Land & Legacy - Habitat + Hunting (Land & Legacy)

This week, we step away from private land management and the real estate side of things to discuss public land management. Over the past several years, public land hunting has certainly become more popular and trendy. With that taking place, you tend to hear more opinions about how the state or federal government should be managing the land.

So we went straight to a source who works daily for The US Forest Service as a wildlife technician. Chad Keith describes in full detail how areas are selected and managed within each district. There are certainly pros, cons, and many complications that occur when managing public land. Of course, the public has a say in what happens, but many times there is misunderstandings of the objectives. Needless to say, there are incredible efforts being made to improve habitat across the landscape.

Let us know what you think regarding the public land management system. This is not an easy job! Could you imagine orchestrating 100's of 1000's of acres to be managed within view of the public eye each and every year?

This week we visit with Matt Martin and get a unique perspective from a guy that has been on all sides of land management.  Matt worked for the NRCS, has been a landowner with a NRCS EQIP contract, and now owns a land management business where as a contractor he works for others trying to develop their land 
 

Grab your over and under, box of shells, chaps, and bird dog, it's quail time! We have a big annoucement to make on for the bobwhite quail, Land & Legacy is expanding into a new field by bringing on two of the top quail researchers and hunters in the country to our team! Both Kyle and Frank who have been guests in the past will be working under the Land & Legacy name to provide top-notch upland habitat management consultations across the country.

These two guys have spent many years studying and mastering the management of upland ecosystems to allow game birds like bobwhite quail, pheasants, and greater prairie chickens to prosper. We are very excited to bring you all the additional information on managing upland prairies, shrub lands, native forbs, in an annual setting. The management techniques are similar for deer, but the intervals of disturbance and spatial distribution drastcially change for quail. Kyle and Frank will break this down into simple terms on how they address these issues on farms from Texas to South Dakota all the way across to South Carolina.

This is a big step for us and we cannot wait to see these guys in aciton. If you know anyone interested in quail management, please feel free to reach out through email at info@landandlegacy.tv. To hear there previous podcast, click here and click here! Enjoy.Learn.Share! #ForLoveoftheLand

Finally, it is here! We have been hinting at this for some time and after many months of development, we are releasing a new service to landowners. This podcast unveils and describes in full detail a new way we are able to assist landowners in managing their property. 

For many years we have been putting boots on the ground with clients across 27 states by completing in the field consultations. This has been the backbone of our services, but this has also allowed us to survey the country and learn the typical plant communities that occur in each region. This long term research has allowed us to confidently offer Virtual Property Evaluations as a service to those who may not be able to commit to a full consultation. This service will be conducted via online video conferencing software, so we will be able to share screens and accurately guide you to your property goals. This service will assist those looking to get more out of there property, maximize the landscape, improve habitat, develop hunting strategies, and guide people to the right real estate transactions. 

For more information on this service please visit our website at www.landandlegacy.tv, click the consultation tab, the necessary details are listed there. Be sure to send an email through the website! We are very excited to work with landowners in a new fashion. Everyone is hungry for land management information, so we want to reach as many people as possible sharing valuable information that will produce real results. Enjoy.Learn.Share! #ForLoveoftheLand

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There are many myths, misinformation, and hunting stories that lead the whitetail hunter astray from what is truth. The truth of this matter is more important than what you may think. 

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. 

On this week's podcast, we discuss some recent findings on our consultation trips. These times in the field are priceless with countless observations of how wildlife are utilizing certain habitat features. One of the more reoccurring things we see are isolated and routinely used beds, often referred to as "buck beds". 

Buck Beds have gotten a lot of attention lately, however, one of the most missed features of this is that adequate cover is often limited. When quality cover is limited, we see routine beds, often used day in and day out. Although consistent bedding is good, having abundant, quality, secure, cover is even better. 

The next time you find a buck bed, look at the structure, consider how to create more of that on the landscape as opposed to how can you hunt that location? Be a land steward! #ForLoveoftheLand 

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Welcome to a new way to own land. We are excited to bring you an opportunity to learn more about The Hogan. This property is a 550-acre recreational property located in Gallipolis, Ohio. This farm is being offered to 5 member-owners for the first time ever!

This farm has been developed over the past few years to create a dynamic habitat and wildlife-rich property. All this development comes at a cost. The value of this offering and property stretches out the cost across several member/owners making the dream of owning a 550-acre recreational paradise feasible. The work has been done and the enjoyment is waiting for your family to be a part of this unique opportunity.

If you have dreamed of owning incredible hunting and fishing property, but don't have the time or knowledge to develop then The Hogan is for you. Shared Ownership is a new structure, but one that offers premiere land at a fraction of the cost. Show up and Enjoy!

Although summer may seem to be like you can breeze right through it thinking all is taken care of in the wildlife world. However, that would be short-sided. There are several factors that people always overlook during the summer timeframes.  

Summer thermal cover for species such as bobwhite quail, wild turkey, and whitetail deer is key! It's often overlooked, but you can't forget about it, because there are essential elements to create quality summer thermal cover. Summer thermal cover is comprised of several elements, shade, wind speed, topography, and appropriate forb development. 

In addition to this, environmental factors such as insects, ticks, and mites increase stress, so summer thermal cover doesn't just mean cooler temperatures, but parasite management as well! You will be shocked at how much these parasites cause stress on the individuals. Be sure to check it out! 

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 We are reviewing a prescribed fire from three weeks ago. We walk through 3 different sites within the prescribed fire units and discuss exactly what we see. We address if we reach our stated goals or not. 

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! 

Guess what, it's about that time! The buck activity is ramping up all across the mid-west as we record this podcast. What a great time to be a bowhunter. Although the activity is escalating, that doesn't mean you should go in "guns blazing", you still need a plan and guide to put yourself in a likely setup to cross paths with a mature buck. 

On this week's podcast, we break down how to read the sign and behavior you may be seeing on your trail cameras or field observations. Are you seeing bucks working scrapes in the daylight or are you seeing solo fawns wandering around aimlessly? These are signs of the stages of the rut and activity in the whitetail breeding season. In addition, we discuss what the next steps are for treestand selection. Travel corridors or pinch points are fantastic during this time of the year. The progression of young bucks to older bucks of chasing is in full swing. 

If you want to make the most out of your hunting season for the next two week, give this podcast a listen! We share the activity level of bucks on our cameras, hopefully, soon we will be a full draw! #ForLoveoftheLand 

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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.

There is a heated debate over the topic of, whether should you mow your clover. There have been many schools of thought, but now a long-term research project has provided us, land managers, with the best option for perennial plot maintenance. Recreational mowing is often overused and done to the detriment of wildlife and perennial food plots. 

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. 

Where did all the quail go? This is a recurring question that begins in the eastern United States and ends in western United States with many ideas and opinions. Like many complicated questions, it has a very complicated answer that we do our best to break down and discuss some of the biggest factors in the decline of the Bobwhite Quail. From habitat loss, to predators, to farming practices, to timber harvest, Kyle and Adam paint a picture of a landscape during the early 1900's to mid 1960's to present day. 

