Land & Legacy - Habitat + Hunting

On this week's podcast Kyle and Frank discuss ways to maximize your fall if you tag out early or just plain can't get enough farm improvements. These non-intrusive management strategies will get you ready for all the winter and spring projects ahead of you. Don't let the fall and hunting slow you down from what you need to be focused on with regard to making the farm better. These tips and tricks for the fall will save you time, money, and headaches when it's time to get after it in the coming months!

Feed trees can play a major role in daylight activity on your property. Join us this week as Alan and Brady dive into the tactics to have success hunting over feed trees. In this episode we break down our favorite feed trees, and talk about where to find them, when to find them, and how to hunt them. We discuss the differences between red oak vs. white oak. The timing of when certain trees can be targeted, and what to look for on your property. Having knowledge of the property, and history with deer on the property can take the guesswork out of finding the right tree to hunt. Feed trees aren't just for early season hunting. This buck was killed using historical data, and feed tree tactics in November.

Pond management for fish isn't that much different than managing upland habitat for wildlife. This week we are joined again by Fisheries Biologist Micah Tindall to discuss managing fish and the habitats they require.

On this week's podcast we are trying out a new podcast style and need your feedback. We have been filming for years with the folks at Whitetail Properties and it's time we begin to break down in fine detail the nuance details of habitat management. So this week, let us know in the comments what you think about this podcast style! Bedding thickets come in all shapes and sizes, but so do the implementation guidelines. This week we walk you through how we would cut a unit that is an average stocking rate with average ranges of timber size classes. We break it down 1/3, 1/3, and 1/3rd and apply a girdle/spray, fell, and hinge to each 1/3rd. This creates a great matrix of sunlight, structure, and new plant growth that will ultimately hold deer in these secure units during daylight hours. What more do you want?!?Watch the LandBeat video here are this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dq9TIMJRg4k. We hope you enjoy the behind the scenes look at creating a bedding thicket in the hot June sun!https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dq9TIMJRg4k&authuser=0

On this week's podcast, Alan and Reid Summerford take to the woods in search of a velvet whitetail. The prep work has been completed and in part 1 of this podcast you will hear all about the work they have completed to make this hunt a success before the season even opens. Oftentimes, the hard work ahead of the hunt will prove itself deadly. This pre-hunt interview calls the shots of what they suspect will happen. Let's see if their suspicions are correct in part 2! During part 2 of the podcast, we hear how the actual hunt unfolded and why it was a success. These unconventional techniques can be the make or break of success. In this episode, you will really see how habitat management and hunting strategy are essentially one in the same.

On this week’s podcast we sit down the Shawn from Heartland Bowhunter. Shawn is a devoted bowhunter but now is a land manager. Shawn is passionate about trying to promote a healthy native landscape that improves the habitat and overall hunting experience. This transformation is journey didn’t happen overnight and wasn’t his due to his own interests. Many people along the way influenced and guided him to dive deep in land management. We hope you enjoy this story and journey from Shawn. If you haven’t taken a deep dive into managing quality habitat, we hope Shawn will convince you to join us on the journey.

Several of us have ponds on the farms that we manage, and others may be thinking of building or stocking a new body of water. Just like your wildlife habitat, your fish need managed and so does the habitat they need to thrive. Today we are joined by Fisheries Biologist Micah Tindall with the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission to discuss the in's and out's of setting up a new fish pond.

Today, we take a deep dive into several key considerations when buying recreational land. The biggest of all is to investigate the neighborhood with intensity. Know the good and the bad! Avoid the bad areas as your best habitat management efforts maybe futile. The best way to determine the neighbor impact is to not look for a single stud buck on camera, but a well developed age structure! This says way more about the neighborhood than an outlier buck from years ago. Age structure is often what people "mean" when they are incorrectly using the term "genetics". We are stern and serious on the delivery with this podcast to make sure there isn't buyers remorse! This is a big decisions, hundreds and millions of dollars are being spent, make a good decision. Develop a great working relationship with your local Whitetail Properties Agent to be on the shortlist for quality land in the best neighborhoods.

