A dedicated research leadership role signals a new era of coordinated, national-scale research

Investments in research and partnerships are driving data-backed wildlife management decisions

Conservation is not just about wildlife—it’s about preserving outdoor traditions and ecosystems for future generations

It’s an honest, science-driven discussion about where turkey management stands today — and where it may be headed.

We review the key features to look for in weather, topography, and deer activity to make the most of this time frame. Field edges, saddles, creek crossings, bedding thickets and benches are key. Focus efforts in the mid to late mornings as well. This is when cruising/seeking from bucks will be peaking.

Be safe and enjoy your time outdoors! Use all your woodsmanship skills to maximize your time afield.

Year after year we hear people discuss how they feel connected or at peace in a deer stand, but that is as far as the "spiritual side" of things go, but God desires more and we know you do too.

A few key takeaways from this podcast are 1) God loves us and gifted us his Creation to enjoy, connect, and have dominion over. 2) God pursues us through his Creation. 3) You should be humbled and in awe at the magnitude of his Creation and how you are just a speck among it. 4) God is mighty and big, and this is a good thing. 5) If you feel connected outside, it's because God is pursuing YOU!

Please listen and share with the outdoorsmen, hunter, and friend who needs to hear this message. Remember to respond to Jesus if he tugs at your heart!

Kyle has been using specific herbicide applications around food plot edges and through dense rank native warm season grass stands to promote a heavier presence of annual broadleaf weeds, opposed to rank grasses. This is a prime example of soft edge feathering. This practice produces more forage than before while still promoting vertical structure, yet it is not nearly as dense to traverse for many different game species.

This practice is very simple to replicate, affordable, and impactful in how deer will navigate your farm if done properly. Take a listen and share this with someone who needs to hear about this practice of soft edge development.

If by the end of this podcast, you haven't taken down a least half of your treestands, you need to listen critically to it again! We discuss topics such as wind speed, wind direction, leaf coverage, shade, full sun, thermals, access, parking locations, etc... Do not miss this podcast. We encourage you to share it with your hunting buddies to make sure they too can share in the successes to come.

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!

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

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.

This isn't a time to stay indoors, but modify your strategy with these suggestions and keep moving that habitat needle forward.

Be diligent in who you hire and how you attack your property!

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.

Keep an open mind and really grasp the short- term gains vs. the long term play!

The answers to these questions may surprise you, so listen closely!

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!

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

Please share this with someone who needs to hear this message! #ForLoveoftheLand

A landowner must adopt and apply the following points in most landscapes. Tag soup is not a step backwards. Guests should be held to the same standard as the landowner. Adopt self-imposed regulations that are more restrictive than the state regulations. Get neighbors on board with passing younger deer. Increase overall deer herd numbers. And many more key steps, be sure to give this podcast a listen and a share with neighbors and friends.

After years of watching this buck in a tough to hunt area, Alan decided to make some changes to the property. Alan converted an existing food plot into a wildlife opening that improved access into this stand location. Even though is was improved, Alan still had to wait for the right time of the year and weather/wind to move in. He was given the right conditions and made the most out of it with a 6.5 year worked a scrape line to nearly the base of his tree.

Be sure to give this a listen as you hear some important details to follow on the recovery! We hope you enjoy this podcast and learn to improve the land first to improve your hunting! #ForLoveoftheLand

During a mid-October hunt, a hit list buck for Brad stepped out to the plot and worked a scrape! To hear in more detail about the habitat management practices that took place as well as the hunt strategy, take a listen to this podcast! #ForLoveoftheLand

We hope you enjoy and share this podcast! Tag a landowner you know who is looking for more land management information.

We break down 6 different key points to consider when it is time to hunt during the pre-rut. Some of these considerations include ways to blow your wind in favor of a buck and not directly the hunter. In addition, what scrapes specifically to hunt and what pinch points are truly important during this window. Entry and exit routes are always critical no matter the time of the year, but also consider the most recent pulse in deer activity based on your cellular trail cameras. These and several other key considerations are what we elaborate on during this week's podcast.

You need to be prepared for this window of time! Do not be reactive, anticipate the activity that will be happening. We hope this podcast gives you the edge you need to be successful during the pre-rut phase.

There is not a fall that goes by that we don't have 90% of all trail cameras deployed over scrapes, they are that important! Learn how by downloading this podcast.

The terms are important to define and critical to establish that there are often mis-uses and abuses with these terms, so we are trying to set the record straight for people to use. It is important to remember that it is each hunters responsibility to follow ALL the local rules and regulations. Keep everyone accountable and on a level playing field.

Listen to this podcast carefully and completely. We’d love to hear your feedback on your perspectives.

In addition to discussing hunting discipline, we also discuss in great detail the fact that many farms only need to have a small handful of treestands to hunt deer adequately. Each farm has a select few spots that create a weakness for deer, but a strength for a deer hunter. These are your prime hunting locations. These areas should have distinct habitat surrounding them to increase the frequency of their use. If hunted correctly, these areas usually only add up to about 5-10% of the farm. There is no need to hunt and pressure the whole farm, when the best spots provide all of the opportunity when you hunt with discipline!

Be sure to share this podcast with your too excited buddy!

We discuss various case studies and scenarios within this podcast that will be applicable to most listeners! We hope you enjoy and learn! #ForLoveoftheLand

Big dreams are fun, we all love living in those day dream scenarios when it comes to land management. We all can paint the picture of what 10 years down the road should look like, but few can stay the course year in and year out. This week, we answer and address why that is and how to establish the goals or schedule along the way to allow you to create the vision! 

Share this podcast if you find it hits home! #ForLoveoftheLand 
 

Today we walk you through the different options land managers have to use herbicide on woody vegetation to effectively terminate it. We cover the different herbicide cocktails, or solutions you should use to effectively terminate the intended vegetation. Time is of the essence, so be sure to use the right technique for your situation. We describe at great lengths when to use each one. 

We hope you have learned useful information that you can easily apply to your farm to improve your hunting and habitat offering on your farm. 
 

In this episode we chat about not replanting with pines and the proper way to manage early successional stages for diversity. Pines can be utilized or managed for dead zones and visual screens to limit visibility on farms as well. All deer hunters need a place to blow their wind during the fall. Pine corridors will also be used when deer transition between the successional areas. We dive deep into the How-To of pine management for folks in the south east. 

Keep an open mind when listening to this one! 

Testosterone in bucks ramps up during the later portion of August and increases throughout the rut, only then to decrease and signal to shed antlers during winter. This increase during August breaks up the bachelor groups therefore redistributing bucks across the landscape and not all huddled up around one single food source. This makes what you see during summer not translate well to bow season. So, we caution everyone to say, be careful what you see and how you prepare right now, because it is all subject to change! 

