Our annual members meeting will be Saturday March 16th at 10am at the Cabela's in Owatonna.  Bring a friend and get involved, or just stop by and say hi. The meeting is our annual chance for members to stop in and participate as we go over finances from the previous year, and make plans for the coming year. If you have thoughts questions or concerns it is a great chance to be…

How many acres of corn should I plant? How many acres of corn should I plant is a great question.  How many acres of corn you go with is a function of deer density, your property size, and your property goals.  Corn and soybeans, along with brassicas and cereal grains help pull your deer through the toughest part of the year.  Native browse, vegetation, and acorns will usually get your…

Dictating bed to feed routes Dictating bed to feed travel corridors can be easier than one might think.  The first step is to dictate where the deer bed, and where the deer feed. Dictating bed to feed routes Dictating bed to feed routes

Winter discing in January Winter discing will have a different effect in each of the following environments: Winter tillage (Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb…do fall tillage in studio at same time) When winter tillage is the right choice Over grown areas Food plot failure Food source depletion Great for breaking down debris and lime Disadvantage when any food is present Disc (If spraying isn’t an option, repeat 5 days later)…

January deer habitat projects [caption id="attachment_872" align="alignleft" width="300"] January deer habitat projects[/caption] January is a big month for deer managers.  The hunting season is over and it's time to get back to work.  January is the best time to learn from last year, and prepare for next fall (it's coming quick).  Scouting is a big priority this time of year.  It's also time to pull, maintain and inspect our stands.…

General Setting Goals Lime a-z What to plant Creating holding plots Food plot shapes and sizes Screening an approach How many deer do you want Formulating a plan Laying out a property/dictating movement Sanctuaries Removing does without harming buck hunting Stand hunting formula Browse guide Map reading Equipment buyers guide Budgeting your goals Analyzing adjoining properties Not over pressuring your deer Aging deer and evaluating the deer you harvest Importance…

Setting Goals for your land By Steve Bartylla [caption id="attachment_661" align="alignleft" width="300"] setting goals for your land[/caption] By now, most every serious hunter at least has a decent idea of what benefits can be derived from habitat improvement and managing the population dynamics of a deer herd. The trick is figuring out how to pull it off. That begins with setting a goal. Most specifically, what is it that you…

Best food plots for deer [caption id="attachment_11" align="alignleft" width="300"] best food plots for deer[/caption] Best food plots for deer consist of either annuals like corn and beans planted in the spring, or annuals, perennials and bi-ennials planted late summer. Today we will focus on a strategy for attracting bucks in the early bow season and until the first few hard frosts in areas where the deer feed heavily on clover,…

Fall food plots for deer [caption id="attachment_11" align="alignleft" width="300"] food plots for deer[/caption] Fall food plots for deer consist of either annuals like corn and beans planted in the spring, or annuals, perennials and bi-ennials planted late summer.  Today we will focus on a strategy for attracting bucks in the early bow season and until the first few hard frosts in areas where the deer feed heavily on clover, alfalfa…

Steve Bartylla Steve Bartylla talks The rewards of diligent observation can be much more than quality time afield. Proper scouting produces hard results.   By Steve Bartylla   Hearing the unmistakable gait of an approaching buck, I turned slowly to catch a glimpse. After investing numerous preseason hours patterning this animal, he was coming in on a rope.     By Steve Bartylla With my bow in hand, I was…