Everyone interested in practicing wildlife habitat improvement on their own land finds themselves at different locations along the learning curve. The humbling truth is that there is always something to learn from others who have taken those steps ahead of us and are willing to share the lessons learned from not only the successes but also from the mistake made along the way, which may include lost investment in both time and resources.

Since having practiced progressively more serious wildlife habitat management on my personal property and on land that I have had the good fortune to just have good old- fashion permission to do so on, I have learned a lot during the last 20 years. I feel very blessed to call some of the brightest minds in deer management personal friends of mine, and also to have the passion that it takes to learn from the school of trial and error during those years. Having put these resources and experiences into practice has allowed me to experience a great deal of rewarding satisfaction on my own land and I am honored to share my experiences with others who might benefit from what I have learned.

For those that might be interested I can share from experiences in the following areas;

• Food plot installation and preparation techniques regarding equipment usage, and proper order of events. Including soil testing and amenities.
• The proper ratios of perennial forages, and both warm season and cool season annuals to keep food available on your property at all times.
• Creating new planting areas from non traditional agricultural areas including woodland openings, idle pasture and weedy/thicket areas.
• Maintaining existing plantings including spraying for invasive weeds and grasses, mechanical mowing timing, and proper techniques.
• Site and species selection for the best plot yields and benefits, including best hunting locations, and wildlife utilization concerning all criteria, including: soil types, sun exposure, wind direction, equipment access, hunting access, topography, available moisture etc.
• Mineral supplement usage for both herd health and camera surveying.
• Timber Stand Improvement for both marketable timber and wildlife value.
• Identification of tree species both of timber value and relevance to wildlife value.
• Creation of sanctuaries through timber cutting activities.
• Usage of warm season grasses and other natives to create security cover including both visual and thermal protection.
• Proper installation of warm season grasses and critical early establishment maintenance.
• Planting of trees and shrubs for mast production, screening and aesthetics.
• Aging of deer through both camera imagery and jawbone- tooth wear and replacement techniques.
• Hunting setups based upon the properties unique factors: bedding and feeding locations, topography, wind direction, hunter entrance-exit opportunities, etc.
• Pond maintenance for aquatic weed and algae control.
• Turf grass maintenance for lawn and access road areas including fertilization and weed control techniques.

Many of these topics can be covered through phone and or email conversations. Many times property owners have sent aerial photographs of their properties along with ideas of implementing practices in certain areas and are seeking opinions and advice. This may be very useful for surface level interaction, however if you would be interested in a personal site visit and assistance, please feel free to discuss the opportunities with me. Fees would be relative to distance, time required and travel expenses.