Whitetail Landscapes - Hunting & Habitat Management

In this episode, Jon Teater (Whitetail Landscapes) and Roger Samson (REP-Canada) discuss improved warm season grass varieties that are available to habitat managers.  Roger explains his experience and natural grasses. Roger goes over the history of Switchgrass and other varieties like Cave in Rock and Blackwell. Roger details the original focus of switchgrass and benefits of cattle, mining locations, reclamation, mulching, and biofuels.Roger explains the evolution of switchgrass, prior switchgrass problems such as slow emergence, morphology, seedling vigor, etc. Roger worked to solve these issues, taking 30 years to establish a breeding program that created taller, erect, and quick emergence grasses. Roger and Jon discuss wildlife uses and the benefits to our soil, and soil habitat.Roger explains the advanced developed varieties of switchgrass, RC Big Rock and RC Tecumseh, and the benefits compared to prior varieties. Roger explains the differences in physical characteristics and the purpose behind each, and what varieties would be adapted to specific site conditions (rain, heat, etc.).  Jon and Roger dialogue about developing plants that can stand taller, more erect, and withstand ice and snow loads.Roger discusses new planting methods and a new variety of big bluestem variety that will soon be in the market. Roger details specifics on plant spacing and why solid seeding stands may not be the best option. Roger discusses options for planting that provides ideal spacing for ground birds (turkey).Roger discusses the cost variances of switchgrass versus other options like miscanthus, specifically miscanthus giganteus. Roger explains the performance variances versus miscanthus and the morphology as compared to other non-native plants. Roger details all the benefits of switchgrass why these next generation varieties outcompete other grass types. Roger explains more on herbicides, combinations of plantings and frost seeding as an option.   Social Linkshttps://whitetailcompany.com/https://www.facebook.com/groups/1274817483284551https://whitetaillandscapes.com/https://www.facebook.com/whitetaillandscapes/https://www.instagram.com/whitetail_landscapes/?hl=en Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this episode, Jon Teater (Whitetail Landscapes) and Matt Ross (National Deer Alliance) discuss what we can do to better our landscapes and considerations for improving deer health into the winter months. Matt discusses his history at Quality Deer Management and the NDA, his background and land management strategies that support our deer herds. Matt discusses factors that land managers can control and what is most critical this time of year.  Matt focuses on food sources in the summer and fall to support our deer through the winter.Matt explains deer biology and what is essential to support deer health leading up to winter months. Matt discusses deer’s metabolic state and what behavior changes happen through the winter months. Matt explains a misnomer that most are unfamiliar with as it pertains to a deer’s diet. Matt discusses weight loss and how deer sustain themselves through the hardest months of the year.Matt provides explanations on how to techniques to measure deer health with evaluating fat content to determine current body condition. Matt and Jon discuss winter severity and impacts on the deer, and how to measure this on your landscape. Jon provides an explanation of how he attacks the winter improvement to support deer and what calculation he uses to evaluate deer numbers and impact on the landscape.Matt and Jon discuss food preferences in the winter. Matt details specific plants and provides a rule to help support/ensure that your deer meet the baseline diet, and what we can do to increase the gains in the summer months. Matt and Jon discuss what foods, trees and shrubs deer prefer in the winter months. Matt discusses natural ecology and the examples of techniques you can use to benefit your deer and the resultant landscape. Matt and Jon discuss deer fecal matter, and explain methods of how to use pellet counts to measure deer and the volume of fecal matter. Matt and Jon talk about what plants deer should not be eating and plants that are indicators of poor-quality habitat.Social Linkshttps://whitetailcompany.com/https://deerassociation.com/https://www.instagram.com/mattross_nda/?hl=enhttps://whitetaillandscapes.com/https://www.facebook.com/whitetaillandscapes/https://www.instagram.com/whitetail_landscapes/?hl=en Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this episode, Jon Teater (Whitetail Landscapes), discusses a hat giveaway this week from Whitetail Company. If you want to get in on the giveaway, please email me jon@whitetaillandscapes.com. This week Greg Berndtson (Berndtson Timber Management) and Jon talk forestry, logging, and deer. Greg is a forester and logger, and provides his background and management tactics that are intended to evolve properties as we know it. Greg explains the equipment he uses afield to manage his jobs to ensure he can perform and work is done efficiently.Jon discusses ecological restoration, low grade timber and goal setting. Greg explains how to approach valuing timber and future potential. Greg explains what is good versus bad timber and what tree species we may want to keep or get rid of your property. Greg talks about diversity and what species in his region are considered low grade and explains the market option for low grade. Greg talks about steering the forest in a healthy direction and what you can do as a landowner.Greg explains the human dynamic of property management, evaluating a property and why our forests need good work to ensure that commercial harvest creates better quality down the road. Greg explains the step-by-step process to changing the forest, and how he approaches the understory and overstory of our woodlots to improve areas for silviculture purposes. Greg mentions