There was about an hour of flight light left when I pulled into Kerry Wix’s driveway. He met me in appropriate September attire, shorts and Crocs, and asked if I wanted to see the field before it got dark. Six acres of dead sunflower stalks and bare dirt doesn’t look...
The average turkey hunter would probably be shocked at how few mature gobblers their land produces each year. World-renowned turkey researcher Michael Chamberlain explains it like this: “Let’s say you have 100 hens in your population. “80 of them attempt a nest — not all do. “Around 20% hatch at...
An unexpected wind swirl whipped the flames of what had been a slow backfire and sent them suddenly quartering uphill and across the field, full of dormant broom sage and plume grass. My buddy Danny and I were standing on top of the hill, next to a box blind, leaning...
The skeeters are biting and humidity is climbing. Summer is almost here, and if we don’t get to work now, it’ll be over before we know it. Here are eight things hunting-land managers should be doing right now to get a jump on deer season. 1. Maintaining Treestands Treestand falls...
If we can see any type of silver lining in recent events, it’s that everyone realizes just how important it is to supply as much of your own food as possible. Because most of us already hunt and fish, we’re ahead of the curve. But there are other ways to...
Farming isn’t just a job; it’s a passion. Living on the farm means no clocking out at the end of the day. You need boots that can go the distance – boots with the support and protection needed to focus on the challenges of getting the work done. While most...
We all need a place to lay our heads after a long day. The same goes for big, mature bucks. But not all private land has adequate bedding cover to hold deer during legal shooting hours. Fortunately, in many places — and for many budgets — that can be fixed...
Many deer hunters wonder about eastern red cedars. Do they make wildlife habitat better or worse? Across much of the eastern United States, there are massive stands of them. Do you leave those, or cut them down? Here’s what to know. A Case for Red Cedars Cedars can be assets...
Feral hogs have been around for long enough that just about everyone is aware of the destruction they cause. Invasive pigs wreck the land and edge out native wildlife, and the consensus is that total sounder removal is the best way to combat the invasion. But I can tell you...
Today’s deer hunters are more focused on managing their hunting properties than ever before. But habitat improvement isn’t always easy, and it rarely comes cheap. But there are tricks and tools you can use that cost a little less money, but still help get the job done . First, the...
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...
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...
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...
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...
Proper land management is like a good marriage. The more you put into it, the more you get out of it. Improvements are slow to materialize, and best measured over time. It’s a lot of work, but the rewards make it all worthwhile. Habitat is a living, breathing thing. It...
Squares and rectangles and circles ... oh my. Food plots shaped like that are almost as scary as lions and tigers and bears. Trust me, I’ve planted a lot of them. They can work but if you’re a bowhunter, strategically shaping your plots will maximize the odds of close-range encounters...
You clicked on this post because your food plot sucks. No judgment here. It happens. Luckily, while not every food plot can be saved, most failed plots that go astray are worthy of salvation. It just takes a little time. And in some cases, a little more money. We have...
Who doesn’t like seeing – and shooting – more and bigger deer? Ultimately, that’s the purpose of a food plot. Holding deer on your hunting ground throughout the season protects them from neighboring hunting pressure, and that helps to improve the herd’s age structure and increases your own odds of...
Realtree and Purina Wildlife Series are partners, along with a number of other quality companies that supply industry leading outdoor products. In addition to producing high-quality products, these companies are committed to wildlife management, habitat management and education. Bill Jordan is committed to doing whatever is necessary to continually improve...
