I dont think hogs are nearly as bad as wolves. Deer and hogs, at least at my place, have no trouble co-existing. But you have to use caution what you plant. I have the hogs to thank for directing me to my current plantings - WW and clover. Easy and cheap compared to what I was doing - and it draws just as many deer as anything I have planted. Plus, I embraced the hogs and bought a thermal scope. I shoot maybe once or twice in a deer season. I may kill fifty or more hogs in the off season.
Habitat Consultant Reviews
- Thread starter Garrett S
- Start date
BenA
5 year old buck +
It looks like the poison balls LSU came out with are close to being available. I think they're in the EPA stage right now.
Any type of hog specific poison would be a game changer in many areas. Something has happened to the hogs in my area. I went from killing nearly 200 a year to not seeing a hog in the last three months - rarely even a picture on game cam. We have had free use of USDA hog trappers here for maybe three or four years - maybe that has helped.
On the down side, we have already lost most of our turkey, quail, rabbits, and a lot of our ducks - if our hogs go - you better get a coon/squirrel dog because that is all you will have left to hunt besides deer. I say that only partially tongue in cheek.
Shearwood Forest
5 year old buck +
This is where I am at, just got through my first deer season on my first property. Still feeling out what the real world cost is per year before I go spending money on any high dollar "improvements". Put most my time and work into the cabin this first year to better serve my wife and family before I get to the fun stuff for me and hunting. I honestly needed a season to learn the place I still haven't walked every square inch but I got a much better feel for the areas movement and what my precieved low holes in the bucket are.
I keep going back and forth with the thought of do i need a consultant, certainly dont want to waste money on wrong projects, designs, or plantings but also not sure I can afford any of the guys that actually comes out and preforms the work. I have talked to a local guy that has helped others with bulldozer work when the budget allows. I might float out a design guy plan just to see how it differs from the maps I've draw up as the rough "plan". I figured I've already watched so many videos and books and readings here as well as the questions I can ask via online groups that should be enough to point me in the direction of my major needs.
Also I don't see as many of these guys in the north east and I certainly cant afford to fly in the top guys.
There’s a bunch of great guys doing this here in NY….
Whitetail Landscapes
Ol Tin Cup Habitat
North Country Whitetail
Whitetails of New York
Etc….
All very passionate, knowledgeable, and dedicated to help…
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j-bird
Moderator
When I hit the lottery (or have "f you money") I am having a summit between Jim Ward, Jeff Sturgis & Steve Bartylla.
I have been to a property tour with Jim Ward....twice (same property here in IN) and he has a very straight forward outlook on things. I also know his team does work like food plots, spraying, and hinge cutting as well....if you need that sort of help.
I have been to a property tour with Jim Ward....twice (same property here in IN) and he has a very straight forward outlook on things. I also know his team does work like food plots, spraying, and hinge cutting as well....if you need that sort of help.
Shearwood Forest
5 year old buck +
Thank you I had only heard of one of those whitetails of New York recently on a Facebook group I will look in to the others
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Why have you lost the other wildlife?
Wind Gypsy
5 year old buck +
Obama.
After researching and interviewing a few, we had Land and Legacy out to draw up a plan for our 400ac in SW Iowa. Felt like we were starting from square one as far as our learning, so their focus on education with habitat first, hunting strategy second fit our current needs.
Very pleased with the results as we have implemented bedding thickets, controlled burns, old field management by getting rid of the cool season grasses and release the forbs that were in the the seedbed.
I have implemented a bit different foodplot strategy than their plan called for.
Best example of results is a side of the hill that we applied oldfield management to. When we bought the place, you wouldn’t see a deer there unless it was passing through. This year, my buddy bumped the target buck that was bedding in that field. An hour later he shot the 150 class buck as it came into the food plot.
Last year the first buck I shot for the season was out of a stand placement that they recommended.
They have also stayed in contact and answered all my questions for the past 18 months.
Some reflections:
- find those with experience in your latitude / terrain type. They will know the best plant to recommend for your area.
- look for someone who will invest in education along the way—not just one and done and never hear from them again.
- still use your best judgment for what works for your situation.
- a plan is still just a plan until you put in the effort to implement.
- for a relatively new student of habitat, having a plan drawn up was a big confidence boost that I won’t be cutting the wrong trees, etc.
Good luck!
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Primarily predation of ground nesting animals - in my opinion. Probably some habitat loss - but not much. I live in an area of a lot of commercial timberland. We never had any row crop area with brushy fence rows and that type of thing. Pasture/cattle/chickens or commercial timber with large clearcut areas. We killed our quail and rabbits in the clearcuts and turkeys were in the thinned pine. That same habitat exists in expansive areas over the southern half of our state. But the game is no longer there - except deer, coyotes, bobcats, coons, and squirrels. I think in my local area, we have lost a lot of our duck migration because all the beaver are gone and the associated dams and beaver ponds - so that backwater beaver pond habitat is no longer available. I can only attribute the loss of beaver to alligators. When fishing, we used to see one alligator and five beavers. Now, we see 15 alligators and no beaver.
TreeDaddy
5 year old buck +
Feral hogs are obligate omnivores. They eat anything and everything and leave a wanton path of destruction in their wake
It is virtually impossible to overestimate the magnitude of havoc and damage in terms of economic and habitat loss in east Texas
bill
I agree - hogs contribute to the problem, when present - and no doubt, Texas has the mother load of hogs. However, a five year study done here in AR showed two out of five years not one of the hen turkeys equipped with telemetry equipment successfully raised a single nest. This study was done in an area with no hogs. Coons were the primary nest predator.
It is also interesting to note - I travel to Texas to turkey hunt - they still have a good population - but as you know, not in Eastern TX. Everywhere we have turkey hunted had plenty of hogs. No doubt, hogs will destroy nests of birds, rabbits, and cotton rats when they find them - but I dont believe they actually hunt them. Our own g&f sponsored a study to determine to what extent hogs were predating fawns and found no relationship between hogs and fawn predation.
Oddly, hogs actually seem to be decreasing in my area. I cant explain the reason, but on my two properties eight miles apart, game cam pics of hogs are at an all time low. I can actually feed corn without using an exclusion fence to keep the hogs out and I have never been able to do that.
TreeDaddy
5 year old buck +
Thanks for sharing the informative studies
Keep us posted on the status of your decreasing hog population. Warrants further study if populations continue to decline
Mine always return with rains after an extended drought
bill
Sadly Jeff is the only one who you could hire as Steve and Jim are doing “their own thing”. Love and agree with your take though
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I’m a wNY guy and think there is definitely something to having someone from your area. I don’t want NY guys for my place in Ohio and don’t believe the Ohio, or Midwest folks, would be as successful here.
Tree Spud
5 year old buck +
It all depends on the type of property/habitat you have. If a habitat consultant has lots of experience and has seen many properties similar to yours, then you should at least interview them. I would preface it to say that I would not have a southern person consult on a northern property. But identify your property characteristics and the surrounding properties as well and then talk to some of these guys.
One outfit I have started watching on YouTube is https://www.habitatprollc.com/ Seem like they have a practical approach to habitat mgmt.
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That is a good channel
So to challenge that logic to some degree; wouldn’t a a guy like Jeff/WHS be the best consultant due to having the most client
Experience? Not posing this to be jerk; it’s a dialogue I’ve had in my own head as I am trying to select a consultant.
There is also a big fork in the road between the deer-centric and conservation based camps.