Take a listen and enjoy the velvet photos rolling in! 
 

Take a listen to this podcast with an open mind. Remember goals are important to consider when making long term and short term decisions. Be wise! 

If you don't have a single focus of interest for a farm, then you can't maximize anything.  You can raise the bar greatly, but maximizing just isn't possible. For instance, most people want to manage for better wild turkeys and deer, yet they say they want to maximize each of them. Neither could be maximized, but both could be managed for and see some great increases in populations, usage of the farm, observations, and harvests. 

The point of this podcast is to clearly understand the relationship between the land management you are doing and how wildlife use the landscape. Without having this knowledge then you are asking for increased nearly impossible results. 

After spending several hours on the property, we were stumped the time being. Understanding the function of a property is critical to then making quality recommendations, but the function of this farm was way out of sorts. We break down how we approached this challenging farm and determined how to best strategize access and plan. We stuck to the Land andLegacy habitat management principles and these guiding principles revealed the next best steps.

Not every farm is going to be clear, cut, and dry. This farm requires extra attention to detail to realize its full potential. It also requires a landowner to be humble and work with Creation in their pursuit of reaching their goals.

During this podcast, we urge you to balance your habitat management strategy with an equally solid hunting strategy. You have to be able to determine when not to hunt. The best days of the year are east to figure out with forecasts and increased deer behavior, but knowing when to stay out is critical! 

Give the three pronged approach a try for 5 years, you will see a notable improvement in reaching your goals! 

During this podcast, we go through the different scenarios that way we face on our food plot acres. The approach is different for us both, but we have distinct goals and objectives that plan directly into the approach. We are planting heavier grain plots that most years for several reasons, but the main reasons are for weed control and for the purpose of heavier winter foods. In years past, we have increased the number of acres in perennial crops, which freezes up more ground to do in corn or soybeans with the intention of leaving grain. 

Be sure to follow along and get your plans in stone! Use the code "LL10" at gostrattonseed.com to receive 10% off your food plot seed order. 

If you care about having more birds in Arkansas, or most any state in the Eastern’s range, you should tune in!

During this episode, we discuss the value of a clean slate or fresh eyes. If you've owned a farm for a while it may be time to shoot holes in your plan if you want to succeed further. With a few recent consulting visits, we provide clear examples of how a fresh start and new roads can be a game changer for success. Quality habitat is critical, but it must be properly placed on a property to see its true value. 

Tune into this week's podcast to hear the tough conversations about planning and execution of sound habitat and hunting strategies. 

As you listen along go checkout the photos posted on our social media channels on April 5th, 2023. These photos will guide you through our conversations and the details in which we see them. We discuss the management of fuel loads, the resetting of vegetation, consumption of tree tops from previous logging operations and more. We discuss burning in the timber and glade units. 

We hope you enjoy this collaborative learning effort regarding the prescribed fires completed this year! 

We break down the four seasons of a year and specifically the foraging habitat and vegetative communities that support that system. Forage is crucial to consider when managing wild turkeys, but also is how to produce more turkeys. So, we spend a healthy amount of time talking about turkey production and the emphasis it should have when trying to make a turkey centric habitat plan. 

If you want more turkeys to frequent your farm, then give this podcast a thorough listen. 

We hope you learn and enjoy from others during this week's podcast. 

During the podcast we learn just how effective bucks and does are at producing offspring that make it to the fall and are recruited into the herd. You may be shocked to learn that 60% of bucks only replace themselves during their entire lifetime. Sure a lot of fawns are conceived, but not as many as you think make it to a reproductive age, so really, is that big buck truly passing on his "genes"? 15-15% of each recruited fawn is also produced by a 1.5-2.5 year old buck, so "inferior" or younger bucks also contribute to the breeding. 

We need to learn that this complex exchange, survival relationship for whitetail deer is anything we can strongly influence or control. Stay the course, let deer reach maturity and increase the nutrition available on the landscape, this will have the largest impact on antler expression. Period. 

We dove in to see what drives his passion for turkeys and the habitat they depend.
 

Kyle and Matt discuss the different ways you can create this cover from transforming fields or timber. If you’re actively trying to promote turkeys, this is a must listen. Brood rearing cover will the impact that improves turkey reproduction. We see it time and time again, the farms that have good Turkey populations, have adequate brood rearing cover available. Time to transition old fields, food plot edges, crop fields, and thinned timber into brooding cover by offering herbaceous broadleaf plants and bare ground. 

If you learned more about turkeys from listening, please share! 

To no surprise the conversation quickly gets to the importance of early successional vegetation on the landscape for nesting and brood rearing cover. It was found in a recent research project that 45% of the hens selected only 7% of the landscape consisting of the early successional cover and shrubland. Not surprisingly, there was a 38% success rate in these areas for nests, which is pretty exceptional for maintaining and growing turkey populations! 

After covering these staggering numbers, we then shift the conversation towards baiting and the implications it has on the landscape and how it largely impacts predators in a very positive way. Baiting is not a practice that we would support or suggest if you are interested in producing more turkeys on the landscape. 

We hope you share this podcast with everyone who cares about the wild turkey. 

In this podcast, we walk you through step by step of how to implement the technique of old field management. The most important aspect is effective termination of cool season grasses. From there, you burn the thatch, spray invasive species, and let the sun and seed bank do the rest. 

Don’t overlook this dynamic, yet effective tool land management tool. If you want to reproduce turkeys on your farm, you need to consider promoting early successional plant communities. 

Adequate cover for whitetails is limited. So it’s time to break the mold and start with a new mindset to really up the value of cover for whitetail deer. But deer isn’t the only objective, we’ve got bobwhite quail, pheasants, and waterfowl to consider on this farm as well. 

We stretch the limits and push hard for creative habitat plans. This consultation was no different. To get different results, you just manage differently! 

You may be surprised by the numbers or lack there of mature deer, 4.5+ in two common herd scenarios on a per square mile basis. 640 acres represents a square mile, so within that acreage of varying herd density, we tell you what can be expected. The number of mature bucks on the landscape should only encourage you to increase the quality of habitat that your acreage offers. Deer select quality habitat on a daily basis, so having stronger influence over the individuals within a herd should drive you to work hard. 

Share this podcast with someone who needs to learn more about deer population dynamics and specifically revolving around the odds of encountering mature bucks each fall. 

First we discuss the expectations that landowners who are conducting a timber harvest must have, do you really expect the logger to come and not harvest larger, more marketable timber? Aggressive timber harvests may be necessarily dependent upon the condition of the timber or the past management. A less aggressive approach such as select harvesting isn't always the best option as it limits the production of quality wildlife habitat and also decreases oak production over time. Here are the facts, sometimes, you need to address the issue and stop putting bandaids on the problem. 