Bobwhite Quail numbers have been declining for many years now and without an understanding of the problem there will be no real solution. Education is the solution to many problems in our world today and educating everyone that "Predators ate all the Quail," is simply a false statement. Did you know that farming today looks entirely different than it did even 30 years ago? Or that one of the country's largest sawmills sat in south central Missouri, where close by, quail hunting was done with a canoe and dogs floating the Current River. What a changing world we live in!

Quail discussions shouldn't all be doom and gloom and this podcast isn't either. We chat about the great things we can do as land managers to bring the quail back. Co-operatives to government cost-share opportunities to incentivize landowners to improve their farms and be rewarded for their work! Deer hunters, don't miss the boat on this, it's important you care about quality habitat as well! #ForLoveoftheLand 

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Have you been plagued by poor planning and execution of land management practices? Do you regret your decision to add a food plot in that location? These are all common but avoidable situations. We see many land improvement practices fall victim to poor planning or haphazard reactionary land management. When considering your impact on the land, you need to have serious forethought. Ask yourself, how will this impact deer now and in the future? To learn how to avoid costly mistakes and become more efficient, give this podcast a listen.

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Sure we all know and accept that deer like acorns, tender leaves, and "food plots". But, that is an elementary understanding of what deer actually eat. When you dive deeper into the annual foraging needs, the metabolic process, and availability of resources, you take your understanding of deer and their requirements to a new level. 

Everyone always wants to talk about the protein content of the latest and greatest feed they put down on the ground, but protein isn't all that deer seek. Other elements like calcium, phosphorus, boron, etc... all play a role in the deer's diet. They don't receive these various micronutrients by eating the same plant, food plot blend, or feed you put on the ground every day. When you begin to explore this deeper, you find that the foraging behavior and nutrient needs follow what is naturally produced on the landscape. So to meet these needs let's first understand on a deeper level, how nature works. This week we discuss the role of forbs, woody browse, browse, hard mast, soft mast, grasses, and fungi. 

Do not miss this podcast! This is critical to understand if you want to grow healthier, bigger, or more deer. Give this podcast a listen and a share! 

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On a recent trip to the mid-Atlantic region, Matt was able to spend time reviewing success from a client who planted diverse natives as well as met with a new landowner who has converted just 1.5 acres into a food production mecca! You will hear about both wonderful stories on this week's podcast. 

It is a joy to share with everyone the success that those who implement the plans have. These real-life examples are perfect to build off of and use as encouragement for others to replicate this success on their own property. We sit down with Kevin of southern Maryland to discuss the progress of the native wildlife corridors he planted. In just year two this planting is booming with life from diverse grasses to many pollinator species. 

In addition, we interview Daniel Adams of Up and Adams Farm. Daniel is a brand new client of Land & Legacy, but while onsite, we took time to review the other ways he is using his land. Daniel and his family devote 1.5 acres to food production. This includes 40 laying chickens, 90 meat chickens, 5 pigs, and a 7,500 sq foot garden that could support 30 different families. This type of production out of 1.5 acres is incredible! We can't wait to hear what you think about this content! #ForLoveoftheLand 

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On this week’s podcast we cover all things summer and heat. It’s been heating up in the Midwest and a recent consulting trip to Texas reinforced the need for thermal cover. Yes, thermal cover for the summertime. The heat and potential for drought are something land managers should consider. 

Can you imagine what summer thermal cover looks like? How do you create it? Why is summer thermal cover even necessary? We address these questions and more. By the end of the podcast you will be considering shade, aspects of slopes, bedding on extended points, wind currents and much more. Don’t forget about the bottomland management as well. Creeks with shaded sandy banks will be “hot” spots.

Don’t let the heat keep you from managing your land appropriately. Make sure you address each stress period adequately for the wildlife you want to promote. 

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For many land owners across the country, we're in a drought that doesn't seem to be lifting anytime soon. What does this mean for land managers trying to improve their property for wildlife? It means it's time to get to work like usual! Drought doesn't mean to go about our normal routine, it opens the door for more projects that we normally couldn't do without dry weather. 

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 

Merry Christmas from the Land & Legacy team. We want to provide you with a long list of Christmas gift ideas for the land manager. So, share this with loved-ones as the perfect gift ideas for you. These ideas range in value from just a few dollars to a few thousand. However,  they have all saved us time, energy, or allowed us to become more efficent in the field. 

The list of the perfect land manager Christmas ideas includes some of the following, Bluetooth headphones, chainsaw hip pouch, chainsaw gear bag, 2" rigid water hose, Danner boots, Ozonics, Stihl MS261-CM, and much more. These gift ideas will not bring disappointment to anyone on Christmas morning. 

We hope you enjoy this holiday-themed podcast. We wish you the Merriest Christmas and hope each of you seeks the true gift of salvation during this season. #ForLoveoftheLand 

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This is a bold statement, but it’s true, especially during this time of the year. The pre-rut is a great time to get some fascinating deer behavior captured on trail cameras. But with all the intel you can gain, does it paint a full picture? 

On this weeks podcast, we break down some crazy buck management that we captured this past week. In just 24 hours we captured over 1.5 miles of straight line movements! This deer was traveling long and far, but is this the normal? Trail cameras tell you what already happened, not what is going to happen. 

Learn how we interpret trail camera information during this time of the year. #ForLoveoftheLand 

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Every state has the potential to grow top-caliber deer. In most areas, the natural resources are already present on the landscape to produce great habitat. However, it’s just in the wrong form. That is how we help assist landowners to shape the landscape on a way that improves the land but also produces results. This podcast walks you through that exact situation as Jason from Western Michigan tags a 163” whitetail on his home turf. 

Despite the many challenges in getting deer to older age classes based on hunter densities across the state and liberal bag limits, it can be done! Adequate cover and security is the key to making this happen. During the podcast we discuss how a logging operation, invasive species removal, prescribed fire, edge feathering, and patience paid off. 

If you are interested in learning how to manage the landscape and hold big deer on your property, this is the podcast for you! Enjoy. Learn. Share! 

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One of the goals that we have set out to achieve with Land & Legacy is to change mindsets when it comes to managing the land. The current model of land management is tainted and skewed by placing improper value on food plots, mineral, and supplemental feeding. This has tainted the extreme value associated with managing our natural resources. This podcast is devoted to sharing the success of one Land & Legacy client in Ohio.

Todd Watts has been managing his property for 3 full years now. When he first set out to make improvements, like most, he focused solely on food plots. Todd shares how he found some success with this, but he knew it was only limited. The next steps he took was to focus on converting hay fields into crop fields. Again, this only added more temporary food on the landscape. this further improved the farm from the beginning, but still left major voids in his plan.