In this episode we discuss what creates an awesome food plot, it's not just the seed that goes in the ground, but the location, soil type, and nature of the plot that can lead to more success. We discuss the key factors that are critical to maximizing the production of a food plot. -Prepping the soil to plant. -What to look for in a forecast to sow the seed. -Timing of planting. -Planting techniques. -Using cattle farming practices to create food plots. -Clover Plot Maintenance

Prescribed fire is one of our favorite tools in our management tool box. In fact, there aren't many properties that wouldn't benefit from fire, but its not always the solution by itself, sometimes its not even the correct tool to use.

We're using some photos from recent consults to guide you through the recommendations you hear weekly to help on your farm! Enjoy how we plan to guide these landowners to manipulating the natural resources to improve these farms for whitetail deer!

No, it’s probably not what you think. We took a short break to catch up on life, or to “sharpen our axe” but we are back! Join Hunter and Thomas this week as they talk about the necessary break they took from the Sawdust & Fire Podcast as well as some of the things they have going on.

Don't be lazy, get out there and do the work! But! if time is limited, start with these projects to ensure success this fall on your farm. What is the silver bullet to habitat management? We get asked this question a lot and the answer is never what the person wants to hear. Fotunately in this podcast we discuss what would be a silver bullet if we had one.

Stumps offer more than just a place to set mineral blocks - they are a rich source of nutrients that deer crave. In this episode, Alan and Frank highlight the importance of mineral stumps on the landscape. They provide insights on trees that are magnets when cut and those that should be treated when cut, making it easier for you to understand the significance of mineral stumps.

Trees have been cut, now what?? Now that the timber has been cut, it's crucial to develop a strategy to restore the area. In this week's episode, Alan and Brady explore the steps to train your forest to reach your goals and leave a lasting legacy on the property.

Cutting timber? LIsten to these steps first! Brady Bradley and Alan Summerford talk about what to do before you bring a logger onto the property to have timber cut.

The secret of getting ahead is getting started, the secret of getting started is breaking your complex overwhelming tasks, and starting on the first one. “Mark Twain”

We dive deep into the weeds, as we discuss old field management and enhancement. Invasive species control was also a hot topic where we discussed in depth strategies and specific herbicide formulations to further improve your effectiveness and save you money with proper application methods. This isn't a time to stay indoors, but modify your strategy with these suggestions and keep moving that habitat needle forward.

We often see hunters "chasing the most recent activity". They follow what they saw as opposed to making deer produce certain patterns in huntable locations. Many hunters force themselves into unhuntable locations and botch a hunt or educate deer in the process. Oftentimes we find that the right approach is to learn the patterns, then place new features around the area to further enhance those natural patterns. This will increase the success of hunting. Stop chasing and guessing, know what deer are going to do before they do it.

These answers help guide us to be able to deliver the best, most accurate, and strategic plan possible. Boiler plate habitat management plans are so common, but not ours. We ask distinct questions throughout the process that keys into whether or not the recommendations are even applicable or if we need to make audibles based on the answer to certain questions. Be diligent in who you hire and how you attack your property!

In addition, we cover the truths about summer food plots. We address their necessities, limitations, value, and alternatives to planting summer plots. Please give this podcast a listen with an open mind. Be critical and mindful of why you are doing what you are doing. You may need to re-evaluate your goals and intentions of habitat management. Be wise on how you spend your time and resources on your recreational property.

During this podcast, Alan and Matt go back to 3rd grade biology to lay the foundation of the needs of wildlife; food, cover, and water. These basics are compared to the needs of plants as an illustration to how each works off of one another to provide an entire offering that allows the plant to perform at its peak opportunity. Wildlife is no different, but there is no point to do so unless ALL the foundational aspects of wildlife management are being met. These are the building blocks of wildlife management

Kyle Lybarger joins Alan Summerford to talk about turkey hunting strategies that were used on previous hunts. We also break down what we are seeing on different timings of fire, fire intervals, and how it relates to hunting, and nesting based on when the fire was applied.

