Habitat Management

Throughout almost all of human existence, huntable land and huntable wildlife have preceded the hunter. They caused the hunter. But in the future this must be reversed. It is the hunter who must cause huntable land and wildlife…”

John Madison

One of my favorite parts about deer hunting and conservation is that we can play an active role in creating an environment that allows wildlife to thrive. Landowners can now mold their parcel into whatever they desire; whether that be for agriculture, building a home, or creating a whitetail paradise.

Deer are animals of subtlety. The smallest topographical or environmental changes affect the way they move, eat, and sleep. Deer do this to survive. They are masters at putting the odds in their favor because if they don’t, they will not survive. It’s a quality forged by necessity and self-preservation. This makes deer especially hard to kill, doubly so for mature bucks who are experts in their environment.

For the hunter, this type of knowledge can be used to gain the upper hand. If you know that certain subtle changes of the environment define deer movement, you can Micro-design your habitat by inserting those changes where YOU want to define deer movement. Whether that be putting a mock scrape in a specific location, creating pinch points that funnel movement, or planting food plots that attract deer, you have the ability to define deer movement that will be conducive to hunting.

The idea of “micro-designing” a parcel comes from the fact that deer are creatures of habit and consistency. Inserting small features like watering holes and bedding areas create habitat that deer can use habitually and consistently without having to worry about these attractions changing with the seasons. Agriculture, acorns, and summer bedding are always changing with the seasons. I have witnessed a year-round food source, mock scrape, or watering hole define movement where it was previously sporadic and random.

Another benefit of micro-designing is giving yourself the ability to hunt these designs well. It’s discouraging to know you have deer on your property but not be able to hunt them without blowing out a bedding area or food plot very time you walk to or from your stand. A micro-design allows you to hold deer where you want to. Just as importantly it also keeps them out of certain areas. This may seem counterintuitive. ‘Why would I intentionally want to keep deer out of certain areas of my property?’ you may ask. Well because you have to access your stands from somewhere and there is no better way to turn your property nocturnal than to spook deer every time you hunt. I have learned that one the hard way.

This is the approach we will take at GLC. With the priorities of conservation, habitat improvement, and herd health, our goal is to give landowners the knowledge to transform their land into something that simultaneously provides everything wildlife need to thrive as well as strategies to hunt their land effectively. Habitat management and hunting pressure are directly related to the carrying capacity of a hunting parcel.