Land & Legacy - Habitat + Hunting

Prescribed fire is discussed throughout our podcasts. From the launch of Land & Legacy we always try to discuss the importance of native species and practices that replicate nature's natural cycle. Fire is a huge part of what shaped our environment and prescribed fire is an important management technique that should be implemented if you're in a landscape that historically had fire.Kyle Hedges and Frank Loncarich discuss their views on using this wonderful land management tool and how to implement this on your farm. There are many things about prescribed fire discussed in this podcast, so if you're considering the idea of using fire on your farm you won't want to miss this podcast! What should you expect to see following a dormant season fire versus a growing season fire? How will the wildlife react to the use of prescribed fire? How can you implement this effectively? These are all questions we get asked about the use of prescribed fire and they'll be answered during this podcast! Don't miss it! Land & Legacy is Powered by Simplecast

On this podcast, Matt is joined by Kyle and Frank to discuss an important common misunderstanding among hunters. There is a disconnect between hunters and land managers. Often times the amount of hours spent hunting can easily skew the observations and importance of certain habitat features of the critters you are chasing. The factors that influence deer during the fall do not make them persist the months outside of season. Without those vegetation types or components of the habitat, whitetails would not be as present on the landscape or as healthy. This too can be said for the wild turkey and bobwhite quail. Throughout this podcast, we discuss various scenarios in our hunting adventures where our hunting observations could have lead to poor management practices being implemented on the property. This podcast will save you time and serious frustration when managing your land. If we want to make serious change we have to look at the life cycles of each critter and use facts to guide our management practices, not simple hunting observations. If you want to make improvements, you have to know the species inside and out to increase population numbers or increase the health of an existing herd. Enjoy.Learn.Share! Land & Legacy is Powered by Simplecast

Yes, you guessed it, late-season deer hunting success with Seth Harker. No this was not over cut corn, a field full of soybeans, or a lush clover field. This hunt started two weeks ago when a familiar buck showed back up to the farm. A large winter flock of turkeys, lead Seth away from the destination food plot and back into the red oaks. Years ago a TSI project was completed in this area that released the black oaks and red oaks in this particular portion of the farm. With a strong crop of red oak acorns this yield, this area was going to be feeding a lot of game species. The flock of turkeys confirmed this and Seth moved in and had one of the most memorable hunts he has had to date just a few days ago during the first week of December. This bully of a buck was sporting 8-inch bases, as it offered Seth a shot after pushing every buck out of the area. This hunt would have been missed by most hunters as early December hunting times falls to the wayside. Yet, December for the prepared and conscious hunter can mean success each and every year. We hope you enjoy this podcast and take the tips to heart. Enjoy.Learn.Share! #ForLoveoftheLand Land & Legacy is Powered by Simplecast

Land & Legacy Consultants Frank Loncarich and Kyle Hedges headed west this September to chase upland birds in Wyoming and Nebraska. Turn back to the podcast on October 8th to hear about the first part of their hunt with their pursuit of Sage Grouse. On this week's podcast they're discussing their hunt for Sharp Tailed Grouse and Prairie Chickens and what tools they used to make it a successful hunt! When you're hunting on a vast landscape like that of our western states, it can be challenging to find birds close enough to hunt. That's why keying in a specific sights like Prairie Dog towns can help lead to success. ONX hunt app played a huge part in helping them find these Prairie Dog towns that the Prairie Chickens were using as leks. If you're considering a western bird hunt this a podcast you'll want to listen to!Love the idea of heading west to hunt but the cost for an Elk or Mule Deer tag is too expensive? Maybe it's time to plan a western bird, the views are incredible, the hunting is world class, and it's a fraction of the cost! Frank and Kyle are serious hunters of both big game and small game but their scientific approach to hunting and using their knowledge in biology is what leads to freezers filled with wildgame every season. Land & Legacy is Powered by Simplecast

