunting - 20 years of bowhunting without a mature buck, and why - The shooter buck Jacob missed for his wedding - A cold front at the wedding and why Kyle had to go - Slipping into an old catch pen on a high-wind day - Jumping a bedded buck at 12 yards - Overhead cover when you're set up on the ground - Why less gear makes you a better woodsman - Moving through cover: shade, shadows, and stopping every few steps - How a Black Belt cattle farm lays out - Do cattle ruin your deer hunting? - Why bucks on a farm live on 15 to 40 acres - Will a buck come back to a bed you bumped him from? - Hunting pastures like Midwest funnels - The trail camera that missed three giants - When white oaks aren't dropping: mountain chestnut oaks and water oaks
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