Land & Legacy - Habitat + Hunting

Sit back and enjoy! Yup, we went there and put a bullseye on soybeans!  This week, we invited Kip Adams of the QDMA to discuss how bucks grow antlers. This is a complex subject and one that many folks are severely misunderstood about. The timing is critical to understand when evaluating the driving factors and influences revolving around antlers.  Many people are focused on turkey hunting or food...

If you haven't learned yet, we love prescribed fire for managing native plant communities. Fire has so many different elements that impact the result of applying fire to the landscape. It has its cautions, but so do running a chainsaw and applying an herbicide. Take the precautions and use this incredible tool!  After two different prescribed fires completed this year on the Prairie Hollow Propert...

The ongoing statement is that cattle and wildlife can't co-exist and this podcast is devoted to debunking that statement. Adam and Kyle discuss the use of cattle in a grazing rotation that he calls "conservation grazing." This system uses cattle to replicate historical Bison herds on the diverse landscape to improve habitat for Bobwhite Quail and other grassland birds. This grazing has not only in...

We all grew up listening to our Grandpa's, hanging on every word they had to share with us. Well, these days we find that not all of these phrases hold true. This podcast is devoted to searching for the truth in science and then how we can apply this to the property we manage.  Grandpa's always seemed to undervalue soil, as it was commonly referred to as dirt. This misunderstanding of such a valua...

On this podcast, we talk specifically on the best ways to manage open acres on recreational land. These open acres can be comprised of various forms of cover, foods, and security. After a recent consulting trip to Kansas, the topic of open management is on the brain. Most landowners have open acres to manage and improve for wildlife, so listen up!  On the podcast, we cover, native pasture manageme...

During this podcast, we examine the benefits of purchasing the latest and greatest gear versus simply habitat management tools. These tools we compare and contrast are priced in the same ballpark as a common new hunting product such as the newest bow, greatest trail camera, or even a shoulder mount.  As hunters, we need to do a better job at improving the habitat rather than taking from it consist...

Here it is, all you need to know about turkey management. Do you have turkeys on your property now? Do you want turkeys? Download this podcast and apply these techniques to the property you hunt to create more habitat for the wild turkey. Turkeys are diverse so therefore they need lots of different plant communities on the landscape to persist.  The expansive diet of the wild turkey is a great rem...

What an unreal first week of the spring turkey season for the Land & Legacy team in southern Missouri. Opening day was a huge success for Matt and Seth Harker. Two birds were down just as we planned in Part 1 of this podcast series. On the other hand, Adam and Chad Keith struggled during the first day, but made a strong showing on the second day of the season when they tagged two mid-day gobblers....

Here we go! This podcast topic has been brewing for several weeks. In essence, the podcast is simply produced to get people thinking about pulling the trigger. We have spent several years discussing all the things it takes to fall into place for turkeys, quail, and deer to be produced. This is not just a simple phenomenon that we have huntable populations. When habitat in most of the country is ra...

Anticipation is at an all-time high this week. Here in Missouri, the spring turkey season has now opened. This week's podcast is special as you will hear from two different groups of Land & Legacy hunters hitting the turkey woods. This Part 1 podcast is focused around the scouting, land management, and hunting strategy leading into the opener of turkey season.  One team will consist of Seth Harker...

As this crazy world we live in continues to evolve, so does conservation. With the continual increase of land values across the country, it is becoming more difficult for landowners to hold larger tracts of land devoted to wildlife and conservation.  More and more we are seeing recreational focused properties decrease in size. With the decrease in the average size of land parcels, it is more diffi...

It might be every dad's dream who grew up hunting to think of the day that he gets to introduce his kids to hunting. A passing of the torch, or a deep rooted heritage belief that this is what our family does. But, as many Dads will likely tell you, that's not always how it happens. During this recent Missouri Youth Turkey season, our good friend Seth Harker got the experience of the fun difference...

It's that time again when the food plot planting questions start all over. Food plot planting is just around the corner and we are ready for it, are you?  This week, we discuss the common food plot questions we receive as well as the most popular misunderstandings when it comes to planting food plot varieties. It seems as if people only want to plant a monoculture of soybeans for food during the s...

On this week's podcast, Matt and Frank discuss the recent trends in bobwhite quail numbers. This podcast should wake you up! Not with excitement, but with a cause to care. Although quail are still found in decent numbers across some portions of their historic ranges, vast amounts of the range are quite each summer. There are no more whistles occurring. Pennsylvania has even considered the bobwhite...

What does CRP mean to you? Do you think of dense tree plantings or a mix of warm-season grasses among a vast number of tillable acres? Did you know this program was initiated to reduce erosion and improve water quality? You can learn this and much more about the ways to improve CRP land for various wildlife species during this week's podcast.  The role that CRP has played over the years has drasti...

Well, sit back and get ready for a debate. This week is full of science, hard data, and truth about managing for a bigger impact. Our goal here is to provide information that will allow landowners to accomplish their goals the quickest and to educate them along the way. So why not debate two hot topics and see which one science will reveal as the most impactful.  For years, hunters or deer manager...

During this week's podcast, we are self- quarantined in separate offices as we record but we keep bringing the heat on land management information. This spring has been a blur and we have many new and exciting projects that we have been working on across the country. We review a few quick highlights from recent consultations in Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, and Georgia.  In addition, we discuss wh...

Recently we sat down with some of the top Wild Turkey Biologists in the country who are studying the decline of turkey populations through the South and Southeast. We're taking another look into some of the biggest factors causing unsuccessful nests when we chat with our very own Kyle Hedges.  You may have heard that Turkey and Quail can have multiple nests a year if the first one fails, but have...

Over the course of building Land & Legacy, Nathaniel Maddux has seemed to stay in the shadows, despite his immense support in the mission. Nathaniel is the owner of Slate & Glass Productions which creates documentaries and films for brands and individuals looking to share their stories. Nathaniel and his wife also own Niangua Coffee, which is based out of SW Missouri.  To share this new adventure...

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 spa...

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...

Timber management is not a question of if you should implement it, but when. However, there are serious misconceptions as well as misunderstandings of techniques. This podcast is devoted to fuel the need and educate the audience on how to implement proper timber management techniques on your hunting property.  Landowners are plagued by analysis paralysis! They have often researched information too...

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. Ad...

While in Nashville at the National Wild Turkey Federation Convention, we caught up with Pure Air Native’s Justin Adams. He took time to sit down and review the power of native plants on the landscape.  The last few weeks we’ve have talked with biologists about the requirements for wild turkeys across the country. Some of the key components consist of early successional habitat, insects, and hard m...

This week, we sit down with the Arkansas Game and Fish Commissioner to discuss the direction of wildlife and landscape management in the state. We were encourage to hear of the direction this new commissioner was taking the department.  Arkansas is an extremely diverse state offering flooded bottomland, prairies, agriculture land, woodlands and savanna’s. This present both challenges and opportuni...