Finally, it is here! We have been hinting at this for some time and after many months of development, we are releasing a new service to landowners. This podcast unveils and describes in full detail a new way we are able to assist landowners in managing their property. For many years we have been putting boots on the ground with clients across 27 states by completing in the field consultations. This has been the backbone of our services, but this has also allowed us to survey the country and learn the typical plant communities that occur in each region. This long term research has allowed us to confidently offer Virtual Property Evaluations as a service to those who may not be able to commit to a full consultation. This service will be conducted via online video conferencing software, so we will be able to share screens and accurately guide you to your property goals. This service will assist those looking to get more out of there property, maximize the landscape, improve habitat, develop hunting strategies, and guide people to the right real estate transactions. For more information on this service please visit our website at www.landandlegacy.tv, click the consultation tab, the necessary details are listed there. Be sure to send an email through the website! We are very excited to work with landowners in a new fashion. Everyone is hungry for land management information, so we want to reach as many people as possible sharing valuable information that will produce real results. Enjoy.Learn.Share! #ForLoveoftheLand Land & Legacy is Powered by Simplecast

During this week's podcast, we sit down with a client form Southern Missouri to discuss the transformation his property is going through. In February 2018, we toured the 147 acres in South Central Missouri. This father/son duo were eager to begin working on improving the habitat after four years of slow, random, and sparse wildlife encounters. Right out of the gate, we knew the property would present unique access issues as the land lays long and narrow. However, after getting onsite and evaluating the landscape we quickly learned that the features present on the property were extremely versatile. The open acres were situated well with an immense amount of native grasses poking through the abandoned fescue fields. A cedar glade also occupied one hillside, where diversity was waiting to be unveiled with the proper land management practices. Since we developed the plan, this property has flourished. Bedding thickets are now in place offering consistent secure bedding opportunities as well as ample woody browse. The fescue has since been removed and native grasses took its place. As a result, the wildlife sightings and frequency of encounters are through the roof. All this work and opportunity without a single food plot! We hope this podcast puts the value of native habitat restoration into perspective for you. Enjoy.Learn.Share #ForLoveoftheLand Land & Legacy is Powered by Simplecast

This past week, we stepped out into a different realm most would not picture us in. We took advantage of the 1000's of acres of public land in southwest Missouri open to hunting. These acres are held and managed by the US Forest Service. There are two separate units in this area, one being a Wilderness and the other units being actively managed using prescribed fire and intense TSI. This was the perfect way for us to examine and explore both units to accurately compare preservation versus conservation mindset.It became very clear just a few steps into the wilderness that we chose to hunt during the morning that the habitat was declining rapidly. Without the regular disturbances like fire or grazing, these 13,000 acres should be experiencing, the native grasses and diverse forbs are fading fast. Red cedar is encroaching quickly across the glades and the disappearing woodlands. The understory was full of these diversity robbing trees. In comparison, just across the road, crews have been hired to cut the cedars and follow up with routine prescribed fire. Cedars were few and far between, but the grass components of the glades were healthy, full, and expanding. Shrubs and young forests were regenerating around every turn.During this podcast, you will hear us provide strong evidence to actively manage the property in which you have access too. Without active disturbances to the habitat, you lose the productiveness quickly. Get out with a chainsaw and create something! Don't overthink it, use this podcast as fuel to improve the ground you are responsible for! Enjoy.Learn.Share! #ForLoveoftheLand Land & Legacy is Powered by Simplecast

Kyle Hedges and Frank Loncarich joined the Land & Legacy team to extend the knowledge and information our company can provide. Both with a long history in land management, they've brought lots of information to this platform, but they're also passionate deer hunters. Kyle Hedges joins us this week to discuss his long history of managing his family farm in southeast Kansas. We're going back to the early 90's when Kyle began the process of land management. Similar to Adam and Matt, Kyle focuses on what's best for the landscape knowing it will improve his hunting also. Unlike the Ozark Mountains of southern Missouri, this part of Kansas is mixed grassland and woodlands. From CRP, prescribed fire, to managing woodlands with timber stand improvement and bedding thickets, Kyle has worked to improve the land and his work is proving successful. Over the years the game populations have risen and fallen but through habitat management, Kyle has been able to increase his carrying capacity and experience more successful hunts. Kyle isn't just a quail biologist, he's a habitat consultant who's ready to help you with your property! #ForLoveoftheLand Land & Legacy is Powered by Simplecast