the legacy impacts of deer browse and harm it creates to better quality habitat that most are trying to develop.Greg and Jon discuss forest health and looking at individual trees to determine what trees we want to keep on the landscape. Greg provides a formula on general and specific tree species to consider when making decisions to cut or leave. Greg explains the volume (in tonnage) that he would consider reasonable for considering a low-grade timber job. Greg the benefits of his business for clients and what doing good forestry means to him. Greg and Jon end with discussions around building a better property around an equation of smart timber management, resulting in better deer and deer habitat.Social Linkshttps://whitetailcompany.com/http://www.berndtsontimber.com/https://www.facebook.com/BerndtsonTimberManagement/https://whitetaillandscapes.com/https://www.facebook.com/whitetaillandscapes/https://www.instagram.com/whitetail_landscapes/?hl=en Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this episode, Jon Teater (Whitetail Landscapes), discusses the failures in not asking the necessary questions when hiring a consultant. Jon provides explanations on what questions to ask a consultant and details failures of both the consultant and client and how to avoid those. Jon provides information on his master class and future giveaways.Jon provides an explanation of the significance of designing and laying out a hunting property, specifically building bedding areas. Jon explains the importance of defining goals and objectives for landowners and using those as a basis to start a property design. Jon explains tree species to cut and how he has designed forest land to act more like shrubland and details a specific area that he designed to kill his target buck.Jon goes into detail on how to keep deer longer in bedding areas, what deer need and how to take your property to the next level to harvest mature bucks. Jon explains how to manage bedding areas and how to influence interest by deer, comfort, and wind manipulation. Jon provides general guidance on what deer want in key areas on a property and how the design tactics used will create a better chance to harvest deer.Social Linkshttps://whitetaillandscapes.com/https://www.facebook.com/whitetaillandscapes/https://www.instagram.com/whitetail_landscapes/?hl=en Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this episode, Jon Teater (Whitetail Landscapes) and Will Gulsby (Auburn University/ Wild Turkey Science Podcast) discuss coyotes, land management, coyote removal, fawn recruitment, and predator-proofing a property. Will discusses coyote ecology, and the purpose these animals serve on the landscape. Will describes the biology of predators and how coyotes serve to the betterment of our landscape and how we sometimes paint a bad picture of their role. Will explains the historical relevance of predators and the evolution of coyotes as it pertains to their specific role in the wildlife community.Will explains small predators, competition of food sources and the niche role coyotes can play in developed areas that have overpopulation of deer numbers, where fawn recruitment is high. Will introduces social carrying capacity and balancing deer numbers, hunting, and focuses on what many misinterpret as myths to the significance of coyotes. Will discusses coyotes’ diet, and the evolution of change as wolves have left the landscape. Will explains the variation in diets seasonally, and the misinterpretation of coyote kills based on scavenging verse predation. Will discusses primary winter diets and the transition to summer diets, specifically plant material. Will discusses scat surveys that he does with coyotes and how to better understand diets throughout each year and what scat reveals about a coyote.Will discusses game birds (i.e. turkey) and the mortality that may persist on the landscape because of various predators. Will explains how difficult it is to evaluate predator kills, scavenging and the impact of coyotes on turkeys and the related population. Will and Jon discuss foxes, racoons and other predators on the landscape and the ecological roles. Will explains indiscriminate killing, if killing coyotes in small- or large-scale matters and if reproduction increases and what other factors like resident or nomadic, type animals are relevant to decisions to manage coyotes. Will explains compensatory immigration and how removing coyotes may be filled by other coyotes, with the potential to increase population. Will provides the scale and size of movements of coyotes and some coyotes can travel far greater than many would think.Will discusses more on predator control programs, and factors that are relevant to assessing the impact of trapping and killing of coyotes. Will explains ideal conditions in trapping coyotes and efficiency in scale and size on the landscape. Will details annual verse occasional trapping and hunting. Will introduces the concept that habitat management is also a predator management tactic, and habitat impacts predation rates.Jon and Will discuss habitat management and the tactics surrounding design options and how to look at properties on a large scale.  Will discusses a relevant study that details forest types and age classes that is relevant to fawn survival. Will dives deeper into landscape design philosophies and options to ensure that better habitat can exist supporting our resident deer herd. Will and Jon discuss fear ecology and the impact on deer. Will explains how this has been studied and deer behavior as it relates to predators.  