This farm was missing one of the key elements necessary to hold and grow big deer, cover. Without cover, deer will still occupy large ranges as they travel long distances and often only reach destination food resources at dark. Knowing this to be true, Todd called Land & Legacy and the farm began with a facelift and redirection of time and resources. Immediately upon arriving on the farm, we took notice to the large acreage left unmanaged. The slopes or old pasture land was still dominated by fescue. These days, the same acres, are 5 foot tall and covered in native forbs, providing quality cover and tons of forage. These acres now produce annually, 3,000 lbs of digestible forage.

To learn how this transformation occurred, join us on this week's podcast! You will be amazed at how this change in mindset has changed the outlook and productiveness of this property. Enjoy.Learn.Share! #ForLoveoftheLand

This time of the year is not the time to slack. Many states have closed deer season now, but you should still be in the woods. Trade in the bow for a chainsaw, it's time to give back and put some trees on the ground.

Over 80% of a deer's diet is woody browse. Do you have enough woody browse available on your property to keep feeding deer? We are about to enter the most stressful time period for whitetails. Put a hold on shed season and do work that will produce a return for you and your hunting for seasons to come.

In this podcast, we discuss the importance of woody browse and other winter-time habitat management projects like bedding area thickets, TSI, dormant season discing, and prescribed fire. Find out how these habitat improvement techniques can make your property more attractive to wildlife! Enjoy.Learn.Share! #ForLoveoftheLand

Welcome back to the Vegetation Podcast Series with Land & Legacy. This podcast series will give you the leg up on all other land managers by learning the basics of each type of vegetation a true wildlife manager would need to know. In the first week of the series, we are going to be working through grasses. It is not uncommon for various types of grasses such as warm-season grasses to be glorified by wildlife managers across the country. Why is that? Are they right? Or will you find out that is just fluff?

To start the podcast, we break down the various categories grasses can be placed based upon their specific features, such as cool-season versus warm season, native versus non-native, and bunchgrass versus sod-forming grass. This gives information gives the ability to make the proper decisions moving forward on how to properly manage the grasses growing across the property. In addition, we highlight the food and cover value of grasses for animal species such as whitetail deer, turkey, and bobwhite quail. 

If you want to learn more about how to properly manage land for wildlife game species, it starts with having a complex knowledge of what is growing on the land. We hope you will continue to follow along with the podcast series, next week, is all about forbs. #ForLoveoftheLand

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Often times wetlands get a bad name for wasted space or unusable acres. This cannot be farther from the true. In today's podcast, we are joined by Brian Towe to discuss the role and management of our wetlands. Wetlands are dynamic and support thousands of critters with a home. They are vital to the health of our land and should be respected for that!

Wetlands often are put down for their "fowl" smell, yet we forget that they are a filter system producing quality water resources for our streams and underground aquifers. We have wetlands to thank for slowing down the flow of water and removing the bad containments from continuing downstream. In addition, they support a whole host of vital life forms from waterfowl species, neotropical birds, crustaceans, amphibians, shrubs, sedges, and the list goes on!

To get the most out of wetlands they should be actively managed to control water levels and vegetation responses to support a wide variety of organisms. We call this type of management "moist soil management". With the proper water control structures, you can create, improve, enhance, and construct some incredibly diverse wetland communities. Enjoy.Learn.Share! #ForLoveoftheLand

Dreaming of buying ground is a very popular dream for almost anyone who enjoys hunting, but if you're like Adam and his brother Chad the dream consists almost entirely of buying land that borders the family farm. In 1952 their Grandpa purchased what is now the family farm, but after last week we've managed to expand the size and are looking forward to the future restoration! 

Using a creative approach they were able to utilize a farm loan set up by the Farm Service Agency to establish a plan to run the farm where it almost solely pays for itself. By incorporating cattle, timber management, and replicating nature this farm will be unlike most farms you'll see. From dry arid glades to wet beaver swamps, they have plans to push back the normal and create a template for future landowners to build off of and restore landscapes in your next of the woods. 

Tune in this week to hear all the plans they have to bring back the Bobwhite quail, grow MORE 190" bucks, and work the ground with a business mindset to avoid those costly mistakes. You don't want to miss this one! #Forloveoftheland

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If we've heard it once, we've heard it a thousand times! A green understory doesn't mean that it is desirable vegetation that will produce food or cover for the game species you are looking to promote. You have to know what you are looking at to accurately make that evaluation. 

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.  

During this podcast, you will hear from two new landowners who are working diligently to get some habitat work completed. Since closing on the properties, time has been the limiting factor, but that is changing and projects are getting completed. 

This podcast discusses how a new fencing project will be one of the most impactful projects on the farm as cows will be managed for the first time, opposed to them roaming freely. In addition, trees are hitting the dirt. More sunlight will be spurring on new regeneration on both farms through a timber harvest as well as a giant bedding thicket project. 

We also need your help to name these farms. We've got our ideas, but we need your thoughts!  

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This week we're discussing a recent prescribed fire at "The Woodlands" and how each and every burn unit has the ability to provide different results from each burn year to the next. You know what they say "Fires are burning up the turkey nests!" Let's get real here, grassland fires are about the only fire that burns 95% of the burn units. Timber burns with much terrain will almost always have areas that didn't burn. 

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

Sit back and prepare yourself to be challenged, encouraged, spiritually awakened, and educated. This week, we sit down with the renowned Dr. Sanchez who is a hunter, outdoorsmen, father, and a powerful man of God. For many years now, we have discussed the deep connection between our time in Creation and how that helps to repair us and lower stress. Finally, our guest has the science to prove it all! 

We discuss in full detail how and why time in the outdoors is necessary to manage stress levels. Consistent exposure to nature can lower stress levels and heal our minds. However, this all comes with a balance of family time. This isn't an excuse to not be present at home or in the office. Dr. Sanchez discusses how a proper balance in your life of time outdoors will improve relationships and focus. 

We hope that this podcast fuels you to look critically inside. There is no doubt that we all have a passion for the outdoors, but we must ask ourselves, do we have this in balance with the rest of our lives? If we are honest with ourselves, we likely don't. We encourage you to listen and then re-listen to this podcast. Enjoy.Learn.Share! #ForLoveoftheLand 

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Time to set the record straight on terminology. Some of the most common phrases in the world of wildlife often get used incorrectly and then rarely implemented appropriately. The term bedding thicket and sanctuary are NOT interchangeable. 

Sanctuaries are often large vast areas that receive little to no human intrusion. The lack of human intrusion then begins the assumption that the area is secure and holding deer. A secure area doesn't necessarily hold deer, but an area that offer secure cover does! That is the main difference between a sanctuary and a bedding thicket. The presence of actual deer cover is critical to see wildlife actually respond to it positively. 

You will certainly want to join us on this podcast as we break down the important differences between these key terms in property layout. Enjoy. Learn. Share! #ForLoveoftheLand 

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It's been too long since we had Dr. Sanchez back on the podcast but without any more waiting we breakdown what it means to leave a "Living Legacy". This podcast and topic is special to us as the work Legacy is within our own name. 