If you have listened and followed along for very long, you know that we often recommend full-scale land management and habitat improvements on each property we visit. This workload can often-times be overwhelming as the projects seem to stack up quickly. Very few times, does the landowner take the wheel, roll up the sleeves, and begin to knock out projects one by one based on time being a limited resource. However, Land & Legacy client, Heath Sutton of Bowling Green, KY has been hard at work and is seeing a complete property transformation in just a few short months. In this podcast, you will hear the recommendations and the follow-up work completed thus far. We visited Heath's property in February of 2019, since then, the land management updates have been nonstop. A complete harvest of the cedar understory has been completed. The cedar harvest was completed by a logging crew and Heath got paid twice for cedar! Be sure to listen to learn how this happened! What remains is a mixed open canopy timber as well as large opening where solid cedar stands once dominated the property. In addition, firebreaks around the boundary of the property have been created. Now the understory is waiting to pop during the spring of 2020. The soon to be flush of native herbaceous cover and forage in the understory will drastically increase the carrying capacity of game animals such as wild turkey and deer. Down the road prescribed fire will be easily implemented on the property as well as access treestand locations. In addition, Heath has been hard at work at addressing the invasive species such as Japanese Stilt Grass. We hope this example of a client getting to work right away will increase your desire to improve the habitat and landscape where you hunt! Enjoy.Learn.Share! Land & Legacy is Powered by Simplecast

Trying to manage a property to maximize your hunting success sounds like an easy thing to do! To anyone who's ever owned or managed a farm knows it's way more complicated than that. This week we're joined by three Land & Legacy clients who we've worked with to improve the habitat on their farm not only for deer but many other animals as well. It's a podcast you don't want to miss as you hear some results they've had in only a short time. What do you think a deer would prefer more during the winter, woody browse from a recently fallen tree or a pile of whole corn? The answer may surprise you! What do you believe is more beneficial to game birds like Northern Bobwhite Quail or Pheasants? Mike in Northern Missouri had a major project recently that lead to him watching his first pheasant using his farm. Lastly Adam asks the questions he's been using a lot lately about the power of young forest and quality cover. Would you spend more time creating food plots or cutting in quality cover in your timber? We cover a range of topics this week but as any of our guests can share, habitat improvement is the best way to reach the goals you're hoping to reach! Timber Stand Improvement, Grassland restoration, Temporary Forest Openings, can all prove to be dynamite on your farm. #ForLoveoftheLand Land & Legacy is Powered by Simplecast

On this podcast, we chat with Land & Legacy contributor Seth Harker. Seth is a life-long resident of Southern Missouri and has taken his fair share of mature whitetails in the area. The story and hunt for a buck named Whiplash is one that starts several years ago. On a recent rut hunt, Seth completed the story by arrowing this 157 2/8th inch bruiser. During the podcast, we will chat about the years of development and details that lead to the recent harvest of Whiplash. You will hear how critical it is to record and catalog trail camera images once a solid deer has been noted. Watch the range and patterns develop over the years to make the strategic game plan. Habitat improvements like clear-cutting can decrease the range of an individual buck of interest just like it did for Whiplash. Even during the rut, deer can be patterned! It is important to take notice of these patterns that develop so you can replicate the success that Seth just experienced. Being patient and diligent will kill target deer. Don't glaze over the details during this time of the year. Now is when you take notice of patterns to fill tags for next season. Land & Legacy is Powered by Simplecast

Every deer season is a learning experience and for Adam and Chad it's a great reminder of just how far it has come. Not many people are blessed with the ability to have a family farm and a long-term lease next to each other, but it's given them the ability to watch the deer herd change as well as the size of the bucks calling their farm home. Unfortunately it took much longer than expected! Over the years people preached food plots were key, but they found that to be inaccurate. With recent large scale changes to their management they've seen changes happen fast! Managing and hunting a home farm does require different tactics than you may see used on outdoor television. Patience is key, playing it safe and reminding yourself it's a marathon not a sprint. Frustrations and slow hunts could tempt a hunter to want to dive into a spot where they know deer frequent but it could lead to slow hunts the remainder of the season. This is a mindset that will allow your farm to hunt fresh from September to January. One thing is for certain through this podcast. If you're entire property is close canopy forest with little diversity and you're looking for better hunting, it's time to make a change. Food plots are an awesome tool in your hunting arsenal but changing the direction of your deer herd starts with habitat management. #ForLoveoftheLand Land & Legacy is Powered by Simplecast

