1 00:00:02,880 --> 00:00:06,440 Speaker 1: Welcome to the Wire to Hunt podcast, your home for 2 00:00:06,519 --> 00:00:11,479 Speaker 1: deer hunting news, stories and strategies, and now your host, 3 00:00:11,880 --> 00:00:16,720 Speaker 1: Mark Kenyon. Welcome to the Wire to Hunt podcast. I'm 4 00:00:16,720 --> 00:00:19,759 Speaker 1: your host, Mark Kenyan. In this episode one and three 5 00:00:20,160 --> 00:00:23,000 Speaker 1: tan the show, we're joined by Dr Craig Harper, one 6 00:00:23,000 --> 00:00:26,200 Speaker 1: of the nation's foremost experts on deer habitat management, and 7 00:00:26,280 --> 00:00:30,320 Speaker 1: we're talking food plots, timberstand improvement, old fields, and much 8 00:00:30,560 --> 00:00:51,280 Speaker 1: much more. Hey, the guys and gals, and welcome to 9 00:00:51,440 --> 00:00:54,520 Speaker 1: the Wired to Hunt podcast, brought to you by Sick 10 00:00:54,600 --> 00:00:57,840 Speaker 1: and Gear, and today we're joined by someone who I 11 00:00:57,920 --> 00:01:01,200 Speaker 1: guarantee you're going to enjoy hearing from. I first heard 12 00:01:01,320 --> 00:01:05,160 Speaker 1: Dr Craig Harper back probably six or seven years ago 13 00:01:05,240 --> 00:01:08,280 Speaker 1: at a Qutum a Dear Steward course, and then since 14 00:01:08,319 --> 00:01:10,039 Speaker 1: then I've heard him speak at a number of other 15 00:01:10,080 --> 00:01:13,600 Speaker 1: deer and habitat related events and seminars, and every single 16 00:01:13,640 --> 00:01:17,080 Speaker 1: time I've walked away from these, you know, seminars, having 17 00:01:17,160 --> 00:01:19,920 Speaker 1: learned a ton and haven't really enjoyed myself as well. 18 00:01:20,520 --> 00:01:23,840 Speaker 1: Dr Craig Harper is a Professor of Wildlife Management in 19 00:01:23,880 --> 00:01:27,319 Speaker 1: the Extension Wildlife Specialist in the Department of Forestry, Wildlife 20 00:01:27,319 --> 00:01:30,880 Speaker 1: and Fisheries at the University of Tennessee. He's also a 21 00:01:30,920 --> 00:01:34,520 Speaker 1: renowned authority on all things dear Habitat. He was named 22 00:01:34,520 --> 00:01:37,600 Speaker 1: the two thousand thirteen QTUM a Professional Deer Manager of 23 00:01:37,640 --> 00:01:40,160 Speaker 1: the Year, and on top of that, he's also the 24 00:01:40,240 --> 00:01:43,679 Speaker 1: author of the highly claimed guide to Wildlife Food Plots 25 00:01:43,680 --> 00:01:48,000 Speaker 1: in Early Successional Plants. So today we're going to pick 26 00:01:48,040 --> 00:01:52,880 Speaker 1: Craig's brain on all things dear Habitat and deer habitat improvement. 27 00:01:52,880 --> 00:01:56,760 Speaker 1: But before we dive into all that, Mr cost Dan Johnson, 28 00:01:56,840 --> 00:01:59,080 Speaker 1: do you have any important updates from this past week? 29 00:01:59,280 --> 00:02:01,400 Speaker 1: Did you kill a turn yet? I did not kill 30 00:02:01,440 --> 00:02:05,480 Speaker 1: a turkey, but you did? I did. Yeah, I want 31 00:02:05,480 --> 00:02:07,480 Speaker 1: to hear that. I want to hear that story. Oh man, 32 00:02:07,560 --> 00:02:14,040 Speaker 1: it was a mess, to be honest, So I'll make 33 00:02:14,080 --> 00:02:16,080 Speaker 1: it as short and sweet as it possibly can. But 34 00:02:16,160 --> 00:02:18,480 Speaker 1: we we headed down to Ohio this weekend to do 35 00:02:18,560 --> 00:02:21,080 Speaker 1: some work on the property and a turkey hunt, me 36 00:02:21,080 --> 00:02:25,200 Speaker 1: and and Buddy josh Um. So I got there Friday night, 37 00:02:25,320 --> 00:02:28,600 Speaker 1: Saturday morning, we got in started hunting and there are 38 00:02:28,600 --> 00:02:30,880 Speaker 1: a lot of birds gobbling, but couldn't get them coming 39 00:02:30,919 --> 00:02:33,480 Speaker 1: off the roost. So eventually, after a couple of hours 40 00:02:33,600 --> 00:02:35,720 Speaker 1: just been walking around, had a couple of actually kind 41 00:02:35,720 --> 00:02:38,400 Speaker 1: of relatively close calls while running gunning, but just couldn't 42 00:02:38,480 --> 00:02:41,359 Speaker 1: quite make it happen. So then for the rest of 43 00:02:41,360 --> 00:02:44,560 Speaker 1: the afternoon we trimmed out lanes for some of our 44 00:02:44,600 --> 00:02:47,720 Speaker 1: tree stands, check some stands, stuff like that. UM went 45 00:02:47,760 --> 00:02:51,399 Speaker 1: back out in the evening and moved our little pop 46 00:02:51,480 --> 00:02:53,239 Speaker 1: up blind to this corner of the farm where you 47 00:02:53,280 --> 00:02:56,120 Speaker 1: can see into like all the different open areas on 48 00:02:56,160 --> 00:02:58,720 Speaker 1: the property. UM, this is one angle where you can 49 00:02:58,760 --> 00:03:01,239 Speaker 1: seem like four different set into this field. Otherwise, we 50 00:03:01,360 --> 00:03:03,639 Speaker 1: blocked off and our plan was basically to sit there 51 00:03:03,639 --> 00:03:06,440 Speaker 1: and watch and just hope we might catch some birds 52 00:03:06,480 --> 00:03:08,680 Speaker 1: moving across one of these open areas and try to 53 00:03:08,720 --> 00:03:10,640 Speaker 1: talk to them and get them convinced to come in. 54 00:03:11,400 --> 00:03:13,680 Speaker 1: And it was really windy and it's supposed to rain, 55 00:03:13,760 --> 00:03:15,560 Speaker 1: so I didn't have the highest of hopes that anything 56 00:03:15,600 --> 00:03:18,200 Speaker 1: would hear us. UM, but I figured at least here 57 00:03:18,240 --> 00:03:20,680 Speaker 1: we could see things and lo and behold. After sitting 58 00:03:20,720 --> 00:03:23,320 Speaker 1: there for like an hour, here come three birds, probably 59 00:03:23,360 --> 00:03:26,560 Speaker 1: like I don't know, five yards away, cutting across this field. 60 00:03:26,600 --> 00:03:28,920 Speaker 1: I'm not sure how far it was but very far away, 61 00:03:29,360 --> 00:03:32,120 Speaker 1: and the head out across this field, and I was 62 00:03:32,160 --> 00:03:35,160 Speaker 1: kind of thinking, well, I guess just throw out some 63 00:03:35,280 --> 00:03:37,160 Speaker 1: noise and hopefully can get their attention. But like, yes, 64 00:03:37,240 --> 00:03:39,280 Speaker 1: it was really windy, so I just started squawking away, 65 00:03:39,360 --> 00:03:41,600 Speaker 1: just trying to do anything just to catch their attention. 66 00:03:42,280 --> 00:03:44,600 Speaker 1: And it seemed like they heard, because they stopped, perked 67 00:03:44,600 --> 00:03:46,280 Speaker 1: their heads up and looked my way. But they just 68 00:03:46,360 --> 00:03:49,080 Speaker 1: kept slowly feeding across the field going the other direction, 69 00:03:49,720 --> 00:03:51,640 Speaker 1: and they just milled around to the other end of 70 00:03:51,640 --> 00:03:54,000 Speaker 1: this field for like twenty minutes, and we kept on thinking, 71 00:03:54,000 --> 00:03:55,839 Speaker 1: how they're gonna come this way? Are they gonna leave? 72 00:03:56,520 --> 00:03:58,400 Speaker 1: And we were debating if they if they go around 73 00:03:58,440 --> 00:04:00,360 Speaker 1: the corner, should we grab our stuff and just sprint 74 00:04:00,400 --> 00:04:02,600 Speaker 1: down the field and try to close the gap. But 75 00:04:02,920 --> 00:04:06,600 Speaker 1: eventually they just slowly turned and started feeding our way 76 00:04:06,640 --> 00:04:09,520 Speaker 1: down the middle of this finger of just basically what 77 00:04:09,600 --> 00:04:12,480 Speaker 1: was cut beings from last year, And over the course 78 00:04:12,520 --> 00:04:15,520 Speaker 1: of the next hour, maybe hour and a half these 79 00:04:15,560 --> 00:04:19,760 Speaker 1: three times, is slowly, slowly pecked their way down the 80 00:04:19,760 --> 00:04:21,480 Speaker 1: field towards us. Never once in a while I do 81 00:04:21,520 --> 00:04:23,480 Speaker 1: a little call and they look my way and keep 82 00:04:23,520 --> 00:04:27,240 Speaker 1: moving that direction. So fast forward, like I said, like 83 00:04:27,240 --> 00:04:29,760 Speaker 1: an hour. They finally it's like, wow, this is really 84 00:04:29,760 --> 00:04:31,640 Speaker 1: gonna happen. I can't. We've been sitting here watching these 85 00:04:31,680 --> 00:04:33,039 Speaker 1: birds like an hour and a half, and now it 86 00:04:33,120 --> 00:04:34,560 Speaker 1: does look like we might get a shot. So me 87 00:04:34,640 --> 00:04:37,479 Speaker 1: and my buddy Josh from the blind and they circle 88 00:04:37,600 --> 00:04:40,520 Speaker 1: around us, um instead of coming straight and they circle 89 00:04:40,560 --> 00:04:43,239 Speaker 1: out wide. And now we're coming in from our left 90 00:04:43,279 --> 00:04:45,560 Speaker 1: side and I can't get a shot because the blind, 91 00:04:45,760 --> 00:04:48,240 Speaker 1: the windows of the blind aren't open that way. Um. 92 00:04:48,279 --> 00:04:50,760 Speaker 1: So basically now they're in it like I don't know, 93 00:04:50,960 --> 00:04:53,640 Speaker 1: thirty five yards or so, and they're getting a little nervous. 94 00:04:53,720 --> 00:04:55,800 Speaker 1: And so now at this point they got to thirty 95 00:04:55,880 --> 00:04:58,839 Speaker 1: yards or just inside that and they're about turned to 96 00:04:58,880 --> 00:05:00,479 Speaker 1: like bust way. You don't you ever see that where 97 00:05:00,480 --> 00:05:02,160 Speaker 1: they kind of take a couple of steps and then 98 00:05:02,160 --> 00:05:04,040 Speaker 1: they spin around the other way and they take a 99 00:05:04,040 --> 00:05:06,480 Speaker 1: couple of steps and spin around. They're kind of jumpy. 100 00:05:06,839 --> 00:05:08,599 Speaker 1: I was like, Josh, just take a shot, just just 101 00:05:08,600 --> 00:05:10,719 Speaker 1: take we're trying to get a double. But I was like, 102 00:05:10,800 --> 00:05:12,160 Speaker 1: just just get your bird, because I you know, I 103 00:05:12,160 --> 00:05:14,160 Speaker 1: already killed one in Michigan, but he hadn't got to 104 00:05:13,960 --> 00:05:17,039 Speaker 1: get out and hunt yet. So he took a shot 105 00:05:17,560 --> 00:05:20,040 Speaker 1: and we don't know what happened, but but he missed 106 00:05:20,680 --> 00:05:24,400 Speaker 1: and they go taken off, and by the time they 107 00:05:24,400 --> 00:05:27,120 Speaker 1: go taken off, they didn't really run that far out, 108 00:05:27,160 --> 00:05:29,040 Speaker 1: and so Josh was trying to get another shot at 109 00:05:29,080 --> 00:05:30,839 Speaker 1: the bird he had taken the shot at the first 110 00:05:31,200 --> 00:05:33,360 Speaker 1: And while that's happening, I see that they are still 111 00:05:33,440 --> 00:05:35,720 Speaker 1: within shooting ranch. So I pulled down this other window 112 00:05:35,800 --> 00:05:38,640 Speaker 1: on the other side, pull my gun out and take 113 00:05:38,680 --> 00:05:40,719 Speaker 1: a shot at one as this bird's running off and 114 00:05:40,760 --> 00:05:44,000 Speaker 1: I rolled him and Josh took another shot and he 115 00:05:44,080 --> 00:05:48,240 Speaker 1: missed his, so so he was really bummed, and we 116 00:05:48,240 --> 00:05:50,880 Speaker 1: were all confused. Like I was like, was the bird 117 00:05:50,880 --> 00:05:53,800 Speaker 1: that I shot? The bird that you shot? And he's like, no, no, 118 00:05:53,920 --> 00:05:55,919 Speaker 1: you you you took yours out the first shot, the 119 00:05:55,920 --> 00:05:58,440 Speaker 1: one I was the one I shot at. He never 120 00:05:59,200 --> 00:06:01,040 Speaker 1: never connected, So we don't know if someone's going on 121 00:06:01,040 --> 00:06:03,359 Speaker 1: with this gun. But it was chaos. We went running 122 00:06:03,360 --> 00:06:06,640 Speaker 1: out of the blind, chasing after the bird, and um, 123 00:06:06,680 --> 00:06:08,719 Speaker 1: you know, I got one down. He was nice Tom 124 00:06:08,720 --> 00:06:10,760 Speaker 1: and I was glad to have it, but I was 125 00:06:10,839 --> 00:06:12,960 Speaker 1: I was really just bummed for Josh because he this 126 00:06:13,080 --> 00:06:15,040 Speaker 1: was his first time out this season because of other 127 00:06:15,080 --> 00:06:17,040 Speaker 1: commitments and stuff, and I really wanted him to get one, 128 00:06:17,040 --> 00:06:19,200 Speaker 1: and he just got struggle with bad luck. Kind of 129 00:06:19,200 --> 00:06:22,040 Speaker 1: the same thing. Unfortunately, exact same thing happened to us 130 00:06:22,120 --> 00:06:24,880 Speaker 1: last year. We had a double and I don't know 131 00:06:25,040 --> 00:06:27,039 Speaker 1: his guns not patterning. Well, I guess we gotta we 132 00:06:27,080 --> 00:06:29,240 Speaker 1: gotta check it out and figure out what's going on, 133 00:06:29,400 --> 00:06:32,560 Speaker 1: because he was super bummed, and it kind of took 134 00:06:32,600 --> 00:06:35,200 Speaker 1: some of the excitement of my bird because I just 135 00:06:35,200 --> 00:06:37,800 Speaker 1: wanted him to get one. So nonetheless, it was nice 136 00:06:37,839 --> 00:06:40,800 Speaker 1: to get some some more meat in the freezer. And 137 00:06:40,839 --> 00:06:43,360 Speaker 1: it was a crazy hunt. And the next day we 138 00:06:43,400 --> 00:06:45,600 Speaker 1: went back out and just couldn't get anything to come 139 00:06:45,600 --> 00:06:47,760 Speaker 1: in again. So it was a fun weekend. Got trail 140 00:06:47,839 --> 00:06:49,800 Speaker 1: cameras up, like I said, got some work done on 141 00:06:49,839 --> 00:06:53,599 Speaker 1: the tree stands. So now I'm just we're gonna you know, 142 00:06:53,640 --> 00:06:55,040 Speaker 1: I had out west for a couple months, and I'll 143 00:06:55,080 --> 00:06:57,120 Speaker 1: come back in August and go back to the property, 144 00:06:57,240 --> 00:07:02,479 Speaker 1: check the cameras and hopefully Junkyard JJ are back. Well. 145 00:07:02,720 --> 00:07:08,000 Speaker 1: Congratulations and good luck. Thank you, sir. I. Speaking of 146 00:07:08,400 --> 00:07:12,280 Speaker 1: trail cameras, you proposed a trail camera bet to me 147 00:07:12,360 --> 00:07:15,880 Speaker 1: on Twitter the past week, but you never responded to 148 00:07:15,920 --> 00:07:20,480 Speaker 1: what I proposed as steaks? What what that you can? 149 00:07:20,600 --> 00:07:23,880 Speaker 1: If I win, I get to come hunt in Michigan 150 00:07:24,000 --> 00:07:25,840 Speaker 1: and if you win, you get to come come up 151 00:07:25,920 --> 00:07:29,880 Speaker 1: my Iowa farm. I think that's perfectly fair, perfectly fair 152 00:07:29,960 --> 00:07:35,560 Speaker 1: and very very equal prizes there. I wonder what the 153 00:07:35,600 --> 00:07:38,040 Speaker 1: other hunters would say if this guy pulled up in 154 00:07:38,120 --> 00:07:40,560 Speaker 1: another hunter pulled up, I was like, yeah, I lost 155 00:07:40,560 --> 00:07:42,240 Speaker 1: the bet. This guy gets to hunt here this year. 156 00:07:44,200 --> 00:07:46,480 Speaker 1: It's just tough. You gotta I gotta deal with it. 157 00:07:48,280 --> 00:07:52,800 Speaker 1: I'll tell you what. Let's think of something else fair enough, 158 00:07:53,120 --> 00:07:55,000 Speaker 1: But but we are on for a bet, right, We're 159 00:07:55,000 --> 00:07:56,880 Speaker 1: gonna do the same same rule, same thing as we 160 00:07:56,920 --> 00:08:00,120 Speaker 1: did last year. Uh, Velvet, do you want to have 161 00:08:00,440 --> 00:08:05,080 Speaker 1: do you want to have a two part bet? Excuse me? Explain? Okay, 162 00:08:05,160 --> 00:08:09,520 Speaker 1: two part bet, one in velvet and one hard horn 163 00:08:10,520 --> 00:08:15,400 Speaker 1: I like that. Okay, So, uh, biggest velvet buck take 164 00:08:15,480 --> 00:08:20,240 Speaker 1: surprise and biggest hard horn buck takes surprise. So for 165 00:08:20,320 --> 00:08:22,200 Speaker 1: the hard horn buck, are waiting until the end of 166 00:08:22,200 --> 00:08:24,240 Speaker 1: the season then to do that one? Yep? Well you 167 00:08:24,360 --> 00:08:29,440 Speaker 1: let's let's say yeah, at the end of your season 168 00:08:29,600 --> 00:08:31,800 Speaker 1: in the end of my season, which is somewhere around 169 00:08:31,840 --> 00:08:37,120 Speaker 1: what January, first week of January. Yeah, so let's say 170 00:08:37,160 --> 00:08:41,000 Speaker 1: mid January, we will reconvene for the hard horn, but 171 00:08:41,440 --> 00:08:44,840 Speaker 1: we can we can do the first part in uh, 172 00:08:44,960 --> 00:08:47,600 Speaker 1: let's say September, mid September, after the velvet comes off. 173 00:08:48,679 --> 00:08:51,680 Speaker 1: I like it. Let's I don't know. I'm I don't 174 00:08:51,679 --> 00:08:55,520 Speaker 1: have an Iowa hunt this year, so my locations for 175 00:08:55,640 --> 00:08:59,920 Speaker 1: quality bucks will be going down, but I'm think of 176 00:09:00,000 --> 00:09:02,600 Speaker 1: a cross for Ohile. I'm willing to get into it. 177 00:09:02,800 --> 00:09:05,360 Speaker 1: And uh, I was close last year, so it could happen. 178 00:09:05,559 --> 00:09:08,679 Speaker 1: You were close. You were close. It was uh, I 179 00:09:08,720 --> 00:09:11,120 Speaker 1: bet you when coming you know, coming down to it. 180 00:09:11,160 --> 00:09:14,680 Speaker 1: Those two bucks were really close to the same size. Yeah, 181 00:09:14,720 --> 00:09:16,679 Speaker 1: it would have been interesting if if either one of 182 00:09:16,800 --> 00:09:19,040 Speaker 1: us could have killed one to get it, to get 183 00:09:19,040 --> 00:09:21,040 Speaker 1: a tape on them and see. But either way, cool deer, 184 00:09:21,080 --> 00:09:24,600 Speaker 1: beautiful deer. So I actually tried contacting the Boone and 185 00:09:24,640 --> 00:09:29,559 Speaker 1: Crockett club official scores to take a look at those pictures, 186 00:09:29,840 --> 00:09:34,080 Speaker 1: and just all I said was, you know, hey, I 187 00:09:34,120 --> 00:09:37,880 Speaker 1: just want your best professional guests on these two deer 188 00:09:37,880 --> 00:09:40,800 Speaker 1: and what they score. And I showed him two pictures 189 00:09:40,840 --> 00:09:46,240 Speaker 1: of each buck, and they never responded to me. It 190 00:09:46,360 --> 00:09:51,040 Speaker 1: was worth a shot. Oh that's funny. Well, I'm excited 191 00:09:51,120 --> 00:09:53,800 Speaker 1: to get the summer kicked up. I always get really 192 00:09:53,840 --> 00:09:57,240 Speaker 1: pumped up about the summer velvet pictures and velvet scouting, 193 00:09:57,280 --> 00:09:59,920 Speaker 1: getting video of velvet bucks out in the fields. That's 194 00:10:00,080 --> 00:10:03,040 Speaker 1: still a lot of fun. That's right. I'm not quite 195 00:10:03,040 --> 00:10:05,960 Speaker 1: done with spring yet. I still I'm still going out. 196 00:10:06,200 --> 00:10:09,720 Speaker 1: I found a ton of mushrooms last night, which would 197 00:10:09,720 --> 00:10:13,400 Speaker 1: have been Monday night, and uh so I'm gonna eat 198 00:10:13,440 --> 00:10:19,400 Speaker 1: those tonight Tuesday night. And this weekend I'm Saturday and Sunday, 199 00:10:19,440 --> 00:10:25,800 Speaker 1: Saturday and Sunday. This this week is I'm just here. Oh, 200 00:10:25,880 --> 00:10:32,240 Speaker 1: Mark Kenyon, you're like a little brother the U. Now 201 00:10:32,280 --> 00:10:34,959 Speaker 1: I've lost my train of thought. You were talking about 202 00:10:35,000 --> 00:10:40,560 Speaker 1: this weekend Saturday and Sunday. So I'm gonna I'm gonna 203 00:10:40,600 --> 00:10:45,400 Speaker 1: go turkey hunting this weekend again. Friday or Saturday morning 204 00:10:45,440 --> 00:10:48,120 Speaker 1: and Sunday morning. Those are the probably the last two 205 00:10:48,200 --> 00:10:51,320 Speaker 1: times that I'll be able to get out because I'll 206 00:10:51,360 --> 00:10:55,079 Speaker 1: be gone on business the following week and I don't know, 207 00:10:56,600 --> 00:10:59,680 Speaker 1: I think the season I might get one more week weekend. 208 00:11:00,080 --> 00:11:02,960 Speaker 1: Get closes on the twenty second MAYWOD is when the 209 00:11:03,040 --> 00:11:06,840 Speaker 1: season closes here in Iowa, So we'll see what happens. 210 00:11:07,280 --> 00:11:10,240 Speaker 1: I gotta make it happen. You know, you you did 211 00:11:10,280 --> 00:11:12,280 Speaker 1: your you did your good deed for the season, and 212 00:11:12,280 --> 00:11:15,120 Speaker 1: you got your your wife and stepped out of bourb 213 00:11:15,120 --> 00:11:19,480 Speaker 1: and now's your turn. Well maybe my buddy, I'm I'll 214 00:11:19,480 --> 00:11:21,480 Speaker 1: be hunting on my buddy's property and he's never gotten 215 00:11:21,480 --> 00:11:24,880 Speaker 1: a turkey before, so my goal is to try to 216 00:11:24,920 --> 00:11:28,439 Speaker 1: get him one. So maybe maybe I get out and 217 00:11:29,160 --> 00:11:32,439 Speaker 1: get it done. Maybe I don't, but uh, we will see. 218 00:11:33,440 --> 00:11:35,000 Speaker 1: I feel like it's just as much fun when you 219 00:11:35,000 --> 00:11:37,200 Speaker 1: get to be there, like guiding and calling and stuff. 220 00:11:37,200 --> 00:11:39,680 Speaker 1: I get pumped about that. I think last year I 221 00:11:39,720 --> 00:11:43,760 Speaker 1: was able to quote unquote guide on three or four 222 00:11:43,760 --> 00:11:45,760 Speaker 1: different kills. Last year that was awesome, And this year 223 00:11:45,760 --> 00:11:50,320 Speaker 1: it hasn't worked out. But but it's it's a blast, 224 00:11:50,360 --> 00:11:52,600 Speaker 1: but it's it's coming to an end. Turkey season was 225 00:11:52,640 --> 00:11:54,720 Speaker 1: a it was a wild ride for a lot of people. 226 00:11:54,760 --> 00:11:57,400 Speaker 1: I feel like some people start so early these these days, 227 00:11:57,400 --> 00:12:01,240 Speaker 1: like February seasons at early March seasons, and we're slowly 228 00:12:01,240 --> 00:12:03,360 Speaker 1: getting to this next phase of the year. And and 229 00:12:03,400 --> 00:12:05,280 Speaker 1: now I'm working on some food plot stuff. I've been 230 00:12:05,280 --> 00:12:08,080 Speaker 1: out spraying food plots and I gotta plant some stuff 231 00:12:08,080 --> 00:12:10,560 Speaker 1: here in late in May, I'm gonna be putting in, 232 00:12:10,679 --> 00:12:13,959 Speaker 1: um a food plot screen hopefully if if ever this 233 00:12:14,120 --> 00:12:16,720 Speaker 1: spot dries out enough. We've been getting so much rain 234 00:12:17,480 --> 00:12:21,680 Speaker 1: we did too recently. But that's that's an exciting time 235 00:12:21,679 --> 00:12:23,959 Speaker 1: of year. And that's what we're talking about today, I guess, 236 00:12:24,000 --> 00:12:28,120 Speaker 1: is food plots and habitat projects and different things like that. 237 00:12:28,160 --> 00:12:31,760 Speaker 1: And I don't know you've probably have you ever heard 238 00:12:32,040 --> 00:12:36,040 Speaker 1: Dr Craig Carver before, Dan, just a little bit um 239 00:12:36,120 --> 00:12:39,640 Speaker 1: from the information that you sent me yesterday, I did. 240 00:12:39,679 --> 00:12:42,000 Speaker 1: I did a lot of reading on that. Um I 241 00:12:42,000 --> 00:12:45,439 Speaker 1: shouldn't say a lot, but I became familiar of what 242 00:12:45,480 --> 00:12:48,360 Speaker 1: he does, and I'm looking forward to it for the 243 00:12:48,440 --> 00:12:52,160 Speaker 1: pure fact that hopefully the information that we get today 244 00:12:52,200 --> 00:12:55,120 Speaker 1: and through what I read, helps my very first food 245 00:12:55,160 --> 00:13:00,240 Speaker 1: plot improve, you know, like be better than if I 246 00:13:00,280 --> 00:13:02,880 Speaker 1: didn't go, you know, if I just killed the grass 247 00:13:02,880 --> 00:13:05,560 Speaker 1: and three seed in the ground. Yeah, yeah, they're they're definitely. 