In this podcast, we go deep into the long term impact of relationships. How do you maximize them? How do you use the outdoors and creation to connect with people?  How do you support people and share wisdom with them? This podcast is incredibly relevant to how hunters, fathers, husbands, etc.. can be the best they can be. 

We hope that you take time to reflect on this podcast and apply what you can to your life and relationships. Be sure to share this podcast with those who need to hear this message, be a friend to those in need. #ForLoveoftheLand 

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The group at Quail Forever is a lean mean habitat focused machine. They are keenly aware that the persistence of bobwhite quail and pheasants are dependent upon the habitat on the ground. So they cast a wide net to grab the attention of all land lovers. 

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. 

This is the time in which deer hunters across the country begin to hit the woods with real anticipation for encountering rutting whitetails. From our in the field observations and what has been sent through the CuddeLink System, we know very little chasing is occurring in our neighborhood at this time. However, we are just days away from a massive cold front closing out October. The combination of a cold front and the photoperiod is a recipe for pre-rut activity. 

In this week's podcast, we discuss how our hunting strategy of being conservative thus far in the hunting season is about to change! We start to move in for a strike when the deer begin to move and get on their feet chasing does. If we pressure the property too much before the peak of deer movement, we limit ourselves and productiveness when the chances of encountering mature whitetails is at its peak. Listen closely to the hunting strategy we will begin to deploy this week and the few to follow. It's all about cover, find the cover and hunt! Deer behavior from year to year does not change at this time of the season. Without fail, bucks will be chasing does in areas of ideal bedding cover. Be there or be square and eating tag soup! Enjoy.Learn.Share! 

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We're headed west! It's a busy time of the year but some times it's important to slow down and go hunting! This week we're discussing our upcoming trip to Utah to chase elk! This trip brings up past hunts and the good times of sharing camp with buddies! #forloveoftheland 

On a recent consulting trip to the Mid-Atlantic region of the county, we have some unique findings to share! During this trip, we visited 5 different properties, each unique in their own way. Every property had specific aspects that created topics and points to discuss during this week's podcast.

Many of the farms need a new direction and focus applied to the timbered areas. It is easy to overlook the importance of these areas on farms, however, in most cases, they need the most improvement. Past owners took many of the timbered resources off these farms years ago, now leaving unmanaged poor timbered areas that are not productive for wildlife or timber in the coming years. Listen as we discuss certain points to consider when maximizing each acre of your property.

In addition, we discuss an important direction many outdoorsmen and women are heading, full land, wildlife, and sustainable property management. Many people are moving into a direction where their focus is broad, yet specific in a way that can be simply put, make every acre as natural and beneficial as it should be. This way they can enjoy an income, extended hunting season by hunting a wide variety of critters each year. Enjoy.Learn.Share! #ForLoveoftheLand

Ready or not, the cold is coming. There is the treaty of serious cold temps hitting the whitetails range in the next few weeks. Does your land have the late season food sources to support them? Do you even know what to look for regarding late season food resources? Download this podcast to find out! 

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.
 

During this podcast, Matt and Kyle discuss some of the key elements of creating quality cover. The most forgotten element is structure! 

Often times you hear how structure is relate to fish cover or rabbit cover, but structure is just as important for quail, turkeys and deer! Consistency of quality bedding is often a goal for most hunters and without understanding how the structure of that cover is oriented will often leave you disappointed with the lack of results. 

We hope you enjoy this podcast and get a finer detailed understanding of what creates cover and how structure is woven into this element of land management. 

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As most hunters are making their way to the woods to hunt and enjoy a season they've looked forward to all year, Adam and Kyle are doing things a little different. They're headed to Iowa to assist a landowner with his habitat management plan. This involves everything from prairie restoration, timber management, and food plots. This is right in the mecca of big buck tv in southern Iowa, what do you think is the biggest limiting factor with the habitat and needs of the deer? 

This podcast Adam and Kyle discuss the importance in understand the species present on your property and how to manage them. Whether it's keeping the pastures in pasture and the wildlife area in native beneficial species, this property has all the bells and whistles. From cattle, to crops, to large tracts of timber, this Iowa farm is a beautiful place that we can all learn from. One things for sure about this podcast, you'll learn techniques that aren't being endorsed or sold by all the shows trying to improve the habitat is this part of the state. 

It begs the question, if giant deer are already being grown in southern Iowa, but the habitat is poor, just how big would the deer get it actual habitat management was implemented? We'll have to follow along with the progress of this farm to see how quickly we can tip the scales and start managing the farm with a lasting impression. #ForLoveoftheLand 

We're celebrating our 500th episode this week! Who can believe it!? 500 episodes beginning from 2017 to today with all things land. We're going to break down our mission, how we've changed, and how we haven't changed. We're discussing some of the ways we hope we change over the next 500 episodes and how we're excited for the future. 

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 !

On this weeks podcast Matt and Frank discuss in full a property consultation from eastern Oklahoma. This property has some incredible opportunities to create a diverse property with dynamic habitat. The landscape in this region has the potential to strongly influence deer travel patterns and hold quality whitetails. In addition, produce some exceptional habitat for wild turkeys. This however can not happen without some sizeable changes. There are some challenges to this property transformation, but we cover those and discuss how with the proper plan in place we the landowner can experience the property at its fullest potential. 

This podcast will encourage and inspire you to look at your place in a new way! Don’t set back and not manage the habitat for the species in decline in your area. Be a steward of the land! Enjoy.Learn.Share! 

The number one goal that landowners come to us seeking assistance on is growing and harvesting mature deer CONSISTENTLY. However, many fail to realize off the bat the need to first allow more deer to reach the necessary age class of 5.5 or older. Rarely do we walk into a situation where someone has an adequate number of mature deer existing within the deer herd. So with this podcast, we break down the do's and dont's of producing more mature deer on your property.

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.

During this podcast, we interview a passionate landowner and client from the mid-Atlantic region. This 23-acre property is rocking, so we have to tell you the story. A timber sale and aggressive invasives species removal plan have paved the way for the frequent occurrence of several great mature bucks now using this property and calling it home. 

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! 

Get ready for a rocking podcast to set the tone for the coming New Year. Have you struggled with seeing results or accomplishing tasks on your property? Do you constantly have analysis paralysis because of information overload?  We've found the reason why and share it here on this week's podcast. 

After polling podcast listeners, we determined the most people are not able to create achievable property goals. The foundation of property improvement and success is missed because the initial goals for a farm are not obtainable, measurable, or way too vague to ever know where you stand. This podcast will likely make you take a step back and re-evaluate your goals. This is the perfect time as the New Year is just a few weeks away to prepare for you getting started during land management season on the right track. 

This to this podcast with open ears to achieve more than you ever have on your farm. Reach your goals by re-evaluating and creating well-defined goals that are measurable. #ForLoveoftheLand 

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It's January and traps are in the field during this time of the year. There is no doubt that many people are considering the idea of trapping predators to assist prey species such as quail, wild turkeys, and whitetail deer.  During this podcast, we break down the biggest predator threats to these game species. We go into detail about who is consuming the prey and if trapping is a viable option to make a difference in the prey species. 

