Land & Legacy - Habitat + Hunting

Last week we spoke with the man who was in charge of the restocking efforts of the the wild turkey across North America. This week, we sit down with two biologists Mike Chamberlin and Brett Collier to discuss wild turkey numbers and why they are plateauing or even dropping.  Wild turkey reproduction is a complicated matter, but as we find out today, habitat and landscape usage is incredible import...

Ever wondered how wild turkey populations became available in your neck of the woods? You may need to take a moment and thank this week's guest, James Earl Kennamar. This gentleman was at the helm of conservation and re-stocking efforts with his  long term position at NWTF. James Earl was the spearhead of re-stocking and expanding the turkey population beyond the native range.  During the podcast,...

During this podcast, we sit down with Steve Barlow of NWTF and associate Travis Rogers of Corteva. These two gentlemen represent large groups actively working to increase the conservation footprint around the country, but specifically within power line and gas right of ways. These clearings transect large blocks of timber and offer great opportunities for diversity.  In the country, over 14 millio...

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 a...

We want to officially welcome you to our latest project, Burr Oaks Bluff! This farm is about to get a major facelift. This week, we discuss this 288-acre farm in the Loess Hills of Western Iowa with the new owner Brenton Feucthenberger and his team.  Burr Oaks Bluff is a dynamic property with tillable acres, burr oak savanna to be restored, barren hillsides, native grasses, forbs, and shrubs. The...

The excuse of I don't live in Iowa or Kansas anymore doesn't work. Big deer can be produced anywhere across the country! No matter the state, the resources are present on the landscape, they just need to be managed in a way to produce the results you are looking for.  A developed age structure in a whitetail herd is difficult to come by in many portions of the country. The number of older bucks in...

This week we find ourselves in the great state of Iowa! the hunting heritage is strong here in the state. But to make the hunting better and to improve the land, it is important to understand the basic principle that you must subtract to add value.  Most farms we work do not have the existing habitat in place that you can simply begin to manipulate disturbances to improve habitat. First off, in mo...

When it comes to land and wildlife management there should be very little cookie cutter techniques. That's due to the ever changing landscape that we get to call home. There should be a change in your management from what ecosystem to the next or from one state to the next. The principles of replicating nature and using nature as our model are the same but our focus of plant communities and layout...

This week is all about chicks, as in how to increase brood survivability on your property. Quail and wild turkeys can nest in many different locations and in varying types of vegetation with adequate success. So if they are nesting successfully to sustain a population why are numbers dropping?  In this podcast we address the most crucial timeframe for both quail and wild turkeys and what they need...

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 tag...

Being our on the road a lot during this time of the year, we begin to see many different habitat types that are struggling and begging to be managed in a better way. During this weeks podcast, we discuss the recent observations from the field. We cover states like Illinois, Indiana, West Virginia, and Ohio.  In addition, we pose the question, what if we only managed for big bucks. What would the l...

On this week's podcast, we discuss our recent observations traveling from Kansas to West Virginia. We saw farming landscapes, bottomland, CRP, and thousands of timbered acres. These observations will help you to look critically at your property so you can influence it greater making it more attractive for wildlife.  First and foremost, improving and restoring the landscape is important. Wildlife n...

Trying to keep a mature deer on your farm for as many days as possible is a goal many hunters try to obtain. Others wish to lower the amount of deer they find dead from "winter kill" or from predators. Landowners also find themselves in a stand still and what else to do to improve their farm. All these scenarios or problems can be solved with the technique we call "fragmenting the farm." We we sta...

Have you ever heard a deer hunter speak about needing to kill more coyotes and a few months later complain about having too many deer? Or better yet a self proclaimed conservationists complain about native weeds taking over his non-native food plot? One that hurts the most is the process of taking a highly diverse, highly beneficial grassland or old field and plant it in a monoculture food plot. S...

On this week's podcast, Matt, Kyle, and Frank breakdown the steps it is going to take to convert an under-utilized farm in Kansas into a dynamic wildlife rich property. Currently, these parcels have several key elements to attract, hold and harvest various wildlife game species. On the podcast, we cover topics such as CRP buffers, managing nesting/brood rearing cover for quail, creating corridors...

Edge Feathering has been lost in the weeds for sometime now but it's time you should bring it back. When we look for habitat or land management tools we usually go with the new fad or silver bullet. Hinge cutting has been on the scene for a couple of years now with major publicity, but what if we told you that edge feathering can provide more benefits to more species of animals?  You might now bel...

One of the goals we have for the podcast is to help land managers prioritize their time. There are so many different ways that land managers can get side-tracked with gimmicks and time-consuming techniques that yield little to poor results. Time is too precious and habitat is too poor for mistakes or idol years in management to occur.  Disturbances on the landscape create and manage diversity. For...

Late-Season does not at all mean the best part of season has come and went. Some fantastic hunting opportunities are still out there for the taking. This week, we recap an incredible hunt Matt had recently. Two great looking bucks almost squared off at 20 yards in a food plot. This hunt was a great example of the power of quality forage at this time of the year, but also the better harvest opportu...

This week's podcast Kyle and Frank go deep into the history of trapping and the complex dynamics of predator-prey relationships. Both Kyle and Frank are experienced trappers and actively trap predators each season, from coyotes, bobcats, raccoons, all the way to beavers and muskrats.  With their biological research and extensive landscape management experiences, Kyle and Frank settle the argument...

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 an...

On this podcast, Matt is joined by Kyle and Frank to discuss an important common misunderstanding among hunters. There is a disconnect between hunters and land managers. Often times the amount of hours spent hunting can easily skew the observations and importance of certain habitat features of the critters you are chasing. The factors that influence deer during the fall do not make them persist th...

Yes, you guessed it, late-season deer hunting success with Seth Harker. No this was not over cut corn, a field full of soybeans, or a lush clover field. This hunt started two weeks ago when a familiar buck showed back up to the farm. A large winter flock of turkeys, lead Seth away from the destination food plot and back into the red oaks.  Years ago a TSI project was completed in this area that re...

Land & Legacy Consultants Frank Loncarich and Kyle Hedges headed west this September to chase upland birds in Wyoming and Nebraska. Turn back to the podcast on October 8th to hear about the first part of their hunt with their pursuit of Sage Grouse. On this week's podcast they're discussing their hunt for Sharp Tailed Grouse and Prairie Chickens and what tools they used to make it a successful hun...

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. Th...

During this week's podcast, we sit down with a client form Southern Missouri to discuss the transformation his property is going through. In February 2018, we toured the 147 acres in South Central Missouri. This father/son duo were eager to begin working on improving the habitat after four years of slow, random, and sparse wildlife encounters.  Right out of the gate, we knew the property would pre...