Timber management and harvesting is very situationally based, so keep this mind when listening to this podcast. But remember not every harvest of an oak is a high-grade, there is likely more to the story, but most importantly there is more work that needs to be done, like future TSI, prescribed fire, and patience. 

Improving our land, soil, air, and water need to take priority. The work load is increasing by the day, so take the steps you need to address the issues at hand. We are not only hunters, landowners, but we are called to be land stewards. 

Some of us inherit problems when we purchase land, but once the deed is signed, it’s time to get to work. Join us in then fight to improve our landscape and restore ecosystems. 

Like always, you need to start with your goals and objectives for that stand of timber. Once you have clear objectives the proper techniques of doing TSI will become more clear. There is no one size fits all approach to TSI. We breakdown in detail what to and and what not to do when completing TSI of all shapes and sizes for whitetail deer and wild turkeys. 

If you want to take your farm to the next level, learn how to complete TSI and then EXECUTE! 

The Cross-Timbers Region is full of post oaks, blackjack oaks, and greenbrier, take a listen as we break down how we turn this into a whitetail deer haven. We talk about techniques such as travel corridor management, the installation of native food plots or wildlife openings, 2 -types of bedding thickets, and the usage and placement of corn feeders. 

If you want to learn how habitat managers think through the process of managing a large ranch for whitetail deer in Texas, then give this podcast a listen! 

In the past few years, invasive species control, pollinator planting,  TSI, bedding thickets, and burning have been on the top of the priority list. Between Kyle and his hunting buddy Byron who is another wildlife professional, they have been very intentional to move the needle on consistently harvesting top quality whitetails. In the past 3 seasons, they have tagged 4 mature bucks on this 160 acres with one 180-inch whitetail during the 2022 season. 

If you want more from your farm, be intentional with your management like Kyle and Byron. To hear how they have increased their success, be sure to give this podcast a download! 

On this podcast we have Tucker Dedmon of southern Missouri joining us. Tucker is an avid outdoorsman with a passion for private land. He set a goal of buying his first recreational property in 2022 and he was able to purchase 20 acres of hunting land at just 20 years old. But the persistence doesn't stop there. After an afternoon of touring the property and laying out a plan, we knew Tucker was going to get right to work. Within a few weeks the bedding thickets were cut and stands were being hung. All he was waiting for was for deer season to open for the bucks to get on their feet. And they did.

This story is a great example of how disciplined hunting and an executed habitat management plan will yield results. What is your excuse? 

For each degree of TSI we discuss the canopy reduction, standard methods used to achieve those canopy openings, and what the general purpose or usage is from wildlife like whitetail deer and wild turkey within each degree of thinning. You get a free in-depth understanding of how TSI should be implemented and utilized on recreational farms. 

Remember education is only as valuable if it is applied. So get out there and implement some of the sound TSI practices that we discussed this week on the podcast. 

The term junk timber is over-used, misused, and used incorrectly. Today, we set the record straight on recreational properties where the goal is to improve the property for whitetail deer. 

Not all value for deer is found within oak species. Although they provide a lot of potential from the mast they produce, other tree varieties can provide an immense amount of woody browse and cover. These trees don't come in the form of towering oaks, but are often mid-story or smaller DBH trees. When cut and not treated with an herbicide they offer incredible amounts of forage when they resprout for deer. Learn how to capitalize on your junk timber! 

You should be able to listen to this podcast and then go pickup a chainsaw and implement what we’ve shared. Don’t complicate things! These bedding thickets will be the magnets of your farm. These areas hold does and bucks, create edges in timber blocks, increase consistency of deer movement, feed deer year round, and more. As we roll right into January, this activity should be on your brain. Don’t miss out, your neighbors might not just be cutting firewood these days!! 

Wind protection is a huge when it comes to feeding locations. Out of the wind areas will be highly selected when standing grain is left. These areas are magnets for daylight activity. If you have topography features with grassy and shrubby south facing slopes in close proximity to these units, there will be heavy feeding in the standing grain. Access is also super key. When you find the location, you have to hunt it! Time in the tree is key, so you need to be able to access cleanly, both entry and exit! 

This 137 acre farm has produced 4 mature bucks in two seasons during the late season over the last two years. This success isn’t accidental! It takes proper planning and execution to see these types of results! 

Join us as we find out how he’s maintained a phenomenal turkey population, continued to have quail and is growing nice deer on his farm.
 

Woody browse, grains, greens, and red oak acorns are the staples for late season forage. These are the main food groups for deer during winter. Woody browse is the most important in timber country and easiest to create. Grains such as soybeans, corn, or milo require ag land and or serious food plot acreage and equipment.
 

Every once in a while you come across people who can see the vision and execute. They are the people who set goals and reach them with a tenacity. In the last three years this 600 acre farm has changed and not so slightly either. We are talking big changes and real success from every angle imaginable. 

Old field management, TSI, invasive species management, prescribed fire, adding dense cover, new access roads, improved drainage, timber harvest, reduction of antlerless deer, you name it rest assured it’s been completed. 

Do not miss this episode! There are great hunting stories but also insight on how to set goals and achieve them while embracing change! 

The difference in a lease and owning land is stark. Coming from two habitat nerds it’s hard to hunt a property without envisioning all the changes that would solve all the problems. In addition, quality habitat doesn’t just mean great hunts. It has to be laid out in a way that allows for access and facilitates deer movement to the areas of the farm that can be hunted. If it doesn’t, then you are left to be frustrated with your hands tied. 

It’s better to own a quarter of the land you can lease. Hunting should be enjoyable and predictable, not frustrating and random. 

As we approach the beginning of habitat management season, it is time to start getting ready to embrace change. You have to prepare for things to look different if you want a property to hunt differently. However, you cannot do that until you have first allowed your mindset to be influenced and ultimately changed. Education and knowledge is the catalyst of change, not the excuses we've all heard before, such as, well he's just a mountain buck, or they don't get much bigger around here, or we don't grow big deer cause we have bad soil, or even we don't grow big deer cause we don't have crops in our area. 

Start the habitat management season with one for forward, embrace the change and prepare for it! 

Neil Hauger is a Whitetail Properties Agent, he has seen it all when it comes to land ownership. He’s assisted hundreds of new and veteran landowners. As a landowner himself, he shares great insight and perspective on all things land. 

If you want to nerd out on LAND the give this podcast a listen and a share. When you’re done, go checkout all the listings on the Whitetail Properties website! 

The back half of the rut is often missed out on, wether hunters are tired from grinding it out through early-mid November or the buck they were pursuing was already harvested or gone MIA. The last remaining does to breed get bucks back on their feet cruising and working scrapes, so get back out there and don't miss this movement. In addition, as soon the post-rut winds down, you still have the transition to food sources to hunt over. As the temperatures drop, the feeding activity increases. So be watching weather fronts and have your trail cameras over scrapes on the edges of the desired late-season food sources. Bucks need the calories during this time of the year, therefore it provides some incredible hunting opportunities. 

