The Woodsman Perspective

Episode 9 Hard Freeze, New Year, and Corn sack hero shots

In the first episode of 2023 we briefly discuss the Christmas freeze and the foodplot recovery so far.   That leads us to unpack a few things about how much deer actually depend on winter plots here in the south as well as the undeniable efficacy of feeding corn, for better or worse.  It's an open ended discussion this time, we hope you enjoy. 

Doe harvest. Now, later, or not at all?

We address the question of when to harvest does, but take a deeper dive with a discussion about whether to harvest any does or not.  What goals you have, and the specifics of your property may dictate that you do not take any does in a particular season.  How your actions create a culture on your property and how that culture impacts hunting quality.  

Fall in the family

A first hand story of a fall from a climbing stand, complacency, and God's grace and healing on the road to recovery. 

Inside the Deer Processor

We get a behind the curtain look at commercial deer processing from our own Chris Herring.  In addition to being a forester and land manager, Chis owns 2 commercial deer processors and tells us what goes on behind the scenes, how your deer is processed individually, as well as some common issues that could lead to mix ups and how to avoid them.  

Setting up your hunting tract

 This week we discuss some fundamentals to setting up a hunting tract.  Things to consider when prioritizing projects, things you might not have thought of, and how to take advantage of cost share opportunities.   As recreational values outpace timber value, its important to look at your property through a different lens to realize the full value of it. 

What are We Doing? Purpose of the Podcast

On this episode we step back from the technical management topics and we focus on what our purpose is for doing the podcast.   While we have a common purpose of sharing knowledge and experience, we discuss some different perspectives around that.  From the desire to invest in the next generation the way others have invested us, to pushing back against trends and culture shifts in hunting social media platforms, and the unified goal of seeing the best management practices applied across the landscape to improve the quality of wildlife and insure the sustainability of these resources that we treasure so much.  We are conservationists and woodsmen, that defines our purpose on this platform. 

Our take on food plots

Every hunter out there has their own way of preparing food plots.  In many cases we do the things we do because that's the way that we've always done it. Some hunters are highly technical and are always looking for a new tool or technique to maximize their efficiency and production. Others have traditions and memories of the camp work day, or planting greenfields with your father or grandfather.  
  We are a little bit of all that, and our system is all about maximizing efficiency while still enjoying our time on the land and sharing it with family and friends. 

Unlocking Native Nutrition

We take a deep dive into nutrition this week, specifically in the native plant community.   Through herbicide application, burning, or tillage or perhaps a combination of all three you can unlock native nutrition on your property. 

Episode 1 Growing 150” Whitetails

The guys dive right into growing mature bucks, and go a step further in breaking down how to identify those all stars bucks with the genetic potential to reach 150" status.   Chris, Mitt, and Brent share their perspectives on this and more from first hand experience.  So, whether you hunt upland tracts, bottomland hardwoods, large ag, or small tracts of leased land, you are in the right place.