248 00:13:05,640 --> 00:13:07,280 Speaker 1: I'm sure you will learn things that are gonna help 249 00:13:07,320 --> 00:13:11,319 Speaker 1: you to make sure you do something better than that. Uh, 250 00:13:11,679 --> 00:13:17,000 Speaker 1: he's just a very interesting speaker, and I've I've seen 251 00:13:17,080 --> 00:13:19,440 Speaker 1: him a number of different events, and he's just just 252 00:13:19,480 --> 00:13:20,880 Speaker 1: a guy I could sit and listen to for a 253 00:13:20,920 --> 00:13:23,920 Speaker 1: long time and very very very notable. So I think 254 00:13:23,960 --> 00:13:27,840 Speaker 1: we're in for a treat. And I suppose with all 255 00:13:27,920 --> 00:13:31,600 Speaker 1: that being said, we should just make that happen. So 256 00:13:32,320 --> 00:13:34,079 Speaker 1: let's take a quick break for a word from our 257 00:13:34,120 --> 00:13:36,720 Speaker 1: partners at Sick of Gear, and then we'll give Dr 258 00:13:36,800 --> 00:13:40,040 Speaker 1: Craig Harper a call. So, as most of you know 259 00:13:40,200 --> 00:13:42,360 Speaker 1: are good friends at sick Gear are the ones who 260 00:13:42,440 --> 00:13:45,040 Speaker 1: keep this show on the air, and our Sikest story 261 00:13:45,080 --> 00:13:47,720 Speaker 1: series will be continuing next week, but today I wanted 262 00:13:47,760 --> 00:13:50,160 Speaker 1: to share a slightly more traditional plug for these guys 263 00:13:50,200 --> 00:13:52,440 Speaker 1: you know. Over the past year so we've shared all 264 00:13:52,480 --> 00:13:55,520 Speaker 1: sorts of interesting tidbits in this sickst segment, from the 265 00:13:55,559 --> 00:13:58,960 Speaker 1: recent story series to our specific product related tips and 266 00:13:59,000 --> 00:14:02,040 Speaker 1: gear advice from Don Zuck, But not too often do 267 00:14:02,080 --> 00:14:04,520 Speaker 1: I personally talk about what I like about Sick of 268 00:14:04,559 --> 00:14:07,120 Speaker 1: Gear and why I've been wearing their stuff for six 269 00:14:07,240 --> 00:14:09,559 Speaker 1: or seven seasons now, I think, and I guess that's 270 00:14:09,600 --> 00:14:12,520 Speaker 1: partly because there's such a long line of specific things 271 00:14:12,520 --> 00:14:14,839 Speaker 1: I could mention, and that would honestly just be boring. 272 00:14:14,920 --> 00:14:17,439 Speaker 1: You know. Yes, I love the fit and finish and 273 00:14:17,720 --> 00:14:20,480 Speaker 1: quality of their gear. Yes, I love the fact that 274 00:14:20,520 --> 00:14:24,600 Speaker 1: they utilize, you know, the best technologies and materials out there. Yes, 275 00:14:24,640 --> 00:14:26,720 Speaker 1: I love the attention to detail. I really love the 276 00:14:26,720 --> 00:14:29,680 Speaker 1: attention to detail on their design and their focus on 277 00:14:29,800 --> 00:14:32,840 Speaker 1: really meeting the actual needs of serious hunters. But maybe 278 00:14:33,200 --> 00:14:36,400 Speaker 1: maybe what I appreciate the most about SIKA is that 279 00:14:36,680 --> 00:14:39,520 Speaker 1: I feel like they've developed a culture and a tribe 280 00:14:39,520 --> 00:14:42,320 Speaker 1: of hunters that I just one percent feel like I'm 281 00:14:42,360 --> 00:14:44,360 Speaker 1: a part of, you know, the sick could tribe as 282 00:14:44,400 --> 00:14:47,360 Speaker 1: they call it. It's full of guys and girls who 283 00:14:47,720 --> 00:14:50,920 Speaker 1: love to hunt, who just put it all out there 284 00:14:51,080 --> 00:14:56,560 Speaker 1: and who are absolutely sick for it. And that, my friends, 285 00:14:57,000 --> 00:14:59,800 Speaker 1: is something I can relate with. So if you're sick 286 00:14:59,840 --> 00:15:03,440 Speaker 1: for as well, head over to sick gear dot com 287 00:15:03,480 --> 00:15:06,920 Speaker 1: and try this stuff out. I don't think you'll regret it. 288 00:15:07,600 --> 00:15:10,840 Speaker 1: And now, without further ado, let's get back to the 289 00:15:10,880 --> 00:15:14,760 Speaker 1: show and give Dr Craig Harper a call. All right 290 00:15:15,040 --> 00:15:18,200 Speaker 1: with us Now on the line is Dr Craig Harper. 291 00:15:18,360 --> 00:15:22,000 Speaker 1: Welcome to show. Craig. Nice to be here. Mark. Yeah, 292 00:15:22,120 --> 00:15:24,600 Speaker 1: I was talking just a little bit ago about how 293 00:15:24,640 --> 00:15:27,360 Speaker 1: I've been able to hear you speak at a Dear 294 00:15:27,440 --> 00:15:29,480 Speaker 1: Steward course the number of years ago, and in a 295 00:15:29,480 --> 00:15:32,600 Speaker 1: couple of different seminars and habitat days, and and every 296 00:15:32,640 --> 00:15:35,200 Speaker 1: time I just learn a ton and I also just 297 00:15:35,240 --> 00:15:36,960 Speaker 1: get a kick out of here. And you share your 298 00:15:37,000 --> 00:15:39,320 Speaker 1: hunting stories and food plot stories and stuff. So I 299 00:15:39,320 --> 00:15:41,800 Speaker 1: know our listeners are are in for a treat today. 300 00:15:41,840 --> 00:15:44,280 Speaker 1: But I guess for those that aren't familiar with who 301 00:15:44,320 --> 00:15:46,400 Speaker 1: you are and what you do, could you share with 302 00:15:46,440 --> 00:15:49,280 Speaker 1: the audience to a quick bit about your professional background 303 00:15:49,280 --> 00:15:53,000 Speaker 1: and what you do today related to deer inhabitat. Sure, 304 00:15:53,720 --> 00:15:56,880 Speaker 1: I'm a professor in the Department of Forestry, Wildlife and 305 00:15:56,960 --> 00:16:00,480 Speaker 1: Fisheries at the University of Tennessee and um the extension 306 00:16:00,520 --> 00:16:05,920 Speaker 1: Wildlife specialists, and so my primary responsibilities are to assist 307 00:16:06,200 --> 00:16:11,640 Speaker 1: natural resource professionals, whether that be state wildlife biologists in 308 00:16:11,760 --> 00:16:16,720 Speaker 1: our cs of course, extension agents throughout the state, and 309 00:16:16,880 --> 00:16:19,760 Speaker 1: others even beyond the state. We do a lot of 310 00:16:19,920 --> 00:16:23,520 Speaker 1: in service training in other states as well assist them 311 00:16:23,640 --> 00:16:29,680 Speaker 1: in both wildlife programming and with recommendations related to both 312 00:16:29,920 --> 00:16:36,520 Speaker 1: population management and and habitat management. And UH often use 313 00:16:36,640 --> 00:16:40,240 Speaker 1: the word we when I say we we did this, 314 00:16:40,480 --> 00:16:43,520 Speaker 1: or we went out and did this or collected this information, 315 00:16:43,600 --> 00:16:47,040 Speaker 1: what have you? Uh. Most often I'm talking about my 316 00:16:47,160 --> 00:16:50,920 Speaker 1: graduate students and technicians that work with me. Of course, 317 00:16:50,960 --> 00:16:54,480 Speaker 1: I would have very little to share with others out 318 00:16:54,480 --> 00:16:57,800 Speaker 1: across the country if it weren't for some really hard 319 00:16:57,800 --> 00:17:00,920 Speaker 1: work and graduate students who are out there collecting all 320 00:17:00,960 --> 00:17:05,920 Speaker 1: these data. And because i'm the extension Whilie specialists operate 321 00:17:05,960 --> 00:17:09,800 Speaker 1: a little differently than a professor whose appointment is teaching 322 00:17:10,119 --> 00:17:14,399 Speaker 1: in the classroom or strictly research and that of course 323 00:17:14,480 --> 00:17:19,560 Speaker 1: I keep maintained and direct graduate students. But as soon 324 00:17:20,280 --> 00:17:24,240 Speaker 1: as the information is coming in, uh many times even 325 00:17:24,280 --> 00:17:26,520 Speaker 1: before it's analyzed, and of course I share this with 326 00:17:26,600 --> 00:17:29,560 Speaker 1: the audience. Look, these are preliminary data, but here's what 327 00:17:29,640 --> 00:17:32,760 Speaker 1: we're fighting. And that's fun for me, and I think 328 00:17:32,800 --> 00:17:36,040 Speaker 1: that's a lot of fun for the audience because they 329 00:17:36,080 --> 00:17:39,240 Speaker 1: get a look at what we're doing with regard to 330 00:17:39,440 --> 00:17:44,359 Speaker 1: uh the science and research. And UH it's fresh off 331 00:17:44,359 --> 00:17:46,800 Speaker 1: the press and sometimes even before it hits the press, 332 00:17:46,840 --> 00:17:49,560 Speaker 1: so UH that's always fun to provide them just up 333 00:17:49,560 --> 00:17:52,760 Speaker 1: to date information on what we're doing and a little 334 00:17:52,760 --> 00:17:57,520 Speaker 1: bit about my interest. Um. I'm a manager at heart, 335 00:17:58,119 --> 00:18:01,440 Speaker 1: always have been, growing up on farm and growing up 336 00:18:02,000 --> 00:18:06,359 Speaker 1: hunting and fishing and always spending time outside and wanted 337 00:18:06,440 --> 00:18:10,640 Speaker 1: to be a manager. But life has its twist and turns, 338 00:18:10,760 --> 00:18:14,680 Speaker 1: and as I was in school, was eventually got into 339 00:18:14,960 --> 00:18:17,240 Speaker 1: a master's program, and then that led on to a 340 00:18:17,280 --> 00:18:20,280 Speaker 1: pH d program and before you know it, you know 341 00:18:20,320 --> 00:18:22,920 Speaker 1: I'm working as a professor at a university rather than 342 00:18:23,440 --> 00:18:25,640 Speaker 1: sitting on a tractor working on a w m A 343 00:18:25,640 --> 00:18:29,120 Speaker 1: as a wildlife manager. So my interests remained the same. 344 00:18:29,640 --> 00:18:33,440 Speaker 1: And what I'm getting at is the research I conduct 345 00:18:34,080 --> 00:18:39,639 Speaker 1: is always management based. It's always research that is designed 346 00:18:39,640 --> 00:18:43,360 Speaker 1: to help wildlife managers, and that may be professional wildlife 347 00:18:43,359 --> 00:18:46,240 Speaker 1: managers or it may be landowners who want to manage 348 00:18:46,280 --> 00:18:49,240 Speaker 1: their land for wildlife. So that's the approach I take. 349 00:18:50,040 --> 00:18:52,240 Speaker 1: Can you tell us a little about the types of 350 00:18:52,280 --> 00:18:56,520 Speaker 1: research projects and issues that you're doing. I remember reading 351 00:18:56,520 --> 00:18:58,359 Speaker 1: about some different things you've done when it comes to 352 00:18:58,440 --> 00:19:01,920 Speaker 1: food plots and studying different types of forages and things 353 00:19:01,960 --> 00:19:03,760 Speaker 1: like that. But I guess could you elaborate on that 354 00:19:03,800 --> 00:19:06,800 Speaker 1: what specific types of things are you guys actually collecting 355 00:19:06,840 --> 00:19:11,320 Speaker 1: that on. We have done lots of things over the years, 356 00:19:11,400 --> 00:19:13,679 Speaker 1: and I will summarize a little bit of what we 357 00:19:13,760 --> 00:19:18,000 Speaker 1: have done and what we are doing currently. Of course, 358 00:19:18,080 --> 00:19:20,720 Speaker 1: we've done a lot of work with food plots, and 359 00:19:20,800 --> 00:19:24,200 Speaker 1: for I think it was about twelve years or so, 360 00:19:24,880 --> 00:19:29,120 Speaker 1: we maintained several sites and what we will call cafeteria 361 00:19:29,200 --> 00:19:34,359 Speaker 1: style plots, and this was done throughout Tennessee, but we 362 00:19:34,480 --> 00:19:38,679 Speaker 1: also occasionally had some sites in other states as well. 363 00:19:39,119 --> 00:19:43,200 Speaker 1: But we looked at all kinds of forages, and for example, 364 00:19:43,240 --> 00:19:45,840 Speaker 1: we might have a two or three acre field and 365 00:19:45,880 --> 00:19:50,360 Speaker 1: that be separated into tent acre blocks that are planted 366 00:19:50,400 --> 00:19:55,440 Speaker 1: two separately to twenty two twenty five different species, and 367 00:19:55,520 --> 00:20:03,280 Speaker 1: we would maintain exclusion cages in those individual units, and 368 00:20:03,520 --> 00:20:08,560 Speaker 1: we would clip the forages inside the cages after each month, 369 00:20:09,560 --> 00:20:11,879 Speaker 1: and then we would have one cage that would remain 370 00:20:12,000 --> 00:20:15,200 Speaker 1: for the entire growing season. So we could track things 371 00:20:15,280 --> 00:20:19,679 Speaker 1: like what dear preferred first, second, third, fourth, right on 372 00:20:19,760 --> 00:20:24,240 Speaker 1: down the line. We monitored how much forage deer eight 373 00:20:24,680 --> 00:20:28,440 Speaker 1: each month. We had areas that had high deer densities, 374 00:20:28,480 --> 00:20:33,840 Speaker 1: medium deer densities, low deer densities. We began to look 375 00:20:33,880 --> 00:20:37,720 Speaker 1: at lots of different mixtures. What happens when we mix 376 00:20:37,840 --> 00:20:41,200 Speaker 1: this together or that, what grows best together? How many 377 00:20:41,320 --> 00:20:44,240 Speaker 1: pounds you know, what rate of each should be added, 378 00:20:45,080 --> 00:20:48,719 Speaker 1: um which herbicides can we use to get rid of 379 00:20:48,760 --> 00:20:51,320 Speaker 1: these weeds that are you know, coming into our plots, 380 00:20:51,680 --> 00:20:55,200 Speaker 1: and then which mixtures are well suited because you can 381 00:20:55,400 --> 00:20:59,159 Speaker 1: or cannot use herbicides with this forage, but you can 382 00:20:59,240 --> 00:21:03,560 Speaker 1: with that forage. So in essence, we spent you know, 383 00:21:03,800 --> 00:21:07,920 Speaker 1: twelve years at least, and then even longer than that 384 00:21:07,960 --> 00:21:11,040 Speaker 1: with some of the other herbicide stuff, and what I 385 00:21:11,040 --> 00:21:16,600 Speaker 1: would call putting a puzzle together as to which forages 386 00:21:17,000 --> 00:21:20,680 Speaker 1: were best to use in different areas that deer preferred, 387 00:21:21,160 --> 00:21:25,119 Speaker 1: that withstood grazing pressure or did not, that would be 388 00:21:25,280 --> 00:21:29,919 Speaker 1: complementary in a mixture, and for which you could fight 389 00:21:30,200 --> 00:21:34,639 Speaker 1: various weeds. So that's the food plot research. And we 390 00:21:34,760 --> 00:21:40,320 Speaker 1: also did food plot research as related to either forest management, 391 00:21:40,480 --> 00:21:43,880 Speaker 1: where we would implement practices in forests such as uh 392 00:21:43,960 --> 00:21:48,639 Speaker 1: different types of harvests and thinning within without prescribed fire 393 00:21:49,359 --> 00:21:53,800 Speaker 1: within without different herbicide applications, and compare that to food 394 00:21:53,880 --> 00:22:00,480 Speaker 1: plot plannings. UM. We've done a lot of firework both 395 00:22:00,600 --> 00:22:06,240 Speaker 1: in woods and in fields or early successional areas. We've 396 00:22:06,240 --> 00:22:09,960 Speaker 1: done a lot of work looking at which plants deer eat, 397 00:22:10,240 --> 00:22:14,160 Speaker 1: in which plants they don't eat, in early successional areas, 398 00:22:14,680 --> 00:22:18,200 Speaker 1: how to manage those areas, whether by disking or burning, 399 00:22:18,800 --> 00:22:24,800 Speaker 1: or different herbicide applications, mowing, drum chopping, on and on. 400 00:22:25,520 --> 00:22:27,960 Speaker 1: A lot of stuff has been done over the years. 401 00:22:27,960 --> 00:22:31,480 Speaker 1: With that, of course, we've looked at wildlife response to 402 00:22:31,520 --> 00:22:35,720 Speaker 1: some of these things, whether it's especially Northern Bababwai, done 403 00:22:35,920 --> 00:22:40,159 Speaker 1: quite a bit of work with with Northern Bababwai, whitetail, deer, elk, 404 00:22:40,880 --> 00:22:50,760 Speaker 1: wild turkey, rough grouse, UM work with grazing UH, especially 405 00:22:50,800 --> 00:22:54,800 Speaker 1: with native grass systems, the effects of grazing native grasses 406 00:22:54,880 --> 00:22:59,879 Speaker 1: on grassland songbirds and and also on on Northern Babapwai 407 00:23:00,000 --> 00:23:04,919 Speaker 1: it uh. And then of course herbicide work both in 408 00:23:05,000 --> 00:23:08,240 Speaker 1: early succession whereas food plots and in the woods, whether 409 00:23:08,320 --> 00:23:13,800 Speaker 1: that be broadcast applications or stem applications in the woods 410 00:23:13,800 --> 00:23:19,040 Speaker 1: with regard to timber stand improvement. So both what I 411 00:23:19,040 --> 00:23:22,359 Speaker 1: would say woods fields and food plots, a lot of 412 00:23:22,400 --> 00:23:27,440 Speaker 1: different applied management approaches. Wow, I have a I have 413 00:23:27,480 --> 00:23:29,600 Speaker 1: a quick question. And I know you're on a roll. 414 00:23:29,720 --> 00:23:31,840 Speaker 1: We're going in the right direction. But this next question 415 00:23:31,920 --> 00:23:35,200 Speaker 1: is kind of for just my curiosity. But when you 416 00:23:35,400 --> 00:23:41,040 Speaker 1: use the term wildlife research, are you, guys um when 417 00:23:41,040 --> 00:23:43,760 Speaker 1: you do your research, are you looking at all types 418 00:23:43,840 --> 00:23:46,919 Speaker 1: of animals, all types of wildlife from you know, the 419 00:23:46,960 --> 00:23:49,480 Speaker 1: biggest animal, which might be a deer, all the way 420 00:23:49,520 --> 00:23:52,959 Speaker 1: down to bugs and birds and squirrels and you know, 421 00:23:53,080 --> 00:23:59,120 Speaker 1: smaller mammals. There are projects that do that, and and 422 00:23:59,160 --> 00:24:01,760 Speaker 1: I have been involved in some of those and and 423 00:24:01,840 --> 00:24:04,679 Speaker 1: have led some of those. But most of what I 424 00:24:04,720 --> 00:24:11,320 Speaker 1: do is strictly habitat based of For example, we might 425 00:24:11,480 --> 00:24:16,919 Speaker 1: we have an ongoing project right now where we're looking at, uh, 426 00:24:17,119 --> 00:24:23,119 Speaker 1: the effects of field management on habitat for different species. 427 00:24:23,600 --> 00:24:28,840 Speaker 1: All right, so we know what represents habitat for grasshopper, sparra, 428 00:24:29,280 --> 00:24:34,200 Speaker 1: northern bob, white white tail, deer, phons, wild turkey, polts, 429 00:24:35,520 --> 00:24:39,840 Speaker 1: eastern cotton tail, etcetera. I know what represents habitat for 430 00:24:39,840 --> 00:24:42,760 Speaker 1: those species and what is not. And we know what 431 00:24:42,800 --> 00:24:46,440 Speaker 1: the vegetation measurements should and should not be for those 432 00:24:46,440 --> 00:24:49,640 Speaker 1: species because that work has been done and it's published 433 00:24:49,640 --> 00:24:53,280 Speaker 1: in the literature. But the questions that remain is how 434 00:24:53,320 --> 00:24:57,040 Speaker 1: should we manage some of these areas to get the 435 00:24:57,119 --> 00:25:01,880 Speaker 1: composition and structure of vegetation that these species prefer. When 436 00:25:01,920 --> 00:25:05,479 Speaker 1: you put, for example, radio transmitters on these species and 437 00:25:05,520 --> 00:25:07,960 Speaker 1: follow around, follow them around and see where they go 438 00:25:08,040 --> 00:25:11,800 Speaker 1: and where they don't go, does that make sense? Yes? 439 00:25:11,840 --> 00:25:16,920 Speaker 1: It does? So sorry, were you going to continue? Well, 440 00:25:16,960 --> 00:25:21,560 Speaker 1: I'll just say one other thing. Of of course, research 441 00:25:21,800 --> 00:25:27,800 Speaker 1: is always uh metered by funding, and so it doesn't 442 00:25:27,840 --> 00:25:30,320 Speaker 1: cost as much money for us to go out and 443 00:25:30,359 --> 00:25:34,720 Speaker 1: look at habitat management practices and just measure the effects 444 00:25:34,720 --> 00:25:38,920 Speaker 1: on the vegetation, the forage, etcetera, whether whether for cover 445 00:25:39,040 --> 00:25:41,840 Speaker 1: or forage, as it does for us to go out 446 00:25:41,880 --> 00:25:46,320 Speaker 1: and do that and spend many, many, many, many thousands 447 00:25:46,359 --> 00:25:50,119 Speaker 1: of dollars on radio transmitters, trapping these animals, paying people 448 00:25:50,160 --> 00:25:53,840 Speaker 1: to follow them around, etcetera. And the size of the 449 00:25:53,920 --> 00:25:56,800 Speaker 1: area that you need to look at is is infinitely 450 00:25:56,880 --> 00:25:59,440 Speaker 1: greater when you're looking at you know, the home range 451 00:25:59,480 --> 00:26:05,720 Speaker 1: of a wild herkey, or the nesting territory size of 452 00:26:06,200 --> 00:26:08,879 Speaker 1: an indigo bunning or a field spare or whatever. The 453 00:26:08,880 --> 00:26:11,720 Speaker 1: case may be as opposed as opposed to just looking 454 00:26:11,760 --> 00:26:14,719 Speaker 1: at the vegetation effects. So you know, the size and 455 00:26:14,800 --> 00:26:19,080 Speaker 1: complexity of the project is always much greater when you're 456 00:26:19,160 --> 00:26:26,480 Speaker 1: involving um home range habitat use of different species. Interesting. So, 457 00:26:26,480 --> 00:26:28,960 Speaker 1: so you had talked a little bit about a second 458 00:26:29,000 --> 00:26:31,919 Speaker 1: ago about you know, different types of ideal composition of 459 00:26:31,920 --> 00:26:35,840 Speaker 1: habitat and all the different um you know, needed aspects 460 00:26:35,840 --> 00:26:38,560 Speaker 1: of habitat for certain species. So you know, let's talk 461 00:26:38,600 --> 00:26:41,919 Speaker 1: about deer, of course. Can you describe to us the 462 00:26:42,040 --> 00:26:47,399 Speaker 1: ideal habitat situation for deer, the composition of of you know, 463 00:26:47,480 --> 00:26:51,800 Speaker 1: timber versus early successional habitat versus, etcetera, etcetera. Can you 464 00:26:51,800 --> 00:26:54,320 Speaker 1: describe what that ideal habitat would look like? I think 465 00:26:54,359 --> 00:26:56,720 Speaker 1: that might be helpful for our listeners to compare that 466 00:26:56,760 --> 00:26:59,879 Speaker 1: to maybe what they do or don't have. Yes, and 467 00:27:00,040 --> 00:27:02,560 Speaker 1: I'm gonna make this really really simple, and I hope 468 00:27:02,600 --> 00:27:05,000 Speaker 1: people will appreciate that. And it's not going to be 469 00:27:05,160 --> 00:27:08,879 Speaker 1: what most people will be looking for. Um. Most people 470 00:27:08,880 --> 00:27:11,280 Speaker 1: are probably going to expect me to say something like 471 00:27:11,359 --> 00:27:17,920 Speaker 1: it should be uh, mature forest, young forest or brushy 472 00:27:17,960 --> 00:27:22,080 Speaker 1: cover ten percent early successional cover and five percent food 473 00:27:22,080 --> 00:27:24,399 Speaker 1: plot or you know whatever something like that. That is 474 00:27:24,480 --> 00:27:30,359 Speaker 1: not the case. Period ideal habitat for a white tailed 475 00:27:30,400 --> 00:27:35,479 Speaker 1: deer is an area where they have sufficient food and 476 00:27:35,600 --> 00:27:40,840 Speaker 1: sufficient cover to obtain maximum body size and are able 477 00:27:40,880 --> 00:27:43,880 Speaker 1: to reach age where they can represent and show their 478 00:27:43,920 --> 00:27:47,720 Speaker 1: maximum atler size. It's as simple as that. Now, think 479 00:27:47,760 --> 00:27:51,000 Speaker 1: about this, How could I give you a certain percentage 480 00:27:51,000 --> 00:27:54,280 Speaker 1: of woods or fields or anything else When we can 481 00:27:54,320 --> 00:27:59,040 Speaker 1: go into Wisconsin where there's lots of Boone and Crockett 482 00:27:59,080 --> 00:28:03,359 Speaker 1: books and the vegetation composition is totally different than if 483 00:28:03,400 --> 00:28:06,320 Speaker 1: we drop down into south central Kansas and there's no 484 00:28:06,440 --> 00:28:12,040 Speaker 1: forest whatsoever, and so the mixture of forest to field 485 00:28:12,160 --> 00:28:17,800 Speaker 1: and brush and all that. You can't say that it 486 00:28:17,840 --> 00:28:20,359 Speaker 1: needs to have certain percentage of this, certain percentage of that. 487 00:28:20,480 --> 00:28:22,280 Speaker 1: Just look at it as a as a much more 488 00:28:22,320 --> 00:28:29,440 Speaker 1: simple concept, adequate cover, adequate food to allow them to 489 00:28:29,480 --> 00:28:33,920 Speaker 1: reach maximum body size and maximum matler size if they 490 00:28:33,920 --> 00:28:37,760 Speaker 1: reach you know, an appropriate age. Um. You just can't 491 00:28:37,800 --> 00:28:40,560 Speaker 1: really look at it any other way. And then it's 492 00:28:40,640 --> 00:28:43,719 Speaker 1: funny because I was in a conversation similar earlier today 493 00:28:44,600 --> 00:28:49,400 Speaker 1: where someone was talking about where they needed x amount 494 00:28:49,560 --> 00:28:54,720 Speaker 1: of mature forest in Pennsylvania for acron production and uh 495 00:28:54,880 --> 00:28:59,520 Speaker 1: you know the the uh forbes that are growing in 496 00:28:59,560 --> 00:29:03,720 Speaker 1: the wood woods during the springtime, how nutritious they were, etcetera, etcetera. 