Thanks for listening to this week's podcast! We hope you stick it out and get within range of a mature buck in the weeks to come. #ForLoveoftheLand 

Mike recently harvested a new record deer for his property in North Missouri and is here to share the story of the hunt, but more importantly, the journey to get here. A popular podcast Mike joined us on was Cut, Burn, Repeat. After the success this year we can confirm again that this recipe of simple land management practices is the recipe for success. There is nothing flashing here beyond the message of consistency in implementing sound natural resource management techniques. This will yield results that elevate you beyond the neighborhood's average. 

We have said it for years, there is no silver bullet here. If you want success, you have to be diligent and intentional with your land management. Stick to the plan, and the results will follow. 

“The mentality that something far less desirable is better than the possibility of nothing is a direct reflection of the need for validation” We are here to remind people that stick to your standards. There is no reason to settle or feel shame for not filling a tag. A season without a harvest should be reflected on, not justified by settling or minimizing a buck less than your intended goal. 

A tag filled or not does not qualify you as a hunter. No ones life will change if you don’t harvest a deer this year. Keep things in perspective, keep the home life healthy and go have fun, learn, and listen while outdoors this season. 

Jay is a Land & Legacy client from way back and he's seen his property change completely! From timber thinning, burning, and more timber cutting the place has come alive! 

First we discuss why forests need to be managed for their overall health. Single aged forests are one step away from being devastated, but diverse aged stands can withstand disease or wind damage. Wildlife habitat creation is another main influencer of forest management. Food and cover is created through diverse forests. Lastly, a proper forest functions like an independent ecosystem and stores carbon. This is an important message to share as you learn about how actively growing forests are carbon storing machines! 

Please take this podcast to heart and manage your forests. Every angle suggests it’s importance. 

You make think you have thick cover but listen in on this podcast to hear  Andy discuss what they found when trying to stalk these deer for the sake of research. Was it a simple patch of grass or tall mature timber? Listen in to hear! 

Zack and Issac Coy have been working to improve their property for years so we discuss the natural transition from food plots to burning. This is a great podcast to encourage you to start planning your scouting with habitat work! 

Vertical Treestands is a newly launched and emerging treestand company that is offering new technology to the treestand game. In addition, they are offering a discount code to listeners, use the code LandLegacy20 to get 20% off the new offerings. We sit down and chat with Austin and Frank of Vertical treestands as they discuss the in's-and-outs of the new equipment. You can tell from our conversation that they know treestands and are building a company based around quality products made in America! 

Be sure to check out www.VerticalTreestands.com! 

Specifically on managed private lands, there are three main scenarios you can find yourself in. The first is mobile, that requires a tree saddle. Not every location has a tree that can be hunted from a stand. Secondly, the permanent setup. These are perennial locations that the wind behaves and are always good, likely due to distinct habitat or topography features. Lastly, elevated blinds, these are for the areas that are sketchy to hunt and you need that extra advantage or big views where you can hunt with a firearm. 

Give this podcast a listen to learn more about the ways we setup a highly managed and well strategized farm! 

This week we break down our rut predictions from the pre-rut phase, lock-down, and the post-rut. We discuss how weather also impacts deer behavior during these time frames and how the moon phase really means nothing. For our region, the pre-rut falls between Oct. 26-Nov. 10, peak-rut falls Nov.11-16, then post-rut is Nov. 17- Nov. 25. This is all based on the average conception date for your region, but peaking breeding occurs during the 11-14th right here at home. 

Get out and hunt! Be safe, diligent, and disciplined! 

Prescribed fire is is one of the number one tools in the habitat management tool Box and is essential for creating and maintaining turkey and quail habitat. In this weeks episode we discuss learning to burn and forming PBA’s to help us safely and effectively meet our objectives of prescribed fire.

Also, what should you do to clear the field at the end of a hunt in the evening? Tune in to hear how Kasey and Greg hunt their plots and ensure future daylight use on their farms. Most importantly this podcast is about the hunt leading up to the harvest of a 177" buck that's lived in Iowa for at least 7.5 years until Greg and Kasey caught up with him in early October. Don't miss it! #Forloveoftheland

Pressure, heat, food source changes, scrapes, and more are huge influences for getting mature bucks in their feet. Another thing to consider with this change in movement is your position in relation to this movement. Where are your trail cameras, are you hunting where mature bucks are frequenting? If not, this will certainly impact your observations and beliefs in the myth of the October Lull.

Remember go checkout the social media post to pull your own observations from this movement pattern.

Chainsaw Chad is still batting .1000 in the mountains going 3/3 on bulls. Stay tuned for his story and what happened with Adam in Utah. This is a first for Land & Legacy but buckle up, we're going west more!

This past week we've seen our trail cameras light up in certain areas of our farms that don't normally have routine photos of target bucks. The fall shift in scraping behavior has started hot and heavy. The trail cameras will reveal certain patterns over the next couple of weeks of what your future target deer will be doing during the rut. Monitor scrapes heavily with cameras each year during this time frame. When you watch them closely, these younger bucks will develop very similar patterns year after year. This is a huge advantage for the wise hunter.

It's very possible to develop a game plan on how to kill a buck when they are mature, based on what they do in the years previously during the rut! Be prepared!

The key takeaways from this hunt were entry and exit, ridge top with consistent winds, annuals/perennial food sources, beating the acorn drop, and shade lines. We will break down for you the four sits we had for this buck and why it all came together as it did. This buck was a warrior, he had been shot years ago and overcame a wound from a neighbor. Although this could have been his smallest rack to date since he was mature, he made up for it in his body weight!

There are always lessons from success, we hope you tune in to sharpen your skills as a bowhunter.

When dealing with an excellent mast crop, you must set trail cameras over your top producing white oak trees. In addition, you need to focus effort on the cover. This food source is everywhere, so stay to what is consistent and that is cover, specifically east and north facing slopes during this time of the year. When hunting during this time, just remember that you must hunt with favorable winds. You need to put the time in the tree to be successful under these conditions, so make sure you are hunting undetected.

Don't be afraid to put time in, but be expected to hunt extensively during this time frame. Deer patterns are tough, but any time in the field is still a time to learn and observe!

Factors to consider when discussing the best whitetail states include season dates, antlerless tag availability, land uses, climate, habitat, hunting culture, number of buck tags annually, over the counter or draw system? These factors all play a large role in what we see and experience while we are hunting. We break down these factors and discuss for you how influential these all are. 

