Land & Legacy - Sportsmen's Nation

Pond management for fish isn't that much different than managing upland habitat for wildlife. This week we are joined again by Fisheries Biologist Micah Tindall to discuss managing fish and the habitats they require.

On this week's podcast we are trying out a new podcast style and need your feedback. We have been filming for years with the folks at Whitetail Properties and it's time we begin to break down in fine detail the nuance details of habitat management. So this week, let us know in the comments what you think about this podcast style! Bedding thickets come in all shapes and sizes, but so do the implementation guidelines. This week we walk you through how we would cut a unit that is an average stocking rate with average ranges of timber size classes. We break it down 1/3, 1/3, and 1/3rd and apply a girdle/spray, fell, and hinge to each 1/3rd. This creates a great matrix of sunlight, structure, and new plant growth that will ultimately hold deer in these secure units during daylight hours. What more do you want?!?Watch the LandBeat video here are this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dq9TIMJRg4k. We hope you enjoy the behind the scenes look at creating a bedding thicket in the hot June sun!https://www.youtube.c

On this week's podcast, Alan and Reid Summerford take to the woods in search of a velvet whitetail. The prep work has been completed and in part 1 of this podcast you will hear all about the work they have completed to make this hunt a success before the season even opens. Oftentimes, the hard work ahead of the hunt will prove itself deadly. This pre-hunt interview calls the shots of what they suspect will happen. Let's see if their suspicions are correct in part 2! During part 2 of the podcast, we hear how the actual hunt unfolded and why it was a success. These unconventional techniques can be the make or break of success. In this episode, you will really see how habitat management and hunting strategy are essentially one in the same.

On this week’s podcast we sit down the Shawn from Heartland Bowhunter. Shawn is a devoted bowhunter but now is a land manager. Shawn is passionate about trying to promote a healthy native landscape that improves the habitat and overall hunting experience. This transformation is journey didn’t happen overnight and wasn’t his due to his own interests. Many people along the way influenced and guided him to dive deep in land management. We hope you enjoy this story and journey from Shawn. If you haven’t taken a deep dive into managing quality habitat, we hope Shawn will convince you to join us on the journey.

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 says way more about the neighborhood than an outlier buck from years ago. Age structure is often what people "mean" when they are incorrectly using the term "genetics". We are stern and serious on the delivery with this podcast to make sure there isn't buyers remorse! This is a big decisions, hundreds and millions of dollars are being spent, make a good decision. Develop a great working relationship with your local Whitetail Properties Agent to be on the shortlist for quality land in the best neighborhoods.

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 techniques. -Using cattle farming practices to create food plots. -Clover Plot Maintenance

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 habitat needle forward.

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 natural patterns. This will increase the success of hunting. Stop chasing and guessing, know what deer are going to do before they do it.

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 you attack your property!

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 your recreational property.

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 foundational aspects of wildlife management are being met. These are the building blocks of wildlife management