497 00:29:04,320 --> 00:29:07,920 Speaker 1: We only get a good acren year about uh one 498 00:29:08,040 --> 00:29:12,040 Speaker 1: or two years out of five. If mature woods are 499 00:29:12,080 --> 00:29:14,480 Speaker 1: that important, then what are the deer deer and doing 500 00:29:14,560 --> 00:29:16,520 Speaker 1: during those three or four years when we don't hardly 501 00:29:16,560 --> 00:29:20,520 Speaker 1: have any acrons? What about those deer in Kansas where 502 00:29:20,560 --> 00:29:23,680 Speaker 1: there's there's no acrons in certain portions of Kansas, no 503 00:29:23,720 --> 00:29:27,400 Speaker 1: oak trees. How about South Texas? Ever seen any mature 504 00:29:27,440 --> 00:29:30,000 Speaker 1: forest that in South Texas? You've seen lots of big 505 00:29:30,000 --> 00:29:33,560 Speaker 1: deer down there though, So again, you can have big 506 00:29:33,600 --> 00:29:37,160 Speaker 1: deer with mature woods if the mature woods are managed 507 00:29:37,160 --> 00:29:40,719 Speaker 1: in a certain way and if there's other vegetation types 508 00:29:40,800 --> 00:29:43,360 Speaker 1: along with the mature woods. But you don't have to 509 00:29:43,440 --> 00:29:48,360 Speaker 1: have mature forest in order to have uh good deer habitat. 510 00:29:49,400 --> 00:29:52,520 Speaker 1: That makes a lot of sense. My question then, is, though, 511 00:29:53,240 --> 00:29:57,400 Speaker 1: how does someone go about auditing their own property or 512 00:29:57,520 --> 00:30:01,440 Speaker 1: trying to quantify, you know, what the the right move 513 00:30:01,640 --> 00:30:03,720 Speaker 1: is on their own unique piece. How do you go 514 00:30:03,760 --> 00:30:06,800 Speaker 1: about figuring out what that optimum level of food versus 515 00:30:06,800 --> 00:30:09,880 Speaker 1: cover to manage and and get your dear to you 516 00:30:10,120 --> 00:30:12,840 Speaker 1: the best health is possible into the adequate care and capacity. 517 00:30:12,840 --> 00:30:15,440 Speaker 1: How do how can the average guy go about figuring 518 00:30:15,440 --> 00:30:17,160 Speaker 1: that out? Because it kind of seems like a from 519 00:30:17,240 --> 00:30:18,760 Speaker 1: high level makes a lot of sense, but how do 520 00:30:18,800 --> 00:30:22,200 Speaker 1: I actually do it on the ground. Yeah, that's it's 521 00:30:22,200 --> 00:30:27,240 Speaker 1: a good question, but it's very complex, and that every 522 00:30:27,280 --> 00:30:33,440 Speaker 1: property is different and different regions are very different, and dear, 523 00:30:33,520 --> 00:30:36,800 Speaker 1: home ranges are going to vary at least somewhat from 524 00:30:37,160 --> 00:30:41,480 Speaker 1: uh place to place. But in a nutshell, when I 525 00:30:41,520 --> 00:30:44,560 Speaker 1: go to a property and I'm helping someone who is 526 00:30:44,960 --> 00:30:50,440 Speaker 1: truly concentrating on deer, the first thing I identify is, 527 00:30:50,640 --> 00:30:54,520 Speaker 1: you know, number one, their objectives, and and then what 528 00:30:56,840 --> 00:31:00,840 Speaker 1: is owned the property with respect to the habitat at composition? 529 00:31:01,080 --> 00:31:04,400 Speaker 1: You know how much woods, how much fields, how much agriculture, 530 00:31:04,840 --> 00:31:09,240 Speaker 1: et cetera. And then look at the forage base, how 531 00:31:09,320 --> 00:31:13,600 Speaker 1: much forage is available naturally occurring forage, what's going on 532 00:31:13,760 --> 00:31:17,720 Speaker 1: around the property. It needs to fit in with what 533 00:31:17,880 --> 00:31:22,160 Speaker 1: the person is doing on this property. That's always a limitation. Uh, 534 00:31:22,200 --> 00:31:24,640 Speaker 1: you know, if you have five or eight thousand acres, 535 00:31:24,640 --> 00:31:27,400 Speaker 1: that's one thing, but especially for you know, the poor 536 00:31:27,400 --> 00:31:30,560 Speaker 1: soul is trying to manage, you know, twenty eight acres, 537 00:31:30,600 --> 00:31:33,280 Speaker 1: a hundred and fifty acres, even three hundred acres whatever, 538 00:31:33,320 --> 00:31:36,560 Speaker 1: I mean, they're they're highly susceptible to what the neighbors 539 00:31:36,600 --> 00:31:40,120 Speaker 1: are doing. So that cannot be overstated how important it 540 00:31:40,160 --> 00:31:42,360 Speaker 1: is to look at what the neighbors are doing, try 541 00:31:42,400 --> 00:31:44,800 Speaker 1: to work with them, and try to look at what's 542 00:31:44,840 --> 00:31:49,080 Speaker 1: being provided outside your property boundaries, and then what you 543 00:31:49,120 --> 00:31:52,440 Speaker 1: need to provide inside the property boundaries. And that's really 544 00:31:52,440 --> 00:31:55,080 Speaker 1: important to look at an aerial photo and see, Okay, 545 00:31:55,160 --> 00:31:58,239 Speaker 1: where is the cover, where is the food? Lots of 546 00:31:58,280 --> 00:32:02,000 Speaker 1: times where the cover is you actually don't need cover there. 547 00:32:02,200 --> 00:32:04,760 Speaker 1: You would be better off with food there. And and 548 00:32:04,960 --> 00:32:08,640 Speaker 1: many times where there is food or where there is 549 00:32:08,680 --> 00:32:11,360 Speaker 1: some kind of field, really you would be better off 550 00:32:11,400 --> 00:32:14,960 Speaker 1: with some good cover there. So think about the arrangement 551 00:32:15,080 --> 00:32:19,960 Speaker 1: of cover versus food, what's going on on surrounding properties. 552 00:32:20,160 --> 00:32:22,440 Speaker 1: And then we dropped down at the property level and 553 00:32:22,480 --> 00:32:25,560 Speaker 1: get outside and look around on the ground. And one 554 00:32:25,560 --> 00:32:27,880 Speaker 1: of the first things that I do is, of course 555 00:32:27,960 --> 00:32:32,080 Speaker 1: ask them about any records they may have on dear 556 00:32:32,160 --> 00:32:36,160 Speaker 1: density whether that be uh harvest records or whether that 557 00:32:36,240 --> 00:32:39,080 Speaker 1: be of course, some survey that they've done with cameras 558 00:32:39,320 --> 00:32:42,120 Speaker 1: or whatever else. Get a feel for how many deer there. 559 00:32:42,480 --> 00:32:45,440 Speaker 1: Look at the plants. I can look at various plants 560 00:32:45,440 --> 00:32:47,800 Speaker 1: and see which ones are eating and which ones are not, 561 00:32:48,000 --> 00:32:51,400 Speaker 1: and the extent to which there they are eating. Obviously 562 00:32:51,440 --> 00:32:54,600 Speaker 1: you're gonna see, you know, uh, get some feel with 563 00:32:54,680 --> 00:32:57,200 Speaker 1: the density of tracks around in certain areas. You know, 564 00:32:57,240 --> 00:33:00,160 Speaker 1: you get a feel for about how many deer are 565 00:33:00,160 --> 00:33:04,000 Speaker 1: talking about. And then you start looking at, uh, what 566 00:33:04,040 --> 00:33:07,720 Speaker 1: the condition of the understory is in the woods. You know, 567 00:33:07,760 --> 00:33:10,560 Speaker 1: if I'm in the eastern United States where there are woods, 568 00:33:10,800 --> 00:33:12,960 Speaker 1: what kind of plants are there, what kind of forage 569 00:33:12,960 --> 00:33:15,960 Speaker 1: is there, what kind of cover is under there, for example, 570 00:33:16,000 --> 00:33:21,400 Speaker 1: for for falling. Uh Usually usually it's it's it's poor, 571 00:33:21,560 --> 00:33:24,920 Speaker 1: too bad, and there's lots of work that could be 572 00:33:24,960 --> 00:33:29,200 Speaker 1: done to the woods to improve that. And then you 573 00:33:29,800 --> 00:33:32,640 Speaker 1: get outside the woods and you look around in fields, 574 00:33:32,760 --> 00:33:38,080 Speaker 1: and so often there either hay fields or they're just 575 00:33:38,200 --> 00:33:43,960 Speaker 1: old fields with a base of non native perennial grasses, 576 00:33:44,120 --> 00:33:47,600 Speaker 1: whether that's tall fescue or brom grass, or if you're 577 00:33:47,600 --> 00:33:50,480 Speaker 1: down south bermuda grass or whatever the case may be. 578 00:33:51,120 --> 00:33:53,320 Speaker 1: You've got to get rid of that. You get rid 579 00:33:53,360 --> 00:33:56,560 Speaker 1: of that, and by default, instantly you've increased the forage 580 00:33:56,640 --> 00:34:00,240 Speaker 1: availability by at least tenfold just by killing the the 581 00:34:01,080 --> 00:34:04,440 Speaker 1: unneeded grass that is keeping everything else from growing. So 582 00:34:05,040 --> 00:34:08,280 Speaker 1: there's lots of little simple things that can be done 583 00:34:08,560 --> 00:34:12,239 Speaker 1: to really increase the quality of forage and the quality 584 00:34:12,560 --> 00:34:16,400 Speaker 1: of vegeta of of cover that's available on the property. 585 00:34:16,520 --> 00:34:19,480 Speaker 1: So with the like probably rambled a little bit there, 586 00:34:19,520 --> 00:34:22,440 Speaker 1: but it's that's a complex question with you know, lots 587 00:34:22,440 --> 00:34:26,480 Speaker 1: of ifs and the ends right, So what you're kind 588 00:34:26,480 --> 00:34:28,280 Speaker 1: of what you're trying to say, there is no magic 589 00:34:28,360 --> 00:34:32,480 Speaker 1: equation like X plus Y equals z type of scenario. 590 00:34:32,920 --> 00:34:35,520 Speaker 1: But in order to you know, you do your research 591 00:34:35,600 --> 00:34:40,000 Speaker 1: projects and in order to hit your goal of you know, 592 00:34:40,440 --> 00:34:45,240 Speaker 1: Z equals big racks, big bodies, you know, the maximum 593 00:34:45,280 --> 00:34:49,200 Speaker 1: potential for those two things. How much trial and error 594 00:34:49,320 --> 00:34:52,560 Speaker 1: can one person expect to have to go through or 595 00:34:53,080 --> 00:34:56,080 Speaker 1: upping something or taking something down a notch to to 596 00:34:56,239 --> 00:35:03,120 Speaker 1: reach that maximum potential? Not trying to be facetious, but uh, 597 00:35:03,280 --> 00:35:06,160 Speaker 1: most likely for the rest of their life or as 598 00:35:06,200 --> 00:35:09,359 Speaker 1: long as they're in this um I tell people all 599 00:35:09,360 --> 00:35:13,120 Speaker 1: the time. Habitat management is not an event that then 600 00:35:13,320 --> 00:35:17,320 Speaker 1: it is a way of life. The vegetation is going 601 00:35:17,360 --> 00:35:21,480 Speaker 1: to continue to change until Gabriel blows his horn, and 602 00:35:21,600 --> 00:35:24,359 Speaker 1: you've got to be there to manage that and get 603 00:35:24,360 --> 00:35:27,600 Speaker 1: that steered in a direction that is suitable for that species. 604 00:35:28,000 --> 00:35:30,319 Speaker 1: And you know, for example, we go back to the 605 00:35:30,640 --> 00:35:33,160 Speaker 1: to the woods or open area and we're in you 606 00:35:33,200 --> 00:35:37,880 Speaker 1: know again, uh, pick on south central Kansas. That's a 607 00:35:37,960 --> 00:35:41,160 Speaker 1: really nice place to be, but you're out there. Another 608 00:35:41,320 --> 00:35:44,680 Speaker 1: factor is, Okay, what is the current land use? Are 609 00:35:44,719 --> 00:35:49,759 Speaker 1: they grazing it? Are they haying it? Uh? Does the 610 00:35:50,000 --> 00:35:54,240 Speaker 1: landowner have an uncle that's using it? For this? That 611 00:35:54,320 --> 00:35:58,920 Speaker 1: there's always a restriction on some property. I have no 612 00:35:59,000 --> 00:36:04,279 Speaker 1: idea how many properties I've been to a lot all 613 00:36:04,360 --> 00:36:08,280 Speaker 1: over the place. I have yet to visit one property. 614 00:36:08,520 --> 00:36:14,240 Speaker 1: I've never visited one ever that there isn't some kind 615 00:36:14,880 --> 00:36:19,759 Speaker 1: of restriction that keeps you from going full bore as 616 00:36:19,840 --> 00:36:23,400 Speaker 1: far as you can go. Most often it's money, but 617 00:36:23,960 --> 00:36:28,959 Speaker 1: almost as often it's something related to money, such as, well, 618 00:36:29,320 --> 00:36:31,880 Speaker 1: we really need to grow this, and we got to 619 00:36:31,920 --> 00:36:35,240 Speaker 1: grow hay over here, and we need cows over there, 620 00:36:35,760 --> 00:36:39,120 Speaker 1: and we really like to see those woods in this condition. 621 00:36:39,560 --> 00:36:45,200 Speaker 1: Or uh uh, my brother he really likes to mow. 622 00:36:45,360 --> 00:36:49,360 Speaker 1: He likes to see it clean. There's always always something, 623 00:36:50,120 --> 00:36:58,319 Speaker 1: and it's usually uh, you know, somewhat difficult process to 624 00:36:58,320 --> 00:37:00,719 Speaker 1: to try and work around what at or those some 625 00:37:00,920 --> 00:37:03,759 Speaker 1: things are. But as long as you have good cover 626 00:37:03,920 --> 00:37:07,120 Speaker 1: that is relatively dense from about four or five feet 627 00:37:07,160 --> 00:37:10,720 Speaker 1: tall and down, and you have lots of good food, 628 00:37:11,239 --> 00:37:16,239 Speaker 1: and it's placed strategically both with regard to holding the 629 00:37:16,320 --> 00:37:20,160 Speaker 1: deer own your property and with regard to your hunting's success, 630 00:37:21,160 --> 00:37:23,680 Speaker 1: all of which is really figured out on an aerial 631 00:37:23,719 --> 00:37:27,120 Speaker 1: photo rather than on the ground at least initially. Uh, 632 00:37:27,160 --> 00:37:29,800 Speaker 1: you're going to be in good shape. So if anybody 633 00:37:29,800 --> 00:37:31,920 Speaker 1: tries to tell you what percentage of woods or what 634 00:37:31,960 --> 00:37:35,799 Speaker 1: percentage of of fields that you need to be optimum, 635 00:37:36,160 --> 00:37:39,040 Speaker 1: I would look at that with a raised eyebrow and uh, 636 00:37:39,080 --> 00:37:42,640 Speaker 1: and then start to question it a little bit. So 637 00:37:42,640 --> 00:37:44,960 Speaker 1: so I guess, continuing down this line of thought, then 638 00:37:45,480 --> 00:37:48,200 Speaker 1: if if I'm a property owner, I'm looking at my property, 639 00:37:48,840 --> 00:37:50,439 Speaker 1: I think if I had to really dumb it down, 640 00:37:50,520 --> 00:37:52,560 Speaker 1: oversimplify and correct me, if you think these are not 641 00:37:52,600 --> 00:37:55,239 Speaker 1: the right categories. But if I had to oversimplify the 642 00:37:55,280 --> 00:37:58,000 Speaker 1: categories of habitat that I might want to consider, and 643 00:37:58,000 --> 00:37:59,799 Speaker 1: we'll just assume this is a property that has all 644 00:37:59,840 --> 00:38:04,120 Speaker 1: the buff Let's say there's timber management, maybe early successional habitat, 645 00:38:04,239 --> 00:38:06,879 Speaker 1: and then potentially food plots. If we were to break 646 00:38:06,880 --> 00:38:09,399 Speaker 1: it down in those three categories, which would you say 647 00:38:09,560 --> 00:38:12,680 Speaker 1: is the most important just on average to start thinking about, 648 00:38:12,680 --> 00:38:14,439 Speaker 1: because I think a lot of people when they think 649 00:38:14,480 --> 00:38:17,640 Speaker 1: habitat projects, a lot of people jump to food plots. 650 00:38:17,680 --> 00:38:19,400 Speaker 1: That's kind of the sexy thing to think about and 651 00:38:19,400 --> 00:38:22,439 Speaker 1: to do and plan and put in. Is that where 652 00:38:22,480 --> 00:38:24,600 Speaker 1: you think someone should jump first? And I know this 653 00:38:24,680 --> 00:38:27,080 Speaker 1: is going to come down to a you know, parcel 654 00:38:27,120 --> 00:38:29,719 Speaker 1: by parcels all you know, different for each person. But 655 00:38:30,239 --> 00:38:32,400 Speaker 1: if you wanted to right now, if we could start 656 00:38:32,440 --> 00:38:34,520 Speaker 1: the conversation and one of those three categories that you 657 00:38:34,640 --> 00:38:37,200 Speaker 1: deem the most important at least for us to discuss, 658 00:38:37,360 --> 00:38:41,840 Speaker 1: which would which would those be? If you're in the 659 00:38:41,880 --> 00:38:45,600 Speaker 1: Eastern United States, on most properties, it's going to be 660 00:38:45,719 --> 00:38:50,360 Speaker 1: your woods. Because on most properties that are managed for deer, 661 00:38:51,000 --> 00:38:55,280 Speaker 1: that's what comprises a majority of the property. It always 662 00:38:55,800 --> 00:38:59,000 Speaker 1: and I shouldn't say amuses me. But I've always find 663 00:38:59,000 --> 00:39:02,920 Speaker 1: it curious why somebody wants to manage their property but 664 00:39:03,040 --> 00:39:05,160 Speaker 1: they only want to manage about two percent of it. 665 00:39:05,719 --> 00:39:07,919 Speaker 1: I mean, if I think about that, just think about 666 00:39:07,960 --> 00:39:10,799 Speaker 1: that for a second. You really want to maximize your 667 00:39:10,800 --> 00:39:14,400 Speaker 1: property for deer, but all you're concerned with is planting 668 00:39:14,440 --> 00:39:19,319 Speaker 1: some food plots. And rarely does anybody plant any more 669 00:39:19,360 --> 00:39:22,279 Speaker 1: than you know, two or three percent of their uh 670 00:39:22,400 --> 00:39:24,520 Speaker 1: property and food plots. Yes, I have been to some 671 00:39:24,719 --> 00:39:28,200 Speaker 1: that you know they have twenty five you know, planted 672 00:39:28,200 --> 00:39:32,200 Speaker 1: in food plots, but uh, it's it's it's not necessary. 673 00:39:33,320 --> 00:39:38,080 Speaker 1: And it is so much cheaper and efficient to manage 674 00:39:38,120 --> 00:39:41,440 Speaker 1: woods and fields four deer than it is to manage 675 00:39:41,480 --> 00:39:44,600 Speaker 1: food plots. I'm a huge fan of food plots. I 676 00:39:44,640 --> 00:39:47,919 Speaker 1: just wrote a book, another book on on food plots, 677 00:39:48,000 --> 00:39:51,800 Speaker 1: and they can help you get to that next level 678 00:39:51,840 --> 00:39:56,280 Speaker 1: with regard to nutrition. But you've got to have a base. 679 00:39:57,000 --> 00:39:59,319 Speaker 1: If you don't have that base and you're trying to 680 00:39:59,400 --> 00:40:03,000 Speaker 1: manage your you're exclusively on food plots, believe me, you're 681 00:40:03,000 --> 00:40:06,560 Speaker 1: going to be frustrated. So so let's start there. Then 682 00:40:06,760 --> 00:40:11,040 Speaker 1: let's start with timber and then open area successional habitat. 683 00:40:11,120 --> 00:40:13,640 Speaker 1: What should a deer hunter, dear manager be thinking about 684 00:40:13,640 --> 00:40:16,920 Speaker 1: when it comes to managing their timber. How do they 685 00:40:17,040 --> 00:40:19,239 Speaker 1: audit whether they're timber is high quality or not? And 686 00:40:19,280 --> 00:40:22,000 Speaker 1: then if there needs to be improvements? Can you can 687 00:40:22,040 --> 00:40:23,880 Speaker 1: you share this some some thoughts on how you might 688 00:40:23,880 --> 00:40:26,920 Speaker 1: be able to go about doing that if they are 689 00:40:27,000 --> 00:40:32,840 Speaker 1: wanting to manage specifically for deer. If the tree value 690 00:40:33,040 --> 00:40:37,239 Speaker 1: is not what's important, but the deer's what's important, then 691 00:40:37,280 --> 00:40:40,680 Speaker 1: it's very simple. It all comes down to sunlight. And 692 00:40:40,760 --> 00:40:45,040 Speaker 1: so look at your property without seeing the trees. Try 693 00:40:45,120 --> 00:40:47,839 Speaker 1: to envision this. You're looking across your property and you're 694 00:40:47,840 --> 00:40:50,080 Speaker 1: in the middle of the woods. Try to see that. 695 00:40:51,000 --> 00:40:54,759 Speaker 1: Just just remove the trees from your side. Now, what 696 00:40:54,800 --> 00:40:58,319 Speaker 1: do you see whether you're standing in the woods or 697 00:40:58,320 --> 00:41:01,920 Speaker 1: whether you're standing in a field. That should be the same. 698 00:41:03,600 --> 00:41:08,359 Speaker 1: Does that make sense. I've got I've got vegetation. It's 699 00:41:08,400 --> 00:41:12,440 Speaker 1: anywhere from heed to five feet tall. Okay, that's the 700 00:41:12,520 --> 00:41:16,080 Speaker 1: starting point. That's the cover I need. And by default, 701 00:41:16,560 --> 00:41:18,960 Speaker 1: for a majority of the plants, it's going to be 702 00:41:19,800 --> 00:41:24,680 Speaker 1: some kind of decent forage. Some is always better than none, 703 00:41:25,360 --> 00:41:29,359 Speaker 1: at least for the vast majority of species. But if 704 00:41:29,400 --> 00:41:32,520 Speaker 1: I've got cover that is that tall in my woods, 705 00:41:32,960 --> 00:41:37,200 Speaker 1: bam the deer in there. They're not going anywhere. They're 706 00:41:37,239 --> 00:41:40,319 Speaker 1: not gonna run through my woodlot to get to the 707 00:41:40,320 --> 00:41:44,280 Speaker 1: other side where there's a thicket. Do you follow me again? 