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As a student of the game, I am always picking the brains of those I know who are foresters or wildlife biologists on how we can better manage our timber and wildlife. A conversation with my good friend Will Dixon, a forester for Larson & McGowin Forestry Consultants in Lower Alabama, turned me on to the concept of a late season prescribed burns as a means for setting back undesirable woody stem encroachment in pine plantations. By woody stem, (in our region) we mean sweetgum, gallberry, yaupon

A few years ago a friend called and asked me about his idea of attracting more ducks to his farm. “All we need to do is build a levee across that little slough near Pine Creek,” he said. Drawing more mallards to his land sounded like a good idea to me, but I told him there may be a hoop or two to jump through. What he didn’t know was that you cannot dam or block a creek that is marked on a USGS map as a “blue line stream.” That’s because any work occurring in the floodplain of a stream

Bucks are easier to pattern during the early season, so in theory, harvesting a mature buck should be no problem. Yet deer do not want to move when the daytime temperature rises to ninety degrees during the summer and at the beginning of fall. Indeed, a summer or early-season travel path for a mature whitetail buck is much easier to pattern due to limited movement. As the fall nears, bucks remain patternable. Three main factors sum up a deer's life at this point in the season: food, water, and

Planting during the late summer and early fall for the upcoming hunting season is one of my favorite times of the year. The anticipation of hunting trips and hopeful encounters with the deer we have been watching all summer is at its peak. I really try to encourage hunters to prepare and plan now so that busy time of year goes smoothly and you can eliminate some surprises that might otherwise derail a planting season. After years of answering questions for other gamekeepers, it is becoming

Many times, I have been guilty of failing to properly appreciate the subtle changes and interactions between elevation and soil properties that give a piece of land its own unique character. When we look at potential hunting sites using online aerial imagery, we might forget to take into account topographic variation when planning habitat improvement activities. Perhaps this is no more apparent than when designing effective wildlife plantings for leveed sites. WHAT MAKES LEVEE SITES UNIQUE? When

HOW TO LEAD A DOVE I believe the most important factor in taking doves is determining lead. My philosophy is to start the lead at the head of the bird instead of behind the bird. Most people miss doves, because they shoot behind the birds. When the target (the dove) is presented to the hunter in a crossing fashion (flying from right to left or left to right), many hunters have heard that more lead is required to successfully down the bird and that the Butt, Belly, Beak System of Aiming to

WHEN THEIR FIRST FEATHERS FALL Sharing the knowledge of wingshooting with a young or new hunter begins with patience. Swinging the business end of a shotgun can’t begin until gun safety is addressed, and then the likely initial results will be lots of missed birds. The mentor’s role is to never let the student get demoralized, because of course, everyone starts out the same way. A passion for wingshooting may take one hunter on a lifetime odyssey of hunts, while another may not be as keen on

TOPWATER LURES FOR SEA TROUT Using topwater lures to fish for spotted seatrout is hands down one of the most exciting ways to target these speckled golden beauties. This one’s all about the bite, and they can be downright explosive. A bonus: Topwater fish tend to be on the larger size as well. Knowing the right conditions and having a selection of the right lures is key to success though. In topwater fishing, the early bird gets the worm but don’t feel bad if you’re not an early riser—the late

A veteran bow hunter and local archery pro shop owner once offered me advice I always remember. The archery pro told me that when practicing shooting, it is necessary to remember that when deer hunting, you will be nervous and cold. When your body is chilled, or the sudden adrenaline rush from a mature buck walking into range takes over, the struggle to draw a bow can be a difficult task. Many bowhunters spend time throughout the summer practicing with their bows for the upcoming season. Many of

Creating and maintaining an effective land management plan for wildlife should be more than a one-dimensional endeavor. For most, the thoughts of long-term land improvements go directly to the creation of lush food plots. While it’s common knowledge that a variety of food plots on your property will certainly give it instant appeal, there are also numerous projects that can have a lasting impact on both the quality of habitat and feeding options for wildlife in your area. Creating Water Sources