Thanks a lot Jimi...I greatly appreciate it! I have 6 more coming over the next 8-10 days...hoping there are a couple real good ones in there! Always appreciate the support from you...

Thanks a lot Randle...and you are very welcome! I have a real passion for this stuff, lol luckily, because it's what I do for my living 🙂 have a great day today...

Whitetail Habitat Solutions you to brother GOD BLESS.

Great to hear...must have been good thinking on your part 😉 very cool and thank you very much!

Thank you so much...really means a lot to me! I love this kind of feedback and congrats to you, thanks a lot for sharing!

@@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751 same here. I started watching your videos last fall and every buck on our property is still showing up in daylight hours with the end of the season yesterday. Now that its over I can't wait to get out and make property improvements.

Thank you very much Randle, appreciate you being on the channel so often!

Whitetail Habitat Solutions I sometimes comment to much I guess. Thank you for sharing brother GOD BLESS.

@@randlerichardson5826 hey no worries here Randle! Appreciate it...

@@randlerichardson5826 de edede

@@randlerichardson5826 de edede L

You are welcome Steven! You really need to focus on hinge cutting at waist high, and away from travel corridors nor bedding areas. I hope this video helps, but I have quite a few bedding cutting videos in my bedding creation playlist. Here is one if them: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/iZmXabua3czeoJc.html

Thank Jacob and make sure to check out my latest video...I think you will like it 🙂 kzfaq.info/get/bejne/n5h2dZinrrfUd2Q.html What a coincidence!

I would go about 40% to 50% switchgrass, surrounding small patches of early successional growth and broadleaf growth. I hope this help! Very easy to convert: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/j5iep71nzL-wlJc.html Lots of info in this article I wrote last year about this time. Let me know what you think! www.whitetailhabitatsolutions.com/blog/how-to-plant-switchgrass-for-wildlife-cover

Thank you Yogi! One thing to consider is to avoid actual shooting lanes. Instead, pockets of shooting opportunity is a whole lot better. Something I consistently see on client parcels, are deer circling behind shooting lanes. Clients cut them further back...deer change again to go around. Creating pockets of opportunity can actually add some forest daytime browse to attract deer into shooting windows. I hope that makes sense!

Whitetail Habitat Solutions YES it does. thanks.

@@yogibear6271 that's great to hear...have fun 🙂

Thank you very much...boy, really just fell into it. First off you can't do this line of work successfully without a having a lot of hunting success. For 20 years I hunted...hunted hard, all DIY hunts, starting and always hunting both private small parcels and public land along the way. Indiana, MI, WI, PA and KY. Shooting a few dozen bucks and even more does along the way. Hunting the big public land woods of PA, northern MI public public land swamps and then private land in northern and southern MI, IN, WI and KY gave me a wealth of diverse hunting experience. I started planting food plots, trees and shrubs in 95 on private land that I owned in southern MI in 95. By 2003 I had moved to the UP of MI and had been working on my own private land and hunting public land for several years, in the same area. I started writing and speaking about that time and in 2004 the National QDMA gave me their deer manager of the year award out of the entire country. As I continued to write and publish magazine articles, I started getting a lot of random calls for advice. I started the business in 2005 and the first year I visited 4 clients, then 10, then 35 in 2007 and over 50 in 2008. I've worked on roughly 70 parcels per year the next 10 years and I will be on at least that many this year. I learn something new on every single parcel and continue to hunt public land including Ohio for 7 years and both MI and PA in 2018. Writing articles is my way of taking notes about what I have seen or experienced in the woods and I have written over 600 at this point...videos are the same and I think I have created roughly 250. I think I've had to organize to speak at about 60-70 seminars and habitat days. I can tell you what I do is not something you can go to school for. You have to have the strong hunting success base first...or you can't design hunting parcels for clients. Multiple states, private and public all DIY. You have to be able to do it yourself first at the level the client is looking for, before really visiting that client. It has been an amazing journey! Being able to write and speak adequately (not great, lol) is critical. Learning KZfaq and Google strategies by reading or watching hundreds of vidros or blogs is so important. Being able to write or create at least 200 pieces of whitetail content per year is very important and also writing books. I say that so you can reach folks on a national level. All of that content is important for an online resume too! Overall folks won't hire you if they don't think you can take them to the next level...often after already having multiple "wildlife professionals" on their land. Again...man it's been a crazy journey! I feel lucky. Blessed.

