For nearly five decades, Mike Rex has pursued mature whitetails across Ohio and helped score some of the biggest bucks ever harvested in the state. In this conversation, he shares the lessons, mistakes, and observations that changed the way he hunts mature deer.

• Why some of the biggest bucks get killed by beginner hunters
• The surprising places mature bucks feel safest
• How mature bucks learn and adapt to hunting pressure
• What 48 years of deer hunting taught Mike about deer behavior
• Why age is the biggest factor in growing giant bucks
• The difference between hunting big deer and hunting specific deer
• How trail cameras changed what we know about mature bucks
• Wind direction, terrain, and how bucks use both to their advantage
• Why many hunters unknowingly educate the deer they’re hunting
• The story behind Mike’s biggest bucks and the lessons they taught him
• Common mistakes hunters make when targeting mature whitetails
• Why some deer seem impossible to kill—and how they eventually get killed
• The role of hunter access, public land pressure, and predictable human behavior
• How wildlife management and hunting regulations impact deer hunting today

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Join our Circle Community here - ⁠https://the-southern-outdoorsmen.circle.so/checkout/join-the-community⁠

Got a question for the show? Submit a listener Q&A form - https://l.linklyhq.com/l/1uMXP

Grab some Southern Outdoorsmen merch here - https://l.linklyhq.com/l/1u4aK

Join Woodsman Wire - https://l.linklyhq.com/l/1u4aR

Use the promo code “southern” for a discount on your OnX Hunt membership here - https://l.linklyhq.com/l/1tyfm

Check out Latitude Outdoors for your mobile hunting gear - https://2ly.link/1zVDI

Use code TSOP15 for a discount on Mossy Oak - https://linkly.link/2ERb8

Save 10% on your next Vortex Optics order at eurooptic.com using the Promo Code “southern10” - https://2ly.link/1wyYO

Use code SOUTHERN20 for a discount on all Vortex apparel, including eyewear

Have you tagged a deer using something you heard on the show? Submit your listener success story here - Share Your Story Here

NOTE: Not all advertisements run on this show are endorsed by The Southern Outdoorsmen Podcast unless an ad is read by one of the hosts.

Larry Weishuhn has spent over 50 years studying, managing, and hunting whitetail deer across North America. In this episode, Larry shares lessons learned from decades as a wildlife biologist, including why mature bucks seem to disappear, what hunters misunderstand about deer movement, and how habitat, nutrition, and age shape deer populations.

In this episode:

• Why hunters think mature bucks are gone when they’re still on the property

• The truth about “nocturnal” bucks and midday deer movement

• Larry’s experience managing whitetail populations across Texas and the Southeast

• What helicopter surveys taught him about deer behavior and habitat

• Surviving 13 helicopter crashes

• How nutrition impacts antler growth, body size, and herd health

• The role of age, genetics, and habitat in producing mature bucks

• Whether hunters can actually influence deer genetics through harvest strategies

• Why some bucks move miles from where they’ve spent most of the year

• Common mistakes hunters make when evaluating deer herds

• The biggest changes Larry has seen in whitetail hunting over the last 50+ years

Join our Circle Community here - ⁠https://the-southern-outdoorsmen.circle.so/checkout/join-the-community⁠

Got a question for the show? Submit a listener Q&A form - https://l.linklyhq.com/l/1uMXP

Get a discount on your Poncho Outdoors shirts here - https://linkly.link/2bfPZ

Grab some Southern Outdoorsmen merch here - https://l.linklyhq.com/l/1u4aK

Join Woodsman Wire - https://l.linklyhq.com/l/1u4aR

Use the promo code “southern” for a discount on your OnX Hunt membership here - https://l.linklyhq.com/l/1tyfm

Check out Latitude Outdoors for your mobile hunting gear - https://2ly.link/1zVDI

Use code TSOP15 for a discount on Mossy Oak - https://linkly.link/2ERb8

Save 10% on your next Vortex Optics order at eurooptic.com using the Promo Code “southern10” - https://2ly.link/1wyYO

Use code SOUTHERN20 for a discount on all Vortex apparel, including eyewear

Have you tagged a deer using something you heard on the show? Submit your listener success story here - Share Your Story Here

NOTE: Not all advertisements run on this show are endorsed by The Southern Outdoorsmen Podcast unless an ad is read by one of the hosts.