708 00:41:44,320 --> 00:41:47,680 Speaker 1: Look at your woods without seeing the trees. The all 709 00:41:47,719 --> 00:41:50,200 Speaker 1: the trees are doing is blocking the sunlight. And they're 710 00:41:50,239 --> 00:41:53,640 Speaker 1: providing a boost of acorns every once in a while, 711 00:41:54,560 --> 00:41:56,480 Speaker 1: and that and that's the way that should be viewed. 712 00:41:56,520 --> 00:42:03,400 Speaker 1: Just a boost of energy in the fall occasionally. Congratulations. 713 00:42:04,280 --> 00:42:07,719 Speaker 1: But you can manage dear at the same level without acrons. 714 00:42:09,120 --> 00:42:14,000 Speaker 1: The forage that is underneath, by far, by far is 715 00:42:14,080 --> 00:42:17,480 Speaker 1: more important than the acrons that are produced every once 716 00:42:17,480 --> 00:42:20,120 Speaker 1: in a while. Now do I manage for acrons? Also? 717 00:42:20,200 --> 00:42:22,799 Speaker 1: Of course I do, because I have oak trees, you know, 718 00:42:22,840 --> 00:42:25,680 Speaker 1: in these stands, and so why shouldn't I try to 719 00:42:25,719 --> 00:42:28,120 Speaker 1: get that extra boost out of them. That should be 720 00:42:28,200 --> 00:42:31,319 Speaker 1: viewed the same as your food plots, helping you give 721 00:42:31,320 --> 00:42:34,759 Speaker 1: a little boost at different times of the year. So 722 00:42:35,200 --> 00:42:38,839 Speaker 1: I'm managing my fields with UH and and and the 723 00:42:38,880 --> 00:42:44,120 Speaker 1: fields are the early successional component that herbaseous UH plant community. 724 00:42:44,200 --> 00:42:46,799 Speaker 1: You know, that's not a young forest. You know by 725 00:42:46,800 --> 00:42:49,040 Speaker 1: the way, you know you've got a uh two or 726 00:42:49,080 --> 00:42:53,200 Speaker 1: three or four year old regenerating stand. That's not early succession. 727 00:42:53,239 --> 00:42:56,800 Speaker 1: That's a young forest. And when we talked about early succession, 728 00:42:56,840 --> 00:42:59,719 Speaker 1: we're talking about her baseous plant communities that are out 729 00:42:59,719 --> 00:43:02,800 Speaker 1: there the field. We get rid of the rank perennial grass. 730 00:43:02,960 --> 00:43:08,040 Speaker 1: We got uh variety of forbes and uh maybe some 731 00:43:08,239 --> 00:43:11,200 Speaker 1: scattered shrubs and that kind of thing coming up. It's 732 00:43:11,320 --> 00:43:14,840 Speaker 1: uh four or five feet tall. It's perfect cover deer 733 00:43:14,880 --> 00:43:20,000 Speaker 1: walking around in the daylight. Uh, they're perfectly covered up. Um, 734 00:43:20,400 --> 00:43:25,239 Speaker 1: they're they're feeding around the entire time. They're bedding in there. Uh, 735 00:43:25,280 --> 00:43:28,680 Speaker 1: they're bedding in there during the summertime, they're falling in there. 736 00:43:28,719 --> 00:43:32,839 Speaker 1: They are are bedding in those fields in the wintertime, 737 00:43:32,960 --> 00:43:36,239 Speaker 1: especially during the day when they get good direct solar radiation. 738 00:43:37,200 --> 00:43:40,239 Speaker 1: And then we get over into the woods or the drawls, 739 00:43:40,680 --> 00:43:43,799 Speaker 1: brushy areas, and that's where you work on having good 740 00:43:43,840 --> 00:43:47,839 Speaker 1: thick cover uh for escape and uh. And you can 741 00:43:47,880 --> 00:43:51,080 Speaker 1: either manage those areas where it's kind of moving around, 742 00:43:51,160 --> 00:43:53,520 Speaker 1: you know, cutting different areas at different times to have 743 00:43:53,600 --> 00:43:56,360 Speaker 1: that thick vegetation coming in, or if you don't have 744 00:43:56,400 --> 00:44:00,000 Speaker 1: that much property you can burn for example, those areas 745 00:44:00,000 --> 00:44:02,680 Speaker 1: where you got good thick woody cover. When it starts 746 00:44:02,719 --> 00:44:07,200 Speaker 1: to get to that point where you can see, oh, 747 00:44:07,400 --> 00:44:14,000 Speaker 1: let's say, you know, twenty yards or so, it's time. 748 00:44:14,080 --> 00:44:16,399 Speaker 1: It's time to burn and set that back. And so 749 00:44:16,440 --> 00:44:19,600 Speaker 1: then all that stuff re sprouts and you don't lose 750 00:44:19,760 --> 00:44:22,480 Speaker 1: a year in your cover. It's it's right back to 751 00:44:22,480 --> 00:44:26,120 Speaker 1: where it was. It re sprouts, vigorously grows very quickly, 752 00:44:26,280 --> 00:44:29,680 Speaker 1: you know, on vast majority sides. Of course, there's always 753 00:44:29,880 --> 00:44:33,080 Speaker 1: some exceptions to this, but on the majority sides, and 754 00:44:33,320 --> 00:44:36,400 Speaker 1: then you can maintain that that good escape cover just 755 00:44:36,480 --> 00:44:39,640 Speaker 1: in one particular area if you want, Can you elaborate 756 00:44:39,880 --> 00:44:43,440 Speaker 1: on how to safely manage a prescribed fire like that 757 00:44:43,520 --> 00:44:46,120 Speaker 1: in the timber to achieve that outcome that you just 758 00:44:46,200 --> 00:44:47,719 Speaker 1: you just mentioned it, because I think for a lot 759 00:44:47,760 --> 00:44:50,160 Speaker 1: of guys and gals that's a little bit intimidating, but 760 00:44:50,200 --> 00:44:52,000 Speaker 1: I know that there's so many benefits of doing that. 761 00:44:52,000 --> 00:44:57,200 Speaker 1: Can you walk us through what goes into that? Again, Mark, 762 00:44:57,280 --> 00:45:01,279 Speaker 1: you're asking questions that would tell a lot of time 763 00:45:01,320 --> 00:45:03,840 Speaker 1: to answer, but I'll try to be as succinct as possible. 764 00:45:04,680 --> 00:45:07,160 Speaker 1: Number one and I have to say this, it's uh 765 00:45:07,200 --> 00:45:09,600 Speaker 1: it should be automatic. You have to have a burned 766 00:45:09,600 --> 00:45:13,160 Speaker 1: plan in which you are stating your objectives and then 767 00:45:13,200 --> 00:45:15,719 Speaker 1: you were outlining how you're going to do this, and 768 00:45:15,760 --> 00:45:19,080 Speaker 1: you are involving people who know what they're doing. If 769 00:45:19,160 --> 00:45:21,279 Speaker 1: you don't know what you're doing, Okay, So I'm gonna 770 00:45:21,280 --> 00:45:23,239 Speaker 1: say that's that's a given, all right, So I won't 771 00:45:23,280 --> 00:45:27,120 Speaker 1: go into all the safety and whatever whatever. Um. Of course, 772 00:45:27,160 --> 00:45:31,400 Speaker 1: you need a firebreak around the area that you're burning. 773 00:45:31,719 --> 00:45:35,239 Speaker 1: A firebreak most often is created with a tractor and 774 00:45:35,280 --> 00:45:38,160 Speaker 1: a disk or a bulldozer. It might be a road, 775 00:45:38,320 --> 00:45:40,880 Speaker 1: it might be a creek, it might be a field 776 00:45:40,920 --> 00:45:43,760 Speaker 1: on one side of the wood just been uh plowed 777 00:45:43,880 --> 00:45:47,640 Speaker 1: or disked or whatever. Or if you're in the woods. 778 00:45:47,719 --> 00:45:52,279 Speaker 1: What we do more than anything else, a couple of 779 00:45:52,360 --> 00:45:54,759 Speaker 1: us and and me included. I don't just put this 780 00:45:54,960 --> 00:45:58,240 Speaker 1: on the technicians backs, but we will put backpack blowers 781 00:45:58,280 --> 00:46:02,640 Speaker 1: on our back while down through the woods and literally 782 00:46:03,200 --> 00:46:07,880 Speaker 1: in uh forty five minutes to an hour's time, you 783 00:46:07,920 --> 00:46:14,120 Speaker 1: can have a nice six eight foot wide firebreak be 784 00:46:14,160 --> 00:46:16,239 Speaker 1: where the leaves are all blown out of the way 785 00:46:16,360 --> 00:46:20,280 Speaker 1: right down to uh to the soil which obviously doesn't burn. 786 00:46:20,680 --> 00:46:23,399 Speaker 1: And you know that is the firebreak, and you can 787 00:46:23,440 --> 00:46:26,400 Speaker 1: have that connecting where there's a road or a creek 788 00:46:26,600 --> 00:46:31,520 Speaker 1: or uh whatever the case may be, and that's how 789 00:46:31,560 --> 00:46:36,360 Speaker 1: you contain the fire. Then, of course, you only burn 790 00:46:36,840 --> 00:46:41,160 Speaker 1: when the weather allows you to. So you have to 791 00:46:41,200 --> 00:46:46,040 Speaker 1: look at the weather days in advance, and you're targeting 792 00:46:46,080 --> 00:46:52,200 Speaker 1: the forecast with regard to how many days since the rain, um, 793 00:46:52,760 --> 00:46:58,200 Speaker 1: the temperature, the relative humidity, and the wind and so 794 00:46:58,320 --> 00:47:01,719 Speaker 1: in essence, you want to burn on a blue bird day, 795 00:47:02,600 --> 00:47:05,880 Speaker 1: not a cloudy day. If you burn on a cloudy day, 796 00:47:05,960 --> 00:47:10,200 Speaker 1: you're probably going to have problems with smoke. And more 797 00:47:10,239 --> 00:47:14,719 Speaker 1: times than not, the fine fuel moisture will be relatively high, 798 00:47:14,800 --> 00:47:17,560 Speaker 1: and so you're just gonna produce more smoke and you 799 00:47:17,600 --> 00:47:19,840 Speaker 1: don't get as good as a burn, and and you 800 00:47:19,880 --> 00:47:22,719 Speaker 1: want to always get that smoke up and off of 801 00:47:22,760 --> 00:47:25,959 Speaker 1: the area. And and there's something on the fire weather 802 00:47:26,040 --> 00:47:29,279 Speaker 1: forecast called a mixing height that you pay attention to, 803 00:47:29,920 --> 00:47:33,960 Speaker 1: uh with with an unstable atmosphere, where that smoke will 804 00:47:34,080 --> 00:47:38,080 Speaker 1: rise vertically very fast. And then you have those transport 805 00:47:38,120 --> 00:47:43,800 Speaker 1: winds way up there, you know, feet to transport the 806 00:47:43,840 --> 00:47:45,920 Speaker 1: smoke and and get it off the site. So a 807 00:47:45,960 --> 00:47:50,840 Speaker 1: blue bird day, relative humidity you know, usually somewhere between 808 00:47:50,880 --> 00:47:56,000 Speaker 1: thirty and and uh uh a wind you know in 809 00:47:56,239 --> 00:48:00,120 Speaker 1: stand um wind at that you know that's hitting in 810 00:48:00,160 --> 00:48:04,200 Speaker 1: the face at about two to five. So then we 811 00:48:04,320 --> 00:48:06,880 Speaker 1: go in and we light the fire on the down 812 00:48:07,280 --> 00:48:11,040 Speaker 1: wind side of where we're gonna burn, immediately adjacent to 813 00:48:11,080 --> 00:48:16,000 Speaker 1: the firebreak. And so your flame links are only you know, 814 00:48:17,600 --> 00:48:22,040 Speaker 1: six eight inches tall, and you have a line of 815 00:48:22,160 --> 00:48:27,400 Speaker 1: fire and it is backing against the wind because the 816 00:48:27,440 --> 00:48:29,880 Speaker 1: wind is in your face. Correct or you follow me. 817 00:48:31,160 --> 00:48:33,480 Speaker 1: You let that burn slowly with a back and fire. 818 00:48:34,480 --> 00:48:37,799 Speaker 1: It's very safe. Uh. You're not wanting to damage the 819 00:48:37,840 --> 00:48:41,120 Speaker 1: trees that you have not killed or cut down, and 820 00:48:41,160 --> 00:48:43,120 Speaker 1: so you don't want a hot fire. You don't want 821 00:48:43,120 --> 00:48:46,680 Speaker 1: an intense fire. You let that back through the area 822 00:48:46,760 --> 00:48:50,440 Speaker 1: that you're burning. It's very safe. It's moving against the wind, 823 00:48:50,520 --> 00:48:54,680 Speaker 1: it's moving slowly. Um. You can speed that up by 824 00:48:55,000 --> 00:48:59,760 Speaker 1: running some strips of fire perpendicular to your line of fire. 825 00:49:00,320 --> 00:49:04,000 Speaker 1: That's called a flanking fire. Uh. You also could use 826 00:49:04,400 --> 00:49:07,880 Speaker 1: a strip heading fire, and that's where you walk in 827 00:49:08,000 --> 00:49:12,160 Speaker 1: front of the fire line, the firing front with your 828 00:49:12,200 --> 00:49:14,439 Speaker 1: drip torch, and you might walk up their fifty feet 829 00:49:14,520 --> 00:49:19,560 Speaker 1: or so and walk parallel to the firing line, the 830 00:49:19,640 --> 00:49:22,959 Speaker 1: fire line, and let that strip of fire then blow 831 00:49:23,040 --> 00:49:26,520 Speaker 1: with the wind into uh that backing fire line. That's 832 00:49:26,520 --> 00:49:28,920 Speaker 1: called a strip heading fire. But usually just let the 833 00:49:28,960 --> 00:49:32,240 Speaker 1: fire back through the area. You might use some flank fires. 834 00:49:32,800 --> 00:49:35,640 Speaker 1: UH take your time, let the fire do its thing. 835 00:49:36,719 --> 00:49:39,960 Speaker 1: As long as you're getting the cambium layer, which is 836 00:49:39,960 --> 00:49:43,320 Speaker 1: that layer just inside the bark of those little uh 837 00:49:43,400 --> 00:49:46,719 Speaker 1: saplings and seedlings and the understory. As long as you're 838 00:49:46,719 --> 00:49:49,320 Speaker 1: heating them up to about a hundred and forty five degrees, 839 00:49:49,480 --> 00:49:53,399 Speaker 1: that's that's not that hot. Okay, that take and fifties grees, 840 00:49:53,440 --> 00:49:56,879 Speaker 1: just forty five degrees, you've top killed them. And so 841 00:49:56,920 --> 00:50:01,320 Speaker 1: you're continually setting back, setting back, setting by that growth 842 00:50:01,560 --> 00:50:05,319 Speaker 1: in the stand to keep it at a level that 843 00:50:05,719 --> 00:50:09,160 Speaker 1: is providing good cover for deer, providing forage for deer. 844 00:50:09,200 --> 00:50:11,560 Speaker 1: You know, once that leaf structure gets up there six 845 00:50:11,560 --> 00:50:14,879 Speaker 1: ft or so, you no longer have forage for deer. 846 00:50:14,920 --> 00:50:16,960 Speaker 1: And once it gets up to that level, it's shading 847 00:50:16,960 --> 00:50:20,120 Speaker 1: out everything on the ground. And so it's important, it's 848 00:50:20,280 --> 00:50:26,279 Speaker 1: it's it's necessary to continually uh burn these areas to 849 00:50:26,360 --> 00:50:31,200 Speaker 1: set back the successional process, and uh, make sure the 850 00:50:31,239 --> 00:50:35,759 Speaker 1: sunlight is hitting the ground and stimulating the vegetation. How 851 00:50:35,760 --> 00:50:42,160 Speaker 1: would you say that prescribed fire improvement compares to the 852 00:50:42,239 --> 00:50:47,640 Speaker 1: quality of habitat you create with another timber improvement practice 853 00:50:47,680 --> 00:50:50,479 Speaker 1: such as hinge cutting or select of cutting or clear 854 00:50:50,480 --> 00:50:52,040 Speaker 1: cutting or anything like that. I mean, if you had 855 00:50:52,080 --> 00:50:56,359 Speaker 1: to rank, I suppose your tools, how would you how 856 00:50:56,400 --> 00:51:00,719 Speaker 1: would you do that? Well, think about it. Both of 857 00:51:00,719 --> 00:51:03,600 Speaker 1: them are are all of those are using the same thing, 858 00:51:03,680 --> 00:51:09,759 Speaker 1: which is what sunlight. That's exactly right. And so if 859 00:51:09,800 --> 00:51:14,799 Speaker 1: you thin the trees with your chainsaw, which is necessary 860 00:51:15,600 --> 00:51:18,840 Speaker 1: before you start using fire, because if you use a 861 00:51:19,040 --> 00:51:23,200 Speaker 1: if use fire in a close canopy stand that is 862 00:51:23,239 --> 00:51:28,600 Speaker 1: not allowing you know, at least twenty perhaps of sunlight 863 00:51:28,680 --> 00:51:32,360 Speaker 1: coming through, then you're not going to stimulate the vegetation 864 00:51:32,400 --> 00:51:35,000 Speaker 1: in the understore. There's just too much shade, see what 865 00:51:35,000 --> 00:51:37,719 Speaker 1: I'm saying. So if you go in and you thin 866 00:51:37,840 --> 00:51:41,520 Speaker 1: the trees, and whether you girdle and spray the trees, 867 00:51:41,640 --> 00:51:44,120 Speaker 1: or whether you hinge cut or whether you cut them down, 868 00:51:45,120 --> 00:51:50,320 Speaker 1: how long will that sunlight last before the regenerating trees 869 00:51:50,760 --> 00:51:53,440 Speaker 1: grow up and prevent the sunlight from hitting the ground. 870 00:51:53,520 --> 00:51:58,960 Speaker 1: How long do you think several years? That's right, And 871 00:51:59,040 --> 00:52:02,520 Speaker 1: in the eastern United it States, it's it's it's amazing, 872 00:52:03,680 --> 00:52:07,840 Speaker 1: very very consistently, it's gonna be six d eight years. 873 00:52:08,760 --> 00:52:12,600 Speaker 1: So we target seven years as what we call the 874 00:52:12,800 --> 00:52:17,960 Speaker 1: maximum fire return interval. So with that being said, you're 875 00:52:17,960 --> 00:52:21,080 Speaker 1: asking me to rank those. Had I rather go in 876 00:52:21,480 --> 00:52:26,440 Speaker 1: and burn my stand every five to seven years, or 877 00:52:26,560 --> 00:52:29,440 Speaker 1: had I rather go in with a chainsaw and cut 878 00:52:29,480 --> 00:52:35,120 Speaker 1: down more trees as frequently as needed, that's up to you. Now, 879 00:52:35,400 --> 00:52:38,000 Speaker 1: one thing I can do with fire that you cannot 880 00:52:38,040 --> 00:52:42,440 Speaker 1: do with a chainsaw is stimulate the herbaceous plants in 881 00:52:42,520 --> 00:52:47,359 Speaker 1: the understory. If you're only cutting with a chainsaw on 882 00:52:47,520 --> 00:52:52,239 Speaker 1: most sites, you're gonna be dominated by woody species, woody brows. 883 00:52:52,400 --> 00:52:55,560 Speaker 1: Where you're using fire, you can turn much of that 884 00:52:55,600 --> 00:53:00,480 Speaker 1: woody composition into herbaceous composition, and that's gonna mean drastic 885 00:53:01,160 --> 00:53:05,719 Speaker 1: improvements in the nutritional quality. Most of the woody species 886 00:53:06,000 --> 00:53:08,240 Speaker 1: are going to have somewhere in the neighborhood of twelve 887 00:53:08,320 --> 00:53:13,279 Speaker 1: to eight crude protein. Most of the herbaceous species that 888 00:53:13,400 --> 00:53:15,839 Speaker 1: you would be maintaining with fire are going to be 889 00:53:15,920 --> 00:53:19,200 Speaker 1: somewhere in the neighborhood of at least eighteen up to 890 00:53:19,600 --> 00:53:23,759 Speaker 1: you know, thirty four crude protein and much more digestible 891 00:53:23,760 --> 00:53:28,719 Speaker 1: on the average. Can you can you ever have too 892 00:53:28,840 --> 00:53:32,680 Speaker 1: much of that type of habitat? I mean when we talked, 893 00:53:32,760 --> 00:53:36,520 Speaker 1: you talked earlier about the importance of properly thinking through 894 00:53:37,000 --> 00:53:40,600 Speaker 1: how all the different pieces of a property work together. 895 00:53:40,640 --> 00:53:44,040 Speaker 1: From a hunting standpoint, strategy standpoint. If I've got timber 896 00:53:44,080 --> 00:53:46,080 Speaker 1: spread out across my property, would you tell me I 897 00:53:46,080 --> 00:53:48,520 Speaker 1: should be improving it in this type of fashion all 898 00:53:48,640 --> 00:53:50,640 Speaker 1: as much as they possibly can, or would you rather 899 00:53:50,680 --> 00:53:53,319 Speaker 1: have some areas that are improved other areas not so much? 900 00:53:53,360 --> 00:53:56,440 Speaker 1: Maybe so that we minimize dear travel in certain areas 901 00:53:56,440 --> 00:54:04,000 Speaker 1: and maximizeing others. That's two different approaches. My My approach 902 00:54:04,160 --> 00:54:09,640 Speaker 1: is to maximize things. Literally, when I'm riding around on 903 00:54:09,760 --> 00:54:16,000 Speaker 1: a t v S with landowners, we are constantly pointing 904 00:54:16,040 --> 00:54:19,960 Speaker 1: out what needs to be done. Why would you have 905 00:54:20,160 --> 00:54:24,680 Speaker 1: this area that is not productive And there's a term 906 00:54:24,800 --> 00:54:28,919 Speaker 1: that's been coined for that, it's called usable space. If 907 00:54:28,960 --> 00:54:32,040 Speaker 1: it's not usable for a deer as cover or food, 908 00:54:32,360 --> 00:54:35,600 Speaker 1: then in my opinion, something needs to be done about that. 909 00:54:35,880 --> 00:54:39,160 Speaker 1: Now I realized that there is, uh, you know, an 910 00:54:39,200 --> 00:54:43,640 Speaker 1: approach that you just mentioned to think about dear travel 911 00:54:43,760 --> 00:54:46,880 Speaker 1: and them not see you or whatever. But that is 912 00:54:46,920 --> 00:54:50,239 Speaker 1: not an issue with me because I know how to 913 00:54:50,520 --> 00:54:55,920 Speaker 1: position roads, paths, et cetera, work with the wind. So 914 00:54:56,800 --> 00:55:00,279 Speaker 1: everywhere on the property is usable for d here, and 915 00:55:00,320 --> 00:55:02,359 Speaker 1: it doesn't have to be usable for the same thing. 916 00:55:02,800 --> 00:55:06,160 Speaker 1: But I find it wasteful if there's an area the 917 00:55:06,160 --> 00:55:09,760 Speaker 1: property that deer you know, are not using because there's 918 00:55:09,800 --> 00:55:13,239 Speaker 1: no cover and no food. I for me, I don't 919 00:55:13,239 --> 00:55:15,640 Speaker 1: see any reason for that unless that's you know, the 920 00:55:15,719 --> 00:55:18,839 Speaker 1: driveway or something around the shop or whatever the case 921 00:55:18,880 --> 00:55:22,520 Speaker 1: may be. Okay, fair enough, that makes sense. I can 922 00:55:22,520 --> 00:55:25,000 Speaker 1: definitely see. I can definitely see that point of view. 923 00:55:25,600 --> 00:55:28,440 Speaker 1: And I'll tell you something else that I've kind of 924 00:55:28,560 --> 00:55:33,840 Speaker 1: called that is odd area management. I've never seen or 925 00:55:33,880 --> 00:55:36,279 Speaker 1: heard anybody else mentioned it, but it's something that I 926 00:55:36,600 --> 00:55:40,520 Speaker 1: routinely talk about. As you're driving around and you're along 927 00:55:40,600 --> 00:55:44,200 Speaker 1: the edge of a field or the edge of the woods, 928 00:55:45,280 --> 00:55:48,360 Speaker 1: you know, I asked, guys, why why have you not 929 00:55:48,520 --> 00:55:51,279 Speaker 1: sprayed all this tall fescue that's along the edge of 930 00:55:51,280 --> 00:55:53,080 Speaker 1: the field, or they're at the edge of the woods. 931 00:55:53,120 --> 00:55:57,200 Speaker 1: I mean there's there's uh fifteen or twenty feet from 932 00:55:57,280 --> 00:55:58,920 Speaker 1: right here over out of the edge of the woods, 933 00:55:59,680 --> 00:56:01,479 Speaker 1: and you know they'll just look at you all, well, 934 00:56:02,719 --> 00:56:05,800 Speaker 1: I don't know. It's just a little bit, that's true. 935 00:56:06,280 --> 00:56:09,759 Speaker 1: It's just that little bit. But think about this, if 936 00:56:09,840 --> 00:56:13,959 Speaker 1: you add up all of the little bit all over 937 00:56:14,000 --> 00:56:19,160 Speaker 1: your property, you'd be surprised at what percentage of the 938 00:56:19,239 --> 00:56:22,840 Speaker 1: property is in that little bit that is not managed, 939 00:56:23,440 --> 00:56:28,080 Speaker 1: especially if your property is broken up, uh considerably, you know, 940 00:56:28,120 --> 00:56:31,960 Speaker 1: with woods and fields and agriculture and different vegetation types. 