Land & Legacy - Sportsmen's Nation

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 reminder of just how diverse the habitat needs to be. Turkeys need to have grasses, forbs, insects, worms, hard mast, soft mast, gravel and all of these different elements in the right spatial arrangement. Without these arranged appropriately the rearing of turkeys will be limited. Similar to whitetail management, diversity reigns king! In addition, the height of the vegetation is also very important, too tall or too thick and the acre becomes unusable. In this podcast, we talk timber management, prescribed fire rotation for turkeys, bare soil, fallow fields, and roosting sites. Please do your part in becoming a producer

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. Each turkey hunt was unique in its own way and we share the breakdown of those hunts on this episode. From strong gobbling turkeys, decoy shy birds, and bully jakes interfering with several hunts. To learn how we still remain successful under these conditions you will want to tune in! These hunts will be on the Youtube Channel and social media channels soon, so be sure to subscribe. You will hear our different techniques in hunting these early season scenarios. We hope you have a great successful turkey season. Be sure to share your harvest photos with us online! #ForLoveoftheLand Land & Legacy is Powered by

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 rapidly declining, we have to recruit more producers than we currently have. This podcast is heavy, but we need to consider the actions we take in the off-season seriously.  With rising recreational land prices, cattle and crop prices dropping, it is more difficult more than ever to become a producer. Farmers are needing to squeeze more "juice from the lemon" off their land to simply make a living these days. This means all the potential ground that can make an income becomes a void of habitat. If you take this scenario and extrapolate it across the landscape, many farms are going in the opposite direction of being sui

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, Trace Harker and Matt Dye, while in an adjoining county, Adam Keith and Chad Keith will be joining forces. This is no competition, however, just two farms that require two different strategies to not only scout effectively, but to also hunt. First, you will hear from Seth and Matt and how they plan to capitalize on consistent images from the Cuddelink system. However, despite several years of success from this location, a massive habitat management project just went underway. So this will surely plan into the setup and hunt. In contrast, Chad and Adam are hunting a cattle farm with tillable acres and large pastu

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 difficult to have larger blocks or areas where habitat is very segmented. It is common to have pockets or good habitat and other areas where habitat is incredibly poor. This week we talk with Hunter Pruitt who has recently completed his graduate studies on wildlife management CO-OPS and their impacts on habitat and wildlife. A CO-OP is simply a congregation of several landowners agreeing to work together for a common goal to support a wide range of conservation efforts. These can be formal or informal, however, the impact that these CO-OPS can have is substantial. Some CO-OPS are comprised of hundreds of acres while other

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 differences of taking a son and taking a daughter.  With patience and humor Seth was able to have an exciting weekend with the kids chasing turkeys and learning life lessons. How do you get your kids into the outdoors? It's a crucial part of teaching and raising our children to understand the importance of time outside but if you're planning on teaching them about hunting it may take multiple approaches to ensure your kids are hunters. Listen in as Seth discusses the differences he experienced with his kids and how he used food as a technique to teach his daughter the importance of hunting. We also discuss the declining turkey

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 summer and winter, however often times, that cannot occur due to over browsing, but year after year they repeat this same technique. In addition, we often see people from different regions trying to adopt techniques from regions to the north and make it apply to southern zones. This thought process is flawed and we discuss why and what the remedy is to this problem. If you live in the south, don't try to make it the north by the way you plant your food plots.Be sure to take time to understand the forages you are planting. Make sure they make sense for your area, climate, and region! Checkout the different food plot ble

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 quail extirpated from the state. Why is no one doing anything about this? Land & Legacy is not going to sit back and watch a beloved icon of North America's game species dwindle into oblivion. Such little quail habitat remains across the landscape currently that if you do routinely see quail, you are most likely encountering an isolated population, dependent solely upon the habitat they persist within. Outside of these areas, the population you witness would cease to exist. It is time that hunters and conservationist step up to the plate and take a swing at bringing back bobwhite quail numbers. Please, once you

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 drastically improved the number of acres available for upland bird species to reproduce. The wide variety of wildlife species that have benefited from this conservation program is long. However, despite all of these positives, we know that it can be improved. This week, we spend an hour discussing the details of CRP and how it can be greatly improved to offer more forage and cover. Areas dominated in grasses only provide cover, but no forage. There are a number of techniques that can be used like, dormant season discing, herbicide application, pollinator plantings, surrogate shrub placements, and even legume plantings to pr