Social Linkshttps://turkeysfortomorrow.org/wild-turkey-science-podcast/https://podcasts.apple.com/pe/podcast/wild-turkey-science/id1666903553https://whitetaillandscapes.com/https://www.facebook.com/whitetaillandscapes/https://www.instagram.com/whitetail_landscapes/?hl=en Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this episode, Jon Teater (Whitetail Landscapes) and Perry Battin (Drury Outdoors) discuss deer management, harvest strategy to assess deer numbers to improve quality habitats and grow larger bucks. Jon discusses time of year and winter severity indexes that impact deer in the north country. Jon discusses carry capacity and what significance this has on our deer populations, the mouths we are trying to feed and how to evaluate disease issues that reduce our deer numbers accordingly.Perry breaks down the volume of food on the farm he manages, numbers of deer on individual farms and assessment on the volume of deer and the right approach to evaluating the number of deer. Perry talks about buck to doe ratios, doe, and fawn.  Perry discusses drought in the Midwest, Southwest, West, South of the United States and the impact on deer and antler growth. Jon explains techniques to evaluating deer numbers and how to relate that to the properties we hunt. Jon explains how drone imagery may paint a false picture and the relative deer numbers change daily. Jon explains GIS options for vegetative plant value assessment.Perry explains food plots and other food options to increase deer numbers on the landscape. Perry discusses hunting observation and the method the Drury’s are using to collect deer numbers. Perry discusses EHD and how that has impacted the overall deer population. Jon and Perry discuss doe to fawn ratios and recruitment rates for deer areas across the US.Perry and Jon discuss social stress and the impact on deer herds when numbers are high. Perry discusses the real issue surrounding antler potential and some of the likely factors that impact deer on the farms in Missouri. Perry discusses lowering the population and buck to doe ratios, and the results of quality deer and related hunting. Perry explains how disease has potential to reduce deer numbers and the net result on the herd and the potential for bigger bucks down the road.  Social Linkshttps://www.instagram.com/perrybattin_druryoutdoors/?hl=enhttps://www.druryoutdoors.com/https://www.plantbiologic.com/https://whitetaillandscapes.com/https://www.facebook.com/whitetaillandscapes/https://www.instagram.com/whitetail_landscapes/?hl=enDruryOutdoors - YouTubeDeerCast | Get Ahead of Your Game Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this episode, Jon Teater (Whitetail Landscapes) and Colin Koskinen (Legendary Habitat) discuss  hunting season and complications that exist when hunting highly pressured ground. Colin details his soils, tree species and vegetation types that are in Michigan and how he breaks down this property. Colin explains mapping land and where big bucks exist. Colin discusses the benefit of succession and the combination of old field and young forest settings.Colin discusses holding deer on small properties, busting through a buck age class ceiling, and working with neighbors and other hunters to be more successful. Colin explains his approach to tying hunting pressure to habitat improvements. Colin discusses buck and general deer bedding locations and how they use terrain features to advantage themselves. Colin explains the benefits of terrain and Jon explains how terrain can establish interest, bedding and movement.Colin explains the importance of travel corridors and the significance of connecting deer in one location from the other. Colin discusses how to cut and add improvements in travel corridors to ensure deer are more resident and able to socialize and allow for better hunting opportunities. Colin discusses goals for his small property and how that aligns with each feature he is trying to amplify for interest and movement.Colin explains how to build layers into a hunting property and what plant he uses to establish ideal conditions for deer to use and travel in preferred areas. Jon and Colin discuss water resources, vernal pools, natural springs, and the benefits of these areas on properties. Colin discusses non-native plants in wet areas and options to consider to remove these plants (i.e. reed canary grass). Colin and Jon discuss replacement plants for non-natives for higher deer interest.   Colin discusses bedding and stacking deer across a property to increase the hunting opportunities.Colin discusses walls of cover for deer, hinge cutting and an example of how to apply walls of cover for hunting reasons. Colin explains how to cut walls in bedding areas versus locations around bedding areas.  Colin and Jon explain buying land, deficiencies on hunting properties and how to be smart with your buying decisions. Jon discusses picking a consultant and a good process to find someone you can work with best.Social Linkshttps://whitetaillandscapes.com/https://www.facebook.com/whitetaillandscapes/https://www.legendaryhabitat.com/https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbIsv6Orm9cD025IBFx8DWAhttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/legendary-habitat-podcast/id1613808320https://www.facebook.com/LegendaryHabitat/ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this episode, Jon Teater (Whitetail Landscapes) and Jacob Newton (Hillside Farms) discuss farming operations and integration of livestock. Jacob does not use any synthetic fertilizer and is able to develop healthy livestock, crops, and soils. Jacob explains his farm setup and management on how to integrate cows on the landscape and how to increase pasture quality on the farm.Jacob goes through his rotation process and answers the question how often to move cattle to ensure areas are not overgrazed, and how introducing cattle benefits our soil and soil health. Jack goes through the process of explaining how to measure ingestion and amount of food on the landscape. Jon explains observations and techniques for evaluating manure and its benefit on the landscape. Jacob explains how quickly cow manure is consumed by insects and what indicates quality crops in his operations. Jacob and Jon discuss flies on the farm and options to reduce the impact of flies on animals and humans.Jacob breaks down the