941 00:56:32,719 --> 00:56:34,880 Speaker 1: So so let's let's talk about these little bits in 942 00:56:34,920 --> 00:56:37,440 Speaker 1: these open areas and such. You talked a little bit 943 00:56:37,480 --> 00:56:39,920 Speaker 1: about earlier the importance of your open areas and managing 944 00:56:39,920 --> 00:56:42,279 Speaker 1: old fields and everything like that. I know there's a 945 00:56:42,280 --> 00:56:45,879 Speaker 1: lot to it. But for someone who maybe has not 946 00:56:46,239 --> 00:56:48,920 Speaker 1: started diving into that at all. They know about food plots, 947 00:56:48,920 --> 00:56:51,480 Speaker 1: they've dabbled maybe in food plots, but they have not 948 00:56:51,600 --> 00:56:55,840 Speaker 1: been managing these fields to be maximized in nutrition and orcover. 949 00:56:56,760 --> 00:56:59,440 Speaker 1: What does someone need to know to start managing their 950 00:56:59,480 --> 00:57:04,240 Speaker 1: old fields in creating optimal early successional habitat Where we started, 951 00:57:05,000 --> 00:57:08,479 Speaker 1: the number one thing. Number one thing, get rid of 952 00:57:08,840 --> 00:57:13,440 Speaker 1: the non native perennial grasses. If you're in the northeast, 953 00:57:13,760 --> 00:57:18,440 Speaker 1: that's gonna be tall fescue, orchard grass, and timothy. If 954 00:57:18,480 --> 00:57:21,840 Speaker 1: you're in the mid South, it's gonna be tall fescue 955 00:57:22,120 --> 00:57:26,400 Speaker 1: and orchard grass. If you're in the South, it's gonna 956 00:57:26,440 --> 00:57:31,600 Speaker 1: be tall fescue, bermuda grass, and Behaa grass. And from 957 00:57:31,600 --> 00:57:35,640 Speaker 1: the mid South down during the summertime, you're also going 958 00:57:35,680 --> 00:57:38,560 Speaker 1: to have Dallas grass in many of those areas. If 959 00:57:38,560 --> 00:57:43,440 Speaker 1: you're in the Midwest, UH, Missouri, East Kansas, portions of 960 00:57:43,440 --> 00:57:46,920 Speaker 1: Eye what cent out through their southern Michigan, UH, You're 961 00:57:46,920 --> 00:57:49,680 Speaker 1: gonna have tall fescue. You're gonna have a lot of 962 00:57:49,760 --> 00:57:54,120 Speaker 1: brome grass, especially smooth brom, but you can have other 963 00:57:54,120 --> 00:57:59,120 Speaker 1: brom grasses as well. Get rid of spray and kill 964 00:57:59,600 --> 00:58:05,160 Speaker 1: all of the perennial, non native cool season grasses. UH. 965 00:58:05,720 --> 00:58:10,040 Speaker 1: Best approach is to do that in the fall, after 966 00:58:10,240 --> 00:58:14,760 Speaker 1: you've gotten a couple of good frosts. After those frosts, 967 00:58:14,800 --> 00:58:19,360 Speaker 1: all of the warm season plants go dormant. Right Once 968 00:58:19,360 --> 00:58:22,880 Speaker 1: they're dormant, then you can use a broad spectrum herbicides 969 00:58:22,920 --> 00:58:28,240 Speaker 1: such as glyphosate to selectively kill the perennial cool season 970 00:58:28,320 --> 00:58:33,040 Speaker 1: grasses that are vigorously growing and photosynthesizing at that time 971 00:58:33,360 --> 00:58:37,320 Speaker 1: in preparation for their winter senescence. Although their cool season, 972 00:58:37,680 --> 00:58:41,160 Speaker 1: they also will go dormant during midwinter, and so that 973 00:58:41,360 --> 00:58:44,520 Speaker 1: is the optimum time to kill them because they're transporting 974 00:58:44,560 --> 00:58:47,320 Speaker 1: all of those nutrients from the leaves down into their 975 00:58:47,400 --> 00:58:50,800 Speaker 1: roots in preparation for winter senescence. If you spray them 976 00:58:50,800 --> 00:58:53,640 Speaker 1: in the spring, you can get what appears to be 977 00:58:53,720 --> 00:58:57,360 Speaker 1: a good kill, but you don't actually get as good 978 00:58:57,440 --> 00:59:00,120 Speaker 1: of a kill on the root systems. And with in 979 00:59:00,160 --> 00:59:04,560 Speaker 1: two years, you'll you'll likely see thirty thirty of that 980 00:59:04,680 --> 00:59:09,560 Speaker 1: grass cover back out there. So you're saying by doing 981 00:59:09,560 --> 00:59:12,080 Speaker 1: it later in the fall, after this frost, you can 982 00:59:12,200 --> 00:59:14,560 Speaker 1: apply like you mentioned, like glyph which would be which 983 00:59:14,560 --> 00:59:17,520 Speaker 1: would kill almost anything except for the fact incrept me 984 00:59:17,520 --> 00:59:19,840 Speaker 1: if I'm wrong. But at that time of year, the 985 00:59:19,880 --> 00:59:23,160 Speaker 1: types of grasses that you want to survive will be 986 00:59:23,240 --> 00:59:25,920 Speaker 1: already going dormant, so they won't draw in that glyph 987 00:59:25,960 --> 00:59:27,880 Speaker 1: and they won't have that negative impact, but it will 988 00:59:28,040 --> 00:59:30,720 Speaker 1: kill the grasses that you do not want. Those perennial 989 00:59:30,720 --> 00:59:33,160 Speaker 1: grasses I believe he says that is that right, That 990 00:59:33,360 --> 00:59:36,880 Speaker 1: is correct. Unless the plant is photosynthesizing, the glyposide is 991 00:59:36,920 --> 00:59:39,640 Speaker 1: not going to kill it. Glyphocide has no soul activity, 992 00:59:39,960 --> 00:59:42,200 Speaker 1: and so if the plant is dormant, or if the 993 00:59:42,240 --> 00:59:45,400 Speaker 1: seed has not germinated, an application of glyposide is not 994 00:59:45,440 --> 00:59:47,960 Speaker 1: going to impact it. So rather than needing to go 995 00:59:48,040 --> 00:59:50,760 Speaker 1: spot treating these with a little backpack sprayer, you could 996 00:59:50,760 --> 00:59:52,560 Speaker 1: go out there with your a TV sprayer almost and 997 00:59:52,680 --> 00:59:55,920 Speaker 1: and spray the whole area into much faster for fashion, 998 00:59:55,960 --> 01:00:00,560 Speaker 1: it seems like absolutely And and for most of these 999 01:00:00,600 --> 01:00:03,800 Speaker 1: fields that would need a broadcast application anyway because they're 1000 01:00:03,840 --> 01:00:08,560 Speaker 1: covered with these grasses. And while you're at it, use 1001 01:00:08,600 --> 01:00:11,440 Speaker 1: your spray gun and spray all those odd areas as well. 1002 01:00:12,080 --> 01:00:17,280 Speaker 1: And and at a minimum mark, at a minimum, by default. 1003 01:00:17,400 --> 01:00:22,440 Speaker 1: Just by doing that, you have increased the forage value 1004 01:00:22,520 --> 01:00:26,520 Speaker 1: of that field at least ten times, and usually a 1005 01:00:26,600 --> 01:00:31,640 Speaker 1: whole lot more than that. And you have immediately increased 1006 01:00:31,680 --> 01:00:34,920 Speaker 1: the cover value because of what's going to germinate and 1007 01:00:34,960 --> 01:00:38,760 Speaker 1: grow after all that rank grass cover is killed. Because 1008 01:00:39,000 --> 01:00:41,480 Speaker 1: all that grass coverage, you know, it's it's a sod 1009 01:00:42,560 --> 01:00:47,560 Speaker 1: and it's preventing the seed bank from germinating and growing, 1010 01:00:47,840 --> 01:00:52,120 Speaker 1: and so you've got it's it's like Christmas once. Once 1011 01:00:52,160 --> 01:00:54,920 Speaker 1: you kill that grass cover, you've got all this different 1012 01:00:54,920 --> 01:00:56,800 Speaker 1: stuff that's just popping up. You never know what you've got. 1013 01:00:56,880 --> 01:00:59,520 Speaker 1: You know, it might be something you know, sucky, like 1014 01:00:59,520 --> 01:01:01,760 Speaker 1: a tie or whatever, but it might be something really good, 1015 01:01:01,800 --> 01:01:03,840 Speaker 1: you know, and you shot then you never know. So 1016 01:01:03,960 --> 01:01:06,960 Speaker 1: you you just spray all the cover, you pull the 1017 01:01:07,120 --> 01:01:08,880 Speaker 1: what I call you pull the carpet off of the 1018 01:01:08,880 --> 01:01:10,840 Speaker 1: field and get rid of it, and then you let 1019 01:01:10,840 --> 01:01:13,320 Speaker 1: all that stuff underneath pop up and grow. Now, some 1020 01:01:13,360 --> 01:01:15,880 Speaker 1: of it you're not gonna like. You know, if you're 1021 01:01:15,880 --> 01:01:18,280 Speaker 1: out in the Midwest, it might be teasel. If you're 1022 01:01:18,320 --> 01:01:20,960 Speaker 1: down south, it might be sickle pod. If you're in 1023 01:01:21,000 --> 01:01:23,480 Speaker 1: the Northeast, it might be curly doc. You know, there's 1024 01:01:23,520 --> 01:01:26,240 Speaker 1: all kinds of you know, plants out there that you 1025 01:01:26,360 --> 01:01:29,400 Speaker 1: don't won't that are going to respond. Of course, there's 1026 01:01:29,400 --> 01:01:33,040 Speaker 1: gonna be some grasses to Johnson grass on many of 1027 01:01:33,040 --> 01:01:35,800 Speaker 1: these fields. When you kill you know, the brome grass 1028 01:01:35,880 --> 01:01:38,720 Speaker 1: or the fescue or whatever it's going to be on 1029 01:01:38,800 --> 01:01:41,600 Speaker 1: some of them, there'll be an explosion of Johnson grass. 1030 01:01:41,640 --> 01:01:44,600 Speaker 1: That's all right, remember this is a way of life. 1031 01:01:45,640 --> 01:01:48,439 Speaker 1: When that Johnson grass gets up there about eighteen inches tall, 1032 01:01:48,800 --> 01:01:51,240 Speaker 1: go over it with an application of You could use 1033 01:01:51,280 --> 01:01:54,560 Speaker 1: glade to say, but I would probably use plateau. That's 1034 01:01:54,560 --> 01:01:58,320 Speaker 1: a broad spectrum selective her beside that will kill the 1035 01:01:58,400 --> 01:02:01,840 Speaker 1: Johnson grass and won't keep most of the other plants 1036 01:02:01,840 --> 01:02:05,520 Speaker 1: that you want them to retain. So, you know, if 1037 01:02:05,560 --> 01:02:08,640 Speaker 1: anyone thinks that they can just go out there and 1038 01:02:08,920 --> 01:02:11,920 Speaker 1: you know, do something with quote their habitat, you know, 1039 01:02:12,000 --> 01:02:14,320 Speaker 1: once or twice and it be good that it's just 1040 01:02:14,720 --> 01:02:19,880 Speaker 1: that's incorrect. Habitat management is a way of life. It's 1041 01:02:19,920 --> 01:02:22,320 Speaker 1: something that you're gonna have to get into and don't 1042 01:02:22,360 --> 01:02:25,919 Speaker 1: be discouraged just because you see a plant that isn't 1043 01:02:25,960 --> 01:02:28,120 Speaker 1: good for deer, go out there and kill it. You know, 1044 01:02:28,200 --> 01:02:31,000 Speaker 1: if you enjoy killing deer, you are to enjoy killing 1045 01:02:31,080 --> 01:02:35,280 Speaker 1: plants that deer don't lie. So there you go. Now. 1046 01:02:35,600 --> 01:02:37,480 Speaker 1: I think when a lot of people think about providing 1047 01:02:37,680 --> 01:02:41,200 Speaker 1: nutrition for their deer, right they jump to food plots 1048 01:02:41,320 --> 01:02:44,600 Speaker 1: clover beautiful little green fields full of this lush, high 1049 01:02:44,640 --> 01:02:48,240 Speaker 1: protein food. But from what I've heard and from people 1050 01:02:48,280 --> 01:02:51,520 Speaker 1: like you, there's a huge nutrition, nutritional component to these 1051 01:02:51,520 --> 01:02:54,240 Speaker 1: types of these old fields, if you if managed properly 1052 01:02:54,280 --> 01:02:57,720 Speaker 1: like you discussed, they provide tremendous forge value. That is 1053 01:02:57,720 --> 01:03:02,960 Speaker 1: that correct, absolutely and in a great big way. You know, 1054 01:03:03,200 --> 01:03:06,560 Speaker 1: it's funny you mentioned that I just got an email here, 1055 01:03:06,800 --> 01:03:11,160 Speaker 1: let's see about an hour and a half ago there, 1056 01:03:11,400 --> 01:03:12,840 Speaker 1: and then that you want to talk about brand new 1057 01:03:12,920 --> 01:03:14,680 Speaker 1: hod Off press is not eman the press. I just 1058 01:03:14,720 --> 01:03:17,600 Speaker 1: got the email from the lab. I just got this 1059 01:03:17,680 --> 01:03:20,800 Speaker 1: from the lab an hour and a half ago. And 1060 01:03:21,520 --> 01:03:26,080 Speaker 1: I'm looking at at the exhale spreadsheet and the graphs, 1061 01:03:27,360 --> 01:03:31,000 Speaker 1: and uh, we did we put in some treatments for 1062 01:03:31,520 --> 01:03:39,400 Speaker 1: we mode portions of fields, and we burned portions of fields. 1063 01:03:40,800 --> 01:03:45,360 Speaker 1: And I'm looking at the crude protein and askid detergent 1064 01:03:45,440 --> 01:03:56,640 Speaker 1: fiber content, as well as the percentage of phosphate, potassium, 1065 01:03:56,680 --> 01:04:01,880 Speaker 1: and calcium. So I'll just run through a couple of these. Uh, 1066 01:04:02,000 --> 01:04:11,640 Speaker 1: Carolina geranium crude protein only nine acid detergent, fiber point 1067 01:04:11,680 --> 01:04:17,439 Speaker 1: five percent phosphorus. That's outstanding, especially on some of these 1068 01:04:17,440 --> 01:04:23,120 Speaker 1: poor souls that we have. Uh, let's see, where's another 1069 01:04:23,160 --> 01:04:30,520 Speaker 1: one that you would recognize. Here's a golden rod thirty 1070 01:04:30,560 --> 01:04:35,320 Speaker 1: two percent crude protein only eleven point eight percent acid 1071 01:04:35,360 --> 01:04:43,960 Speaker 1: detergent fiber uh point seven percent phosphorus. It's outstanding. Um. 1072 01:04:44,000 --> 01:04:50,000 Speaker 1: Of course BlackBerry, everybody is familiar with BlackBerry. Percent crude protein, 1073 01:04:50,200 --> 01:04:54,360 Speaker 1: ten percent acid detergent five. The percentage of acid detergent fiber, 1074 01:04:54,440 --> 01:04:57,000 Speaker 1: you want that to be low. In Anything less than 1075 01:04:57,040 --> 01:05:00,880 Speaker 1: about thirty five represents a highly digest table forage. So 1076 01:05:00,960 --> 01:05:04,080 Speaker 1: these are these are outstanding forages. But keep in mind 1077 01:05:04,120 --> 01:05:06,920 Speaker 1: when we're collect them, this is in the spring. We 1078 01:05:07,040 --> 01:05:09,040 Speaker 1: just collected these and send them to the lab because 1079 01:05:09,120 --> 01:05:14,040 Speaker 1: we want to see what is available. Two doze that 1080 01:05:14,120 --> 01:05:18,360 Speaker 1: are late in gestation and about to give birth that 1081 01:05:18,520 --> 01:05:23,320 Speaker 1: this right now is the period when the highest nutrition 1082 01:05:23,560 --> 01:05:27,120 Speaker 1: is required by both doze and bucks. You know bucks 1083 01:05:27,120 --> 01:05:31,040 Speaker 1: here they started growing their atlers of a few weeks ago, 1084 01:05:31,200 --> 01:05:34,479 Speaker 1: and so you want them to have optimum nutrition right now. 1085 01:05:35,320 --> 01:05:38,360 Speaker 1: Right now is the time we're we're in uh early 1086 01:05:38,400 --> 01:05:41,400 Speaker 1: to mid May, and they need the best that they 1087 01:05:41,400 --> 01:05:47,440 Speaker 1: can possibly have right now. These plants meat or exceed 1088 01:05:48,160 --> 01:05:54,320 Speaker 1: any food plot planning that you would plant. Okay, pick one. Um, 1089 01:05:54,360 --> 01:05:58,920 Speaker 1: here's daisy fleabane, and I'm mentioned in species that that 1090 01:05:59,040 --> 01:06:04,200 Speaker 1: dear highly select I'm not talking about plants that they 1091 01:06:04,200 --> 01:06:07,440 Speaker 1: don't eat. You know, we're we're looking at all plants, 1092 01:06:07,480 --> 01:06:10,560 Speaker 1: all kinds of plants out there, but I'm specifically looking 1093 01:06:10,600 --> 01:06:13,520 Speaker 1: at the ones that that they are selecting in the fields. 1094 01:06:13,520 --> 01:06:16,640 Speaker 1: And you know, we've record whether the plant is eating 1095 01:06:16,760 --> 01:06:19,080 Speaker 1: or not in what extent, et cetera, as I've mentioned 1096 01:06:19,120 --> 01:06:23,160 Speaker 1: for the food plot stuff as well. So uh, again, 1097 01:06:23,520 --> 01:06:28,959 Speaker 1: you are missing the boat terribly by overlooking your field. 1098 01:06:28,960 --> 01:06:31,520 Speaker 1: I mean, the poor guy out there that's got some 1099 01:06:31,920 --> 01:06:35,200 Speaker 1: you know, old field dominated by fescue and got some 1100 01:06:35,240 --> 01:06:37,960 Speaker 1: little trees growing up as ten acres that they're bush 1101 01:06:37,960 --> 01:06:42,600 Speaker 1: hogging every year. Oh my gosh, it's well, there's there's 1102 01:06:42,680 --> 01:06:48,000 Speaker 1: virtually zero food value out there, virtually zero ten acres. 1103 01:06:49,280 --> 01:06:55,520 Speaker 1: He can have four thousand pounds per acre just by 1104 01:06:56,080 --> 01:06:59,280 Speaker 1: spraying the fescue. Now that's gonna be a good one. 1105 01:06:59,320 --> 01:07:04,280 Speaker 1: But but easy almost anywhere uh one to two thousand pounds, 1106 01:07:05,640 --> 01:07:10,760 Speaker 1: and you know it might take, uh, of course, a 1107 01:07:10,800 --> 01:07:13,120 Speaker 1: little bit of effort with regard to spot spreading some 1108 01:07:13,120 --> 01:07:15,560 Speaker 1: pot problem plants like I mentioned. If you know Johnson 1109 01:07:15,560 --> 01:07:17,880 Speaker 1: Grice explodes, you know, don't think you can just spray 1110 01:07:17,920 --> 01:07:19,880 Speaker 1: the fescue and stop right there. As I mentioned, it's 1111 01:07:19,880 --> 01:07:24,880 Speaker 1: an ongoing process. But the value that you can get 1112 01:07:26,040 --> 01:07:30,640 Speaker 1: from these fields is truly outstanding, and and it's just 1113 01:07:30,760 --> 01:07:36,439 Speaker 1: really disappointing that more people don't understand that or don't 1114 01:07:36,480 --> 01:07:39,280 Speaker 1: take advantage of it. So would you stay for someone 1115 01:07:39,320 --> 01:07:42,000 Speaker 1: who's on a budget and they have some type of 1116 01:07:42,000 --> 01:07:44,360 Speaker 1: old field like this, and there they've been thinking, well 1117 01:07:44,400 --> 01:07:46,160 Speaker 1: that they want to put a food plot in. Would 1118 01:07:46,160 --> 01:07:49,080 Speaker 1: you tell that person, on average, their better bet for 1119 01:07:49,200 --> 01:07:51,520 Speaker 1: on a budget, and that's of a situation would be 1120 01:07:52,160 --> 01:07:55,280 Speaker 1: don't plow it under and plant something, take advantage of 1121 01:07:55,320 --> 01:07:58,520 Speaker 1: what you already have, optimize it, and create great habitat 1122 01:07:58,520 --> 01:08:03,400 Speaker 1: in that way. No, I would tell anybody that, regardless 1123 01:08:03,440 --> 01:08:07,720 Speaker 1: of how much money they have. Right and and think 1124 01:08:07,720 --> 01:08:12,200 Speaker 1: about this, I think, think about this, What are you 1125 01:08:12,240 --> 01:08:16,599 Speaker 1: going to plant that has more than you know, crude 1126 01:08:16,600 --> 01:08:24,160 Speaker 1: protein and uh point four point five point seven phosphorus 1127 01:08:24,920 --> 01:08:28,519 Speaker 1: and uh one to two calcium. I mean, these are 1128 01:08:28,560 --> 01:08:33,439 Speaker 1: outstanding forages. Now I'm not saying don't plant food plots, 1129 01:08:34,280 --> 01:08:37,040 Speaker 1: especially if you have the means to do so. Now 1130 01:08:37,080 --> 01:08:41,480 Speaker 1: here's the trick that in my opinion, a few people understand. 1131 01:08:42,920 --> 01:08:49,760 Speaker 1: Now you look at okay, when is nutrition waning or 1132 01:08:49,920 --> 01:08:54,439 Speaker 1: limiting on my property. Now, according to what you have 1133 01:08:54,479 --> 01:08:56,160 Speaker 1: out there in the fields? Are according to what you 1134 01:08:56,200 --> 01:08:58,360 Speaker 1: have in your woods and when it's growing and when 1135 01:08:58,360 --> 01:09:03,040 Speaker 1: it's providing what That's what you have to identify. When 1136 01:09:03,880 --> 01:09:09,360 Speaker 1: is nutrition limiting on your property for your for the 1137 01:09:09,400 --> 01:09:13,160 Speaker 1: for the deer that's on your property, then that's what 1138 01:09:13,280 --> 01:09:17,400 Speaker 1: you use to decide what you need to plant. You 1139 01:09:17,439 --> 01:09:20,160 Speaker 1: need to plant something in your food plot, then that 1140 01:09:20,400 --> 01:09:26,120 Speaker 1: is filling in that natural nutritional gap. Follow me, definitely. 1141 01:09:26,800 --> 01:09:30,200 Speaker 1: You don't just plant you know, whatever whatever because you 1142 01:09:30,240 --> 01:09:33,000 Speaker 1: know you saw somebody on TV doing that. You know 1143 01:09:33,040 --> 01:09:35,960 Speaker 1: what you see people doing on TV. I hope this 1144 01:09:36,040 --> 01:09:40,240 Speaker 1: isn't a revelation to anybody, but it's based on sponsorship. 1145 01:09:41,640 --> 01:09:43,679 Speaker 1: You know what I'm playing. I mean, let's just be real, 1146 01:09:43,800 --> 01:09:47,760 Speaker 1: real honest here, So and and and many products are outstanding. 1147 01:09:47,800 --> 01:09:51,200 Speaker 1: I'm not speaking for against any product, but don't be 1148 01:09:51,479 --> 01:09:55,520 Speaker 1: misled by what you see on TV and in the magazines. 1149 01:09:55,560 --> 01:09:58,040 Speaker 1: I mean, let don't don't just keep the wool over 1150 01:09:58,080 --> 01:10:00,439 Speaker 1: your eyes, pull your head out of the dirt. Think 1151 01:10:00,479 --> 01:10:04,880 Speaker 1: about your property and what you have available. Natural nutrition 1152 01:10:05,000 --> 01:10:09,479 Speaker 1: is limiting, hello that when you need to fill a gap. Okay, now, 1153 01:10:09,560 --> 01:10:15,920 Speaker 1: choose a planting whose natural production is greatest during that period. 1154 01:10:17,320 --> 01:10:20,799 Speaker 1: This is not rocket side, So okay, so let's continue 1155 01:10:20,840 --> 01:10:23,719 Speaker 1: from there. Then let's say we've reached this point where 1156 01:10:23,720 --> 01:10:27,160 Speaker 1: we've we've been optimizing our timber, we're spending time on 1157 01:10:27,160 --> 01:10:30,720 Speaker 1: our old, old fields. Now we find where these gaps are. 1158 01:10:31,479 --> 01:10:35,880 Speaker 1: What other considerations should I be thinking through before planning 1159 01:10:35,920 --> 01:10:37,960 Speaker 1: my food plots? Now, let's say it's the first time 1160 01:10:38,000 --> 01:10:39,800 Speaker 1: food plotter who's thinking through all these things for the 1161 01:10:39,800 --> 01:10:42,640 Speaker 1: first time. What are those first things or questions they 1162 01:10:42,640 --> 01:10:45,200 Speaker 1: need to answer before starting on a food plot project. 1163 01:10:47,520 --> 01:10:51,400 Speaker 1: I would go back to my photo. Go back to 1164 01:10:51,479 --> 01:10:59,120 Speaker 1: your photo and look where you won't cover and look 1165 01:10:59,120 --> 01:11:05,240 Speaker 1: at where you want food. Where you want food is 1166 01:11:05,320 --> 01:11:11,160 Speaker 1: not necessarily where there is an existing field. Okay, that's 1167 01:11:11,200 --> 01:11:15,000 Speaker 1: that's the first step determining where to plant your food plots. 