About this episode

Don Higgins discusses his bleak forecast for the 2026 whitetail season and the factors affecting mature buck populations.

Don Higgins’ annual Big Buck Forecast is here—and his outlook for the 2026 whitetail season may surprise a lot of hunters. After decades of running trail cameras across multiple properties, counties, and states, Don says this has been the worst summer he can remember for finding mature bucks. So what is happening to our mature whitetails? In Episode #341 of Chasing Giants, Don and Terry break down what Don is seeing across his trail-camera network, how mature buck numbers have changed, what role increased hunting pressure and technology may be playing, and why Don believes hunters who want to continue chasing mature whitetails need to start paying attention. They also discuss: • Why hot weather has crushed recent deer movement • Hard-horn bucks beginning to show up • Whether you should plant fall food plots in extremely dry conditions • The winner of the Lester’s Feet South Texas hunt • Why Don believes fewer 150"+ bucks are surviving to maturity • How technology is changing mature buck hunting • Whether the world-record typical whitetail will ever be broken • Why the next world record could be getting killed every year before reaching its potential • Whether mature bucks…

People in this episode

Host: Terry Peer

Guest: Don Higgins

Topics covered

• whitetail hunting
• big buck forecast
• hunting pressure
• trail cameras
• deer movement
• food plots
• buck management

Keywords

• big buck forecast
• mature bucks
• hunting pressure
• trail cameras
• deer movement
• food plots
• whitetail habitat

Mentioned in this episode

Places: South Texas

More episodes of Chasing Giants with Don Higgins

• The #1 Factor for Deer Movement — It’s NOT the Rut | Chasing Giants #340 · August 30, 2026 · 1h 9m
• Someone Sends You a Tip on a 200” Buck… What Do You Do? | Chasing Giants 339 · August 23, 2026 · 1h 8m
• Legal Doesn’t Mean Ethical: Where Do YOU Draw the Line? | Chasing Giants 338 · August 16, 2026 · 1h 9m
• You Spent WHAT on a Deer Crossing?! | Chasing Giants #337 · August 9, 2026 · 1h 2m
• Thermal Drones, Food Plot Mistakes & Buck Dispersal | Chasing Giants Podcast #336 · August 2, 2026 · 1h 7m
• You're Planting Fall Food Plots TOO EARLY! (Most Hunters Get This Wrong) · July 26, 2026 · 1h 8m

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