Jerry that's exactly what I recommend! 50-100 per acre, in clusters of 2-5, hidden back in the tops and debris. A real common recommendation on my client parcels...

It really depends on any high points within the hemlock (1-2' rises). Willingness to replant and spot spray. What's around the stand, overall age of the stand. So many options depend on a wide degree of variables. Just had a client in December with a decent % of hemlock and on that particular parcel the recommendation was to not touch any. But, they Habitat around the hemlock that could be changed, improved and added to...enhancing not only the parcel, but the stand of hemlocks. Good question Todd!

@@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751 In our case it really is actually a pretty interesting property layout when taking into account the surrounding properties. It is an 85 acre property that is long and narrow and runs north/south, like i said it is mostly hemlock with a clover/alfalfa field at the south end and the property is sandwiched between a long parallel ridge on the west that is hemlock until you get up onto the spine and a hardwoods hill and big swamp and marsh on the east side of our property. currently the field serves as a destination food source during the fall and we have put in a 2 acre patch cut where there was some pine to get some maple and oak regeneration along with briers. but because most of the property are big mature hemlocks we have mostly been focusing on mast tree (oak, hickory, and black cherry) release for the wildlife.

@@cyberpirate88 sounds like a great mix! Keep in mind the lower quality trees are best for wildlife. Soft maple, cut and hinged hickory, hardwood regen, shrubs, etc. In a case where you already have the canopy of the hemlock...you need a lot more low Regen, early successional growth. Mature hickory and oaks can be a bad thing...just more high over story canopy and no teal wildlife holding cover or appreciable food. Hope that helps...sounds like a lot of potential!

Hi David, thanks a lot! That really depends on how deep your cover is. But not matter what, starting with the food plot/screening/doe bedding is the first step. That may mean that but ks will bed out on the public land..or on the edge of your land, but regardless of whether the terrain drops or rises, bucks will bed in that order. Hope that helps!

Whitetail Habitat Solutions yes! Thanks!

@@deercamp3479 cool, you are very welcome...

Thank you Bruce! I would check out my bedding area playlist...but bedding areas alone won't help you - it all has to relate to quality season long food. I charge by the day to help landowners...roughly 75 clients per year around the country. You can get the ball rolling by contacting my wife Diane at info@whitetailhabitatsolutions.com. Other then that I do not take emails or help folks out....other than through the social media questions and comments. I also have roughly 600 articles on my website...and of course my videos here on KZfaq. I hope all the info helps you...that's a lot of acres and would take a little more time than we have on here 🙂

Thanks again for replying to my questions yeah I know you stay busy so I understand. I know it first starts with having a good year round nutrious food plots and mineral licks I am currently working on using the 3 strip no till food Plot I am waiting on the woods to dry out we have had a bunch of rain so everything is flooded plus we have the biggest creek in Arkansas so as soon as the water dries out I am going to start working on my food plots .Going to use clover so they can have something to eat year round thanks again,Bruce

Hi Dillion...I sure do. One coming up about should you plant one or not and another on using small hidden food plots and a mock scrape to find out how many bucks are in the entire area. Already shot...will be out in the next week to 10 days. Hope you like them!

When you have stable all season food sources the entire hunting season you find a very reliable set of bedding locations...does closer to food, bucks behind does. Very cool system of habitat and hunting setup that you depend on to a very high level all season long...