Brady shares his experiences working on two vastly different farms one in Kansas and one in Missouri that has seen 500 acres of TSI and multiple fires since he has overseen the property. The changes are vastly different. Matt discusses how one long time client who operates a high Tier 3 farm is now adding to his farm with new ground, but that farm would score a 0.... The journey of improving that property will be long, but rewarding. Key takeaways are, to improve, you need to first identify where you are at and then determine where you are going, from there the plan will begin to reveal itself.

Big timber and rugged terrain. Kyle Lybarger joins Alan Summerford on a property that is in a conservation easement for old growth timber. As we breakdown the property, we discuss issues with allowing timber to mature without disturbance, and addressing the importance of a sound hunting strategy to grow, hold, and harvest mature bucks with consistency. Sometimes habitat whether good or bad isn't the most limiting factor.

This podcast is spitballing! We cover lots of things while coming back from a recent consult with Kyle and Adam. Buckle up!

Last year we had our Nationwide brood habitat contest and it was a success. A lot of great habitat was put on the ground and a lot of great prizes were donated. Should we have another contest this year? Let us know your thoughts!

We're joined by chainsaw Chad on this podcast to discuss recent work at the Whistling Woodlands. We're talking skid steers, quail, turkeys, and all things habitat management.

Changing the growth structure from trees to shrubs by using a chainsaw by felling or girdling will create way more woody browse and structure on the ground than planting any trees! You need to consider the utilization of an existing root system vs a new one establishing itself. In addition, it is critical to understand the difficulty in maintaining quality habitat once trees have been planted. Keep an open mind and really grasp the short- term gains vs. the long term play!

Often times prescribed fire is the technique that gets hired out to contractors by landowners. They think fire is too dangerous, but they forget about the complications of hiring a burn crew to complete the burns. In comparison, most landowners want to tackle the TSI and run a chainsaw because they feel more confident doing so. At the end of the day, they forget that TSI is less commonly used than fire and TSI without follow-up fire is offering half of the value. Learning both TSI and fire is important as a landowner, but if you pick one, pick fire and hire out the TSI!

Duck season has come to an end once again, and several are unhappy with the way their season went and are wondering what’s going on. Today we sit down with Luke Naylor from the Arkansas Game & Fish Commission to discuss Federal parameters, duck numbers, pressure and habitat. Join us as we take a look inside the complexity of how this all works.

Reporting LIVE from the Quest Hunt Co baquest in Springfield, Mo, we answer habitat questions from across the country! We welcome the audience to participate with their habitat related questions, we discuss topics from burning old fields, forbs relative to whitetails diets, sanctuaries, poor forest regeneration, addressing overpopulation of deer, and many more topics. The answers to these questions may surprise you, so listen closely!

It’s no secret that prescribed fire is a great thing for wildlife and that the majority of each state is mostly privately owned. So, the push for more landowners burning each year is vital. Recently there has been some great news for the landowners in Arkansas. Join us as we discuss some regulation changes and a new organization that we are happy to have been a part of. Who knows, maybe you can push to apply some of this in your state.

We cover topics such as intense turkey management, small property management, thinning pines, dense-secure cover, large farm vs. small farm management and much more! If you want to learn more regarding our consultation services, please reach out to us at [email protected]

This is ground-breaking, legacy-minded conservation efforts that will change the environment, water quality, wildlife populations and much more. The H2 program from Roeslein Alternative Energy is making waves to convert prairie and cover crop biomass into natural gas that can be used to fuel America. To discuss this we are joined by Steve Mowry a Land & Legacy client and the Director of this program to discuss the ins and outs of how the program works.We hope that you all join us in the mission to bring 30 million acres back to grasslands in the next 30 years from a dream to a reality. Please share this podcast with landowners who can sign up or make the effort to learn more about this program. Do your part to participate!

Everyone is aware of grade cards, but have you ever applied it to your farm and more specifically to each feature of your farm?

I see this phrase every time I open social media. It seems that no matter where it happens, someone is complaining about the government “ruining their hunting” by logging or TSI work. Today we dive into why timber thinning is necessary, what happens when it isn’t cut and is someone really “lining their pockets” from a timber sale.

On this podcast we discuss a multitude of things we've ran into these last few weeks.

