Have a plan ready when all of hunting seasons have come to an end. In the South people seem to be tired a lot more in February than they were back in September of the previous year. There was the planting that took place for the fall and winter. Making sure that you had a special food plot to hunt over. Cold months rolled around and we hunted for deer, fall turkey, and even got our tails wet trying to shoot ducks. Which of course th duck thing is nothing that I have ever done but wouldn’t mind giving it a try one of these days. So after my deer season ends in January I get very tired of dragging and cleaning deer. So at this point it’s resting first while sitting on the sofa tuning in one of my favorite box calls getting ready for spring time turkey.
In Alabama I look forward to the spring for a mature gobbler. Then I also look forward to all the spring time planting that will need to be done. I would like to say that I’m a farmer but just not cows and horses but for my turkey and deer. So now I will carry you through a few steps to get yourself into farming shape for you too can be a farmer for wildlife of your choice.
Step 1. Look for land if you don’t already have any for the next season. Not only do I turkey hunt and plant in the spring but always on the lookout for new land to hunt for the next deer season.
Step 2. Plowing for the spring and getting ready is a must in my book. This is the time i will take to turn over old soil and create new. My existing food plots will require fertilizer, and lime if needed. A prescribed burn will also help before the plowing process in order to kill and wipe away dead grasses so the plowing will become more easy. Plus a burning stage will bring forth turkeys to feed on any roasted dead bugs that may be in the area.
Step 3. Building new stands for the new season and placing them out well ahead of time will also help you in more ways than one. I also will build and place in new feeding stations for deer. This will keep the deer around longer in order for you to hopefully find sheds or see new born fawns in the earl summer months. Feeding grains to deer and turkey is against the law in some states but in Alabama you can feed as long as you don’t hunt over it. By me feeding things like corn or deer pellets this will allow me to find and see what bucks have survived the last season.
Step 4. By step 4 it’s spring time and most of the plowing and planting has already been done. This is the scouting process and watching it grow process. With those of you that don’t have tons of land I suggest that you get yourself a game camera and place it out over a feeding station. Also at this point if you have not already put out minerals this would be a great time to do it for the bucks have already lost their antlers. I can also get in some last minute turkey hunting at this time as well.
So the next time all of your seasons come to an end get back out there and start over. The farming for wildlife trends never end. It is like a cattle ranch and just keep growing. Great rewards will come with time and effort if you the hunter or outdoorsman just keep at it. Good luck this upcoming year with your own wildlife farm no matter how big or small it may be.