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! 

If you missed the QDMA Whitetail Weekend, we give you a taste of what the seminars and educational opportunities are present at the event. Every year, we speak at this event to help educate people on how to increase the value of their property for whitetail deer. This year, we presented on the reasons and value of managing the natural resources for whitetail deer. 

First, we define what usable space is for whitetail deer. What is required to keep deer on a property throughout the entire year? Then, we discuss how to create those resources from what the property and its vegetation have to offer. From here, we can then determine how big of an impact all of this work with give us! For our example in the podcast, we increased the value and forage production on the property by nine times and nothing was planted at all! We simply used what the property offered and drastically improved the offerings of this property. 

Take a listen and let us know what you think. How will you be increasing the usable space on your property this year for whitetail deer or other species? Enjoy.Learn.Share! 

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During this episode, we review the first few days of Missouri Firearms season. To say it went off with a bang would be an understatement. Matt was fortunate to find success on the third morning of the season as a familiar 10-pointer showed himself. We break down the hunt, topography features, behavior, previous encounters, and hunts, that lead to this success. The buck barely covered 60 yards before piling up insight. This action was pretty fast, but, we captured it all on film, so be sure to follow along on the Youtube Channel to catch that action. 

Just two days after Matt's success on the lease, Matt took Michael Schupbach (brother-in-law) out for his first hunt in many years. With limited time to be in the woods, Michael wanted to put his tag on some venison, little did he know, this first deer of the morning was a 20 inch wide 6 pointer! This buck almost got away, but Michael got the green light and delivered a lethal shot. This happened to be Michael's first buck! So we were thrilled to document the hunt and help a beginning hunter seal the deal.  

You will want to follow along to hear the details of these two awesome hunts. Bucks were cruising hard and covering lots of ground this week! #ForLoveoftheLand 

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Have you ever heard of the phrase "that farm is managed"? Have you stopped to consider what that means? Do you wonder, what type of management they are talking about? Overtime we have seen this term become devalued and over-generalized. 

During this podcast, we clearly outline the difference between herd management and land management. These two different types of management play huge roles in the progress we aim to see on land. Land management involves, TSI, prescribed fire, old-field, etc. Herd management involves tracking and selectively harvesting deer based on recorded data such as adult sex ratios, fawn recruitment rates, recorded weights, and overall carrying capacity. 

If you desire to maximize your property you have to actively manage. Manage the land in sync with the herd. It's not, one or the other, it's both. If you want results, manage every aspect and year-round by addressing the needs of the land and herd. #ForLoveoftheLand 

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Time and time again we get asked after we write a management plan what are the next steps. It's a loaded question but the general theme is the same. Start working! Do we do the work ourselves, do we hire contractors? Should we sign up for government cost share? All these questions and more right here on Saw Dust & Fire 

Grab your note pad and prepare for a mind-blowing podcast! This week, we interview Kyle Hedge of MDC to discuss the most recent findings regarding ongoing quail research. Every week we discuss the importance of habitat management and disturbances across the landscape. These events can create and maintain an ideal habitat for the bobwhite quail.

Kyle and his team are looking deep into better understanding the relationship between grazing the landscape, prescribed fire, and bobwhite quail numbers. Their findings are incredible and strongly support the need for both of these natural occurrences. Cattle that are managed appropriately are helping to increase the survival, reproduction, forage, and cover for quail.

If you want to better understand how total land management works, this podcast is for you! Understanding the fine details of managing a keystone species like the bobwhite quail will make you a more successful land manager. Please share this podcast with those who need to see the proof in why disturbances are necessary across our landscape. Enjoy.Learn.Share!

On this week's podcast Frank and Matt discuss a new farm setup in Mississippi. This farm has lofty goals that will take a precise plan to accomplish. During this podcast, we cover how we plan to attack it. 

This property wants to produce a habitat that will not only sustain but improve bobwhite quail numbers. This habitat is primarily covered in planted pines of varying ages from 3-year old clear-cut, 13-year-old unthinned pines up to 20-year-old thinned pines. These varying stages and habitat types create a complex arrangement of plans to create the desired habitat. 

First and foremost, we will be thinning the canopy and then adding prescribed fire across much of the property. Although this may seem simple, it is a very detailed puzzle that when put together will have flocks of wild turkeys and coveys of quail on each unit of the farm. #ForLoveoftheLand 

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Here it is, this podcast is a long time coming. Dwayne Estes with the Southeastern Grasslands Initiative is leading the charge of habitat restoration throughout the Southeastern United States. This non-profit is fiercely dedicated to educating the country on the vast diversity of landscapes the southeast us to possess. This diversity includes shortleaf pine woodlands and savannas, and vast grasslands.

The changes this country has endured is incredible and a loss of biodiversity is the concern. These ecological landscapes are home to hundreds of rare plants and animals. Less than 1% of these ecosystems remain today across the southeast. This is a huge concern for our landscape. This amount of loss in habitat is devastating and no one but the SGI is talking about it.

Turn up the volume and take notes! Join the fight and follow along with SGI on Facebook!
Enjoy.Learn.Share

During this podcast we share with you the pros and cons, use case scenarios, and the differences between Basal Treating, Hack-n-squirt technique, and the Girdle and spray technique. These three techniques all have their place, but knowing their differences will make you a more effective and efficient land and wildlife manager. 

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. 
 

Alan Sommerford has been a run of success in the great state of Alabama but don't picture a land of milk and honey for wildlife. Alan is a cattle farmer with the idea of using the land to support his family all while also providing benefit for the wildlife. Tune in to hear how Alan is using hay production to benefit wildlife and make money. 

Today we are joined with Jeff Craig and Arkansas Game & Fish Commissions Turkey Program Coordinator Jeremy Wood to talk about the status of turkeys in Arkansas. We took a bunch of commonly asked questions and and discussed them to try and address your concerns.

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

Chuck Mays is no stranger to intense situations. As Chief Inspector of the Shelby Co Tennessee Sheriff’s Department and a long career with the SWAT team in the Memphis TN area, Chuck has developed tactics to deal with criminals and uses a lot of the same mentality when managing his family farm for wildlife. He calls it “unwinding therapy”, but I’d hate to be the invasive vegetation that he’s unwinding on.

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.
 

This podcast is upfront and honest about the ways we all can be UNITED in the management of the wild turkey and its resources. For years now researchers like Dr. Mike Chamberlain and his colleagues have been doing their best to pinpoint reasons for the decline many folks have been seeing of the wild turkey. We know more now than we did 5 years ago, so we are we still seeing declines, why aren't we collaboratively joining in the fight and making the necessary changes. 

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! 

During this podcast, Frank sits down with Dr. Bret Collier of LSU to discuss the latest information in wild turkey research. These two are great conversation starters as both are passionate about hunting, management, and the research of the wild turkey.  