Good question...is it tag alder? Willow? Red osier dogwood? If there is a good diversity it is great to mow down in the Winter, and let it regenerate this Summer...you can create mowed down trails, small browse pockets...all to move deer and set them up for stand or blind locations. Would any of that fit? I've seen situation like that work extremely well...

@@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751 Its a bunch of alder, basswood, poplar and ash. I think I'll start creating some trails. Thanks for the response and great videos.

@@CuirassierProwler you are very welcome...and that is an OUTSTANDING mix of habitat! Good luck...and have fun!

Hi Clayton, boy such a loaded question! That really is site specific...# of deer, shaded, partially shaded or full sun. I like white or Norway spruce in some locations. Red cedar in a lot of locations. White pine too... Fast growing red pine can be a great compliment to slower growing spruce. So many of them have their place. White cedar is a poor choice just about in any situation.

Whitetail Habitat Solutions Thank you for the quick response.

@@stark_outdoors you are welcome Clayton! Right after I responded to you I wrote in my notes to create a conifer strategy vid...thank you! Also, here is an article I wrote years ago...more conifer info for you. Let me know if it helps... www.whitetailhabitatsolutions.com/blog/conifer-plantings-for-deer-habitat

I don't recommend creating a canopy, expecting deer to bed under that canopy. I want a maze and pocket effect like shown in the video, where deer can move around and through cuttings WITHOUT a canopy over there head. Canopies are a very bad practice. For it to be a canopy deer have to be able to walk under it. I just lay the timber on the ground, not expecting deer to ever walk under it, in any way. In that way they have side cover and food...

For further explanation...btw, stacked on the ground is not a canopy. That's simply stacked cuttings...a canopy is a trampoline effect. Where you or I could walk or crawl under. But here you go, hope this helps: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/iZmXabua3czeoJc.html

Good morning Nate!

Great to hear Sheldon! Many other variables for sure, but...being against the lake wouldn't be a concern. As long as you have those layers starting at the opposite side of of the lake. Meaning food/does/bucks/lake, it really sound like a good bet! I would make sure of zero canopy...hinge cuts about hip to belly high, lots of room for bucks to move about the cuttings, no dead ends, easy in and out...sounds like a good potential setup!

@@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751 thanks so much for the reply! Yes the layers would be correct. I've watched most all your videos so I'm learning so much! It would be my house, foodplot, 200 yards of pines, strip of hardwoods, and then lake. Thanks again! God bless.

@@sheldonfreed2122 Sheldon, you are very welcome. Nice...sounds like a great setup, let me know how it works out ..sounds great on paper!

Hi Brandon, thanks a lot! Looking forward to the visit in February! I asked Diane and she found a message you sent from today ..but can't find another? While I work Sundays answering comments on KZfaq, she doesn't typically, but I know that she will be back at it in the morning. Hope all is going great!

@@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751 Yea buddy, super excited for the visit.

@@Brandon-uo1rv nice...really good to hear and I can't wait to get there...soon! Hopefully warmer than here right now, lol

Not on mine? Canopies are pretty bad...really more of a fad, and a pretty poor habitat experience. My turnkey partner Ross spends a lot of time cutting open canopies so deer will begin using the bedding area. And I've smashed a lot of them down over the years for clients, making real bedding areas. The canopy itself is ok, if there are openings and corridors around the canopies that the deer can actually move through. Then it really doesn't matter matter if the canopy caves in. But building canopy for deer to live under, is a very, very poor whitetail habitat practice. I've seen thousands of them made throughout over 20 states. Hundreds of paid-for canopies. Pretty cool to help clients understand why they aren't being used. Not that deer don't use them in some areas, but definitely not preferred... Always keep in mind, that deer don't need to hide from birds and planes. But they do need side cover and browse.

Not every white oak is a good white oak. Nor do you want a parcel full of oaks. Leaners, subordinates, poorly formed/non mast or low mast White oaks are no good...same with any oak species that is poorly formed and weak. It is better to learn how to maximize mast producing trees...which means cutting down trees that are taking away from the potential of those trees 😉