There are plenty of good reasons to kill a bad tree. If you’re a wildlife habitat manager, selectively eliminating low-value trees – essentially, those that have little mast production or timber benefit – is one of the most cost-efficient things you can do to improve your property. Removing those trees...
The variables that factor into the ever-debatable topic of antler size culminate to create a complexity that goes beyond biology. It also circles back to hunting pressure and hunter behavior. Is there something inherently better about areas with lower deer density? Do these places generally harbor bigger-antlered deer? In short,...
Hunters and land managers have been using the term “poor man plots” for more than a decade, but they’ve been putting these in the ground for much longer. So, it begs the question, does this method meet the hype? Or, is it just a good play on words? Realtree 365...
We nicknamed him the “Stranger Buck” for the happiest of reasons; he’d grown so big from the previous season that we simply didn’t recognize him. My neighbor and I both had oh-so-close encounters with a monster 8-point the year before, and we had high hopes he’d be around the following...
The first feral hogs appeared on our Alabama farm in 2004. That was a single sow with piglets. We shot the sow, but the young ones disappeared. By 2010, the hogs had launched an all-out assault. The corn and chufa we planted for deer and turkeys were rooted and destroyed...
Our goose hunt happened by accident. While bowhunting the previous evening, I’d heard geese clamoring excitedly as they landed on water nearby. This surprised me, because I had no idea there was water behind the trees (hey, this was before Google Earth). That honking effectively killed my concentration on bowhunting...
Wide-open desert is tough and unforgiving country to hunt mule deer. It can seem to swallow deer before your eyes. It’s full of brush that pokes, prods and bites at every turn. That harsh environment, combined with vast public tracts and the sheer number of over-the-counter units, can make picking...
Watching the greenhead descend into a timber hole, air ripping through his primary feathers, you’d almost believe you’re snugged against a tupelo tree, waiting to call the shot. But you’re not in the marsh. You’re on your phone, sneaking a little of the boss’s time in your office to watch...
Lush fields of clover, alfalfa and brassicas aren’t the only crops that will hold deer on your property. Once established, fruit trees can produce highly attractive forage for 40 years or more. The right trees produce edible fruit throughout the entire hunting season , drawing deer from a distance and...
Honeybees are a great asset for wildlife managers. Installing beehives on your property will increase food plot production, improve production in native and cultivated fruit trees, and generally thicken cover across your property. The Case for Pollinators “Honeybees play a critical role in our development of new plant varieties for...
No one wants to jump a buck. But it happens, nonetheless. One of the top questions I get? What should you do after spooking a buck? Here’s the long answer. Assessing the Damage Bucks respond to danger in proportion to their level of fear. Bucks that are bad scared alter...
Mule deer are a somewhat peculiar deer species. These western icons have a few tendencies that resemble those of whitetails, but with some distinct behavioral differences worth noting, too. Muleys are incredibly fun to hunt, and I’ve had the pleasure of chasing them many times in a few different states...
