This is the video transcript. To watch the video for this episode click here.

SETH: Beautiful deer, period. Wow. Look at that knot, dude.

GRANT: If you saw last week’s episode, you know we had a great start to bow season. But as bow season progresses, it usually requires changing strategies to remain successful.

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GRANT: Once acorns, especially white oak acorns, start falling during bow season, deer tend to change patterns. They will abandon almost all other food sources in favor of white oak acorns.

GRANT: Little Cave is a small food plot we planted about a month ago with Eagle Seeds’ Broadside blend. It’s already germinated and provided a lot of forage. The question was, “Will deer still be eating there? Is the Broadside out-attracting the local red oak acorns?”

GRANT: It didn’t take long for shade to cover the food plot and we noticed some does at the far end feeding our way.

GRANT: (Whispering) Look at that big leaf going in that fawn’s mouth.

GRANT: It seems like the lead doe was familiar with the old phrase, “Why walk when you can stand? Why stand when you can sit? And why sit when you can lay down?” As she fed toward us a little bit and then promptly bedded about 80 yards away.

GRANT: Soon, the rest of the deer bedded down in the food plot and we literally set in the stand and watched them for 45 minutes as they ate around what they can reach and were content to lay there in view, but out of range.

GRANT: Just when all hope of getting some fresh venison seemed to vanish, the lead doe got back on her feet and started our way once again.

GRANT: Light was fading and it was going to be a race between this doe’s progress and the sun setting in the west.

GRANT: The doe never provided what I thought was a good shot. And as she started fading the other way, I knew I was gonna have to explain to Ms. Tracy why I wasn’t bringing home fresh venison, but I had another excuse to hunt again.

ADAM: Typically, this time of year, you’ll see Grant and I walking around with our Nikons strapped on our chest. We’re looking up in the trees for acorns. We don’t need ‘em today. Just standing right here, I can look up and see that the tree is loaded with acorns. But, I don’t want to look too long cause they’re raining down and I don’t want to take one in the face. So, we’ve got a Reconyx UltraFire camera we’re gonna put up; see if there’s a hit list buck coming to this area. We know there’s a lot of deer cause there’s tracks and scat everywhere. So, we’re gonna look around and see if we can’t find a place for our Redneck Bale Blind.

ADAM: And we’re gonna save that. Our video settings – we’re gonna take a ten second video every time it trigger.

ADAM: And we got the Reconyx set up about 10 yards away from the big Chinkapin. We’ve got a limb overhanging on the edge of the field, just five yards away. I’m gonna make a mock scrape and hopefully any hit list bucks, or any bucks at all that come in the area, will give us a great picture at the mock scrape.

ADAM: I’m gonna take a stick – I’ve got my rubber boots on that I sprayed with Dead Down Wind. I’m trying to eliminate as much scent as possible around this area. And I’m gonna clear out the debris – get it to fresh dirt. I may hit the limbs up at the top a little bit. They may bend over and it’s gonna look a lot like a buck scrape.

GRANT: So, we knew our best option was to put a Redneck Hay Bale Blind right there. I’ve just found from experience deer adapt to or accept Hay Bale Blinds, because they look like a hay bale, quicker than any other blind I’ve tried.

ADAM: So, we know that, as the air cools, the thermals are gonna drop. So, our air is supposed to go in the creek – the creek runs north to south. The scent’s gonna go south, Chinkapin’s to the north. So, if we have any type of north wind or east wind or west wind, our scent’s going to the creek and away from the oak.

GRANT: We’ve, we’ve never disked since we’ve made it. I don’t own a disk. There’s not a disk on the property.

GRANT: Early during my career, there were several key people that took time out of their busy schedule to mentor me and guide me in the wildlife profession. I can never repay those folks but I can, hopefully, try to continue their legacy by sharing my experience with those coming after me.

GRANT: Different plants will pull the different micronutrients and that’s called mining. And this is kind of a relatively new science. I mean, you look at this dirt. I mean, it rained, so it looks kind of a little different now, but – uh, that’s for the Ozarks, that’s black. And, obviously, productive.

GRANT:  Because remember – those were all planted the same day, same time, same –  same rain.

GRANT: Not all students are receptive to teaching or ideas, but we got a chance to visit with a group of wildlife students from the College of the Ozarks and they certainly came here to learn.

GRANT: Solar chargers. You put a wet nose on there and…

GRANT: You can show a technique to anyone. But, sharing experience and knowledge based on lots of experience – well, that’s something – if they choose to use it – can really change a person’s life. I know it did for me and hopefully, it will for those I try to help.

STUDENT: You guys have quail here?

GRANT: No. You know how to hurt a guy, don’t you? (Laughter) We hear what – one or two a year – something like that and I – I grew up hunting quail, there were no deer in the county where I was raised.

GRANT: In addition to spending a little time with these students, I strongly encourage them to get an internship, go out west, go to a different part of Creation, see a new habitat type and fuel that fire they have for working in Creation.

GRANT: …talking earlier. There’s something year round for deer, quail, turkey, rodents to eat there. It’s tremendously valuable habitat.

GRANT: Textbooks are important, but nothing beats experience. If you want to be a wildlife biologist, do an internship, do a volunteer program, get some dirt under your fingernails and see what it’s like.

GRANT: (Inaudible) thin. What you’re leaving is all connective tissue which you don’t want to eat anyway.

DANIEL: Right.

GRANT: See this natural break right here?

DANIEL: Hmm. Hmm.

ADAM: Well, Grant was able to harvest a nice doe here recently. Well, now we’re gonna show you how we prepare that meat for the family table.

ADAM: The connective tissue is this white tissue here. It goes throughout the meat; helps hold those muscles together. We’re trying to remove that because that’s what causes some of the toughness and gamey or bad taste in deer meat. It’s good to use a sharp knife that gets you as close to the connective tissue as possible without removing much of the meat. You can see as I’m working my way down through this backstrap, that I can actually see my knife blade through the connective tissue. That lets me know that I’m not cutting too far into the meat and I’m removing the connective tissue without damaging the meat.

GRANT: A lot of states open bow season October 1^st. Hope you have a chance to get outside or maybe do a habitat project or volunteer on a project. But, most importantly, take time to enjoy Creation and listen to what the Creator is saying to you. Thanks for watching GrowingDeer.tv.

ADAM: Put our new Reconyx UltraFire – I had a fly land on my nose.

ADAM: The Nikon’s on our chest; we’re veering up in the – is that a word? Veering? That is a word.

ADAM: Walking around with our Nikons strapped…stinking mosquito – get away.

ADAM: Bring in the Redneck Bale Blind; set it up. What the heck was that? Did you hear it?

ADAM: Aww, all right. I’ll get it this time. I had it last time if it wasn’t for that – whatever it was…