During this podcast, Frank and Bret discuss how to turkeys move across the landscape, and what type of movements landowners can expect to witness. In addition, they discuss how and why turkeys use different habitat types. This has serious implications for the conservation-minded landowner. Do you want to grow turkey numbers in your area? Do you want to hear more gobblers in the spring or see more poults during the summer? Be sure to listen to this podcast closely and pick up on the latest research data on the wild turkey. 

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By now you know we are kinda nerdy when it comes to wildlife and facts about how they work and function. Well this week we take science and the function of how birds such as wild turkeys and waterfowl see! The light spectrum changes when you see through there eyes. Since this is the case, it begs the question, how do they see you? 

This week, we sit down with Adam Winkleman, the owner of RLVNT. Adam's knowledge and experience lies within the optics industry, but his hunting passion lead him to address issue of concealment for hunters, especially bird hunters! 

Checkout how RLVNT is providing solutions for hunters based on the UV light spectrum. This technology is incredible! Elevate your game with RLVNT. 

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There are many questions that run through your mind as a hunter each fall. Some of the most common include, which stand should I hunt? How do you determine which conditions the stand should be hunted with? Often times you can find yourself second-guessing every decision you seem to make when you enter the woods. This is a two-part podcast. The first part we break down for you is our pre-hunt conversation as we weigh out the pros and cons of each stand option for the daily conditions. The second part is the post-hunt interview were we bring you up to speed on the evening's events or lack of events. The purpose of this podcast is to let you hear our conversations and thought-process before we make our climb into a tree.

Every time you sit in the stand you should learn. Take something away from that hunt that is beneficial for the next time you enter the woods. Be sure when you make your decisions on where to hunt you take into consideration the daily conditions, time of the year, bedding cover, and preferred food resource this time of the year. Don't fall into the trap of over-thinking this though! Avoid analysis paralysis and get in the woods. Enjoy.Learn.Share! #ForLoveoftheLand

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Technology has changed so many things in the world today. We can complain about it creating a society that's suffering from "Nature Deficit Disorder," or we can use it to our advantage! How many times have you wondered what weed is growing in your food plot? Or the type of tree that your favorite deer stand is hanging in? Looking for ways to get your children interested in the outdoors? This might be the podcast for you!

Like many of you, we've always wondering how much rain our food plots received during the last thunderstorm. We've found the app that tells us how much rain feel on our farm. When it's time to plant food plot's it's also great to know just how big the area you're planting is so we can determine how much seed we need. We've got that app also. Whether you hate technology or not, using these apps will only make your life easier.

Tune in on this podcast to hear Land & Legacy Co-Owner, Adam cover his favorite apps to use while he's working on his farm or assisting a client on theirs. From identifying plants, to the next cold front, to the best app to pass the time on the tractor while you're planting your food plots, we cover all of it! Finally, remember that bird you saw last week and you don't know the name or where it came from? We've got you covered with one of our favorite apps out there!

Almost every farm has one, it's that place you planted in a food plot years back that you stopped planting for many reasons. It sits along the road to your favorite stand but you stopped planting because it wouldn't grow well. It's that little opening in the timber that you never gave much attention too and it's mostly grass. These areas spread across the United States and could offer huge potential to landowners if they managed them correctly. 

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. 

This week we're going over some of our past projects we did on our farms this summer. One of those is the use of planting annuals into perennial plots and the benefit to each. We also discuss using a disc to help with planting plots! Shocked right?1

The best tool a land manager can have is their own two eyes! Chainsaws, prescribed fire, tractors, drills, sprayers are all great, but if you don't see what needs to be seen, then the tools we do have will be misused. 

One of the largest problems we see when we tour farms is the lack of knowledge the landowner has of their given property. In many cases, the most time a landowner spends on the property is spent on a UTV, not their own two feet. To see what's happening on a property, you have to walk. Walk constantly, get off the roads, take the beaten path. If you spend 80% of our time on the roads, we miss 90% of the property and the resources the farm actually is offering. You have to monitor the property, trail cameras, food plots, and road systems only tell a small fraction of the story. In addition, do you terminate your food plots too early? Are you cutting the fall blend too short? We answer these questions as well this week. 

We hope you Enjoy.Learn.Share! Tag a fellow landowner who needs to hear this message. #ForLoveoftheLand 

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Prescribed fire is discussed throughout our podcasts. From the launch of Land & Legacy we always try to discuss the importance of native species and practices that replicate nature's natural cycle. Fire is a huge part of what shaped our environment and prescribed fire is an important management technique that should be implemented if you're in a landscape that historically had fire.

Kyle Hedges and Frank Loncarich discuss their views on using this wonderful land management tool and how to implement this on your farm. There are many things about prescribed fire discussed in this podcast, so if you're considering the idea of using fire on your farm you won't want to miss this podcast! 

What should you expect to see following a dormant season fire versus a growing season fire? How will the wildlife react to the use of prescribed fire? How can you implement this effectively? These are all questions we get asked about the use of prescribed fire and they'll be answered during this podcast! Don't miss it! 

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The best turkey callers are not ones who sound the best throughout every yelping sequence or one that can make the most delicate turkey noises, it's those who know when and what to say based on a turkeys body language. 

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. 

When it comes to make decisions on your farm for habitat improvement, game management, land ethics, etc there should be a form of checks and balances. These principles will help you decide on whether or not the project you were thinking about doing really is the best practice. 

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. 

On this week's Habitat Heroe's podcast, we chat about the Top 12 most overrated land of habitat management techniques. We hope you brought your steel-toed boots because as we share our thoughts we will step on some toes. Often times land managers and hunters we get caught up doing busy work and forget about the value of time and money. We quickly lose sight of the fact that these techniques being used yield very limited result. It’s our goal, objective, and responsibility to make the largest most powerful positive impact on the landscape that we oversee. Therefore, we should not be wasting our time and resources on low-value habitat management projects.

There are tons of techniques that could be included in this podcast topic, but some of the most popular overrated techniques include small orchards, hinge-cutting, monoculture switchgrass plantings, man-made watering holes, supplemental feeding programs, and many more!

These techniques should not be a top priority on the agenda or task list to get completed. We aspire to make a larger impact on a property. We’d love to get your feedback on where these techniques stack up in your book. Be sure to send us your thoughts at info@landandlegacy.tv. Enjoy.Learn.Share!

It is Turkey Season Eve here in Missouri and excitement is at an all-time high! This is the three weeks of the year that we live for! There is something so grand and mesmerizing about a red hot spring morning in the turkey woods.

The birds are roosted and the plans are set. Now it is time to put your back against a tree and let the mornings come alive around you. The simple approach to turkey hunting matched with the complexity and consistency spring has captured our attention and hearts. Turkey season was built for sharing the outdoors and making memories in the outdoors.

We wish you the best turkey season this spring! May you shoot straight and call softly! Enjoy.Learn.Share! #ForLoveoftheland

Although this podcast is focused from the SouthEast United States, we expound on the necessity of woody structure in your habitat for encourage daylight deer activity and security. Be sure to follow along as discuss in full detail the pit falls of managing a long term monoculture crop while trying to improve wildlife habitat. 

