The Southern Way - Sportsmen's Empire

The South has a rich hunting culture with deep roots.  It's vital that we preserve our heritage and rich history of whitetail hunting.  This week Mark breaks down how he has introduced his kids and effectively killed deer with them on the stand.  

From remaining quiet to tracking and skinning Mark covers every aspect.  Make it fun and exciting and kids will have fun and be excited to see and drag out deer.  Remember, one day we'll be old and will need our then grown children to help load deer, plant food plots and set up stands.  Thanks for listening.  

This week Mark breaks down his technique to capture whitetails during the summer months.  Right now, deer are eating and hiding.  Doing what they do best as a prey species.  There are several easy approaches to monitor the local herd without unnecessary pressure.

Topics covered:  swamps, bottomland, pine plantations, thermal cover, thickets, bait sites, passive setups, video or photo modes, destination food sources are all covered.  Thanks for listening.  

Turkey season is over and we're just killing time until the deer season opener.  This is an ideal time of year to walk the land and find native american artifacts.  The South is loaded with history and using land features is an effective method to build a collection.   

Mark covers terrain features, using rainfall to your advantage, how identifying artifact ages can help understand how many you may have on your land, and a practical and easy way to spot points.  Have fun, preserve history and spend time outdoors.   

This week Mark covers several tactics to better huntability within Clubs.  Even if you can’t cut trees or manipulate the land there are several land management tools you can implement.  Managing hunters and overall pressure is imperative to meet harvest goals and to see and kill mature bucks.  Mark discusses ways to become more lethal all while seeing more deer.

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.