With each passing week, the rut closes in. We've been studying hard the daily updates from the Cuddelink System. We aren't just looking for where deer are located, but more importantly, what are they doing. Behavior and wind are two of the biggest predictors of stand selection for us at this time of the year. We closely monitor the intensity of movement by the trail camera images as well as our in the field observations. At this point of the season, we have located two main pockets of antlerless deer, these does are still very grouped up and devouring a destination food resource. So at this point, the preliminary chasing has begun, but the full chase and seeking phase is quickly approaching. As this timeframe closes in, we are expecting more time in the stand in hopes of encountering one of our top deer. We encourage you to monitor the deer and their behavior on the places you hunt closely as well. Don't let the good information be missed. Use this to your advantage as you choose stands to hunt or begin to get aggressive in your hunting locations. Make those calculated decisions by monitoring the rut accurately. Land & Legacy is Powered by Simplecast

This week is devoted to all things cover. Cover for wildlife can come in many different shapes and sizes. This is why we promote various cover types and within those cover types according to the region you should have a whole suite of beneficial species. Tune into this podcast to hear what cover looks like in each region of the country for whitetails. Every region has different factors that determine what type or composition of cover should be present. The various forms are dictated by the climate, rainfall, and length of the growing season. Why does this matter? At this point in the season in much of the country, whitetails are seeking out the cover to find does. As land managers and landowners we need to be able to promote the right cover on each property. Each element of cover we discuss should be present to play a key role in the development of the deer herd and attractiveness of the property. To best understand what type of security cover, escape cover, bedding cover, and fawning cover should be present write down the different types of cover composition for each region. Try to replicate this on your land. If treated like a sanctuary, this cover will produce deer almost every rut! Land & Legacy is Powered by Simplecast

On this podcast, we discuss several critical observations we made while consulting across the country. Recent trips have taken us to farms in Mississippi, Virginia, Arkansas, Iowa, and Missouri. We have seen several trends on the past tours that we devote our time to discuss. Our goal is to educate everyone on the proper management of the natural resources on their land. Closed canopy forests are so common across much of North America. However, when we examine forests closely, they provide a very small amount of benefit to the overall landscape for many wildlife species. Forests produce on average 50-100 pounds of digestible forage per acre each year, yet a whitetail consumes over 2,000 pounds of food a year. When we place real values on each acre of land we are managing, we find a huge under producing element. Although this resource is a low producer, we find it dominating the landscape! If we want to manage a property to be super productive, we have to decrease the number of acres in closed-canopy forest. The new objective for Earth Day is to cut a tree rather than plant one! This improvement across the landscape would make a positive impact. There are more trees across the landscape now than ever before, think about it! Enjoy.Learn.Share! Land & Legacy is Powered by Simplecast

This is the time in which deer hunters across the country begin to hit the woods with real anticipation for encountering rutting whitetails. From our in the field observations and what has been sent through the CuddeLink System, we know very little chasing is occurring in our neighborhood at this time. However, we are just days away from a massive cold front closing out October. The combination of a cold front and the photoperiod is a recipe for pre-rut activity. In this week's podcast, we discuss how our hunting strategy of being conservative thus far in the hunting season is about to change! We start to move in for a strike when the deer begin to move and get on their feet chasing does. If we pressure the property too much before the peak of deer movement, we limit ourselves and productiveness when the chances of encountering mature whitetails is at its peak. Listen closely to the hunting strategy we will begin to deploy this week and the few to follow. It's all about cover, find the cover and hunt! Deer behavior from year to year does not change at this time of the season. Without fail, bucks will be chasing does in areas of ideal bedding cover. Be there or be square and eating tag soup! Enjoy.Learn.Share! Land & Legacy is Powered by Simplecast

Not every encounter with a giant whitetail ends well. Misses are not fun, but they are real and happen to every bowhunter. Without fail at some point you will either miss a buck or loss one to a marginal hit. These tend to be the lower points of archery hunting. On this podcast, we discuss a recent hunt on the Prairie Hollow Property that resulted with an amazing encounter with the largest whitetail currently on the property. The hunt did not end with a truck bed full of antler, but a clean miss and more intel for future hunts.During the podcast, we set the stage for the preparations ahead of time to the habitat, the access, the stand location, hunting conditions, and overall hunting strategy. This powerful cold front that hit the Midwest early in October was highly influential in the success and deer movement we experienced during the hunt. We want this podcast to be like any other, an educational experience that will help others succeed in the outdoors.There are a ton of great days left in the hunting season to take to the woods. This early encounter with this giant buck was a gift. We are gonna keep at it and see what late October has in store for us. Keep you all posted! #ForLoveoftheLand Land & legacy is Powered by Simplecast