Articles

Summer is a busy time for the gamekeeper. Turkey season and spring planting are complete, but there’s still plenty to do. Let’s face it…there’s always loads to do for a gamekeeper. Here are a few of the most important. Kill the Competition Keeping ahead of the summer weed cycle and controlling noxious or invasive weeds is a tedious, but essential task. This is especially important in dry or drought conditions since all those vile weeds are robbing moisture, along with sunlight and nutrients from

No matter if you call them redfish, red drum, channel bass or any one of a handful of local nicknames, Sciaenops ocellatus is a favorite gamefish for nearly all anglers fishing in the salty inshore waters of the South. They’re even the saltwater gamefish of North Carolina, thanks to their incredible popularity in the Old North State. Reds are usually aggressive and willing to attack a wide variety of artificial lures—including topwaters—as well as a slew of natural baits as well. They fight hard

Dove hunting can mean a great deal of things to those who have spent time in a prepared field over the years in pursuit of this small, grey bird. Retrieving dogs are in play, perhaps football updates on your smart phone, and some of the best opportunities of the year to give a shout out to someone who made a good shot. Making these scenarios come to life and creating a reliable dove field requires a commitment of time, money and land management knowledge – to first attract doves to your field

What is your goal when planting forage for your whitetail herd? There are numerous products on the market that will produce some of the most delectable, nutritious forage possible for deer, but the same plants also produce fruit, like beans, peas, grains, etc. There are many plants that I plant solely for the leaf forage, even though they could also produce fruit. And just so you know, in this case “fruit” is referring to a bean, pea or cob, even though most people think of fruit as apricots

Developing your food plot strategies to create the ideal big buck trap If you want to build a small hunting food plot or “kill plot” that draws mature bucks out during shooting hours, you need to think creatively. Moreover, you may need to be able to live with a little bit of an unkept, ragged look to the plot and its immediate surroundings if you wish to create a great “big buck trap.” Those magazine-cover shots you see with one type of cultivar growing lush and green from edge-to-edge may not

There seems to be an endless amount of online information on what are the best things to plant for whitetails, but a gamekeeper may still wonder, “What is the best summer food plots for deer on their specific property.” To put it simply, whitetails need a consistent high protein, nutrient-rich food source to be at their peak health and to express their genetic potential in terms of body size, antler growth, and optimum fawn rearing. The Benefits of Planting Legumes Legumes are by far my favorite

Do you want more deer on your property? If so, you need to remember that females are our “production department.” Sure, they need a little help, but very little. One buck can service numerous females during one breeding season. It’s almost impossible to know for certain how many unless the area was fenced and you took DNA from the buck and all the fawns within the enclosure. However, simply having lots of females to create more fawns doesn’t mean you will be improving fawn recruitment. There are

The turkey population decline has impacted us for several years, so seeing young turkeys in late summer is cause for celebration. Such was the case in August 2022. Five of the ten hens in the local flock successfully nested and appeared with their broods populating the farm with 23 young turkeys. However, one brood of four was substantially smaller—less than half the size of the other broods which suggested a successful late hatch. This article will discuss early versus late hatches—renesting

At the mention of the words “food plot” one can’t help but envision fields of clover, deep-green brassicas, and tall stands of corn or soybeans. While the goal of a food plot may be to enhance feeding options for local wildlife and to help you seal the deal on a buck of a lifetime, some wildflower plots can also add to the aesthetics of your property, attract pollinators, in addition to providing much needed cover and bugging opportunities for turkey poults as they develop. What makes a

Nothing triggers a turkey hunter into fitful dreams and self-imposed sleep deprivation like bushy beards, lusty gobbles and limb-hanger spurs. However, understanding wild turkeys and some parts of their anatomy—beaks, feet, legs and yes, the coveted spurs, are worthy of a closer look at how they function in the species’ survival. This column will discuss their structure and roles. Important insight is included from wild turkey expert and researcher, Dr. Michael J. Chamberlain, PhD., Terrell