1168 01:11:15,080 --> 01:11:17,680 Speaker 1: You determine where to plant your food plots according to 1169 01:11:17,720 --> 01:11:21,479 Speaker 1: your photo, not according to you standing out in in 1170 01:11:21,920 --> 01:11:25,400 Speaker 1: on the property and looking across the field, because too 1171 01:11:25,400 --> 01:11:29,120 Speaker 1: many times, well obviously you don't want to plant where 1172 01:11:29,120 --> 01:11:32,000 Speaker 1: it's adjacent to a road, and usually not where it's 1173 01:11:32,000 --> 01:11:35,040 Speaker 1: adjacent to a property line or whatever. But you've you've 1174 01:11:35,040 --> 01:11:38,760 Speaker 1: got to put together the puzzle for your property with 1175 01:11:40,000 --> 01:11:44,040 Speaker 1: an eye towards the arrangement of the cover and food. 1176 01:11:44,240 --> 01:11:47,320 Speaker 1: Now here's where the art comes in. And you're putting 1177 01:11:47,320 --> 01:11:53,320 Speaker 1: together an arrangement for what for your hunting success? Okay, 1178 01:11:53,439 --> 01:11:56,280 Speaker 1: were we all want to kill something? We're not just 1179 01:11:56,360 --> 01:11:59,400 Speaker 1: doing this because we want to see them healthy. Yes, 1180 01:11:59,439 --> 01:12:01,439 Speaker 1: we like and we want to see them healthy, but 1181 01:12:01,479 --> 01:12:03,400 Speaker 1: we want to see them healthy, Let's be honest, so 1182 01:12:03,439 --> 01:12:06,639 Speaker 1: we can kill them. And so as you were setting 1183 01:12:06,640 --> 01:12:10,920 Speaker 1: this up, you want to do so for your hunting success. 1184 01:12:10,960 --> 01:12:13,880 Speaker 1: So with that in mind, you determine the places that 1185 01:12:13,960 --> 01:12:16,760 Speaker 1: you want to plant. Um, what I would recommend is 1186 01:12:16,840 --> 01:12:20,000 Speaker 1: also to look at a souls map as you do this. 1187 01:12:20,760 --> 01:12:25,480 Speaker 1: Your souls map can help you determine some of these places. 1188 01:12:25,640 --> 01:12:28,280 Speaker 1: Especially you know, if if you've got several places where 1189 01:12:28,320 --> 01:12:32,000 Speaker 1: you might plant and over here's a place where the 1190 01:12:32,080 --> 01:12:36,920 Speaker 1: souls are much better than over there, that might help 1191 01:12:36,960 --> 01:12:40,960 Speaker 1: you determine where you need a larger feeding plot as 1192 01:12:40,960 --> 01:12:44,799 Speaker 1: opposed to a smaller hunting plot. Does that make sense? 1193 01:12:46,000 --> 01:12:48,800 Speaker 1: So you're looking at your photo deciding where to put what, 1194 01:12:49,840 --> 01:12:53,080 Speaker 1: looking at your souls map deciding where it would be 1195 01:12:53,080 --> 01:12:57,240 Speaker 1: best to put larger fields because where the souls are better. 1196 01:12:58,080 --> 01:13:00,840 Speaker 1: That means you will have to spend less money on 1197 01:13:00,960 --> 01:13:06,320 Speaker 1: amendments to achieve the yield that you were looking for. 1198 01:13:07,840 --> 01:13:11,800 Speaker 1: And something very interesting that we're doing right now we're 1199 01:13:11,800 --> 01:13:13,479 Speaker 1: all in the middle of it, is looking at this 1200 01:13:13,560 --> 01:13:18,320 Speaker 1: relationship between plant nutritional quality and souls, and it is 1201 01:13:18,400 --> 01:13:24,160 Speaker 1: extremely interesting. Most people and myself included, would intuitively think, Okay, 1202 01:13:24,360 --> 01:13:29,080 Speaker 1: why do we put out fertilizer to uh make plants 1203 01:13:29,120 --> 01:13:34,680 Speaker 1: more nutritious. No, we put out fertilizers and amend the 1204 01:13:34,680 --> 01:13:37,599 Speaker 1: soil with lime and you know, other amendments so we 1205 01:13:37,640 --> 01:13:42,639 Speaker 1: can achieve a higher yield, more tonnage or more bushels 1206 01:13:42,720 --> 01:13:46,519 Speaker 1: of grain, preaker, et cetera. There is no producer who 1207 01:13:46,560 --> 01:13:51,439 Speaker 1: fertilizes fields to make his soy beans more nutritious. They 1208 01:13:51,520 --> 01:13:55,920 Speaker 1: fertilize their fields to get a higher yield bushels per 1209 01:13:56,000 --> 01:14:00,280 Speaker 1: acre of beans out of their soy beans. So don't 1210 01:14:00,320 --> 01:14:02,720 Speaker 1: be mistaken thinking that your food plots are going to 1211 01:14:02,800 --> 01:14:07,479 Speaker 1: be more nutritious just because you add fertilizer to them, 1212 01:14:07,640 --> 01:14:11,400 Speaker 1: you're gonna have you're gonna obtain greater yield out of them, 1213 01:14:11,520 --> 01:14:14,040 Speaker 1: which is very important. Because you don't want to have 1214 01:14:14,080 --> 01:14:17,080 Speaker 1: to plant any more than you have to for the 1215 01:14:17,120 --> 01:14:23,840 Speaker 1: expense of planting and managing a food plot. Correct, okay, 1216 01:14:23,840 --> 01:14:28,200 Speaker 1: but there is a certain amount of of soil nutrients 1217 01:14:28,240 --> 01:14:31,479 Speaker 1: that are needed for that plant to grow. And so 1218 01:14:32,560 --> 01:14:38,640 Speaker 1: you can get uh lots of food plot plantings to 1219 01:14:38,800 --> 01:14:42,679 Speaker 1: grow in poor souls, but you're not going to grow 1220 01:14:42,800 --> 01:14:46,920 Speaker 1: very much. And if you take a plant sample of 1221 01:14:47,000 --> 01:14:49,920 Speaker 1: your soybeans, that our only you know if they're healthy, 1222 01:14:51,320 --> 01:14:55,799 Speaker 1: and they're only up there about, uh, you know, twelve 1223 01:14:55,840 --> 01:14:59,759 Speaker 1: inches tall, and you pull out those tender leaves and 1224 01:15:00,120 --> 01:15:02,639 Speaker 1: ends of the stem and you send in send those 1225 01:15:02,680 --> 01:15:06,639 Speaker 1: into the lab and you get the report back. It's 1226 01:15:06,640 --> 01:15:10,160 Speaker 1: going to be outstanding forward quality. It's just that if 1227 01:15:10,200 --> 01:15:13,000 Speaker 1: you have amended the soul, now your soil beans, according 1228 01:15:13,000 --> 01:15:15,519 Speaker 1: to what variety of planting, of course, is going to 1229 01:15:15,640 --> 01:15:21,200 Speaker 1: be three feet tall. And so instead of two hundred 1230 01:15:21,560 --> 01:15:25,599 Speaker 1: pounds per acre, you've got four or five thousand pounds 1231 01:15:25,680 --> 01:15:29,840 Speaker 1: per acre. Wow, I can definitely say how that makes 1232 01:15:29,840 --> 01:15:32,840 Speaker 1: a big difference. When you think about that way, well, 1233 01:15:32,920 --> 01:15:35,360 Speaker 1: think about your nutritional care and capacity and how many 1234 01:15:35,400 --> 01:15:39,720 Speaker 1: deer you can support. So so when it comes to 1235 01:15:40,600 --> 01:15:43,360 Speaker 1: now we're thinking through these types of questions. Now we're 1236 01:15:43,360 --> 01:15:47,800 Speaker 1: thinking about actually preparing a food plot location. Is there 1237 01:15:47,800 --> 01:15:50,720 Speaker 1: any common mistakes you've seen or anything that maybe is 1238 01:15:50,760 --> 01:15:53,839 Speaker 1: above the normal advice that you found from your research 1239 01:15:53,880 --> 01:15:56,400 Speaker 1: and experience when it comes to how to properly prepare 1240 01:15:56,479 --> 01:15:59,280 Speaker 1: food plot location and seabed or or amending the soil. 1241 01:15:59,360 --> 01:16:01,760 Speaker 1: Any any couple of things that stand out there that 1242 01:16:02,000 --> 01:16:07,880 Speaker 1: people should know about. If you're planting with uh a 1243 01:16:08,040 --> 01:16:13,240 Speaker 1: no till drill, your seed bed preparation is just spraying 1244 01:16:13,280 --> 01:16:18,320 Speaker 1: the existing vegetation and so as long as that vegetation 1245 01:16:18,479 --> 01:16:21,479 Speaker 1: is you know, and I'm talking about herbaceous vegetation. Uh, 1246 01:16:21,720 --> 01:16:24,840 Speaker 1: figuring that you've taken care of those small trees or 1247 01:16:24,880 --> 01:16:26,479 Speaker 1: something coming in, of course you're gonna have to get 1248 01:16:26,479 --> 01:16:29,880 Speaker 1: all that removed with mechanical you know, uh equipment or whatever. 1249 01:16:30,200 --> 01:16:34,120 Speaker 1: But uh, you spray the field with the appropriate herbicide. 1250 01:16:34,160 --> 01:16:37,120 Speaker 1: You know, almost always glide slike to kill everything down, 1251 01:16:37,360 --> 01:16:40,479 Speaker 1: and then uh you wait for the soil conditions to 1252 01:16:40,479 --> 01:16:43,479 Speaker 1: be appropriate, which usually is is very moist so you 1253 01:16:43,520 --> 01:16:49,320 Speaker 1: can get the proper seeding depth according to what you're planting. Well, 1254 01:16:49,439 --> 01:16:51,920 Speaker 1: you always want the proper seed and depth regardless of 1255 01:16:51,920 --> 01:16:55,000 Speaker 1: what you're planning. But for some uh plants such as 1256 01:16:55,320 --> 01:16:58,679 Speaker 1: you know, soybeans, they can be or cow pas for example, 1257 01:16:58,720 --> 01:17:00,840 Speaker 1: you know inch and a half to two inches deep, 1258 01:17:00,880 --> 01:17:04,639 Speaker 1: but I definitely definitely want them an inch deep, uh, 1259 01:17:04,680 --> 01:17:08,080 Speaker 1: you know. And then of course for smaller seeds, especially clovers, 1260 01:17:08,720 --> 01:17:13,439 Speaker 1: uh even chickory, joint vetch, et cetera. I don't want 1261 01:17:13,439 --> 01:17:15,280 Speaker 1: that any deeper than a quarter of an inch. It's 1262 01:17:15,640 --> 01:17:18,320 Speaker 1: essentially sitting on top of the ground. And so your 1263 01:17:18,360 --> 01:17:21,679 Speaker 1: seedbed preparation when you're planting with a no teel drill 1264 01:17:22,080 --> 01:17:28,080 Speaker 1: is simply to control uh competition. Now, if you're planting conventionally, 1265 01:17:28,560 --> 01:17:32,320 Speaker 1: you know, by by disking and covering the seed with 1266 01:17:32,760 --> 01:17:35,599 Speaker 1: a disk or what some people call I do all 1267 01:17:35,800 --> 01:17:39,400 Speaker 1: or what have you, then uh, you need to to 1268 01:17:39,439 --> 01:17:42,280 Speaker 1: work up the salt where you have for most things 1269 01:17:42,360 --> 01:17:45,760 Speaker 1: a fine seed bed, and then you have to pay 1270 01:17:45,800 --> 01:17:48,840 Speaker 1: particular attention to how deep your planet. And that's going 1271 01:17:48,880 --> 01:17:51,800 Speaker 1: to be more difficult with conventional equipment as opposed to 1272 01:17:52,120 --> 01:17:55,200 Speaker 1: no tail planting, which means for many things, you need 1273 01:17:55,200 --> 01:17:58,720 Speaker 1: to plant more seed per acre than you would if 1274 01:17:58,760 --> 01:18:01,760 Speaker 1: you were no til drilling, cause your seeding depth is 1275 01:18:01,800 --> 01:18:05,280 Speaker 1: not as precise, and so your German nation rate and 1276 01:18:05,360 --> 01:18:07,920 Speaker 1: your seedling survival is not going to be as good. 1277 01:18:08,800 --> 01:18:11,599 Speaker 1: And then finally, after you've prepared a really good seed 1278 01:18:11,600 --> 01:18:16,320 Speaker 1: bed and and of course beforehand you've amended it properly 1279 01:18:16,400 --> 01:18:21,200 Speaker 1: with you know, lime fertilizer or whatever, and especially if 1280 01:18:21,240 --> 01:18:25,599 Speaker 1: we're talking about small seeded species, it is critically important 1281 01:18:25,640 --> 01:18:28,719 Speaker 1: to go over with a culter packer, something that provides 1282 01:18:28,840 --> 01:18:32,240 Speaker 1: good firm seed to soul contact. And I'm not talking 1283 01:18:32,240 --> 01:18:35,320 Speaker 1: about a drag. A drag is something that you pull 1284 01:18:35,360 --> 01:18:38,559 Speaker 1: across the field to help smooth out the seed bed 1285 01:18:38,640 --> 01:18:40,880 Speaker 1: and break up clods and that kind of thing. But 1286 01:18:40,920 --> 01:18:45,559 Speaker 1: a culter packer actually firms up the seed bed and 1287 01:18:45,640 --> 01:18:49,200 Speaker 1: provide you with good firm seed to soul contact, which 1288 01:18:50,280 --> 01:18:56,320 Speaker 1: definitely improves UH seedling survival rates. So so the idea, 1289 01:18:56,400 --> 01:18:58,400 Speaker 1: I know a lot of people talk about using those 1290 01:18:58,439 --> 01:19:00,639 Speaker 1: two things interchangeably. Like if you only have a culter 1291 01:19:00,680 --> 01:19:03,360 Speaker 1: packer a culti packer, you can drag an old chain 1292 01:19:03,439 --> 01:19:05,559 Speaker 1: link fence or something like that. Is it really not 1293 01:19:05,640 --> 01:19:08,280 Speaker 1: going to achieve nearly as as much of what you 1294 01:19:08,320 --> 01:19:10,240 Speaker 1: want to with a dragon that way, or is it 1295 01:19:10,479 --> 01:19:12,200 Speaker 1: still a poor man's version that can kind of get 1296 01:19:12,200 --> 01:19:16,880 Speaker 1: the job done. Um No, it's not a poor man's version. 1297 01:19:16,880 --> 01:19:21,400 Speaker 1: It's just using uh, the incorrect piece of equipment. A 1298 01:19:21,520 --> 01:19:24,880 Speaker 1: drag does not achieved the same effect as a Culter packer. Period. 1299 01:19:25,200 --> 01:19:27,800 Speaker 1: If I don't have a Qulter packer, then I'm going 1300 01:19:27,840 --> 01:19:30,679 Speaker 1: to go over the field, usually with a four wheeler, 1301 01:19:31,080 --> 01:19:34,040 Speaker 1: and firm it up with the four wheeler tires and 1302 01:19:34,320 --> 01:19:38,280 Speaker 1: try it yourself. Go out there and top so your clovers, 1303 01:19:38,360 --> 01:19:42,559 Speaker 1: and then right across it with your fore wheeler about 1304 01:19:42,600 --> 01:19:45,760 Speaker 1: every you know, five or six ft or whatever. Come 1305 01:19:45,800 --> 01:19:48,360 Speaker 1: back two weeks later and look at the green stripes. 1306 01:19:49,520 --> 01:19:52,360 Speaker 1: There will be green stripes wherever your tires are, and 1307 01:19:52,400 --> 01:19:56,120 Speaker 1: in between there will be, of course some clovers or 1308 01:19:56,120 --> 01:19:58,760 Speaker 1: whatever you plan it coming up, but it won't look 1309 01:19:58,800 --> 01:20:01,280 Speaker 1: as good as one of those tires went across. I 1310 01:20:01,320 --> 01:20:03,240 Speaker 1: can attest to what you're saying, because that is I 1311 01:20:03,600 --> 01:20:05,320 Speaker 1: do not have a Culti packer, and so I do 1312 01:20:05,400 --> 01:20:08,400 Speaker 1: exactly that. I write over every square inch that I 1313 01:20:08,479 --> 01:20:11,679 Speaker 1: can of my food plots with my tractor tires. Very 1314 01:20:11,720 --> 01:20:13,439 Speaker 1: you know, cussing up myself for not just buying a 1315 01:20:13,439 --> 01:20:15,400 Speaker 1: Culti packer of the the whole time, and then I have 1316 01:20:15,560 --> 01:20:17,640 Speaker 1: seen where if I do miss an area, you can 1317 01:20:17,680 --> 01:20:20,840 Speaker 1: absolutely tell that you can. And you know, I'm not 1318 01:20:20,960 --> 01:20:24,479 Speaker 1: saying you need to pack the soul down. I don't 1319 01:20:24,520 --> 01:20:27,040 Speaker 1: want to pack the soul down. And you know I've 1320 01:20:27,040 --> 01:20:30,080 Speaker 1: got uh some big tractors that you know I would 1321 01:20:30,080 --> 01:20:33,360 Speaker 1: not do that with because that's that that's too much weight. 1322 01:20:33,400 --> 01:20:36,559 Speaker 1: I'm not trying to compact the soul. I'm just trying 1323 01:20:36,560 --> 01:20:41,720 Speaker 1: to provide good firm seed the soul contact, just just 1324 01:20:41,840 --> 01:20:44,920 Speaker 1: firming it up. Because if you don't do that, think 1325 01:20:44,960 --> 01:20:49,480 Speaker 1: of this. When conditions are are right, the seed germinates 1326 01:20:49,760 --> 01:20:52,160 Speaker 1: and you've got a little rootlet that's coming out of 1327 01:20:52,200 --> 01:20:56,320 Speaker 1: the seed, and if it can't get good immediate contact 1328 01:20:56,360 --> 01:20:59,360 Speaker 1: to mineral soul and it's kind of loose, you're not 1329 01:20:59,439 --> 01:21:02,439 Speaker 1: going to have as good a seedling survival as if 1330 01:21:02,479 --> 01:21:05,160 Speaker 1: it's you know, got good firm contact and that little 1331 01:21:05,200 --> 01:21:07,479 Speaker 1: rootlet can go right down into mental soil and start 1332 01:21:07,520 --> 01:21:11,120 Speaker 1: getting the water. And NU can said it need Yeah, 1333 01:21:11,479 --> 01:21:15,360 Speaker 1: it makes sense. Now I've got a question for Dan 1334 01:21:15,880 --> 01:21:18,320 Speaker 1: over there. You are a first time food player, so 1335 01:21:18,320 --> 01:21:21,639 Speaker 1: as you're hearing Craig walked through all these things from 1336 01:21:21,680 --> 01:21:24,360 Speaker 1: your perspective, as that person who hasn't yet dove into 1337 01:21:24,360 --> 01:21:27,000 Speaker 1: this at all, what are you thinking? What are your 1338 01:21:27,320 --> 01:21:30,560 Speaker 1: what's where are you still confused? What's your question about this? 1339 01:21:30,600 --> 01:21:32,320 Speaker 1: Because I'm I'm hearing all this and I've done it 1340 01:21:32,320 --> 01:21:34,720 Speaker 1: before and I'm familiar with it. But from your perspective, 1341 01:21:34,880 --> 01:21:39,240 Speaker 1: where's where's your head at? Where your questions at? My 1342 01:21:39,240 --> 01:21:41,920 Speaker 1: My whole big thing that I'm going to have to 1343 01:21:41,960 --> 01:21:46,840 Speaker 1: focus on is the this area that I have is 1344 01:21:47,080 --> 01:21:50,920 Speaker 1: an old garden. It has been cleared and in a 1345 01:21:51,080 --> 01:21:54,800 Speaker 1: garden was placed there years ago where they grew vegetables. 1346 01:21:55,280 --> 01:21:58,280 Speaker 1: Now it hasn't. No one's taking care of this area 1347 01:21:58,360 --> 01:22:02,479 Speaker 1: for you know, two years, maybe three years maybe, and 1348 01:22:02,560 --> 01:22:08,519 Speaker 1: there's now this weed bed basically of a grass. My 1349 01:22:08,600 --> 01:22:11,480 Speaker 1: whole thing is how am I going to get equipment 1350 01:22:11,520 --> 01:22:14,559 Speaker 1: down there to get this grass out? You know, I'm 1351 01:22:14,560 --> 01:22:16,920 Speaker 1: gonna spray it, I'm gonna kill it, and I might 1352 01:22:16,960 --> 01:22:19,320 Speaker 1: even do a burn from the sounds of it. But 1353 01:22:20,560 --> 01:22:26,600 Speaker 1: I'm still curious on what needs to be done to 1354 01:22:26,640 --> 01:22:31,320 Speaker 1: remove that that I guess first inchest of where all 1355 01:22:31,320 --> 01:22:35,160 Speaker 1: the this bad grass is growing for me to be 1356 01:22:35,200 --> 01:22:38,519 Speaker 1: successful when I do plant my seeds and you're gonna 1357 01:22:38,560 --> 01:22:45,960 Speaker 1: plant conventionally. Uh, well, I'll probably plant broadcast style. Um. Yeah, 1358 01:22:46,040 --> 01:22:48,920 Speaker 1: So you're gonna you're gonna disk up a seed bed 1359 01:22:49,439 --> 01:22:53,960 Speaker 1: and then you're gonna top sow the seed. Correct? Correct? 1360 01:22:55,640 --> 01:22:59,880 Speaker 1: Uh what equipment do you have, Dan? I'm men do 1361 01:23:00,280 --> 01:23:02,560 Speaker 1: a four wheeler with a disk or some kind of 1362 01:23:02,840 --> 01:23:06,040 Speaker 1: planner or a tractor and a desk or what. As 1363 01:23:06,040 --> 01:23:09,920 Speaker 1: of right now, I have two arms and a garden rate. 1364 01:23:13,280 --> 01:23:19,320 Speaker 1: All right, And you just want me to hang up? 1365 01:23:19,479 --> 01:23:26,479 Speaker 1: I can no. No, there there is hope, but it's 1366 01:23:26,520 --> 01:23:29,840 Speaker 1: a different style. What you're gonna have to do is 1367 01:23:29,920 --> 01:23:37,000 Speaker 1: something called um no till top sewing. Okay, okay, you're 1368 01:23:37,040 --> 01:23:39,840 Speaker 1: not gonna know till drill. You're gonna no till tops o. 1369 01:23:41,160 --> 01:23:47,000 Speaker 1: And you're gonna be forced to use something that has 1370 01:23:47,560 --> 01:23:53,000 Speaker 1: small seed if you know, till tops so large seed 1371 01:23:53,760 --> 01:23:57,960 Speaker 1: such as you know, as I mentioned, cow peas or 1372 01:23:58,720 --> 01:24:03,040 Speaker 1: corn or soy beans, what have you. It's gonna lay 1373 01:24:03,040 --> 01:24:06,240 Speaker 1: there on the ground and rot. It needs to that. 1374 01:24:06,439 --> 01:24:08,720 Speaker 1: Those seed need to be covered, and you have no 1375 01:24:08,800 --> 01:24:11,880 Speaker 1: way to cover the seed. So what you're gonna rely 1376 01:24:11,960 --> 01:24:17,639 Speaker 1: on is mother nature allowing the seed to sift down 1377 01:24:17,840 --> 01:24:21,400 Speaker 1: through dead and decay and organic material that you're gonna 1378 01:24:21,439 --> 01:24:24,960 Speaker 1: spray and kill and it will finally get into a 1379 01:24:25,040 --> 01:24:27,880 Speaker 1: place where it can germinate and grow and you can 1380 01:24:27,880 --> 01:24:29,960 Speaker 1: get a good stand out of that. But you're gonna 1381 01:24:30,000 --> 01:24:35,240 Speaker 1: have to sew at approximately double the rate that you 1382 01:24:35,280 --> 01:24:41,760 Speaker 1: would if you were preparing a seed bed. Okay. And 1383 01:24:41,800 --> 01:24:43,720 Speaker 1: I can't sit here on the phone and tell you 1384 01:24:43,760 --> 01:24:45,800 Speaker 1: exactly what I would do in that field because I 1385 01:24:45,800 --> 01:24:48,799 Speaker 1: don't know what is in that field, But for most 1386 01:24:48,880 --> 01:24:55,400 Speaker 1: of those situations, uh, what I would do is so 1387 01:24:55,640 --> 01:25:00,800 Speaker 1: the best thing for those situations small all seed would 1388 01:25:00,840 --> 01:25:05,519 Speaker 1: be something like, of course clovers or during the warm season, 1389 01:25:06,040 --> 01:25:16,680 Speaker 1: where are you dan, uh Eastern Iowa, Eastern Okay? Well, Uh, 1390 01:25:16,920 --> 01:25:22,080 Speaker 1: I would stick with clovers, and later in the in 1391 01:25:22,120 --> 01:25:26,120 Speaker 1: the growing season, like in in August. You also could 1392 01:25:26,960 --> 01:25:30,639 Speaker 1: know till tops O some brassicas and and and they 1393 01:25:30,680 --> 01:25:34,759 Speaker 1: will come up. Uh you can know till tops, so uh, 1394 01:25:34,840 --> 01:25:40,719 Speaker 1: some cereal grains. I would recommend an onless variety of wheat, 1395 01:25:41,800 --> 01:25:44,559 Speaker 1: and that will that will, that will do fairly well. 1396 01:25:45,000 --> 01:25:48,960 Speaker 1: The critical thing is you've got to control that vegetation. 