Bringing Science
To Landowners
Looking Beyond
"Food" Plots
We love helping with attraction plantings (food plots), they're fun to plan and they can certainly pay off if done right. That said, planting traditional crops specifically for wildlife is actually a relatively new practice which began in the 1980's. White-tailed deer have existed in North American for thousands of years in their present form without the aid of artificial foods.
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Free Deer Food?
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Landowners who learn how to manipulate natural vegetation can offer deer resources that don't exist on their neighbor's property. Additionally, development and maintenance of native forages and browse costs less than 20% of a typically managed food plot.
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This approach is widely acknowledged by the country's top deer biologists as being the most effective way to increase wild game populations.
For the majority of our clients, devoting a few hundred hours to sift through the enormous library of deer habitat articles and podcasts isn't an option. What if there was a way you could simply hire someone who already had?
Pleased to meet you, won't you step out to our office?
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We have done the work of sorting through decades of research and hundreds of habitat recommendations so that we can implement the most productive methods to attract and hold healthier deer on your property.
Our approach combines the worlds of science, land stewardship, and sport in order to bring practical, cost-effective solutions to your hunting property.
The Process
1.
Tour of the Property and Initial Assessment: This typically takes 2-8 hours depending on tract size and cover complexity.
Cost: $70 to $350
2.
Complete a SWOT analysis of current resources and layout. What's there now and what are the major limiting factors?
Cost: $40 to $80
3.
Publish a cover map, list potential projects, and begin prioritizing recommended improvements.
Cost: $0 to 120
4a.
Fast-track option: Outline basic activities and provide quote for priority improvements over a 12-18 month time interval. Deliver contract for services.
Cost: $0
4b.
Long-term approach: Develop comprehensive habitat improvement plan while incorporating hunting strategy modifications. Provide detailed description and timeline of each practice segment.
Cost: $400 to $1200
5a.
Implement/install portion or all recommended practices based on contract items, such as:
-Prescribed Fire
-Food Plot establishment
-Herbicide application
-Trail construction
Cost: Varies among items
5b.
Provide scheduled services based on a custom management proposal covering 6 - 36 months billed
semi-annually.
Cost $800 to $2400 annually depending on property & practices
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FOREST & COVER MAP
Think of this as drafting a map of potential resources. This is first editon will continue to gain precision over time to include bedding areas, trails, food plots, and enhancement zones. This map can be published to view on smartphones and tablets with GPS location even without cell coverage.
INVITE AN EXPERT
Graham McNeil is a current land management client who is now an trusted advisor. His extensive knowledge of white-tailed deer behavior takes strategy to the highest level. We're waiting to see if he starts growing antlers.
Combining his perspective on setup and access routes with the proper habitat manipulation will maximize your opportunities and eliminate 90% of the mistakes most hunters make.
CAMERA TRAPPING
A focused inventory provides baseline herd data for developing and implementing habitat management .
Though getting photos like the one below is a promising start, it's only the first part of the equation.
Goal #2 is getting those deer in front of the stand during daylight hours. Outlining travel behaviors will indicate the best places to make adjustments.
ENHANCEMENTS
Rotational disking, food plot establishment, controlled burns, hinge-cutting, insulated stands, trail network building, tree & shrub planting, pond construction....the list is long. What do you do first? Let us help you figure that out. Maybe you need us to bring a tractor or simply want technical advice so you can do it yourself. No problem, we've got you covered there as well. You dream, we'll make sure it happens.
Graham is a successful engineer based in Greensboro, NC and spends the rest of
his time thinking about hunting.
To book a visit from Graham, please use
our contact form:
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