physiology of cattle and Jon compares the physical assessment to deer and how to evaluate a deer’s health by looking at certain aspects of deer. Jacob discusses chickens and turkeys on the landscape and how to increase fertility in pastures and introduce livestock to poor soil areas and how quickly there is a positive impact to pasture land when adding animals. Jacob explains that in just a few years poor ground and be changed into superb crop production.Jacob and Jon discuss adding chickens into the forested land and how to integrate animals into the interior of forested areas to increase fertility. Jon discusses a project that he worked on where they added pigs and Jacob explains the general goals of adding pigs and the related benefits. Jacob explains the forest type and the method to add pigs into the landscape and what not to do when adding pigs.Jacob explains the timeline of grazing animals, supplemental feed, and ensuring cattle are not pugging pasture ground. Jacob discusses building composts. Jon explains ideas of how to introduce compost and bale grazing into the forest setting and reducing the amount of vegetation and increasing soil fertility.Jacob and Jon discuss building a property around deer hunting and livestock operations. Jon discusses agroforestry and how layouts can be integrated into designs.  Jacob discusses new projects on his farm that surround silvopasture that will benefit the land and animal’s long term. Jacob explains the importance of biodiversity and how his business works with consumers to improve knowledge and interest in better food and health.Social Linkshttps://www.facebook.com/jacob.newton.756/https://www.instagram.com/_hillside.farms/?hl=enhttps://whitetaillandscapes.com/https://www.facebook.com/whitetaillandscapes/https://www.instagram.com/whitetail_landscapes/?hl=en Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this episode, Jon Teater (Whitetail Landscapes) and Skip Sligh (Iowa Whitetail) discuss Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), Deer Health, Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD), Baiting and Supplemental Feeding.  Skip discusses deer fertility, antler and body size and the benefits of supplemental feeding.  Skip is pro-supplemental feed and anti-baiting, specifically against feeding corn from a bait pile. Skip discusses his rationale and why this may be harmful to the overall health of our deer herd.   Skip explains the biological and scientific detriments of corn and how to supplement feed the right way to ensure deer health is preserved. Skip explains his opinion on bait piles versus food plots. Skip details the timelines related to his food plots and how the food remains available to deer all season. Skip explains the most nutrient dense food source for deer. Jon discusses options to utilize baiting and what you can do to help yourself or limit your neighbors.Skip discusses the areas of the north with large vast forests and describes the best practices to attract and feed deer. Jon discusses tree species and what deer want in various trees and shrubs. Jon explains an option that creates greater interest than soybeans for deer on the landscape.  Skip and Jon discuss the process of timber stand improvement, Skip describes how to set up your property and why certain setups allow you to hold mature bucks.Social LinksiowawhitetailIowa Whitetail (@iowa_whitetail) • Instagram photos and videoshttps://whitetaillandscapes.com/https://www.facebook.com/whitetaillandscapes/https://www.instagram.com/whitetail_landscapes/?hl=en Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this episode, Jon Teater (Whitetail Landscapes) and Steve Sherk (Sherk’s Guide Service) discuss post hunting season planning and recent success. Jon explains the differences in hiring a consultant that has experience in highly pressured hunting areas and how that creates a different atmosphere of understanding and knowledge. Steve discusses a particular deer he planned to harvest and explains multiple encounters with this deer and his process to dialing in on one individual deer.  Steve dialogs about hunting New York and Pennsylvania, and his expectations of shooting a deer in his home state. Steve details the location his target deer spent much of his time and the related weather conditions and hunting pressure that created the ideal location for the deer to remain in a specific area. Steve details why deer shift into areas on how to concentrate on predictive planning to stay ahead of deer movement. Jon explains the specifics and considerations on where deer go when they are pressured and the attention given to temperature changes.Steve discusses how deer act during post rut activity and what conditions put deer into specific locations when pressure is high and deer need to recover from rutting activity. Jon provides the top several considerations when looking at the landscape for deer activity during post rut. Steve talks about getting close to a mature buck and how to dial on a bedding location and individual beds. Steve explains a tracking technique that will help with a wounded animal recovery.Steve discusses finding buck beds and why mature deer use specific areas. Steve discusses wind-based bedding and when deer use specific landscapes types. Jon explains habitat preferences on the landscape and how to produce ideal conditions for seasonal, winter habitat for deer.  Steve explains his process going into winter planning season and what he anticipates for the next hunting season and provides a story on the individual deer he plans on hunting.Steve and Jon discuss postseason planning and looking at trail camera data and using this information to kill your buck next season. Jon explains specifics on deer activity and how he individualizes deer and looks at sociobiology and social behavior.  Steve explains his data analysis plan and diving into a specific deer he plans on taking next season. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.