We hope you enjoy the podcast and it gets your wheels turning regarding where you should be purchasing your next recreational parcel. 

During the second half of the episode, we record after the visit was conducted and provide you with our recommendations for the property. This farm has a bright future and a huge transformation coming it's way. We are going to promote cattle grazing on 45 acres and implement a large timber harvest on the remaining 100 acres of timber to support whitetail deer and turkey on the property. The harvest will include, clear cuts and aggressive thinning! of course prescribed fire will be utilized to maintain this quality habitat. 

Don't miss this almost live consultation review during this podcast! Enjoy

1. You don't hold bachelor groups all summer and are anticipating them showing up.

2. You fear the bachelor group they have watched all summer breaking up and leaving.

September is a unique month in the world of whitetails. Bachelor groups are breaking up and what has fuzzy antlers are now shed into hardened antlers for the fall. Not only are physiological things change, but also are food sources. The once green soybean fields of summer are turning yellow and cornfields are actively being harvested all the while whiteoak acorns are dropping. These changes in the landscape coupled by the changes in the whitetail's body really make for some big pattern shifts in the field. Most hunters are reactionary to these changes and stress out during this month. However, during this podcast, we educate you on how to embrace these variables and prepare for these changes. Ultimately you will become a better woodsman! 

Cash renting of farm acres are very clean exchange. Cash money for the control of agricultural acres. This is a very hands-off approach and has low responsibility on the landowner. But with lack of responsibility comes little power in crop rotations, fertilizing, and harvesting. On the flip side, custom farming is on the complete other side of the spectrum. All of the control is in the hands of the landowner. From, what to plant, how to plant, when to plant, etc... In addition, all of the risk regardless of the outcome falls on the landowner. 

To learn which option is best for you, please tune in and share this podcast with each landowner you know! 
 

This new project will unfold on Sportsman's Channel next summer as well as new social media content. This will be Land & Legacy's way of jumping into whitetail content completely. We'll be packing cameras, podcasting, and doing all kinds of additional content focused on whitetail deer. From growing them, to building a farm for them, to hunting them., you'll find it all right here. 

Forloveoftheland 

Most people tend to think that the more money you spend, the better quality you will get. In some cases this could be true, but it's not always the case when working the land. During the podcast you will hear just how valuable the seed bank is compared to planting natives. The results are pretty overwhelming and speak for themselves.

We also include some great tips on the future management of the site and how to best keep the area in good condition. 

The main goal with Sawdust and Fire is to be as relatable as possible and unpack the heavy research into a landowner's perspective. These guys are excited to bring you new content with a personalized twist. The land management principles will be the same, but a new voice to enjoy! We hope you give Sawdust and Fire a listen each week. 

For Love of the Land 

We sit down with Casey Bergthold of Quail Forever to learn more about the organization and opportunities to put more habitat on the ground. A huge tool for this group is prescribed fire. So if you are apprehensive about using the tool, you need to contact your local Quail Forever agent to see if they can assist. It's important to remember if you want assistance, it is out there for you, you just need to reach out. 

The research conducted by the University of TN and graduate student Mark Turner showed that routine mowing reduced the amount of clover produced, reduced deer activity in the plot, and did not decrease the persistence of broadleaf weeds. Mowing was, however, recommended once during late summer to clip weeds prior them producing seed heads, but following up with an herbicide solution can provide a longer-term maintenance solution. 

Don't mow just because you enjoy it. Research is only good and useful if it is applied. Remember a food plot's goal is to produce the most and highest quality forage per acre possible, so don't mow it off just to have something to do. 

This podcast is not here to paint a picture of doom and gloom but to share a story that we HAVE to learn from. If we keep promoting the culture of hunting, we will preserve the opportunities to chase wild animals. Culture impacts our daily lives and the decisions we make. If you care about bobwhite quail and the wild turkey, let your actions show how important they are to you. 

Small property management differs from a larger property, not due to the limitations of size, but more the importance of executing a fine-tuned plan. The spatial arrangement of native vegetation is essential, cover and security are of the utmost importance. Most small properties have multiple neighbors, on top of this, this homestead is surrounded by hunters too, so hunting pressure is high in this area. This property is a fine example of this arrangement, even though the property is oddly shaped and in a hunting neighborhood. 

Currently, 4-5 mature bucks are using this farm daily. Do you want that success on your property, listen closely, then execute! 

We see the best and worst of land management in our travels. but one thing rings true, the worst is always the practices that failed to be maintained. This is where the headaches come in. You have to actively observe and set aside time to maintain the work you've previously done. This includes TSI, timber harvest, and invasive species control. During this podcast, we cover a couple of real-life examples of the failure to maintain habitat. The use of herbicide and fire is often a necessary one-two punch to keep the habitat in a productive state. Don't skip the maintenance phase if you intend to have a healthy farm. 

If you plan to implement, don't fail to maintain! 
 

Don't let the hustle of life limit you on your time in the field, get after it! One of the biggest factors in success is time and understanding how to manage that time best. We work through the many stages of life and how having the knowledge to attack at the correct time with the correct tools might be the secret to making the most of your limited time. #Forloveoftheland

During this podcast we discuss sprayers, spreaders, tractors, implements, chainsaws and much more. There is no better way to do more and do it right than having the right combination of knowledge and equipment. 

Be a better land manager and get the right equipment working for you. 

We chat about the 6 main factors that influence why plots are over-browsed, some of these may surprise you. In detail, we mention factors such as sunlight, tree competition, forage selection, number of deer, and many others. 

Have you ever wondered just how intricate the whole ecosystem is and how we fit in it? We discuss that in more detail as we plan out the future of Land & Legacy !

With plans to implement a conservation grazing program on native grass specific to his region we're excited to hear the results! We also discuss one of the most important days in Arkansas the opening day of squirrel season and how timber management may have a slight focus on squirrels. #forloveoftheland 

Whether it be soil reports, NRCS contracts, crop contracts, or a road map, these all play a part in helping you as the landowner reach your goals! #Forloveoftheland

Topics such as the rise in outdoor media and ability to share outdoor research has drastically increased the spread of good information. Hunter selectivity has without a doubt been greatly improved over the last few decades. The awareness of land ethic and ecological based habitat management has also been on the rise! 

Sit back and enjoy this podcast! Let us know what else you’ve seen in your neck of the woods that has impacted Creation in a positive way. 

With dry conditions present we can improve the farm with prescribed fire and set back woody vegetation, grasses, and promote a more diverse landscape. We also discuss some of our other plans to make lemonade out of lemons. #Forloveoftheland 

It's not all bad news though! We share some great updates on projects we've worked on the benefits the land owners are seeing! From Oak savanna's in Nebraska to Prairies of Oklahoma! For Love of the Land 

During this podcast, we dive deep into the future of recreational land ownership. Frank and Matt discuss the 6 largest threats to land management, some of which include topics such as private property size, habitat fragmentation, timber/forester market, volatility in commodity markets, and many other key topics. Be sure to listen closely and carefully as this podcast is meant to educate and prepare listeners to stay diligent and get ahead of the future threats to what we hold so close to us. 