1397 01:25:49,520 --> 01:25:56,880 Speaker 1: And what I like to do is about three weeks 1398 01:25:57,360 --> 01:26:03,559 Speaker 1: before I hope to see my planting germinate and come out. 1399 01:26:03,920 --> 01:26:06,920 Speaker 1: I will sow the seed at that time and then 1400 01:26:07,000 --> 01:26:11,040 Speaker 1: go through and spray the entire area with glyphosate. In 1401 01:26:11,200 --> 01:26:14,759 Speaker 1: three weeks time, that material is going to die down 1402 01:26:14,920 --> 01:26:17,200 Speaker 1: and it's gonna you know, be starting to fall down 1403 01:26:17,240 --> 01:26:22,960 Speaker 1: on the ground, uh, providing more organic material and you'll 1404 01:26:22,960 --> 01:26:26,519 Speaker 1: see your planet uh seeds starting to come out. Now 1405 01:26:26,560 --> 01:26:29,080 Speaker 1: according to what the seed bank is, you know, you 1406 01:26:29,120 --> 01:26:32,160 Speaker 1: could have uh some other stuff come out as well, 1407 01:26:32,600 --> 01:26:34,479 Speaker 1: and then you're going to be at the mercy of 1408 01:26:34,640 --> 01:26:37,920 Speaker 1: the seed bank with regard to what you can get 1409 01:26:38,040 --> 01:26:42,280 Speaker 1: rid of with with clovers, there's some really good herbicides 1410 01:26:42,360 --> 01:26:46,920 Speaker 1: that you can use to attend to weed pressure. But um, 1411 01:26:46,960 --> 01:26:48,960 Speaker 1: you know that that's something that you have to attend to. 1412 01:26:49,080 --> 01:26:51,440 Speaker 1: So I would look at no till top sew and 1413 01:26:51,439 --> 01:26:54,479 Speaker 1: and spraying at least three weeks prior to when I 1414 01:26:54,520 --> 01:26:58,920 Speaker 1: hope the seed would germinate and start to grow. Got you. Well, 1415 01:26:58,960 --> 01:27:02,160 Speaker 1: there you go down and of course and of course 1416 01:27:02,200 --> 01:27:06,000 Speaker 1: apply the appropriate amount of lime and fertilized according to 1417 01:27:06,120 --> 01:27:11,000 Speaker 1: your soul taste. Right. So okay, so you you started 1418 01:27:11,040 --> 01:27:14,920 Speaker 1: walking us through some different forage options. Given Dan's set 1419 01:27:14,960 --> 01:27:17,880 Speaker 1: of circumstances, and you also alluded to this earlier, how 1420 01:27:17,920 --> 01:27:20,200 Speaker 1: you shouldn't just plant based on what you see on TV. 1421 01:27:20,640 --> 01:27:23,679 Speaker 1: A lot of people, you know, ask what's what should 1422 01:27:23,720 --> 01:27:25,600 Speaker 1: I plant my food plot? And they expect there to 1423 01:27:25,600 --> 01:27:27,839 Speaker 1: be one single answer that's always going to be correct, 1424 01:27:28,040 --> 01:27:29,880 Speaker 1: And of course it's always gonna be different based on 1425 01:27:29,920 --> 01:27:33,320 Speaker 1: your goals, your circumstances and also done different things like that. 1426 01:27:33,720 --> 01:27:37,639 Speaker 1: But could you walk us through at least the process 1427 01:27:37,680 --> 01:27:39,720 Speaker 1: that you think somebody should go through when trying to 1428 01:27:39,760 --> 01:27:42,599 Speaker 1: answer that question for themselves. What is the right thing 1429 01:27:42,640 --> 01:27:45,120 Speaker 1: to be planning? We've we've already talked about looking for 1430 01:27:45,160 --> 01:27:48,160 Speaker 1: the gaps in nutrition across your property. I'm sure that's 1431 01:27:48,200 --> 01:27:50,479 Speaker 1: part of this, but is there anything else that somebody 1432 01:27:50,520 --> 01:27:53,719 Speaker 1: should be thinking about when trying to answer what should 1433 01:27:53,720 --> 01:28:00,120 Speaker 1: I plan? Well, again, I would go back to what 1434 01:28:00,200 --> 01:28:04,680 Speaker 1: I mentioned earlier about looking at the property and identifying, 1435 01:28:05,360 --> 01:28:09,479 Speaker 1: you know, when those gaps are, and then I'm looking 1436 01:28:09,520 --> 01:28:18,639 Speaker 1: at what is providing food at that time. So that's 1437 01:28:18,640 --> 01:28:21,120 Speaker 1: going to vary a little bit with regard to where 1438 01:28:21,160 --> 01:28:23,519 Speaker 1: you are in the country and you know, the the 1439 01:28:23,560 --> 01:28:29,559 Speaker 1: growing season, of course, but just about everywhere think about this. 1440 01:28:29,800 --> 01:28:35,440 Speaker 1: You tell me when our bucks beginning to grow antlers 1441 01:28:36,120 --> 01:28:43,400 Speaker 1: where you live April April and what if you're in 1442 01:28:43,520 --> 01:28:51,439 Speaker 1: Oklahoma beats same time? What about New York time or 1443 01:28:51,479 --> 01:28:56,000 Speaker 1: even North Florida. You know, it's interesting that the timing 1444 01:28:56,240 --> 01:29:02,600 Speaker 1: of bucks growing antlers is really actively tight across the 1445 01:29:02,640 --> 01:29:06,960 Speaker 1: country as opposed to the timing of the rut. Have 1446 01:29:07,040 --> 01:29:09,879 Speaker 1: you ever thought about that? I think it's pretty pretty interesting. 1447 01:29:10,000 --> 01:29:15,400 Speaker 1: It is. So if I'm trying to plant something that 1448 01:29:15,560 --> 01:29:20,800 Speaker 1: is going to provide optimum nutrition for bucks, I'm looking 1449 01:29:20,840 --> 01:29:24,200 Speaker 1: at what's occurring on my property naturally, and I want 1450 01:29:24,200 --> 01:29:28,360 Speaker 1: to make sure that at that time, uh, there is 1451 01:29:28,479 --> 01:29:33,360 Speaker 1: just plentiful, high quality forage. If there's not, you definitely 1452 01:29:33,520 --> 01:29:38,759 Speaker 1: need something that's gonna fit that April May and early 1453 01:29:38,880 --> 01:29:46,479 Speaker 1: June winda um for most areas of the country of 1454 01:29:46,520 --> 01:29:51,360 Speaker 1: the antler growth is complete by August the one so 1455 01:29:53,120 --> 01:29:55,320 Speaker 1: a lot of people, you know, they will plant soybeans, 1456 01:29:55,320 --> 01:29:57,679 Speaker 1: which I am. I am big on planting soybeans for 1457 01:29:57,680 --> 01:30:00,120 Speaker 1: for various reasons. But you know, if you go in 1458 01:30:00,200 --> 01:30:03,920 Speaker 1: and drill your beans or plant your beans in early 1459 01:30:04,160 --> 01:30:07,640 Speaker 1: to mid June, or let's say you planted them in 1460 01:30:07,720 --> 01:30:11,800 Speaker 1: mid May, but you put a fence around them to 1461 01:30:12,000 --> 01:30:17,280 Speaker 1: keep deer out until late July. What did you just 1462 01:30:17,400 --> 01:30:21,960 Speaker 1: achieve You've kept deer from eating the highest quality forward 1463 01:30:22,080 --> 01:30:24,320 Speaker 1: you have during the time that they needed the most. 1464 01:30:24,360 --> 01:30:27,479 Speaker 1: I mean, it's just it's just ultra curious to me. 1465 01:30:27,800 --> 01:30:30,479 Speaker 1: Why why would you do that? I mean, unless you're 1466 01:30:30,479 --> 01:30:32,320 Speaker 1: planning some little bit of plot, you know, for for 1467 01:30:32,439 --> 01:30:34,200 Speaker 1: bow hunting or something like that, and you've got so 1468 01:30:34,240 --> 01:30:36,040 Speaker 1: many deer you can't even get a food plot to grow, 1469 01:30:36,080 --> 01:30:38,559 Speaker 1: which you know, I would argue you have other problems then, 1470 01:30:38,600 --> 01:30:43,479 Speaker 1: But anyway, I want something during that April to June 1471 01:30:43,520 --> 01:30:48,360 Speaker 1: time period, and something that is really good regardless of 1472 01:30:48,360 --> 01:30:53,320 Speaker 1: where you go across the country is perennial clovers and 1473 01:30:53,479 --> 01:30:59,719 Speaker 1: chickery during that time. UM. Another good forage during most 1474 01:30:59,720 --> 01:31:04,520 Speaker 1: of that time is some of the annual clovers. Uh 1475 01:31:04,600 --> 01:31:08,960 Speaker 1: according to where you are, that maybe uh crimson, that 1476 01:31:09,080 --> 01:31:13,519 Speaker 1: may be air leaf, that may be balanza, that may 1477 01:31:13,520 --> 01:31:19,040 Speaker 1: be barsine, and there are some cold tolerant varieties of barsine. 1478 01:31:19,479 --> 01:31:24,559 Speaker 1: Don't overlook the annual clovers that they they will have 1479 01:31:24,680 --> 01:31:29,800 Speaker 1: a place in the management strategy of food plot UH, 1480 01:31:29,960 --> 01:31:33,800 Speaker 1: strategy of most properties. You know for deer and if 1481 01:31:33,840 --> 01:31:38,960 Speaker 1: I'm needing something during the wintertime, I'm concentrating on uh 1482 01:31:39,280 --> 01:31:44,519 Speaker 1: a cool seasoned grain, along with annual clovers and uh 1483 01:31:44,680 --> 01:31:49,760 Speaker 1: of course possibly various brassicas. The perennial forages are not 1484 01:31:49,920 --> 01:31:56,519 Speaker 1: producing forage during the wintertime. Uh literally, unless you're down 1485 01:31:56,640 --> 01:32:01,439 Speaker 1: south where you've got really really mild winters. Uh Well, 1486 01:32:01,520 --> 01:32:04,479 Speaker 1: most areas of the perennial clovers and chicory or in 1487 01:32:04,479 --> 01:32:08,720 Speaker 1: in alfalfa or either dormant, wilted down, or producing no 1488 01:32:08,840 --> 01:32:11,800 Speaker 1: more than literally twenty five or fifty pounds pre acre 1489 01:32:11,920 --> 01:32:14,840 Speaker 1: during during midwinter. They are not what you're looking for. 1490 01:32:15,080 --> 01:32:20,000 Speaker 1: You're looking for annual, cool season cereal grains, especially oats 1491 01:32:20,040 --> 01:32:24,960 Speaker 1: and wheat, and in some areas of really far north, 1492 01:32:25,000 --> 01:32:28,480 Speaker 1: I would go as far as say cereal rye uh 1493 01:32:28,640 --> 01:32:32,720 Speaker 1: annual clovers in the and in various brassicas. And then 1494 01:32:32,960 --> 01:32:36,880 Speaker 1: during that summer period if you're down south, I like 1495 01:32:37,360 --> 01:32:41,600 Speaker 1: uh joint vetchan and alice clover. I like soybeans and 1496 01:32:41,680 --> 01:32:45,760 Speaker 1: cowpeas almost anywhere. But you've got to think about the 1497 01:32:45,800 --> 01:32:48,519 Speaker 1: growth cycle of these plants. You're usually planting them. You 1498 01:32:48,560 --> 01:32:51,880 Speaker 1: know it's going to differ. You know, in latitude, whether 1499 01:32:51,920 --> 01:32:56,519 Speaker 1: you're in uh Michigan or North Louisiana, of course, but 1500 01:32:56,640 --> 01:32:59,920 Speaker 1: typically you're talking about planting in in May early June 1501 01:33:00,000 --> 01:33:03,559 Speaker 1: and something like that. But those plants need a while 1502 01:33:03,840 --> 01:33:08,280 Speaker 1: before they're really providing much production. And so your peak 1503 01:33:08,320 --> 01:33:13,200 Speaker 1: production is going to be August through September according to 1504 01:33:13,520 --> 01:33:17,760 Speaker 1: you know what variety, et cetera. So that's an important time, 1505 01:33:18,360 --> 01:33:24,439 Speaker 1: especially for fons. You know, after fons are winged, they're 1506 01:33:24,479 --> 01:33:28,680 Speaker 1: requiring a very high crew protein content, you know, like 1507 01:33:29,800 --> 01:33:36,559 Speaker 1: nineteen and so that's the time when those natural forages 1508 01:33:36,640 --> 01:33:40,479 Speaker 1: that we talked about earlier that are you know, crew protein, 1509 01:33:40,520 --> 01:33:47,160 Speaker 1: are very low, relatively low in uh nutritional value, although 1510 01:33:47,760 --> 01:33:51,599 Speaker 1: many of them continue to produce leads on the ends 1511 01:33:51,720 --> 01:33:55,320 Speaker 1: of the stems that are very high in in UH 1512 01:33:55,479 --> 01:33:58,240 Speaker 1: in nutrients. And and that's something that's that we found 1513 01:33:58,320 --> 01:34:01,320 Speaker 1: very interesting looking at the difference in nutrition level of 1514 01:34:01,600 --> 01:34:05,200 Speaker 1: young leaves versus old leaves on given plants. But you've 1515 01:34:05,200 --> 01:34:08,160 Speaker 1: got to feel that window of times of the year 1516 01:34:08,240 --> 01:34:12,760 Speaker 1: when nutrition is limited on your property. So as you 1517 01:34:12,840 --> 01:34:14,559 Speaker 1: as you've been discussing this, you've brought for a couple 1518 01:34:14,560 --> 01:34:16,960 Speaker 1: of terms that people new to food plotting may not 1519 01:34:17,160 --> 01:34:21,240 Speaker 1: be familiar with and that's annuals versus perennials and cool 1520 01:34:21,280 --> 01:34:25,400 Speaker 1: season versus warm season. Can you can you help us 1521 01:34:25,439 --> 01:34:28,200 Speaker 1: better understand what those mean and then what are the 1522 01:34:28,360 --> 01:34:33,479 Speaker 1: right applications or or the benefits to either or. An 1523 01:34:33,520 --> 01:34:39,920 Speaker 1: annual plant germinates grows, flowers, produces seed, and dies in 1524 01:34:39,960 --> 01:34:50,360 Speaker 1: one year or within one year. A biennial species germinates grows, 1525 01:34:50,560 --> 01:34:54,439 Speaker 1: for most of them will overwinter either with green leaves 1526 01:34:54,600 --> 01:34:57,679 Speaker 1: or a green rosette, according to what plant you're talking about, 1527 01:34:58,400 --> 01:35:02,519 Speaker 1: and then it will flower the next year, produce seed, 1528 01:35:02,600 --> 01:35:09,000 Speaker 1: and die. A perennial species will germinate and grow. Most 1529 01:35:09,080 --> 01:35:12,439 Speaker 1: of them will flower their first year, produce seed, and 1530 01:35:12,479 --> 01:35:16,120 Speaker 1: then go dormant, and then arise again from their roots 1531 01:35:16,160 --> 01:35:19,679 Speaker 1: system each year thereafter, according to which one you're talking about, 1532 01:35:19,680 --> 01:35:22,880 Speaker 1: from many years, so a perennial species continues to come 1533 01:35:22,920 --> 01:35:27,639 Speaker 1: back from the roots. An annual species relies on throwing 1534 01:35:27,640 --> 01:35:33,200 Speaker 1: off seed to uh to continue you know that species, 1535 01:35:33,200 --> 01:35:36,320 Speaker 1: to persist, and a bi annual species throws off the 1536 01:35:36,400 --> 01:35:43,760 Speaker 1: seed uh in in its second year. Warm season is uh. 1537 01:35:43,800 --> 01:35:47,920 Speaker 1: I won't get into great detail, but in essence, a 1538 01:35:47,960 --> 01:35:52,120 Speaker 1: majority of them grow and produce most of their growth 1539 01:35:52,280 --> 01:35:56,160 Speaker 1: during the warmer months of the year and flower and 1540 01:35:56,200 --> 01:36:01,000 Speaker 1: produce seed toward the end of summer and uh fall. 1541 01:36:02,240 --> 01:36:05,720 Speaker 1: Cool season species grow during cooler months of the year, 1542 01:36:05,840 --> 01:36:09,559 Speaker 1: but not necessarily through the middle of winter, but certainly 1543 01:36:09,840 --> 01:36:13,000 Speaker 1: during the fall and spring months, and they typically flour 1544 01:36:13,120 --> 01:36:17,560 Speaker 1: and produce seed in spring or early summer. So the 1545 01:36:18,160 --> 01:36:24,360 Speaker 1: phonology the timing of these plants is absolutely critical for 1546 01:36:24,400 --> 01:36:28,280 Speaker 1: you to understand in order to one put together a 1547 01:36:28,320 --> 01:36:32,479 Speaker 1: food plot mixture and number two meet the demands of 1548 01:36:32,520 --> 01:36:36,000 Speaker 1: when a new nutritional gap may occur. You know, it's 1549 01:36:37,960 --> 01:36:41,960 Speaker 1: I said something about, you know, the commercial products I am. 1550 01:36:42,000 --> 01:36:46,720 Speaker 1: I am neither positive or negative on them, but I 1551 01:36:46,800 --> 01:36:50,559 Speaker 1: look at them objectively. When I turned the bag upside 1552 01:36:50,560 --> 01:36:53,120 Speaker 1: down and look at the seed tag, and it's got 1553 01:36:53,120 --> 01:36:56,240 Speaker 1: warm season plants and cool season plants, and fords and 1554 01:36:56,280 --> 01:36:58,360 Speaker 1: grasses and a little of this, a little you know, 1555 01:36:58,439 --> 01:37:00,360 Speaker 1: you can just flip that over and put it down. 1556 01:37:01,200 --> 01:37:04,479 Speaker 1: They have put that mixture together for somebody out there 1557 01:37:04,560 --> 01:37:07,120 Speaker 1: is totally ignorant, and they're going to plant it in 1558 01:37:07,240 --> 01:37:09,880 Speaker 1: a wet spot, a clay spot, a dry spot, a 1559 01:37:09,920 --> 01:37:13,280 Speaker 1: sandy spot, and win or summer whenever, and they expect 1560 01:37:13,320 --> 01:37:16,519 Speaker 1: to see something come up and and and they will, 1561 01:37:17,280 --> 01:37:19,800 Speaker 1: but oftentimes at least half of the contents in the 1562 01:37:19,840 --> 01:37:22,200 Speaker 1: bag is totally wasted because they're planting it on the 1563 01:37:22,240 --> 01:37:25,400 Speaker 1: wrong side or at the wrong time whatever. If you 1564 01:37:25,560 --> 01:37:29,320 Speaker 1: understand what you're planting and why, then you're only gonna 1565 01:37:29,400 --> 01:37:33,920 Speaker 1: have species in the mixture that fit the need and 1566 01:37:33,960 --> 01:37:37,640 Speaker 1: the time of when you're planning, and and your successes 1567 01:37:38,040 --> 01:37:44,240 Speaker 1: is far greater. So to the annuals versus perennials again, 1568 01:37:44,760 --> 01:37:48,000 Speaker 1: what would be the benefits to using one over the other. 1569 01:37:49,040 --> 01:37:51,519 Speaker 1: I've certainly, I've certainly got on this path, and I 1570 01:37:51,520 --> 01:37:54,960 Speaker 1: think I understand it. I've been utilizing annuals to reach 1571 01:37:55,000 --> 01:37:56,960 Speaker 1: some of my goals and prails for other goals. But 1572 01:37:57,040 --> 01:37:59,400 Speaker 1: for those that haven't, maybe you know, I just try 1573 01:37:59,439 --> 01:38:03,040 Speaker 1: to understand that distinguishment and utilize that or choose which 1574 01:38:03,040 --> 01:38:06,800 Speaker 1: is the right of the two for their goals. What 1575 01:38:06,840 --> 01:38:12,560 Speaker 1: would that be? When would you use each in different applications? Um, 1576 01:38:13,240 --> 01:38:21,200 Speaker 1: If if I'm up north, then I'm using more perennials 1577 01:38:21,240 --> 01:38:25,559 Speaker 1: than annuals. Probably, and it's according to the property, but 1578 01:38:25,640 --> 01:38:31,400 Speaker 1: probably because perennial cool season species Ladino clover all site 1579 01:38:31,439 --> 01:38:38,120 Speaker 1: clover alpha alpha chickory, etcetera. It's peak production is made 1580 01:38:38,320 --> 01:38:44,160 Speaker 1: through July early August. So although it's it's called a 1581 01:38:44,240 --> 01:38:49,800 Speaker 1: cool and it is cool season species, it's peak production 1582 01:38:49,880 --> 01:38:53,040 Speaker 1: time is during the summer. And that's especially true in 1583 01:38:53,080 --> 01:38:57,519 Speaker 1: the northern latitudes. So the perennial cool season species act 1584 01:38:58,240 --> 01:39:03,120 Speaker 1: as a warm season forage. Then if I'm up north, 1585 01:39:03,320 --> 01:39:06,840 Speaker 1: I'm also going to have either annual cool season species 1586 01:39:07,200 --> 01:39:11,960 Speaker 1: to fill any uh nutrition gaps in winter, or I'm 1587 01:39:11,960 --> 01:39:14,720 Speaker 1: going to have something like soybeans and corn, which are 1588 01:39:14,800 --> 01:39:19,599 Speaker 1: warm season species, but they have food, you know, either 1589 01:39:19,640 --> 01:39:23,480 Speaker 1: the soybeans seed or the corn grain that is available 1590 01:39:23,560 --> 01:39:26,840 Speaker 1: in fall and winter for a good energy source. And 1591 01:39:26,880 --> 01:39:30,519 Speaker 1: of course if you have soybeans, then obviously that provides 1592 01:39:30,600 --> 01:39:34,680 Speaker 1: an outstanding warm season forage source as well. And that's 1593 01:39:34,680 --> 01:39:39,680 Speaker 1: really the reason why soybeans, in my opinion, all things considered, 1594 01:39:39,920 --> 01:39:43,240 Speaker 1: soybeans have to be ranked number one of all food 1595 01:39:43,280 --> 01:39:48,200 Speaker 1: plot plannings because they provide such outstanding warm season forage 1596 01:39:48,439 --> 01:39:51,680 Speaker 1: as well as a fall and winter uh source of 1597 01:39:51,800 --> 01:39:56,280 Speaker 1: energy in their beans. But but food plus soybeans are 1598 01:39:56,320 --> 01:39:58,920 Speaker 1: not you know, a cure all for for for everything. 1599 01:39:58,960 --> 01:40:03,120 Speaker 1: You're You're not going to have of uh soybeans available 1600 01:40:03,800 --> 01:40:11,200 Speaker 1: during that March April May time in most areas of 1601 01:40:11,200 --> 01:40:13,320 Speaker 1: the country, you know, way down south, you can you know, 1602 01:40:14,120 --> 01:40:16,720 Speaker 1: plant soybeans priorily, but still then they're just gonna be 1603 01:40:16,760 --> 01:40:18,880 Speaker 1: tiny and trying to come out of the ground. So 1604 01:40:19,360 --> 01:40:26,040 Speaker 1: during that uh late um or you know, the the 1605 01:40:26,080 --> 01:40:29,439 Speaker 1: early phoning in late just latestation periods in the early 1606 01:40:29,439 --> 01:40:32,679 Speaker 1: phoning and that initial antliger and phase soybeans are providing 1607 01:40:32,720 --> 01:40:36,439 Speaker 1: nothing because they're not out there. And is that that's 1608 01:40:36,439 --> 01:40:39,080 Speaker 1: probably somewhere worth than like your perennial clover might fill 1609 01:40:39,080 --> 01:40:42,880 Speaker 1: that gap, right that that's correct or according to where 1610 01:40:42,880 --> 01:40:47,519 Speaker 1: you are, various annual clovers as well, and um you know, 1611 01:40:47,560 --> 01:40:52,439 Speaker 1: one of a favorite mixture of mine is winter wheat 1612 01:40:52,479 --> 01:40:55,920 Speaker 1: with crimpson clover and araw leaf clover. And according to 1613 01:40:55,920 --> 01:40:58,519 Speaker 1: the situation, I might also add red clover with that. 1614 01:40:59,080 --> 01:41:02,160 Speaker 1: But the crimpson clover and the and the wheat come 1615 01:41:02,200 --> 01:41:05,000 Speaker 1: out of the ground, you know within with with if 1616 01:41:05,080 --> 01:41:08,160 Speaker 1: there's moisture within two weeks after you planet, and so 1617 01:41:08,640 --> 01:41:13,240 Speaker 1: you've got a graze herble stand within four weeks. It 1618 01:41:13,320 --> 01:41:16,720 Speaker 1: goes right through the winter. It will continue to produce 1619 01:41:17,000 --> 01:41:21,080 Speaker 1: through the winter and it, and the crimson clover is 1620 01:41:21,160 --> 01:41:27,479 Speaker 1: good up to about southern Pennsylvania southern Michigan, you know 1621 01:41:27,600 --> 01:41:32,200 Speaker 1: that latitude and and down and air leaf clover might 1622 01:41:32,240 --> 01:41:35,920 Speaker 1: be a touch lower than that, but those two grow 1623 01:41:36,000 --> 01:41:39,840 Speaker 1: through the winter. The crimson clover will flour and die 1624 01:41:40,360 --> 01:41:44,240 Speaker 1: in late April. At that time, it's when you really 1625 01:41:44,240 --> 01:41:46,960 Speaker 1: see the air leafs start to pop out and you know, 1626 01:41:47,520 --> 01:41:52,240 Speaker 1: grow out of the crimson clover. And at that time, 1627 01:41:52,400 --> 01:41:56,800 Speaker 1: the wheat is bolting and producing a seed head. If 1628 01:41:56,840 --> 01:42:00,400 Speaker 1: you've used an onless variety of wheat, or some people 1629 01:42:00,439 --> 01:42:02,840 Speaker 1: call it beardless. You know those wheat seed heads that 1630 01:42:02,920 --> 01:42:05,639 Speaker 1: have those long, stiff hair like structures on it, those 1631 01:42:05,680 --> 01:42:10,240 Speaker 1: are called LMS A w N. Do not plant uh 1632 01:42:10,240 --> 01:42:14,320 Speaker 1: and on the variety of wheat, plant on less varieties 1633 01:42:14,360 --> 01:42:17,160 Speaker 1: of wheat, it's producing a seed head. At that time. 1634 01:42:20,080 --> 01:42:22,520 Speaker 1: Deer will eat those seed heads in the milk stage, 1635 01:42:22,960 --> 01:42:25,599 Speaker 1: and then they will eat those seed heads after they've dried. 