The Woodsman Perspective

Management Bucks with MDWFP Private Lands Biologist Pierce Young

Pierce Young has been around deer his whole life. Early on in his career he was instrumental in the success of the deer tagging program that was conducted in NE MS across 27,000 acres of private land. He has worked along side many of the best deer researchers in the world, including Drs Steve Demarais and Bronson Strickland. Now Pierce is a biologist and assistant coordinator of the MDWFP Private Lands program. They work as consultants for private landowners across the state of Mississippi. On this episode we discuss the theory of management bucks. You'll hear a few things that might surprise you, but depending on what your goals are and a few other factors, you might need to be shooting a few young bucks each year.

Training Retrievers for the Field and Family With Tyler Cofield of Marlen Gundogs Episode 61

A well trained retriever can add enjoyment and efficiency to your hunting. A great family pet and companion adds a whole lot of smiles and love in your home. You can have both, and our friend Tyler Cofield of  @MarlenGundogs  has made it his mission to develop his line of British labs into just that. We discuss this and more on this episode. Also with dove season approaching we get into some of the dos and don'ts when it comes to working your dog on a hot dove field. You can follow Tyler on his social media outlets  @MarlenGundogs  on IG and Facebook

Fight over a Skidder?? Storytime with Uncle Chris

In this episode of Storytime with Uncle Chris we hear about the time they discovered someone had "borrowed" a skidder from a logging job. Chris and the logger followed the tracks back to a nearby house and confronted the suspect. Sometimes you just have to reevaluate the situation, and pick your battle. This encounter could have gone south, but in the end it was a positive for everyone.

Episode 60 Dave Owens Championships, Conservation, & Social Media

Dave Owens, creator of The Pinhoti Project, sat down with me and talked about social media, calling championships, and conservation. Dave recently won his second Grand National Title at the NWTF in Nashville this year, and is an active participant and supporter of the various state calling contests. Social media figures, or influencers, often get blamed for the increase numbers and reduced opportunities on public hunting land. While some of this has been warranted, there are also cases where these figures have leveraged their large following and influenced national politics. Earlier this year when Mike Lee authored legislation that would have forced the sale of millions of acres of public land, Dave and others used their platforms to push back successfully against this legislation. While we are quick to criticize those who are in the public eye and have large followings, we should also give them credit when this considerable influence is used for good. My audio is really bad through the webcam, apologies in advance.

Episode 59: The Local Co-op

The term Co-op has become synonymous with farm supply, feed, and seed.  But do you know why it's called "the co-op"?   These organizations came to existence out of necessity and from local farmers and landowners coming together to leverage their collective buying power.   It is more than just a name, and odds are there is one in your community.  We sat down with Jeff Hays, the manager of Lowndes Farm Supply to discuss the Co-op difference and the evolution of the farm supply business over the years. Including the challenge of keeping it local while competing with large franchises and internet business.
We encourage you to go visit your local Co-op, it is more than just a name. 

Episode 58: Landlocked Properties, Easements, and Access with Real Estate Attorney Jay Nichols

Landlocked properties are more and more common as land and estates are fragmented.  There are a lot of misconceptions around access, easements, and what the adjoining landowners must do to provide access to landlocked tracts.  Jay Nichols is our good friend and an expert real estate attorney.  Jay and his father have worked with landowners in Mississippi for decades and have seen just about every access and easement situation imaginable.  We sat down with Jay to talk through the types of easement, what rights landowners have and how to go about legally accessing land that does not join a public road.   As usual, we get some great stories along the way.
 

Episode 57: Conservation Stewardship Program with Consultant Mitt Wardlaw

The Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) provides financial and technical assistance to agricultural and forest land managers to enhance their conservation efforts. It helps producers adopt new conservation practices and maintain existing ones, compensating them for improved resource management. Eligible lands include private agricultural lands, non-industrial private forest land, and associated lands. We mention CSP and other programs all of the time because they are great ways for land owners and managers to offset the cost of doing projects that improve wildlife habitat, not just on their property but these improvements often reach beyond the property lines. Mitt has consulted farmers for decades through his company, Southern Ag Consultants. He brings this knowledge and experience to landowners through Midsouth Resource Management and Wildlife Investments consulting. Interested in any of the cost share opportunities? Connect with Mitt to learn more www.wildlifeinvestments.com   www.mrmpros.com   or on Instagram and Facebook 

Episode 56: Clover Varieties and Maintenance with Mitt Wardlaw

Clover is a high protein legume that whitetail deer and turkeys love to eat.  Additionally it fixes nitrogen in the soil, and when maintained it will return year after year without replanting.   It is no wonder that clover is at the top of every land manager's list when it comes to food plot plant varieties.
  But there are varieties and practices that can be implemented to fine tune your approach with clover to maximize deer utilization, plant production, and economic efficiency.   Mitt unpacks much of this as we discuss clover varieties, practices, and herbicide treatments for clover.  We spend some time discussing red clovers as well. 
Mitt was one of the original hosts of the Woodsman Perspective Podcast along with Brent and Chris.  He is a crop consultant, entrepreneur, and land manager.  
Mitt operates a land management and consulting business, Midsouth Resource Management, and has recently  partnered with Dr. Bronson Strickland and Moriah Boggess to form Wildlife Investments, a team of professional game biologists specializing in data-driven land and wildlife management. 
www.wildlifeinvestments.com
www.mrmpros.com 

Episode 55 Stories and Observations from Turkey season

On this episode we look back at lessons learned, observations made, and some good stories from turkey season 2025.   From an unlikely double on a property that has never held spring turkeys to a single season grand slam thanks to a chance gas station meeting, this one has some good stories that you should be able to relate to!
 
 

Episode 54: Summer Food Plots with Dr. Bronson Strickland

Dr. Bronson Strickland is the foremost authority in whitetail deer research right.  He is also our friend.  Over the years we have had a great relationship with Bronson centered around the mutual love for whitetail deer and a desire to properly manage habitat in a way that maximizes the overall herd health as well as antler production.    On this episode we will be  talking about summer foodplots and deer nutrition.  We also discuss Bronson's transition from MSU to private consulting.  He and Mitt Warldaw along with some of the best consultants in the country have formed Wildlife Investments.  In case you are just getting into hunting and  habitat management, here is a short bio on Dr. Strickland: Bronson Strickland holds BS, MS, and Ph.D. degrees in wildlife biology and management from the University of Georgia, Texas A&M-Kingsville, and Mississippi State University. He has been a co-director of the MSU Deer Lab since 2006 where he researched white-tailed deer biology and management and habitat management. Bronson’s strengths are buck population management and the habitat management techniques used to promote the production and harvest of the best bucks. Bronson is a Certified Wildlife Biologist and was given the Al Brothers Deer Manager of the Year Award by the Quality Deer Management Association in 2019, the Lee Gladfelter Memorial Award by the Pope & Young Club in 2019, and the Joe Hamilton Lifetime Achievement Award by the National Deer Association in 2024. https://wildlifeinvestments.com/ https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61553479625266