Even though deer season is months away, there’s plenty of planning to be done now for landowners looking to increase the attractiveness of their land to deer during this fall’s hunting seasons.

Jeremy Brown, Deer Management Assistance Program Coordinator in the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission’s Private Lands Habitat Division, says successful use of food plots in deer management is much more than roughing up a spot in the dirt and throwing out seeds from the latest no-fail deer forage blend on the shelf of a big box store.

“I wish it was as easy as some of those labels make it seem,” Brown said. “If the stars align you can grow some food that attracts a deer to a spot where you’re hunting, but the use of food plots has much more potential than just making what we call a ‘kill plot’ during deer season.”

The first thing Brown tells prospective deer managers is to really think about their goals.

“Are you wanting to just attract deer to a small spot during hunting season or are you wanting to manage on more of a year-round basis and provide food for a healthy deer herd and maximize antler development?” Brown said. “Start off with your goals in mind so you don’t waste time and money going the wrong direction.”

Brown says the answer to his first question often is dictated by his second: “What are your limitations?”

Many clubs have to work within the parameters of their lease agreement when it comes to planting food plots or otherwise altering the land in a way that could affect the landowners’ interests.

“A lot of timber companies still let lease holders plant some small plots to help attract deer during hunting season, but large management regimes aren’t really possible,” Brown said. “The good news for those clubs is that some of the regular thinning and harvest activities in certain stages of timber production can increase forage value for wildlife to an extent.”

Clubs who own their own land or have a wide-open policy for management activities still may face roadblocks based on finances and size.

“If you’re a smaller landowner, you might not be able to put enough into food plots to make a shift in herd health, but you might be able to work with neighboring landowners to manage cooperatively so everyone benefits,” Brown said. “And remember, food plots are only a part of the equation.”

Once you’ve assessed your goals and limitations, it’s time to gather some intel on the property’s potential. Soil samples and surveys of the vegetation already present can increase your chances of success tenfold. Read more

Watch the spring pheasant crowing count webcast with RJ Gross.

The number of roosters heard crowing during the North Dakota Game and Fish Department’s 2024 spring pheasant crowing count survey was up 37% statewide from last year.

“This is really good news but expected, considering we had such great production last year and the mild winter we had certainly wasn’t hard on birds,” said RJ Gross, Department upland game management biologist.

The primary regions holding pheasants showed 28.8 crows per stop in the southwest, up from 19.5 in 2023; 21.5 crows per stop in the northwest, up from 16.6; and 16 crows per stop in the southeast, up from 12.8. The count in the northeast, which is not a primary region for pheasants, was 5 crows per stop, up from 3.3 last year. Read more

By Glen Wunderlich

Charter Member Professional Outdoor Media Association (POMA)

Years ago, a few friends and I learned about the presence of feral pigs in mid-Michigan, sighted in our big-game firearms and headed to an area reported to have been invaded by the invasive hogs.  We poked around and reluctantly headed home without locating a trace.  If it interests you as a hunter, farmer, or as an outdoors enthusiast, a report has been submitted to the DNR this past week of a wild hog in south-central Shiawassee County between Perry and Owosso!  That’s right and I am the person responsible for reporting the shocking experience.

If you live in the area – specifically a mile west of M-52 on W. Tyrrell Road – you may be contacted as part of a USDA investigation into the matter.  While driving on the dirt road at approximately 35 MPH, the large, lone hog scurried across the road without hesitation no more than 40 yards and vanished before my eyes into heavy cover.  I’ve estimated its weight to be approximately 300 pounds.  I really don’t know if my jaw bones have ever been stretched so far down!

After dwelling on the moment, I realized it may be a good idea to report the sighting on the DNR’s website section on invasive species.  Once there, the form gets quite detailed about location, date, and time of the observation.  After that, I followed up with a phone call to Dwayne Etter at 517-284-4725, who is the DNR’s wildlife research specialist in such matters.  Apparently, he was away from the office, so I left a voice mail hoping for a return call that never came.  Not to be denied, I followed up with a call to 517-284-9453, which is the general line and the receptionist directed me to Amberly Hauger of the U.S.Department of Agriculture (USDA) wildlife services division at 517-336-1928 and she promptly answered my call.  The USDA receives national funding to work with the state(s).

I didn’t get some of my questions answered, because officials are notified not to divulge information to members of the media without first conferring with higher-ups.  However, she cordially promised to follow up with answers to specifics later.

If you are not familiar with the appearance of these destructive animals, there are plenty of photos online.

How many we have in Michigan nobody really knows; however, the ferocious beasts have been spotted in many of Michigan’s 83 counties.  Wild hogs are known to carry up to 34 different diseases, some of them highly infectious and deadly to animals and people. These can be spread by a bite, by handling the carcass, or by eating the pork without taking careful precautions. Pig farmers are particularly fearful feral pigs could bring back swine flu. This respiratory disease was eradicated in 1978 only after decades of intense, concentrated effort. It was hard enough to eliminate the disease when it was localized on farms that could be isolated. If this disease were to spread freely among an uncontained population, it would be nearly impossible to contain.

Pursuant to MCL 433.14a(3), individuals not affiliated with the government may kill feral pigs as follows:

• • A person may kill swine running at large on private propertyif the person is, or is accompanied by or has the permission of, the owner or lessee of the property.
  • A person may kill swine running at large on public propertyif he or she possesses either of the following:A license to carry a concealed pistol issued under MCL 28.421 to MCL 28.435.
  • A valid hunting license for any game issued under the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act, MCL 324.43501 to MCL 324.43561.
  • This empowerment does not authorize the discharge of a bow and arrow, crossbow or firearm in an area where the discharge of that weapon or hunting of that weapon is prohibited by a local ordinance. MCL 433.14a(4).

Those who kill wild swine under these provisions are to report incidents to local law enforcement.  The Michigan DNR and the U.S. Department of Agriculture may want to collect blood or tissue samples from the carcass to test for diseases or to determine migration patterns for the species.