Deer hunters should be weed farmers. Wait, not that kind of weed! I’m talking about forbs – all those non-grass, broad-leaved, herbaceous plants that most people call “weeds” and most deer consider food. Common ragweed,…
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Can Deer Freeze to Death?
Feb 15, 2023Matt Ross
Can deer freeze to death when severe cold weather, such as dangerously low temperatures, deep snow and crushing winds, set in? Although this winter has been warmer than average for much of the country, many…
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How to Create a Heat Refuge for Deer
Jul 20, 2022Zack Vucurevich
When you hear the phrase “thermal cover,” what’s the first thing that comes to mind? If you are like a majority of deer hunters, you likely pictured a south-facing hillside gathering winter sun, or a…
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Burn Outside the Box: Try Prescribed Fire at a New Time of Year
Feb 9, 2022Luke Resop
What do wildfires and prescribed fires have in common? Not much. Most fires we hear about in the media consume thousands of acres of forest at a time, threaten communities, and take weeks or months…
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Deer Habitat in a Squirt Bottle part 2: Tools, Teams and Techniques
Jan 27, 2021Lindsay Thomas Jr.
Removing surplus or non-native trees and shrubs to restore sunlight to the ground, fueling a rebirth of deer forage and cover, is a great way to rapidly improve deer habitat. Dr. Craig Harper of the…
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Deer Habitat in a Squirt Bottle part 1: Add Great Deer Habitat by Subtracting
Jan 20, 2021Lindsay Thomas Jr.
If I ask you to imagine going outside today and creating some great deer habitat, what do you picture? Did you think of something you could add, like seeds or trees you can plant? Let’s…
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10 Red Flags That Reveal Poor Deer Habitat
Feb 28, 2018Lindsay Thomas Jr.
Time is not kind to deer habitat. With each hour that passes, the plants growing where you hunt are losing their value to deer. Trees are rising, stretching upwards to fill vacant holes in the…
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The Best Fire Frequency for Deer Habitat
Jan 2, 2018Lindsay Thomas Jr.
Prescribed fire improves deer habitat, and if it’s practical where you hunt, you should learn to burn. That’s a message we have harped on for years, and as more deer hunters have begun to use…
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Hunt and Gather: Sumac Lemonade and Venison Tenderloin Medallions
Jun 29, 2017Bruce and Elaine Ingram
As fellow QDMA member Bryce Clingenpeel and I are driving down a rural road in Botetourt County, Virginia on a late July day, he suddenly slams on the brakes, quickly parks his truck on the…
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The 3 Biggest Obstacles to Creating Young Forest Cover
Mar 27, 2017Tim Russell
Young forest is an important cover type for whitetails. The dense thickets of shrubs, weeds, vines, seedlings and saplings in a young forest provide ample food and cover. For some, creating these conditions could be…
