This week Mark covers food plot plantings throughout the South.  Objectives, goals, necessities, and how to maximize your sweat equity.  Whether you have 1 acre openings or hundreds of acres to plant, there are many key factors and elements that will affect your success and game usage.   

High production plots can exist within sandy soils, drought conditions, sunlight deficiency, and high densities.  There are many tactics to combat those issues.  You don't need expensive equipment either.  Plan ahead and you'll increase your huntability.  

This week Mark covers his 18 years of real estate land sales, along with the ins and outs of buying land.  How to navigate agents and find someone that will add value to your investment.  There has been an influx of new land agents and branded brokerages over the past 10 years.  Some are knowledgeable and others are posing as specialists without experience.  

Land is one of the best investments you can make.  Build a legacy and grow trees to support ownership.  Whether you have representation or purchase without an agent, there are many factors to consider.  Land only appreciates and the value is only what someone is willing to pay.  

This week Mark covers what you can be doing right now to prep and scout deer for early season and rut hunting.  Changes on the landscape, food plots and agriculture crops should be assessed to determine how deer will use them this year.  Especially, when you can identify "deer magnet" sites that other hunters will overlook.  Like a clear cut.   

Mature bucks are hiding out in tight core areas.  Locate now to help reduce pressure during mid to late summer.  Bucks will remain in these core areas up until the pre-rut.  Locating pregnant doe group bedding now will improve your rut hunting.

This week Mark discusses how many Toms can be taken off your land to maintain a sustainable population.  Even if you are not doing much land management, you probably would like an opportunity to kill a bird annually.  Over harvesting is the fast track for a declining population.  

Right now, the South has heated turkey issues in every state.  Some hunters are openly against data collected from biologists and researchers while others are pushing for new regulations to better conserve the game bird for future generations.  Something has to give and there are many parallels with whitetail conservation changes in the 1980s and 90s.  

Hiring the right land and wildlife consultant can make a monumental impact on your property. But if you make a bad hire, you may end up with detrimental ideas and waste of funds. There is quite a bit of parody in the space and you should do your homework to secure the right fit for your specific needs. Who has real experience in your region and who is simply regurgitating buzz words from social media.  

Should you hire a national consultant or stay localized? Land, just like any form of real estate, will be the largest purchase for most people and it should be treated like an investment. I cover many ways to secure someone that will be most suitable for your goals. Just because a consultant has name recognition, doesn't mean that they won't "phone in" a canned report which I have personally seen. 

Tyler Ross joins the show this week to cover a variety of hunting, wild game meat and conservation related topics.  Tyler has worked with Backcountry Hunters & Anglers, National Deer Association, Ruffed Grouse Society and is an owner of Timber Ninja Outdoors.

We cover hunting turkeys in Western North Carolina, waterfowl, public & private land hunting, forestry issues throughout the Southeast that affect wildlife and a killer Tundra Swan recipe.  

Matt Coon joins the show this week for an inside look at managing land in the Deep South.  He and I have a lot in common with managing game & hunters.  Trapping, burning, guiding, we cover it all.  

Matt covers his trapping techniques that have boosted turkey and quail numbers, tips & strategies while guiding a turkey hunt, a killer twist on a dove jalepeno popper, and the benefits of timely trapping.

A fifth generation Texan, author and fellow podcast host, George Bitch shares his story of managing & hunting his family ranches in South & Central Texas.  We discuss melanistic deer, arrowheads, George's mapping business and upcoming projects for 2024.  

Hailing from the Georgia, Casey consistently targets and kills mature bucks in Georgia and South Carolina.  We discuss tactics to identify high traffic buck areas and the challenges of bow hunting both public & private land in the South.  Thanks for listening.  

Dr. Christopher Jenkins joins the show this week to discuss his consistent hunting success with Black Bear and Mountain Bucks in Southern Appalachia.  Reading sign and patterning big game in big woods terrain is challenging even for the best woodsman.  Chris shares many tips and tactics for his success.  He spends more than 150 days every year pursuing game across the South on both public and private land.  This is an awesome listen. 

This week Larry White joins the show to discuss his style of Lowcountry public land hunting and his culinary skills.  Larry is an incredibly talented chef that runs www.wildgamegourmet.com.  He shares hundreds of wild game recipes on his website from game species across the South.  Thanks for listening.