Facebook Is a Free Resource for Land Managers, Deer Hunters

Social media is, well, social. But it can be instructive too. Such is the case with social media for land managers. Ask questions, get answers and learn how to better manage your hunting property via Facebook.

Facebook Is a Free Resource for Land Managers, Deer Hunters

Social media single handedly seems to magnify the divide among the human species. If it’s not politics, it’s opinionated people shoving their opinions in everybody else’s conversation, or someone is calling for the latest boycott of a product or company because of a differing of opinions. The keyboard has given unfathomable courage to those who wouldn’t dare say the things they do to someone’s face. However, with a little digging, there are oases where like-minded individuals can come together as a community and share information and learn from one another.

This past summer, I stumbled upon such a well of hope in the form of a habitat-management Facebook group. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. People posting and asking questions while other people offered educated and insightful conversation. I’m telling you, people were helping people and it all was taking place on social media!

The group originally popped up in one of the “recommended” sections of Facebook, so I clicked to join. You immediately have to answer a few questions to qualify yourself — basically, it’s to keep anti-hunters and other a-holes out. The administrator will then approve your request and you’re in. During my first couple of nights as a new member, I had to assure my wife I wasn’t sexting with another women, because I couldn’t put my phone down. I was learning so much about summer food plots, which I had recently planted, and soil health. My brain was absorbing all of the knowledge. However, the real benefit occurred to me a few weeks later when I needed help.

Whether you have 20 acres and a rake or thousands of acres and an air-conditioned tractor, you can ask these guys the questions you have, and they will answer you. Photo: Mark Olis

I had some beautiful soybean and lablab food plots growing and the deer were hammering them right out of the gate. However, my largest plot of about 2 acres was loaded with a tall stalky weed with little fuzzy seed heads on it. I took several good pictures of the plant and that evening I posted them to the Habitat Manager page and asked what they were and how to control them. I got instant feedback from guys on the group who had to deal with these weeds. I had pigweed! It wasn’t what I wanted to hear, but a lot of guys responded to my request with different applications that they used to combat the glyphosate-resistant nightmare. Unlike using Google, which typically takes you to scientific articles where you can go cross-eyed in a hurry, these guys had real-world experience with the weed and knew how to get after it. Next year I will be able to attack my summer plots differently in hopes of better success.

Whether you have 20 acres and a rake or thousands of acres and an air-conditioned tractor, you can ask these guys the questions you have, and they will answer you. Plus, if you keep your notifications turned on for one these groups you’ll be able to see other post and learn from them. I’ve seen topics from how to manage habitat for ducks, deer, quail, turkey, pheasant, etc. I’ve seen topics on fruit and nut tree planting, native grass planting, everything you need to know about food plots and more. The best part is this is a diverse group of land managers from the Far North to the Deep South, so no matter where you live you can get answers that matter to you. There’re even groups that are dedicated to certain regions of the country, so you can fine-tune your info.

Below is a list of a few Facebook habitat management groups that I follow. Get online and check them out. If you do find one that you want to join, be sure to ask intelligent questions about specific things you need answers to. While I did say there were a lot of good guys on these pages, just be sure to ignore the super opinionated or trash-talking ones. Unfortunately, there are a few of those on these pages, too. What are you going to do? It’s the internet!

Facebook Habitat Groups

Habitat Managers

https://www.facebook.com/groups/656072617879925/?fb_dtsg_ag=AdxsiluB-rE3SFk0vVNmnzFfBwZnv6Bvo817KEI1bKAoaw%3AAdwfnFKLvXlF7SiXtqY9KQxfmaFq5c0Wc_vKTMU_bpUfoQ

Southern Habitat Managers

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1297985527013375/?fb_dtsg_ag=AdxsiluB-rE3SFk0vVNmnzFfBwZnv6Bvo817KEI1bKAoaw%3AAdwfnFKLvXlF7SiXtqY9KQxfmaFq5c0Wc_vKTMU_bpUfoQ

Whitetail Food Plotters

https://www.facebook.com/groups/317469335084096/

Food Plot Management

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1570753359865042/

 

Featured photo: Mark Olis



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