We hope you enjoy and share this informative podcast.  

Raccoons seem to be the "new coyote" on the scene. A lot of hate is being spread and aimed at this generalist species. It would seem that with the increase in population over the last few decades that many would come to the conclusion that perhaps our efforts to manage whitetails is improving the habitat for raccoons as well. This then begs the difficult questions that no one likes to answer, Are we contributing to the issue? 

When you manage the land, the wildlife, it’s it’s resources from the bottom-up, you influence the entire life cycle of individuals within a population, opposed to just managing when certain individuals reach maturity. You should be caring for and managing specifically for fawning cover as you do for “buck bedding areas”. You should be managing for brood rearing cover just as you do for strut zones. 

During this podcast we break down some of the biggest problems with the landscape today and how our management is creating a landscape void of young poult usability. Remember that phrase it takes a village to raise a child? It's going to take a landscape to raise the next generation of poults. #ForLoveoftheLand 

Thinking big picture, and utilizing the tools at hand have allowed the properties Hunter manages to explode with life. Don't miss out on your properties potential by being overwhelmed. 

The worst thing you can do as you take ownership of a new farm is to drive the same roads, access stands the same way, keep all stands in the same locations as the previous owners. Many times, the locations of these features are not correct, yet new landowners don’t take time to reevaluate the farm. Don’t let previous owners determine your future success!! 

Share this podcast with someone who needs a fresh outlook on a farm! 
 

Temperatures, most of the countryside has turned into a jungle of green vegetation. Most would applaud this as food plots are sprouting, but others with a keen eye for quality habitat begin to think it’s time for a disturbance. 

In a blink of an eye, we went straight to unusable habitat for a turkey poult in most places.  Can you pin point an area where a turkey poult would survive on your farm? Sure, fawns have plenty of cover and young forage, but your goals stated you wanted deer and turkey, not deer and accidentally having turkeys. 

It’s time to get serious about improving your land.  Get more out of the property, think and okay outside of the box. Creation has no box, it does what it wants, when it wants, how it wants. We should manage in the same way! 

During this podcast we discuss the difference between planning results and accidental success to hopefully help listeners see which side of the aisle they're on.  It's okay if you find yourself having these results occasionally but don't make a living on them! 

Most of the uplands in eastern Montana were still native ranges, which area combination of tall and short grass prairies and sagebrush. This landscape is arid but often has a cattle lease factored into the equation. So, cattle management is critical to ensure proper habitat necessities for the Sharptail Grouse are met. Mainly we need to focus on residual cover, brood-rearing cover, and shrubs! 

Be sure to listen closely even if you will never pull the trigger on a grouse. The finer points and connection with the land and wildlife covered during this podcast is top-notch. 
 

With that being said, the big 4 components of a whitetail's needs are explained in relation to the western landscape that receives only 14-15 inches of rain annually. Expansive river bottoms are where whitetails make their living. Most of these areas are suffocated by smooth brome and towering Cottonwoods. This combination drastically reduces cover and foraging opportunities. We however have a plan to remedy this! By sticking to our land management principles, we are going to put the cover and forage back where and how it needs to be placed. 

Be sure to follow along as we discuss improving the habitat for whitetails in a western landscape. 

During this podcast, we adjust our lens to look at habitat critically. It's time, to be honest, and really ask yourself, is the vegetation growing in my understory helping or hurting my cause. You have to be able to ID plants to make this observation worthwhile. So once you know what you are looking at, you can begin to determine just how much room for improvement there is. We've seen sites where 50% or more of the plants growing within reach for deer were non-native invasive species. This isn't good! 

Be sure you know what you are looking at! If you want to optimize your recreational property, you have to begin by listening to this podcast.  

Be ready to take some notes on this podcast as we chat about our  four habitat principles according to Land & Legacy. These principles should be at the forefront of every project on your farm. How does your screening plans measure up in the principle of land management? You're considering a 50 acre monoculture planting? Sorry that won't make the cut as healthy habitat management according to the principles of land management. 

This podcast is a great example of we find the balance between habitat restoration practices and accomplishing a very hunt able property! Natural resource management is paramount and at the forefront at how we work with each farm. But we are forced to compromise this to a small degree sometimes when the property in full restoration mode will not accomplish to landowners' goals. Clearly defined goals are super important when we find ourselves in this situation. 

If you are wondering how to balance native restoration practices and hunt ability, give this podcast a listen! 
 

During the podcast, we break down what buyers should be prepared for from loans, goals, desires, buying and closing timelines, and strategies to get started in buying hunting property. This podcast is long overdue but necessary as we encourage all who are interested in buying land to do your research but most importantly, you need to start.  

Becoming a landowner can be a long process, however being prepared is the best advice we can give. Be sure to give this podcast a listen if you want to begin buying land. 

We've grown to love perennial food plots for year round usage but there is a portion of the fall when standing grain is dynamite. We're looking to put standing grain and perennial clovers together and see what happens! 

We also discuss the new regulation changes in Missouri for trapping. They're similar to Arkansas regulations and you know how well those helped the population there! ha! If you can't tell we have lots of questions for the department and who's making these decisions. 

The evening previous these same turkeys were gobbling on the limb after fly up, so we were able to make a firm plan for the morning's hunt. We knew we had to be on the same hardwood bench as them and that we needed to get as close as possible! We snuck to 100 yards from them on the limb and let the hunt unfold. 

Be sure to listen closely to the techniques, sounds, calls, and timing/usage of each of them. Talking turkey isn't always about making the perfect clean yelp. Turkeys make vocalizations as well as sounds as they move about the landscape. These tips will help you close the deal in the turkey woods! 

We chat with Dr. Colier in detail about the tendency for hunters to place trail cameras over turkey nests to attempt to document the events that will unfold, whether it be hatching or predation. However, this causes issues and drastically increases the chance of a nest being predated upon. In addition, we have to ask ourselves within the realm of predators is, who are the predators versus the scavengers in this equation? Are hens getting bumped off nests and then scavengers are taking eggs or is a hen predated and then scavengers will come and raid a nest that would fail regardless? This issue is complex, so we have to tackle it with opinions aside and let the facts speak for themselves. 

If you want a real conversation about the state of wild turkeys, then tune in! 
 

When you dig in and find a better mousetrap, you know you are on to something! Foraging swamping is a new term that we are bringing to the table regarding the placement, addition, and congregation of food resources in relation to bedding and other factors of the property. Fruit tree selection based should be relative to the area and the other supplemental forages in that area of the farm. We want to swamp the area with as many high-quality food resources as possible that all correlate to each other. 