After several trips this spring to state such as North Carolina, Tennessee, South Carolina, Mississippi, and Georgia, we have to discuss ways to improve these vast areas of poor wildlife cover. We understand and address the need to still produce an income from your pines, while trying to address the lack of food or cover in these units. 

Be sure to follow along, you may be surprised some of the recommendations that you hear this week.

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This podcast is devoted to the landowners who like to plan, and to the ones who don't like to plan, get with the program!! With every consult our job is to help the landowner the day of the consult and in the future, but there are things the landowner can do to ensure the day is the most successful it can be! 

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

On this week's podcast we talk about buying recreational property. There are many ways that property purchases can be overwhelming and stressful to a first-time land buyer. However, if you come prepared as a buyer with a list of questions, you can greatly reduce the stress load and make a well-informed decision about buying land. During this podcast, we highlight two properties in Southern Missouri and walk you through the list of questions that we would be asking the real estate agent regarding these two specific parcels of land. The answers to these questions will give you the ability to either scratch the property off the list or schedule a showing.

It can be easy to get ahead of yourself or perhaps make emotional or irrational land buying decisions as land has the ability to be highly desired! You can quickly become in "love" with the land and forget to ask these simple questions.. To avoid making poor decisions use this list of questions to guide you through your first discussion with the land agent. This will keep you grounded and level headed through the entire land purchasing process. As land agents ourselves, we are here to help and assist you. If you are looking to buy or sell please reach out to us at info@landandlegacy.tv. Enjoy.Learn.Share!

We are rolling out a new learning opportunity for 2021. Welcome to the Land & Legacy Workshop series, coming to a region near you! For 2021 we are offering two workshops, one located in Michigan and the other located in Alabama. 

We have been waiting to release this opportunity for several years now, but it is finally here, the opportunity for you as a listener to come and see first hand the work we have discussed for years on the podcast. We will be hosting in-person demonstrations, presentations, and seminars all weekend long regarding habitat management. This is a perfect gift for Father's Day or for the young eager up and coming wildlife biologist. 

If you are interested, please register for this event at www.shoplandandlegacy.tv. We will see you there! #ForLoveoftheLand 

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We've all asked that question when running into a buck  we didn't want to leave our farm. Does he stay and just go nocturnal or does he leave the area completely? That's where today's research and podcast topic are crucial in understanding the  needs of whitetail deer and how we can lay out our farm to benefit ourselves in high pressure neighborhoods. 

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! 

On this podcast, we have a cross-over guest, both food plotter, farmer, and agricultural consultant Caleb Traugh from Southwest Georgia. This week we discuss how to understand soil basics and prioritize soil health on your recreational farm. There are so many aspects to the broad term soil health, but it is important to understand how it plays into your role and goals for landownership. 

Caleb Traugh has managed thousands of acres of recreational land with ample food plots as well as assists agricultural producers across the south to get the most out of their soil for their goals. In this podcast, you will hear testimonials, advice on planting equipment as well as roller crimpers. 

It is important to listen with an open mind as we are relating Soil Health back to recreational landowners and food plotters. #ForLoveoftheLand 

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It is crunch time for preparations for the fall of 2019. Summer is winding down and that means fall is just around the corner. It is not to late to put the touches on habitat work to make sure you have the best opportunities moving forward for this year and the ones to follow. Habitat work doesn't end for no matter how close to hunting season we are!

In this podcast, we discuss all the last-minute tricks to complete for archery season that is just around the corner. This past week has been prep for our Missouri deer season so you will hear personal stories of bucks we will be chasing and how we will be using habitat management techniques to create bottlenecks and dynamite hunting locations. Techniques we are using include edge featuring, bedding area thickets, clover maintenance, mowing trails, improve access, and shoot your bow!!!

We hope you are all excited with anticipation for deer season as we are! Make this a great season by improving habitat across the country with us! Share with us your success on social media. If you are interested in food plot seed, visit our store!! Enjoy.Learn.Share. #ForLoveoftheLand

Jeff knows turkey research as well as most anyone we’ve met and is dead set on spreading the truth. Why? The answer is simple, he wants more turkeys on the landscape!

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

During this podcast, we continue the discussion on fall food plotting. Last week we covered the specific fall food blends we would be planting offered by Stratton Seed Company. To say the least, we are excited to get these blends in the ground, however, it is not a random selection of forages, but a strategic plan to optimize our success this fall with a bow.

This week we dive deeper into the strategy behind how we continually plant successful fall food plots. We review the step by step cost-saving food plot planting techniques that we use each fall. Step 1 includes terminating the crop. Step 2 broadcast the seed. Step 3 involves rolling over the vegetation on top of the seed by several different means. If this food plot planting technique sounds simple, that is because it is, but we cover this topic in-depth to make sure everyone can comfortably plant a successful food plot this fall.

Another large part of the podcast is devoted to different planting strategies that help make large plots hunt small. If you've listened before we are huge advocates of edge feathering, but you can accomplish similar design by planting the appropriate vegetation and allowing it to stay standing throughout the fall creating some incredible bottlenecks. We review how we are leaving the Heritage Blend standing this fall in one of our most promising plots to help steer deer within bow range. Enjoy. Learn. Share #ForLoveofheLand

We often hear landowners say “I don’t want to cut my woods”, but timber needs to be thinned occasionally so it will remain healthy and regeneration can occur. There are way too many timber tracts that could benefit from being thinned and you just might put some money in your pocket doing it. Join us this week as we discuss When to hold ‘em and when to fold em with Forester Wade Hargrave.
 

There is no room for non-native invasive species on the landscape. These species vary from region to region, but the presence of them is not welcome. Non-native species do not have their natural predators therefore, landowners have to become the predator of choice. It falls on your shoulders to eradicate or at the very least, keep them from spreading. 

These species are rapidly invading the swamps, prairies, woodlots, forests, and fields across the country. The direction and speed at which they are invading is alarming. It is important to envision what the landscape will look like 20 years from now when no one addresses these species. We've seen fields being overtaken in a matter of few years by species like autumn olive, bush honeysuckle, multi-flora rose, Japanese honeysuckle and bradford pears. 

Please take this podcast seriously and share with others who need to hear about the importance of managing non-native invasive species. If you are the owner of recreational land, you are responsible, stop playing the blame game and address the issue! Take that responsibility seriously! Enjoy. Learn. Share! 

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What if we told you that the way you're managing your farm is better for predators and not for prey? What if we said your timber looks like you're trying to increase raccoon numbers? What if we said your fields are better for egg eaters and not successful egg hatches? There are many ways to manage for predators on your farm!  

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. 

What is a Micro-Climate? Have you ever heard of that before? Did you know that you are likely impacting or creating a micro-climate right now as we speak? Better tune up to this podcast as we discuss the interworking of how vegetation, shade, humidity alters the future of the site drastically.  

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. 