Alan and Brady discuss the steps they are taking with their children to ensure the legacy lives on. They share some great hunts and discuss the steps they took ahead of time to ensure their children were successful and hooked from the beginning.

Landownership can be a long journey for a hunter. You should be prepared for this and all the stages that follow. We discuss this 10 year journey for Ben as he acquires Blackjack, a 42 acre hunting parcel in South Central Iowa. There is also a corresponding successful hunt posted on the Whitetail Properties Youtube page that you will want to watch after hearing this story unfold!

Whether you’ve purchased a new property, or recently decided to start managing a property you’ve had for a while, there are always questions about what to do and where to start. Join us as we break down the steps we like to take when deciding how to get started managing a property for wildlife. And it doesn’t have to be work, we think it’s as fun as the hunt!

On this week's podcast Matt and Brady discuss what the term Diversity actually means! This term has been hijacked over the last few years; the meaning and importance of diversity has been compromised and it's time to set the record straight. Diversity is not crop fields, timber, a creek bottom, and pasture all wrapped up in the boundary of any given property. We are attempting to steer the term "diversity" away from being the next "hinge-cut" buzzword by defining what it is specifically, and what it is not! Diversity is like layers of an onion! It is deep and offers immense variety to vegetative species. forbs, grasses, sedges, shrubs, and trees all arranged in a naturally occurring order. Slope, elevation, canopy opening percentage, etc are all additional variables to how diversity is influenced. Your management plan should consider this greatly if you understand the true meaning of offering diverse habitat on your recreational property.

Options for those seasons when shooter bucks seem scarce or non-existent on your farm. Focusing on antlerless harvest, working on habitat, trying alternative activities to steer deer movements or retain young bucks on your farm. All these are options that can turn a poor season into a great use of your time.

Going from one Tier to another is critical. Most times we see folks applying the right techniques, but all at the wrong times. This leads to poor responses from those techniques. Remember, what you do should build upon what has already been created. Without a foundation of solid habitat, your efforts will be futile.Therefore, be diligent and learn how to properly execute the right habitat management strategies at the proper time. This will graduate the property up the Farm Tier levels we've discussed in Part 1 of this podcast series.

There has never been a way to truly evaluate a recreational farm, until now. We developed a Farm Tier system to evaluate where your property stands in the spectrum of management. You've probably wondered how much better can I make this or even what can I do to improve this place, or perhaps you're misguided and think you've done more than you have. This guide or roadmap will help you evaluate where you are at and most importantly, what's next! Land management for whitetail deer is a journey, it's not a static place, but to advance you need to know where you stand and where you are headed. Please take time to evaluate your position on this spectrum. Be critical and honest with yourself. There is often a large percent of people willing to make changes, but focus on the wrong things to advance themselves, this podcast will help solve that! Enjoy and share this podcast with your recreational landowning friends! #ForLoveoftheLand

10 years ago this 40 acre parcel was overgrazed pastures, now it is holding bucks and attracting them from miles away when the pressure of deer season gets going. No acreage is too small to manage. Secure areas are critical to offer on these smaller acreages and you will see why when a mature 10-pt is daylight all over this farm. If you have small acreage, don't consider it a lost cause. This story of success in a tough neighborhood will be enough to fuel you to take the same steps and hopefully yield similar success.

A state wildlife biologist or local NRSC agent assists landowners daily. They work to improve habitat and dish out cost-share dollars that improved habitat, but they have boundaries and restrictions in how they can assist. In comparison, private consultants work directly for and on behalf of the landowners goals without restrictions based on specs that have been written within the EQIP program. Our consultants also work to address the entire farm and its operation and huntability. We intentionally address the habitat to directly improve the huntability of a farm, not max out habitat and hope it hunts well. We hope this podcast is revealing and helpful to the landowners listening. There are two separate roles and ways to work. Make sure you understand where you are at and how you can maximize your time and future.

Discussing shrub motts, food plots, rut timing and Merry Christmas

Plus we discuss finding the buck at the end of the blood trail and it not being what we expected which seems to happen a lot. Have ground gremlins ever got a hold of your buck before you got to him?

Want the most success on limited time? Don't sleep on late season.