To learn more of when, where, and how to plant soft and hard mast give this podcast a listen!  

This podcast will change the way you look at your land. This podcast is designed to connect you intimately with the vegetation growing on your property and the results of them. We are talking about soil temperatures, moistures levels, and species of vegetation present. Micro-climates will open your eyes to see more parts of your farm in greater detail. 

We hope you enjoy this podcast! Tune in next week for more land management content. 

Body posture, gobbling response time/intensity, strutting direction, and head color change, are all indicators we look very closely at when calling in a longbeard. These are telltale signs of when the next call needs to occur and the intensity in which you deliver it.  

During the opening day of Missouri's turkey season, Chainsaw Chad had a hunt that unfolded just 35 yards in front of him which provides you will some great insight on why this scenario worked on an early gobbler with hens. Follow along on this podcast to learn the details that matter when closing the deal wild turkeys. 

We sit down with the Element guys this week to discuss hunting, fishing, and Christ. We cover a lot of topics so buckle up! 

These tools and their usage fall along a wide spectrum of usage, on both ends of the spectrum, either overuse or no use of each tool is less than ideal. The middle ground is where you find our recommendations lie. There is a balance that all land managers must find when it comes to using these tools and getting the responses you want the most. Factors such as regions, vegetation types, and climate all impact what is proper usage for you in your situation, not someone on social media. 

It's time to use these tools appropriately to generate the response that will achieve your results. 

Follow along with us this week as we discuss the results from western Oklahoma, southern Florida, central Alabama, and central Pennsylvania. No matter where you go or what landscape you find yourself in, the results are there to be found if you don't get in the way. Sometimes the best thing to do is commit and implement. This sounds simple, but remember your results are waiting for you on the other side of the commitment. 

We're also discussing the encounter Chad had the day after the burn with a lone hen. This strange encounter leads us to believe something else may be happening to our turkeys! #Forloveofhteland

Passion is the start of something great. So learning about the complexities of the naturalist  world helped to shape Kyle and fuel his outside educational experiences. Follow along as we need out about woodlands and savannas. 

We base our management off of using God's template for land management and ensure we use natural disturbances to promote healthy ecosystems. Imagine your kids hearing the sound of Bobwhite Quail Whistling in a restored pine savanna that you completed with a plan of attack and the grit to complete? It's an amazing thought to have. Now, stop thinking about it and go do it!

So this week, we discuss how critical it is to plan out a hunting strategy prior to executing habitat management. Without access and wind direction in mind, quality habitat becomes less useful. We have to keep in mind and make room for secure areas to hold deer, transition areas to encourage daylight movement, but also destination food plots that are huntable. The movement of wildlife and the spatial arrangement of certain habitat features in a property design is the difference between having wildlife and successfully being able to hunt them. 

Execution is key, but prior to executing, a proper planning session is always necessary! 

Now here's your chance, we're only taking a select number of hunters but we're offering two turkey hunts and four deer hunts in 2022. This will be a consult as well as a hunt, hunting in the mornings and viewing the property and learning techniques during the afternoons! Nothing has ever been offered like this before so don't miss it! Come and hunt with us!

With this, people try to defend their position and end up using old and poorly executed research to make their claims seem more relevant and influential. However, today, we call their bluff. If we care about wild turkeys, we need real information that will create change! 

At Land & Legacy, we take the practical, impactful, and functional way to solve natural resource-related issues! Let's take the steps moving forward, not ones that just make us feel good. 

In recent years, the property has entered into a new phase of land management. The heavy lifting or implementation phase has transitioned into more maintenance of the quality habitat that exists. The property is now diverse, time to keep it that way! Travis shares his stories about how they got here and the joy that comes with arriving at the maintenance phase of a project like this! 

We hope you enjoy this podcast and share it with your hunting buddies! 

The most important thing to consider is them as hunters on a mission, just like Adam, Matt, Frank, Kyle, and Chainsaw Chad. We all wear many different hats, no matter who you work for or what your role is in land management, private or public! 

We hope you enjoy this REAL conversation about turkey hunting and the future of turkey management. 

Many others are in the same boat ask Lake Pickle and the Primos Team, they want to learn but are afraid to take the leap of putting flame on the ground. It's time that we all rally around solid information about using the technique. Link arms with neighbors, friends and form a wildlife co-op to use this prescribed fire as your disturbance regime on your recreational property. 
 

Wise forestry practice and forestry health are critical for wild turkeys. As NWTF has seen forest health decline as the average timber ages on the stump, they took action and decided to increase the opportunity for landowners seeking help in property management. 

We hope you enjoy this step-by-step process of getting cost-share dollars to work for you on your own property and increase the quality of habitat that you can offer on your property! 

There are a lot of factors that are contributing to the wild turkey decline, which means that are many different ways we can all contribute, so in this podcast, we break down the role that State Game agencies play, public land managers, hunters or conservationists, and landowners. Most everybody will fall into one of these categories and we clearly define what each group can do. With a united front and action taken, we can reverse the direction of the wild turkey. 

We hope you enjoy the podcast, please share with those who are ready to take action! 

The most sought-after locations within the state have often been narrowed down to zones 4 and 5. These are great regions, but they do not favor the nonresident as it takes 4-5 years to hunt them with a bow. However, Zone 3 offers hunting opportunities every other year. So, a nonresident can hunt their farm twice as much if that farm resides in Zone 3. 

It just so happens, that collectively, we can offer that exact opportunity. Garrett is now offering a Land & Legacy managed farm near Castana, IA which lies in Zone 3. If you are interested, please contact Garret Armstrong! 

We encourage everyone to stay open-minded as they listen to this series. If we are all going to learn and do the best for our natural resources, we are going to have to work together to accomplish it and do so, unitedly. We also need call on all private landowners, it's our shoulders where the bulk of this load is being carried. The wild turkey is our resource to manage, so let's do it with pride and passion as we walk in step with one another. 

Be ready for some great interviews with many different professionals! We hope you enjoy the content and education. 
 

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We first start out by identifying the biotic and abiotic features of a property. This is the start or foundation that the rest of the podcast is built upon. The other factors of layering diversity into a property include topography, soils, terrain features, elevation, plant communities, and then disturbance regimes.  Don't worry, although this is a heavy podcast, we spend time on each subject to explain in detail how it impacts your success and the frequency of game animals using your property. 

Don't miss this podcast, we drop some knowledge bombs that will take your understanding of the land and natural resources to a much deeper understanding. Enjoy, Learn, Share! #ForLoveoftheLand 

You will hear two different interviews during this podcast. We speak with one of the owners of Whitetail Properties Paul Sawyer to discuss why and how the company got started. This interview may surprise you, this company has grinded from the start to position itself at the top of the recreational real estate business. 