Time to step up the game of habitat! No more messing around, here are the nuts and bolts or foundation piece of land management to maximize the benefit for wildlife. Shrubs play a critical role in offering benefit on the landscape 24/7 or 365 days a year.

Trees and grasses tend to get the glory when it comes to habitat management, but we forgot about the middle ground. Shrubs come into play for non-game birds, game birds, rabbits, grouse, quail, turkey, whitetail deer, and more. Shrub thickets provide forage during the spring, summer, fall, and winter as well as cover. There isn't a downside to shrubs. Every region has shrubs that should play a major role in the habitat.

Don't move forward in your habitat management plan without considering shrubs. Do your research and plant the shrubs that are missing in your landscape. The wildlife will thank you later. Share this podcast those who need to take their habitat to the next level. Enjoy.Learn.Share! #ForLoveoftheLand

We always enjoy working with landowners who have multi-species in mind when it comes to their management and farm goals. On a recent consultation, the landowner was a huge upland game bird enthusiast. So, as part of the plan, we began laying out plans to improve the property specified in the uplands for Sharptail Grouse. 

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. 
 

This Spring has been one to remember from chasing turkeys to burning down the roads on consulting trips. Two recent trips took Adam to the hills of Central Pennsylvania and Matt to the lakes of Minnesota. These two northern regions created some important field observations and similar management strategies. 

When traveling and working in different regions of the country it is important to recall the significance of each area. There are no cookie-cutter situations where all the techniques work the same and the climate conditions are similar. On our trips, we both recognize that woody browse is so incredibly significant to understand and produce, there are various ways to accomplish this. For Adam, timber harvesting was critical and being executed routinely. On the other hand, TSI and shrub plantings were the recommendations for Matt in his region. Without a doubt, principles of habitat management don't change, however, each and every region must be studied and examined to produce the best habitat that is suitable for wildlife. is applicable.  

We hope you enjoy learning about the management opportunities that each region has even if you are from other portions of the country. Enjoy.Learn.Share! #ForLoveoftheLand

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“It won’t work!” We constantly hear this from cattle farmers across the country. Tune in with us as we join Ryan Parker Quail Forever, Grasslands Coordinating Wildlife Biologist.

We discuss grazing natives and the benefits to cattle and wildlife.  Folks don’t know why it won’t work but they know they’ve never seen it done. Did the Buffalo graze fescue to be healthy? What did cattle farmers do before fescue and Bermuda grass got here?

 

This podcast may hit home for you or encourage you, but you will for sure feel something. It’s the middle of deer season and the results of other success is all around you. Big buck after big buck as your scroll through social media, but the question is are changing your standards at this point or looking for validation?

“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. 

Imagine owning 160 acres but still living two and a half hours away! How would you go about making an impact on the landscape with limited time? Now imagine owning that farm, finding the time to do the work, and now it's hunting season, how do you come up with a game plan and have success at filling tags? Does this sound like your farm? Make sure you tune in to hear how our very own Kyle Hedges makes this happen? 

Making the biggest impact in the shortest amount of time possible is a big problem many landowners face, including Kyle. WIth a game plan in place and utilizing natural disturbance and chainsaws it's easy to make it all come together! #ForLoveoftheLand 

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On this weeks podcast's we're discussing the regenerative food plotting trend. We've covered it before but not like this!  Fresh off of a recent consult, we're seeing more and more plots filled with weeds and limited success. Lets unpack it this week! #Forloveoftheland 

On this week's podcast Adam sits down with his brother Chad to discuss their property Whistling Woodlands and their plan to utilize cattle not only as a managed tool to improve habitat but also as a tool to create financial gain to help pay for the farm! Over the course of the last few months they have been utilizing the cows in a rotational grazing pattern to help avoid overgrazing, but most importantly to create a diverse rangeland more suitable for wildlife. 

Even in a short period of time, they're already seeing turkeys in pastures recently grazed and are excited to know the future looks bright! They discuss their herd of South Poll cattle and how not just any breed of cows can be thrown in this management system. Bred specifically for heat tolerance, low maintenance, and non selective foragers, these cattle will be a huge part in turning this property around and breaking the barriers that cattle and wildlife can't coexist. Tune in for ideas of possibly including cattle on your farm!

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There are many of us out there listening who have dads or granddads in our lives who were instrumental in taking us outdoors for the very first time. Without the many Dad's of the world, traditions and hunting heritage would be lost. Without the passing of the torch and integration of values learned from outdoors activities passed on to the next generation, our lives would be drastically different.

For us, activities outdoors started at a very young age. Some of the earliest childhood memories were spent cutting firewood. Lessons like hard work, taking care of less fortunate people, and general woodsmanship skills came from a simple activity Dad involved us in. Cattle farming and hay cutting are very similar! Generations shared the same hay field working together to accomplish a similar goal. All of these tasks involved land and the outdoors that have profound impacts on Land & Legacy as a company. We know the importance of strong family ties and the value land can bring to raising up children.

We hope this is a reminder to you to thank those folks who first introduced you to the outdoors. Take time to share with you the valuable impact it had on your life. Special thanks to Wayne Dye and Fred Keith for there respective support and impact on our lives. Enjoy.Learn.Share! #ForLoveoftheLand

If you have listened and followed along for very long, you know that we often recommend full-scale land management and habitat improvements on each property we visit. This workload can often-times be overwhelming as the projects seem to stack up quickly. Very few times, does the landowner take the wheel, roll up the sleeves, and begin to knock out projects one by one based on time being a limited resource. However, Land & Legacy client, Heath Sutton of Bowling Green, KY has been hard at work and is seeing a complete property transformation in just a few short months. 

In this podcast, you will hear the recommendations and the follow-up work completed thus far. We visited Heath's property in February of 2019, since then, the land management updates have been nonstop. A complete harvest of the cedar understory has been completed. The cedar harvest was completed by a logging crew and Heath got paid twice for cedar! Be sure to listen to learn how this happened! What remains is a mixed open canopy timber as well as large opening where solid cedar stands once dominated the property. In addition, firebreaks around the boundary of the property have been created. Now the understory is waiting to pop during the spring of 2020. The soon to be flush of native herbaceous cover and forage in the understory will drastically increase the carrying capacity of game animals such as wild turkey and deer. Down the road prescribed fire will be easily implemented on the property as well as access treestand locations. In addition, Heath has been hard at work at addressing the invasive species such as Japanese Stilt Grass.  

We hope this example of a client getting to work right away will increase your desire to improve the habitat and landscape where you hunt! Enjoy.Learn.Share! 

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During this week's podcast, we hit a subject that some landowners are all too familiar with, poor hunting. No one wants to have to endure a season of poor success, spooking deer, and observations from afar. After a consulting visit to Virginia, Matt worked on a farm that had executed a previous plan and had begun to offer some quality habitat that was diverse. They were managing a farm intentionally, but the previous plan didn't involve any hunting strategy. This was a missing element that was key for the landowner's objectives. 

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! 

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!