1636 01:42:26,720 --> 01:42:29,600 Speaker 1: And on a pro acre basis, you can get you know, 1637 01:42:31,120 --> 01:42:34,640 Speaker 1: a thousand, fiftundred pounds of forage just out of the 1638 01:42:34,680 --> 01:42:37,920 Speaker 1: wheat seed heads. That's free energy. Why would you not 1639 01:42:38,000 --> 01:42:40,760 Speaker 1: take advantage of that? That's one reason why I tend 1640 01:42:40,760 --> 01:42:45,120 Speaker 1: to place wheat above oats and cereal right, because of 1641 01:42:45,160 --> 01:42:48,880 Speaker 1: the value of the wheat seed head. Now, Dear will 1642 01:42:49,960 --> 01:42:56,919 Speaker 1: selectively choose of the cool season grains oats first, cereal 1643 01:42:57,080 --> 01:43:01,439 Speaker 1: right second, and wheat third. And then also, if you 1644 01:43:01,479 --> 01:43:05,919 Speaker 1: have barley, it's it's way way way down, uh, whenever 1645 01:43:05,960 --> 01:43:08,200 Speaker 1: we planted barley and wherever, deer don't touch it, but 1646 01:43:08,240 --> 01:43:11,759 Speaker 1: they will hammer the oats, the rye and the wheat. 1647 01:43:12,680 --> 01:43:15,400 Speaker 1: And when I say rye, please know that I'm talking 1648 01:43:15,400 --> 01:43:20,559 Speaker 1: about annual rye serial right. I'm not talking about rye grass. 1649 01:43:20,960 --> 01:43:25,040 Speaker 1: That's a completely different species. And there is no situation 1650 01:43:25,320 --> 01:43:29,559 Speaker 1: whatsoever anywhere in which I would plant rye grass. There's 1651 01:43:29,600 --> 01:43:32,200 Speaker 1: simply way, way too many other things to plant that 1652 01:43:32,240 --> 01:43:36,800 Speaker 1: are far better and that are much highly selected by 1653 01:43:36,880 --> 01:43:41,000 Speaker 1: deer uh than than rye grass. And so even though 1654 01:43:41,400 --> 01:43:44,640 Speaker 1: oats is selecting number one serial righte number two and 1655 01:43:44,680 --> 01:43:49,960 Speaker 1: wheat number three, I typically go with wheat number one because, 1656 01:43:50,479 --> 01:43:53,240 Speaker 1: first off, the value of the seat did but number two. 1657 01:43:54,320 --> 01:43:56,040 Speaker 1: If you have all three of those out there, you 1658 01:43:56,080 --> 01:43:58,759 Speaker 1: will see dear select one over the other of the other. 1659 01:43:59,680 --> 01:44:02,680 Speaker 1: But if you take one of them away, they will 1660 01:44:02,720 --> 01:44:05,040 Speaker 1: be eating the other two. If you take one of 1661 01:44:05,080 --> 01:44:07,719 Speaker 1: those away, they're gonna be eating the one that's left, 1662 01:44:07,960 --> 01:44:11,519 Speaker 1: just as if you you had the other two. You 1663 01:44:11,560 --> 01:44:15,160 Speaker 1: see what I'm saying. So you know, if you don't 1664 01:44:15,160 --> 01:44:18,280 Speaker 1: have oats or right, they're gonna eat wheat like they 1665 01:44:18,320 --> 01:44:22,200 Speaker 1: would oats or rye if if they were there. Um, 1666 01:44:22,240 --> 01:44:24,880 Speaker 1: but if they're together, they'll select the oats first. So 1667 01:44:24,960 --> 01:44:28,400 Speaker 1: if you're just trying to plant a highly attractive plot 1668 01:44:29,560 --> 01:44:32,920 Speaker 1: and you're not worried about carrying nutrition through the winter, 1669 01:44:34,320 --> 01:44:38,960 Speaker 1: oats is a perfectly fine thing to use. Uh, It's 1670 01:44:39,000 --> 01:44:42,680 Speaker 1: it's very attractive. It's an outstanding forwards. You you know, 1671 01:44:42,720 --> 01:44:46,240 Speaker 1: amendo soul where you can get good production and uh, 1672 01:44:46,360 --> 01:44:50,639 Speaker 1: the nutritional value gonna get easily in excess crew protein 1673 01:44:50,800 --> 01:44:54,679 Speaker 1: and and until the cool season grains begin to bolt, 1674 01:44:55,240 --> 01:44:58,920 Speaker 1: the acid detergent fiber content will be very low. But 1675 01:44:59,120 --> 01:45:02,360 Speaker 1: once the those cool season grains, those grasses start to 1676 01:45:02,880 --> 01:45:06,240 Speaker 1: get large and begin to bolt, the dear use of 1677 01:45:06,320 --> 01:45:09,479 Speaker 1: them drop off precipitously. Now a lot of people look 1678 01:45:09,520 --> 01:45:11,240 Speaker 1: at that or gosh, you know they're not eating any 1679 01:45:11,240 --> 01:45:13,680 Speaker 1: of this. We just need to mow this to, you know, 1680 01:45:13,760 --> 01:45:17,519 Speaker 1: get some fresh growth. Well, if you're planting using wheat 1681 01:45:17,960 --> 01:45:20,360 Speaker 1: and you have those clovers mixed in with it, you 1682 01:45:20,439 --> 01:45:22,719 Speaker 1: don't want to do that because the clovers are still 1683 01:45:22,720 --> 01:45:26,519 Speaker 1: in there and that's providing really good, attractive, nutritious forage. 1684 01:45:26,840 --> 01:45:30,360 Speaker 1: Plus the wheat then will produce that seed head that 1685 01:45:30,360 --> 01:45:32,439 Speaker 1: that deer. Then we'll come in and I mean, it's 1686 01:45:32,439 --> 01:45:34,599 Speaker 1: it's amazing that you know, the pictures that we have 1687 01:45:34,960 --> 01:45:37,479 Speaker 1: where we get down and take a picture, you know, 1688 01:45:37,720 --> 01:45:40,080 Speaker 1: about two ft off the ground, it's just nothing but 1689 01:45:40,200 --> 01:45:43,639 Speaker 1: wheat stock spikes all across the field with not one 1690 01:45:43,680 --> 01:45:47,000 Speaker 1: seed head on it. It's it's it's it's very attractive 1691 01:45:47,080 --> 01:45:49,960 Speaker 1: during that time Megan June and and the air leaf 1692 01:45:50,080 --> 01:45:54,000 Speaker 1: is coming out. The air leaf persist until July. It'll 1693 01:45:54,000 --> 01:45:57,320 Speaker 1: start uh flowering in July, and it'll finish up in 1694 01:45:57,400 --> 01:45:59,880 Speaker 1: late July. So right, there's a plot that I plan 1695 01:46:00,040 --> 01:46:03,439 Speaker 1: it in early to mid September. At this latitude, it 1696 01:46:03,600 --> 01:46:07,479 Speaker 1: is provided outstanding forage and every month of the year 1697 01:46:08,120 --> 01:46:11,400 Speaker 1: through late July. And then if I had red clover, 1698 01:46:11,560 --> 01:46:14,599 Speaker 1: according to what latitude I'm at, that red clover will 1699 01:46:14,640 --> 01:46:19,080 Speaker 1: persist until August. That is the only mixture that I'm 1700 01:46:19,120 --> 01:46:23,120 Speaker 1: aware of, and all of our work that truly is 1701 01:46:23,160 --> 01:46:26,479 Speaker 1: a year round food plot. For dear, there is nothing else. 1702 01:46:26,560 --> 01:46:29,240 Speaker 1: There is no other mixture that I'm aware of that 1703 01:46:29,439 --> 01:46:34,200 Speaker 1: is truly year round in terms of producing during every 1704 01:46:34,240 --> 01:46:37,920 Speaker 1: month of the year and have an adequate standing crop 1705 01:46:38,040 --> 01:46:41,280 Speaker 1: that is sufficient for pretty dog on heavy grays in 1706 01:46:41,400 --> 01:46:45,599 Speaker 1: every month of the year. Mhm. Now, as you're talking 1707 01:46:45,640 --> 01:46:48,840 Speaker 1: about this mixture, I know that there are and you 1708 01:46:49,000 --> 01:46:50,880 Speaker 1: you kind of alluded to this already as well, that 1709 01:46:50,920 --> 01:46:52,960 Speaker 1: there are some things that mix well together. There's some 1710 01:46:53,040 --> 01:46:55,000 Speaker 1: things that don't or they don't make sense to mix 1711 01:46:55,080 --> 01:46:58,320 Speaker 1: together at all. Um, are there any other other handful 1712 01:46:58,560 --> 01:47:01,120 Speaker 1: or a couple of different other mixtures that you've found 1713 01:47:01,160 --> 01:47:03,840 Speaker 1: work well together for whatever goal it might be that 1714 01:47:03,880 --> 01:47:08,479 Speaker 1: you want to you as an example. Oh, yes, there's 1715 01:47:08,560 --> 01:47:11,040 Speaker 1: there's lots of them, and uh, we've put them all 1716 01:47:11,040 --> 01:47:14,080 Speaker 1: in this food plot book. Um. And you know I 1717 01:47:14,080 --> 01:47:16,559 Speaker 1: can't go through all these different mixtures, but you know 1718 01:47:17,160 --> 01:47:19,040 Speaker 1: it's it's easy to get a hold of. You can 1719 01:47:19,080 --> 01:47:23,240 Speaker 1: go to the the UT Extension and Publication site and 1720 01:47:23,360 --> 01:47:26,000 Speaker 1: order it. You can go to the Quality Deer Management 1721 01:47:26,320 --> 01:47:31,280 Speaker 1: Association website and and and order it. And we've you know, 1722 01:47:31,320 --> 01:47:35,000 Speaker 1: we put all of this together. And in this edition 1723 01:47:35,080 --> 01:47:39,360 Speaker 1: here I've put a plant i D Guide in the 1724 01:47:39,400 --> 01:47:45,360 Speaker 1: back of it that shows nice full color pictures, you know, 1725 01:47:45,560 --> 01:47:49,080 Speaker 1: several pictures of each species, so you can see what 1726 01:47:49,240 --> 01:47:51,360 Speaker 1: these plants are that might be growing in your food 1727 01:47:51,360 --> 01:47:55,120 Speaker 1: plots or in your in your fields. How to identify 1728 01:47:55,800 --> 01:47:59,320 Speaker 1: whether they're good for wildlife or not, and if they're not, 1729 01:48:00,160 --> 01:48:02,920 Speaker 1: you might do use or spray to get rid of them. 1730 01:48:03,320 --> 01:48:05,240 Speaker 1: That's perfect. That was exactly one of the things I 1731 01:48:05,280 --> 01:48:07,120 Speaker 1: was wondering about as we were talking through all is 1732 01:48:07,160 --> 01:48:11,400 Speaker 1: different aspects of habitats. How do you identify which ones 1733 01:48:11,439 --> 01:48:13,599 Speaker 1: are good, which ones are bad, what the deal with them? 1734 01:48:13,880 --> 01:48:17,160 Speaker 1: And that's that sounds it is not easy to find 1735 01:48:17,280 --> 01:48:20,280 Speaker 1: that information. And I get asked at all the time, 1736 01:48:20,360 --> 01:48:22,760 Speaker 1: and it took, to be quite honest with you, a 1737 01:48:22,760 --> 01:48:26,000 Speaker 1: long time to put this together. But uh, and and 1738 01:48:26,040 --> 01:48:29,479 Speaker 1: you know, there's there's still more that that that I'd 1739 01:48:29,520 --> 01:48:31,280 Speaker 1: like to add, and might do that in a in 1740 01:48:31,320 --> 01:48:34,040 Speaker 1: a later edition, but this one I think I've got. 1741 01:48:34,479 --> 01:48:37,800 Speaker 1: Don't hold me to this, but it's it's more than 1742 01:48:37,840 --> 01:48:41,679 Speaker 1: two d and fifty species it's in there. And uh, 1743 01:48:41,920 --> 01:48:44,880 Speaker 1: of course it's not everything that you would find everywhere. 1744 01:48:45,479 --> 01:48:50,400 Speaker 1: But it's got species and pictures in there from uh 1745 01:48:50,439 --> 01:48:56,200 Speaker 1: everywhere from Michigan and Iowa and Kansas to uh Mississippi, 1746 01:48:56,439 --> 01:49:01,000 Speaker 1: the mid South, New York, Pennsylvania, throughout the Eastern United 1747 01:49:01,000 --> 01:49:04,799 Speaker 1: States across to the Great Plains. So, in addition to 1748 01:49:05,240 --> 01:49:08,120 Speaker 1: the species identification and those things you just mentioned there, 1749 01:49:08,320 --> 01:49:10,320 Speaker 1: what else is in the book? What else should we 1750 01:49:10,360 --> 01:49:18,400 Speaker 1: be looking for? Well, the first of the whole portion 1751 01:49:18,479 --> 01:49:22,120 Speaker 1: of the book is a guide to wildlife food plots. 1752 01:49:22,120 --> 01:49:26,559 Speaker 1: So it tells you everything from considerations and a food 1753 01:49:26,560 --> 01:49:34,200 Speaker 1: plot management plan, UH, considering your objectives, UH, everything about souls, 1754 01:49:34,200 --> 01:49:39,880 Speaker 1: soil nutrition, amending souls, everything about the various nutrients and lime. 1755 01:49:40,640 --> 01:49:43,799 Speaker 1: It's there's a chapter of course on weed and pest control, 1756 01:49:43,960 --> 01:49:48,519 Speaker 1: all about the herbicides and pesticides. There's a chapter on deer, 1757 01:49:48,680 --> 01:49:52,280 Speaker 1: a chapter on turkeys, a chapter on UH bob white 1758 01:49:52,439 --> 01:49:58,320 Speaker 1: morning dub waterfowl, a chapter on woods roads. UH. There's 1759 01:49:58,400 --> 01:50:04,920 Speaker 1: appendices that provide planting charts and UH charts on which 1760 01:50:04,960 --> 01:50:10,320 Speaker 1: species do you prefer? For a second third, UH appendacies 1761 01:50:10,360 --> 01:50:15,920 Speaker 1: on the herbicides and pesticides. UH. And and then you've 1762 01:50:15,920 --> 01:50:17,639 Speaker 1: got the whole plant I D Guide In the back 1763 01:50:17,720 --> 01:50:20,559 Speaker 1: of it. So so this is I think it's a 1764 01:50:20,560 --> 01:50:22,400 Speaker 1: perfect place for us to wrap things up too, because 1765 01:50:22,400 --> 01:50:24,720 Speaker 1: we've taken a lot of your time and we appreciate that. 1766 01:50:25,000 --> 01:50:27,920 Speaker 1: But it sounds like if anyone out there this conversation 1767 01:50:28,600 --> 01:50:32,080 Speaker 1: is that that the the appetizer, this is the beginning 1768 01:50:32,120 --> 01:50:33,880 Speaker 1: of your interest in food plots, or you know you 1769 01:50:33,920 --> 01:50:35,880 Speaker 1: want to do it, but you haven't really had what 1770 01:50:36,200 --> 01:50:38,640 Speaker 1: maybe the resources or the get up and go to 1771 01:50:38,680 --> 01:50:41,240 Speaker 1: go do it. Now, if you've heard this and you're 1772 01:50:41,240 --> 01:50:43,960 Speaker 1: excited and you're motivated, or you want that little extra, 1773 01:50:44,000 --> 01:50:46,240 Speaker 1: it sounds like this book of yours, Craig is going 1774 01:50:46,280 --> 01:50:48,400 Speaker 1: to give them everything else they need to do to 1775 01:50:48,479 --> 01:50:51,120 Speaker 1: take from our conversation here as a starting point to 1776 01:50:51,240 --> 01:50:53,720 Speaker 1: then apply to everything else they need to to go 1777 01:50:53,760 --> 01:50:55,479 Speaker 1: and actually put something in the ground that will make 1778 01:50:55,760 --> 01:50:58,200 Speaker 1: a positive difference for their dearness. I believe you're also 1779 01:50:58,920 --> 01:51:03,880 Speaker 1: there's also more information about the early successional habitat as well. Correct, Yes, 1780 01:51:04,320 --> 01:51:07,400 Speaker 1: uh that you know that plant I d guide in 1781 01:51:07,400 --> 01:51:10,559 Speaker 1: the back that is a guide to early successional plants, 1782 01:51:10,920 --> 01:51:15,679 Speaker 1: and there's information in there on of course, managing early 1783 01:51:15,800 --> 01:51:19,400 Speaker 1: successional areas, and we have other publications on that as 1784 01:51:19,439 --> 01:51:23,040 Speaker 1: well if if somebody goes to my web page perfect 1785 01:51:23,080 --> 01:51:25,639 Speaker 1: well on that note, then Craig, I know you mentioned 1786 01:51:25,640 --> 01:51:27,320 Speaker 1: it briefly, but can you again tell us where we 1787 01:51:27,360 --> 01:51:29,519 Speaker 1: can find that information and where we can purchase the 1788 01:51:29,520 --> 01:51:34,880 Speaker 1: copy of the book, either through the University of Tennessee. Uh, 1789 01:51:34,920 --> 01:51:37,640 Speaker 1: you can go to UT Extension or you can go 1790 01:51:37,760 --> 01:51:41,880 Speaker 1: to the Department of Forestry, Wildlife and Fisheries. Uh. It's 1791 01:51:41,920 --> 01:51:45,720 Speaker 1: easy enough just by googling my name and uh U 1792 01:51:45,760 --> 01:51:48,479 Speaker 1: T and you'll find that easy enough. And of course 1793 01:51:49,000 --> 01:51:52,680 Speaker 1: the Quality of Deer Management Association carries the book. They 1794 01:51:52,760 --> 01:51:56,000 Speaker 1: provide it in uh in what they call their shared 1795 01:51:56,600 --> 01:51:59,479 Speaker 1: where you can buy products and and I might also 1796 01:51:59,560 --> 01:52:01,240 Speaker 1: mention the people who want to get more of this 1797 01:52:01,320 --> 01:52:04,559 Speaker 1: kind of information. We we provide this and so much 1798 01:52:04,600 --> 01:52:07,839 Speaker 1: more in those Dear Steward courses offered through the Quality 1799 01:52:07,880 --> 01:52:11,920 Speaker 1: Dear Management Association, and they're held across the country, and uh, 1800 01:52:12,080 --> 01:52:14,840 Speaker 1: you know, it's a great opportunity for somebody learned all 1801 01:52:14,920 --> 01:52:18,280 Speaker 1: kinds of stuff about dear dear habitat and uh you know, 1802 01:52:18,520 --> 01:52:21,800 Speaker 1: some aspects about hunting as well. So true, Yeah, as 1803 01:52:21,840 --> 01:52:24,479 Speaker 1: I mentioned earlier, I attended one of those courses I 1804 01:52:24,520 --> 01:52:26,840 Speaker 1: think seven or eight years ago, and it really was 1805 01:52:27,000 --> 01:52:30,719 Speaker 1: one of the without a doubt, probably the single greatest 1806 01:52:30,920 --> 01:52:34,960 Speaker 1: educational opportunity I've had when it comes to Dear Habitat 1807 01:52:35,000 --> 01:52:37,439 Speaker 1: and all these things. So so I can't I cannot 1808 01:52:37,439 --> 01:52:40,040 Speaker 1: recommend them enough and creg are you gonna be participating 1809 01:52:40,040 --> 01:52:44,200 Speaker 1: in them again this summer? Yes, we have uh I 1810 01:52:44,240 --> 01:52:49,200 Speaker 1: think two Dear Steward one courses and at least to 1811 01:52:49,560 --> 01:52:53,960 Speaker 1: Dear Steward two courses. Okay, one of them is coming 1812 01:52:54,040 --> 01:53:00,680 Speaker 1: up here pretty soon and in Iowa. Uh yea. If 1813 01:53:00,760 --> 01:53:08,160 Speaker 1: they through, I believe it is great. And I think 1814 01:53:08,240 --> 01:53:11,519 Speaker 1: that includes a site visit to Bill Winkie's property as well, 1815 01:53:11,520 --> 01:53:14,639 Speaker 1: which I which I imagine would be pretty interesting. Yes, yes, 1816 01:53:14,680 --> 01:53:17,679 Speaker 1: it'll be. It'll be a fun time. That's terrific. Well 1817 01:53:17,960 --> 01:53:20,720 Speaker 1: for anyone out there who who hasn't already checked that out, 1818 01:53:20,960 --> 01:53:24,040 Speaker 1: I highly recommend definitely giving it a look. And if 1819 01:53:24,080 --> 01:53:26,519 Speaker 1: you can't make one of the in person opportunities, which 1820 01:53:26,640 --> 01:53:28,160 Speaker 1: which I do think are the best way to go 1821 01:53:28,200 --> 01:53:31,440 Speaker 1: about it, I think there are also some great opportunities 1822 01:53:31,479 --> 01:53:34,000 Speaker 1: with the online modules that are available. There's an online 1823 01:53:34,080 --> 01:53:36,000 Speaker 1: version of the Dear Stuart of course, which definitely can 1824 01:53:36,040 --> 01:53:38,519 Speaker 1: be a great education too, so check those out at 1825 01:53:38,640 --> 01:53:42,040 Speaker 1: qum a dot com and Craig, I just can't thank 1826 01:53:42,040 --> 01:53:44,960 Speaker 1: you enough. This has been really, really interesting and I 1827 01:53:44,960 --> 01:53:47,400 Speaker 1: think for everybody out there who's ever wondered about food 1828 01:53:47,439 --> 01:53:49,720 Speaker 1: plots getting started or taking their food plot game to 1829 01:53:49,760 --> 01:53:51,840 Speaker 1: the next level, I think you just made a huge 1830 01:53:51,880 --> 01:53:54,920 Speaker 1: difference for them. So thanks for that. Well, you're most 1831 01:53:55,000 --> 01:53:58,960 Speaker 1: welcome and I enjoyed it and appreciate you asking me 1832 01:53:59,000 --> 01:54:02,200 Speaker 1: to be absolutely and Dan had to jump off because 1833 01:54:02,240 --> 01:54:05,719 Speaker 1: of children issues with a little little kids in the family, 1834 01:54:05,760 --> 01:54:07,599 Speaker 1: but he wanted to say thank you as well, Craig, 1835 01:54:07,680 --> 01:54:10,320 Speaker 1: so I we will make sure to include links to 1836 01:54:10,800 --> 01:54:13,040 Speaker 1: everything you mentioned for folks to check out the book 1837 01:54:13,240 --> 01:54:15,639 Speaker 1: and uh, I guess until we chat next time. Thanks 1838 01:54:15,680 --> 01:54:19,040 Speaker 1: again and good luck this summer and fall. Alright, very 1839 01:54:19,040 --> 01:54:21,759 Speaker 1: good same to you and look forward to seeing you again. 1840 01:54:22,720 --> 01:54:26,720 Speaker 1: Well there you go, talk about a serious education on 1841 01:54:26,920 --> 01:54:31,040 Speaker 1: deer habitat. Just awesome, awesome stuff there. And with that 1842 01:54:31,080 --> 01:54:33,280 Speaker 1: we are going to wrap things up a few quick 1843 01:54:33,320 --> 01:54:36,280 Speaker 1: reminders though. First be sure to check out the New 1844 01:54:37,480 --> 01:54:40,680 Speaker 1: Wild podcast. We've just released a new episode featuring Rod 1845 01:54:40,760 --> 01:54:43,760 Speaker 1: Owen of the Jury Outdoors team, and we're discussing how 1846 01:54:43,840 --> 01:54:46,720 Speaker 1: to sell film your hunt, so check that out and 1847 01:54:46,840 --> 01:54:50,000 Speaker 1: please subscribe and leave us a rating or review on iTunes. 1848 01:54:50,040 --> 01:54:52,720 Speaker 1: It's a huge help. We also need to thank our 1849 01:54:52,760 --> 01:54:55,720 Speaker 1: partners who helped make this podcast possible, so big thank 1850 01:54:55,760 --> 01:54:59,760 Speaker 1: you too, Sick of Gear, Trophy, Ridge Bear Archery, Redneck Blinds, 1851 01:55:00,080 --> 01:55:04,160 Speaker 1: Tara Maps, Oxonics, Carbon Express, Maven Optics, and the White 1852 01:55:04,160 --> 01:55:08,120 Speaker 1: Tailed Institute of North America. And finally, thank you all 1853 01:55:08,200 --> 01:55:10,760 Speaker 1: for joining us. I hope this episode inspired you to 1854 01:55:10,760 --> 01:55:12,400 Speaker 1: get a little dirt in your hands and to get 1855 01:55:12,440 --> 01:55:16,560 Speaker 1: outside improving deer habitat. And of course, until next time, 1856 01:55:17,120 --> 01:55:19,040 Speaker 1: stay Wired to Hunt.