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 managers have been trying to better understand the coyote and how they impact deer populations. Without a doubt, their presence impacts the species as some are certainly killed, but also pressure and alertness are impacted as well. What isn't often discussed is the pressure that too many antlerless deer within a herd will do, or a herd that is over the areas carrying capacity. Bucks and does are in direct competition for those resources, they both eat the same plants, they both choose the same or best cover to hide in. So they are in direct competition for the same resources. But when we look at the home ranges and effective

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 you ever considered why it's important to try and create a landscape where the first nest is successful? What's the impact of snakes, raptors, and raccoons as the summer progresses? Once you understand the movement patterns of some of these predators you can then begin to manage accordingly. Kyle and Adam will discuss a variety of topics and management techniques that you should be using to combat the all famous nest predators. Some techniques are very cost effective, very easy labor and can greatly increase your nest success. If you're managing for all wildlife don't miss this podcast! #FORLOVEOTHELAND Land & Leg

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 why things such as age class, antler size, and quantity of deer may not be the best gauge for habitat improvements. Deer are generalist species, meaning they can persist in so many different habitats, climates, regions, and elevations. What if instead why used species richness of an area, like the number of different songbirds using the area after a timber harvest or perhaps the number of different plants growing in an area that was once a pasture. Deer are bi-products of quality habitat! If you create and increase usable space for deer, they will thrive, whereas other species may now simply have a chance to live. Don't

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 for Nathaniel and his wife, we invited him to join us on the podcast to discuss his life as a Christian, film-maker, and coffee connoisseur. Niangua Coffee is a brand built around the outdoor lifestyle with seasonal flavors such as Fly-Down Roast, Deer Camp, Blue Spring, and Black Water. There is a coffee flavor for every season, lights, dark, and medium. Please take time to support our dear friend Nathaniel and Niangua Coffee! You will be seeing more with Nathaniel as the year goes on, as the video production increases for Land & Legacy!  Land & Legacy is Powered by Simplecast

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 space is for whitetail deer. What is required to keep deer on a property throughout the entire year? Then, we discuss how to create those resources from what the property and its vegetation have to offer. From here, we can then determine how big of an impact all of this work with give us! For our example in the podcast, we increased the value and forage production on the property by nine times and nothing was planted at all! We simply used what the property offered and drastically improved the offerings of this property. Take a listen and let us know what you think. How will you be increasing the usable space on your pro

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, prairies, woodlots, forests, and fields across the country. The direction and speed at which they are invading is alarming. It is important to envision what the landscape will look like 20 years from now when no one addresses these species. We've seen fields being overtaken in a matter of few years by species like autumn olive, bush honeysuckle, multi-flora rose, Japanese honeysuckle and bradford pears. Please take this podcast seriously and share with others who need to hear about the importance of managing non-native invasive species. If you are the owner of recreational land, you are responsible, stop playing the

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 much and hear so many contradicting recommendations that they can not begin working on managing their property. We want this podcast to provide clarity to your situation. We want to clearly communicate the pros and cons of each timber management technique. Flush cutting, hinge-cutting, and hack-n-squirt are all tools in the tool-box, but we answer when they should be used and how they shouldn't be!If you want to learn more about how to manage the timber on your property, listen and share with a friend who struggles from the same issue. Closed canopy timber is not helping the wildlife to the degree most people think,

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. Adam's knowledge and experience lies within the optics industry, but his hunting passion lead him to address issue of concealment for hunters, especially bird hunters! Checkout how RLVNT is providing solutions for hunters based on the UV light spectrum. This technology is incredible! Elevate your game with RLVNT.  Land & Legacy is Powered by Simplecast

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 mast. To have each of these components on your property at the right time of the year both turkeys to persist, you need to have native plants and then be managing these native plant communities. There are no substitutes or short cuts for top of the line habitat. By managing for diverse Native plant communities on both public and private land the land, soil, water, air, and wildlife quality will improve! Take time to learn about native plants, the role they play and how to best eradicate non native plants! It’s like picking up trash, nonnative plants are liter compared to the plant world! Enjoy. Learn. Share!  Land &

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 opportunities when managing the state and its wildlife. In our discussion, we really hit on prescribed fire and what the state will be doing to incorporate it more as well as educate landowners on how to use this wonderful tool! We hope you sit back and enjoy learning about the state of Arkansas and it’s usage of prescribed fire! Enjoy. Learn. Share!  Land & Legacy is Powered by Simplecast

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 important to annual reproductive success. Wild turkeys need specific habitat requires to nest and rear broods successfully. As both Mike and Brett confirm, diversity on the landscape is the necessary and driving factor for continued success of the wild turkey. Take this information to heart and share with your fellow turkey hunters! We have to keep sharing solid information regarding true habitat management. Please share and enjoy a successful turkey hunt this spring.  Land & Legacy is Powered by Simplecast