In addition, we speak with the marketing Director Alex Gyllstrom to hear about the future of the company and how it relates to Land & Legacy. This combination takes two companies that have a clear vision of their future and aims to maximize the landownership experience for hunters across the country. This goal is big, however, with our strengths together it is achievable. #ForLoveoftheLand 

What do you do with an 11 month growing season in the south? How do you control the over growth and maintain a landscape thats diverse and manageable? How do you utilize a property with shear cliffs around the farm making navigation almost impossible? We cover all these challenges and more this week!

We're going to discuss the management of these areas, the concept behind them and why they should be on your farm! Remember, turkeys and quail need more disturbance than deer and it's important that we offer areas like that on our farm. Check out this podcast to hear us unpack the concept of wildlife openings. 

Kyle is sharing his techniques for successful trap lines that he's used for years to try and remove predators on the landscape. From favorite traps, to lures, to coyote sets he shares it all!  

We also cover the new trapping changes possibly coming to Missouri and we discuss other states with similar seasons and if it yielded higher turkey numbers.  

It's not as easy as it may seem but through this research it gave hope to guys like us managing in an overlooked part of the world due to the sheer small sizes of the deer.  This is generational not yearly  changes, this isn't just culling inferior bucks, this is complex but more simple than you might think! 

Now, even with all this management and changes in the habitat we still have to worry about dispersal and we're ultimately giving our deer everything they can have to send the yearling bucks packing to our neighbors right?! Not so fast! We have an idea! 

https://extension.msstate.edu/sites/default/files/publications/publications/p3013.pdf

The most common technique landowners use to manage for predators is through trapping, but there are other ways to do it!

This week Adam, Frank, and Kyle discuss ways to manage your habitat that can help decrease the usability of predators. This could be grazing with livestock, to burning, to removing large snag trees, these practices all have an impact on animals you may not want on your farm.  Stay tuned to hear what techniques you should be using. 

Like many recreational farms, this property has some great pinch points and funnels that dissect the farm, as well as a great river corridor. Hunting the property is not difficult, however, these landowners wanted to make the property and natural resources more attractive to wildlife. Success is great, but being a land steward on top of hunting success is a goal we should all strive for.

Kyle reviews with us in detail the plans he has to make this happen for the client. He is going to develop a road map or blue-prints for them to follow and execute. These new landowners will have plenty of work to keep them busy, but many memories to create along the way. 

To explain further, we aren't here to only apply half of the habitat management techniques that any given property should have. Each technique builds upon itself so that once the plan is in place the results should grow exponentially. Old field management has a different role than a wood lot that has been thinned and burned or a food plot edge that has been edge feathered. With all of these techniques in place, they support one another like an ecosystem. They all improve the property and not one is the sole reason for more success. 

When you start the improve the land, go ALL in! Think bigger and treat your property like an ecosystem for the most success! 
 

Kyle Hedges a Land & Legacy consultant brings his extensive knowledge of trapping and biology to the table. We use documented and peer-reviewed research to highlight the key points throughout the discussion. Our goal with this podcast is to discuss the relationship between predators and prey. There is nothing direct in this relationship. It is complicated and complex, we do our best to highlight this through unbiased discussion. 

Stay tuned for more on predators and the habitat they utilize during next week's podcast. We will discuss ways to make your property less inviting to predator species! 

Mitt shares his thoughts on the ways to fight high inflation food plots that we discussed last week on the podcast. His insight and knowledge on costs and planning for expenses to get the most out of the soil are impressive. In addition, we go into detail regarding his time and expense-saving food plot regime. Despite planting grain crops, Mitt is able to have great yields, low weed pressure by only planting the right seed at the appropriate times. He uses plant growth characteristics to make the most out of his plot. For every crop of corn he plants, he will follow up with three legume crops to feed the soil. Balansa clover is an annual variety that helps fight weed control and rejuvenate the soil. 

To learn more, be sure to download this podcast and share it with your friends. We will be watching who shares the podcast, we got some giveaways for you!

During this podcast, we take a scroll back through the archives. We relive some of the best or most downloaded podcasts from Land & Legacy. These podcasts were toe-crunching truths regarding land management. They set a tone for landowners. They encourage new thoughts or paradigm shifts to previous ideas regarding how to manage a recreational property. 

This podcast is going to give you the best of hits to download again so that you can set yourself up for success during 2022. Be intentional and decisive when making decisions about how to improve your property. 

Throughout the years of Land & Legacy, real estate has always been a part of what we do and how we present information. Therefore it only makes sense to have a strong relationship with Whitetail Properties Real Estate. This partnership is going to be a big opportunity for those who enjoy video content as well. You will see Land & Legacy hosting many of the videos on LandBeat. Check out the content on social media and Youtube. 

We are excited for what the future holds and how each of you can be more of a part of it. We ask that you assist us helping share the new podcast feed with your friends and family. 

We cover four main ways to not fall victim to paying the high price for inputs this year. First, we discuss the ways to cut herbicide usage. Secondly, we explain the role that perennial plots like the Revival blend from Stratton Seed is an eleven-month crop for many portions of the country. It also does not need to be planted annually, this crop should last 6-7 years. The third option is to consider allowing some food plots to go fallow for a year. Lastly, we discuss how producing food for wildlife doesn't have to be in the form of food plots. Native vegetation should play an even larger role moving forward on your recreational property. 

Please share this message with other landowners so they can plan food plots properly for 2022 and beyond. 

Imagine if you could take your same property and increase the ability to produce 2-4 mature deer every year as opposed to one occasionally. The secret sauce here beyond trigger control is to create a secure environment. A secure environment is based on the density of cover offered at ground level. If you don't have it, then the chances of producing mature deer annually drastically decrease. There is no substitute here! 

If you want to shoot older deer, keep it simple, make more of them! 

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We started the year with the initial purchase of the property and immediately hit the ground running with projects. Over the course of 11 months we were able to restore a glade, improve some old fields, create more food plots, add water holes and many other projects. This is a product of having a plan and sticking to it! Prioritizing your projects is one of the biggest ways to cut time and make things happen! #Forloveoftheland

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In October the group worked together to close on a 137-acre farm that had some serious deer already on the farm. We've been in the process of developing a plan on this farm through the fall but now was the time to see how the deer moved for ourselves. During the second shotgun season, the weather was warm, but the deer were moving well at last light. The right buck stepped out into the field with one minute to spare. 

This buck was a great representative of what western Iowa is capable of producing. But, we expect more and will see this farm develop even more in the coming months and years. It is a true dream to work on a farm with this foundation of habitat. 

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