DIY Land Management Articles

Do you think food plot shape matters for whitetails, or is it all about the total acres available?

Whitetail property owners are usually encouraged to implement a significant doe harvest program, but one Nebraska land manager disagrees.

The author has planted soybeans for many years in his Midwest food plots, but that stops in 2020.

If you have food plots with bare soil, then now is the time for frost seeding clover.

Looking for a new way to fill a deer tag or two? Consider buying or leasing whitetail property and forming your own deer management company. Here’s how.

The more thought and elbow grease you put in your whitetail land management efforts the greater your likelihood for success during the hunting season — and that means arming yourself with the best tools for the job.

Do you stay out of a whitetail sanctuary on your property year-round? If so, that’s a mistake.

Patience mixed with a strong will and knowledge allowed this Cornhusker whitetail Yoda to build a dream property for big whitetail bucks.

Don’t let your hard work, time, energy and strict whitetail harvest criteria disappear with the simple jump of a fence.

Whitetails love chestnuts, and Dunstan chestnut trees require minimal maintenance and provide mast sooner than oaks.

Don’t overlook adding beneficial water sources to your whitetail property management scheme.

When you have limited acreage to hunt, hold bucks by staying out.

Too many does on your property can lead to a long, drawn-out rut. That not only decreases the intense rut-specific behavior so many hunters live for, it can also lower deer populations down the road.

ATV sprayer coverage calculations are confusing, but thankfully there’s a simple way to learn how much water and weed killer to spray on your food plots.

If you don't have food plots on your property or don't want them, there are other habitat improvements you can make that keep deer hanging around.

A controlled burn can be extremely beneficial to your land if you do it the safe and right way.

Without more deer hunters, deer numbers surge. This cause-and-effect also allows invasive plants to thrive, enables the spread of Lyme Disease and, remarkably, even changes how things sound in the woods.

Successful land managers view properties not as a block of individual microcosms, but as a single, living organism with soft edges to improve deer habitat.

How many times have you made the call of shame to ask your buddy to bring the chain? This isn’t a rare occurrence for hunters putting in food plots this spring. Here are ways to avoid that moment and tips to get unstuck if you don’t.

Soil test results will include recommended application rates of lime and nutrients, including nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium (also called potash) for the specific plants you want to grow.

Non-native, invasive plants don’t just overwhelm native plant communities. They rob deer habitat of valuable food sources.

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.

Dale Earnhardt, Jr., retired NASCAR driver and deer hunter, had some reflective words about his passion for working the land, which he ranks right up there with deer hunting itself.

Game cameras are fantastic tools for hunters and with an inexpensive trail camera mount you can save a few bucks while getting better images.

Learning to handle your weeds can be extremely beneficial to your land management. Not all weeds are bad. Learn how to manage your weeds for a successful deer season.

Among mast-bearing trees, planting food plots with chestnut trees is an excellent choice. Studies have shown that chestnuts are nutritionally superior to acorns making it an attractive lure for deer and other game animals.

As you're planning this year's food plots for deer, consider the pros and cons of annuals versus perennials.

Planting small orchards of select, late-dropping fruit trees for deer can draw and hold wildlife on your property for better hunting.

Don't wait until August. February — or March and April for those who live in colder, northern climates where the ground is still frozen — is the ideal time to take soil samples for food plot readiness.