Land & Legacy - Habitat + Hunting

Several of us have ponds on the farms that we manage, and others may be thinking of building or stocking a new body of water. Just like your wildlife habitat, your fish need managed and so does the habitat they need to thrive. Today we are joined by Fisheries Biologist Micah Tindall with the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission to discuss the in's and out's of setting up a new fish pond.

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 say...

In this episode we discuss what creates an awesome food plot, it's not just the seed that goes in the ground, but the location, soil type, and nature of the plot that can lead to more success. We discuss the key factors that are critical to maximizing the production of a food plot. -Prepping the soil to plant. -What to look for in a forecast to sow the seed. -Timing of planting. -Planting techniqu...

Prescribed fire is one of our favorite tools in our management tool box. In fact, there aren't many properties that wouldn't benefit from fire, but its not always the solution by itself, sometimes its not even the correct tool to use.

We're using some photos from recent consults to guide you through the recommendations you hear weekly to help on your farm! Enjoy how we plan to guide these landowners to manipulating the natural resources to improve these farms for whitetail deer!

No, it’s probably not what you think. We took a short break to catch up on life, or to “sharpen our axe” but we are back! Join Hunter and Thomas this week as they talk about the necessary break they took from the Sawdust & Fire Podcast as well as some of the things they have going on.

Don't be lazy, get out there and do the work! But! if time is limited, start with these projects to ensure success this fall on your farm. What is the silver bullet to habitat management? We get asked this question a lot and the answer is never what the person wants to hear. Fotunately in this podcast we discuss what would be a silver bullet if we had one.

Stumps offer more than just a place to set mineral blocks - they are a rich source of nutrients that deer crave. In this episode, Alan and Frank highlight the importance of mineral stumps on the landscape. They provide insights on trees that are magnets when cut and those that should be treated when cut, making it easier for you to understand the significance of mineral stumps.

Trees have been cut, now what?? Now that the timber has been cut, it's crucial to develop a strategy to restore the area. In this week's episode, Alan and Brady explore the steps to train your forest to reach your goals and leave a lasting legacy on the property.

Cutting timber? LIsten to these steps first! Brady Bradley and Alan Summerford talk about what to do before you bring a logger onto the property to have timber cut.

The secret of getting ahead is getting started, the secret of getting started is breaking your complex overwhelming tasks, and starting on the first one. “Mark Twain”

We dive deep into the weeds, as we discuss old field management and enhancement. Invasive species control was also a hot topic where we discussed in depth strategies and specific herbicide formulations to further improve your effectiveness and save you money with proper application methods. This isn't a time to stay indoors, but modify your strategy with these suggestions and keep moving that habi...

We often see hunters "chasing the most recent activity". They follow what they saw as opposed to making deer produce certain patterns in huntable locations. Many hunters force themselves into unhuntable locations and botch a hunt or educate deer in the process. Oftentimes we find that the right approach is to learn the patterns, then place new features around the area to further enhance those natu...

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 y...

In addition, we cover the truths about summer food plots. We address their necessities, limitations, value, and alternatives to planting summer plots. Please give this podcast a listen with an open mind. Be critical and mindful of why you are doing what you are doing. You may need to re-evaluate your goals and intentions of habitat management. Be wise on how you spend your time and resources on yo...

During this podcast, Alan and Matt go back to 3rd grade biology to lay the foundation of the needs of wildlife; food, cover, and water. These basics are compared to the needs of plants as an illustration to how each works off of one another to provide an entire offering that allows the plant to perform at its peak opportunity. Wildlife is no different, but there is no point to do so unless ALL the...

Kyle Lybarger joins Alan Summerford to talk about turkey hunting strategies that were used on previous hunts. We also break down what we are seeing on different timings of fire, fire intervals, and how it relates to hunting, and nesting based on when the fire was applied.

Brady shares his experiences working on two vastly different farms one in Kansas and one in Missouri that has seen 500 acres of TSI and multiple fires since he has overseen the property. The changes are vastly different. Matt discusses how one long time client who operates a high Tier 3 farm is now adding to his farm with new ground, but that farm would score a 0.... The journey of improving that...

Big timber and rugged terrain. Kyle Lybarger joins Alan Summerford on a property that is in a conservation easement for old growth timber. As we breakdown the property, we discuss issues with allowing timber to mature without disturbance, and addressing the importance of a sound hunting strategy to grow, hold, and harvest mature bucks with consistency. Sometimes habitat whether good or bad isn't t...

This podcast is spitballing! We cover lots of things while coming back from a recent consult with Kyle and Adam. Buckle up!

Last year we had our Nationwide brood habitat contest and it was a success. A lot of great habitat was put on the ground and a lot of great prizes were donated. Should we have another contest this year? Let us know your thoughts!

We're joined by chainsaw Chad on this podcast to discuss recent work at the Whistling Woodlands. We're talking skid steers, quail, turkeys, and all things habitat management.

Changing the growth structure from trees to shrubs by using a chainsaw by felling or girdling will create way more woody browse and structure on the ground than planting any trees! You need to consider the utilization of an existing root system vs a new one establishing itself. In addition, it is critical to understand the difficulty in maintaining quality habitat once trees have been planted. Kee...

Often times prescribed fire is the technique that gets hired out to contractors by landowners. They think fire is too dangerous, but they forget about the complications of hiring a burn crew to complete the burns. In comparison, most landowners want to tackle the TSI and run a chainsaw because they feel more confident doing so. At the end of the day, they forget that TSI is less commonly used than...

Duck season has come to an end once again, and several are unhappy with the way their season went and are wondering what’s going on. Today we sit down with Luke Naylor from the Arkansas Game & Fish Commission to discuss Federal parameters, duck numbers, pressure and habitat. Join us as we take a look inside the complexity of how this all works.