Land Preparation/ Clearing Prices vary. From cutting trees, pulling stumps to applying lime and fertilizer. Land prep can consist of food plots, property line access to shooting lanes.
Forestry Service Timber Buying - $40 per hour, plus travel. I can work as your liaison between you and timber buyer. Logging specifics and set up.
Hunting Land Enhancement (Professionally since 2012)
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This is a management philosophy that unites land owners, hunters and managers in a common goal of producing a healthy deer herd. This is biologically and socially sound within enviromental, social and legal constraints. Basically what you and your neighbors can do to the land legally to produce a healthy herd. This also typically involves protecting yearly bucks with adequate doe harvest.
-Have you ever passed a young buck?
-Have you ever harvested a doe?
-Have you ever done any kind of forestry or any other kind of habitat work to benefit deer and other wildlife?
-Have you ever planted a food plot?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, you are practicing a form of Quality Deer Management.
Although the term QDM has been thrown around since the 1960's, I believe it's simply not fully understood. This technique takes dedication and commitment, an increased knowledge of deer biology and a respect for an ethical obligation to practice it. This is where the National Deer Association helps you understand what QDM is about. Find a local branch in your area and ask to be involved in their activities.
QDM is not about big antlers and killing all the does, it's about whole herd health and management. More knowledge of deer, better understanding and being involved with habitat improvements are key features to allow deer hunting well into the future. Deer hunting is declining, don't wait till the hunting of deer is gone before you do something, get started today. It's never to late.
Pricing: Initial consultation by phone / Email. Discuss goals and objectives. Discuss current management practices and neighboring properties. $ FREE 231-598-3200
Complete Deer Management Plan. Maps needed, high quality topography map is helpful. We will walk property together and discuss details. Generalized summary of discussing, notes and maps. $500 and up plus travel from 48617. What you get? Scroll down for the details.
Quality Deer Management
Become a member of the QDMA by clicking the button below. Required for my services.
Native Vegetation Management
Prices start at $100 plus travel. I make these events entertaining and educational getting the audience involved. Topics include: Food Plots (with sub topics), QDM philosophies, Jaw Bone Aging, Aging Deer on the Hoof, Native Vegetation Management, Cooperatives and more.
Seminars and Speaking
FOOD PLOTS - Licensed and Insured
This is your food plot that is already growing and it's the most important habitat factor. Before you spend hundreds of dollars the native habitat needs to be addressed first. These naturally occurring plants are already producing some food and cover, but with little encouragement they could become more valuable than food plots. Deer will do even better nutritionally if both are present. Our management goal is to provide as much quality habitat as possible.
Let's understand a little about what deer eat. Many hunters and people new to wildlife habitat management do not have a good understanding of what deer eat and when they eat it. The diet of deer is known for great variety and about 70% of their diet. It consists of browse, soft mast, hard mast, mushrooms, wild grasses, forbs, ag crops and landscaping. Look for more information on what this food is and how to manage it on the blog page.
I have based my consulting business on Quality Deer Management (QDM). My education is an Associates of Applied Science in Horticulture from Ferris State University. I also have a certificate degree in Wildlife/Forestry Conservation from Penn-Foster Career School and most important I am certified through the National Deer Association (formally QDMA) as a Level 3 Deer Steward (Top Level) and Land Certification Program writer. The goal is to provide as much quality habitat as possible.
PRICING BELOW
First question to answer is do you have enough native vegetation on your property to sustain food plots? 70% of what deer eat is native vegetation. Over 100 different forbs, sedges, leaves, buds, woody branches, fruit, nuts, berries and so on. Food plots are meant to supplement your properties lack there of, not feed your deer herd. Food plots also act as an attractant to hunt near and of course are usually very high in nutrition.
Second - location? Where is a good spot for one. I say almost anywhere. If you want to hunt near it you should take wind into consideration. Only problem is usually where there is an open area usually means the soil is poor. This only means it will take some time and work to get it how you want it. It will show more of it's full potential about 3 years in. Our goal is to get you a high producing perennial plot by year 3. We WILL NOT install a food plot without a soil test. $75 for the first plot $25 additional plots plus travel. Basic pH test, Macronutrients
Key to success: Moisture. We need timely rains for food plot success. Are there ways's around this? yes.
Food plots are expensive but let's face it everything in hunting is expensive. OUR prices range from $250 on up per acre, plus seed, fertilizer and a number of other factors. But the joy you get out of it and putting it together in your overall management plan is more than worth it. Look for our new technique of crimping and notill planting coming soon!
Jaw Bone Aging - free- accurate to 2.5 years old.
Cementum Aging - 1 set $40. for 6 week return time -$80
Trail Camera Surveys - prices vary
Blind Towers - $1000. Setting is extra
Hinge cutting Bedding Areas - $50 per hour. *lots of variables to be discussed.
Hinge cutting Travel routes - Same as Hinge cutting
Hinge Cutting for Cover - Same as Hinge cutting
Film your hunt - Mon-Thur $80 day. $50 per sit. Fri - Sun $100 day $75 per sit. Editing TBD final hunt on DVD. $250.00
What you get if you decide to hire me:
Trying not to write a book here I will try to give bullet point explanation. I look for something to learn everyday about deer. I live deer, year round not just during hunting season. This is my life and my only source of income. You've read about QDM and 4 cornerstones. You've read my classroom education. I'll give you some of my field experience:
Basic goals - See deer, don't let deer know their being hunted, shoot deer, HAVE FUN!
* On going support. Phone, email, text. If you need me on the property again there could be travel expenses and hourly rate depending. But this land transformation takes years to accomplish and changes like the weather. Accomplish your goals and objectives.
*Knowledge. QDM. 4 cornerstones. Become a better hunter and land manager by better understanding deer and how they use your land. I've hunted deer myself since 1987. I've shot over 15 bucks. 4 being Quality bucks. I've harvested 30 doe. Practicing QDM since 2001, but more serious since 2009. Professionally since 2012. I've planted food plots since 2001, professionally since 2007. Since 20012 I've planted over 400 acres of food plots, 100 acres of native warm season grasses, 3500 Miscanthus Gigantues plants. Pruned countless Apple Trees, Pear Trees. Planted countless seedling trees. New 2018 liaison for timber sales and logging operation. Since 2018 I had 500 hours of Hinge Cutting / Bedding / Travel / Daylighting / Structure Cover
*QDMA membership.
*Booklet full of information we discuss for a reference. Observation sheets and Harvest sheets for accurate data recording to make correct management decisions every year. Discounts on trail cameras, food plot seed and other products from companies that support us.
HABITAT Mgmt - Overall assessment. Food, Cover, Water. Health of habitat. How many deer can habitat hold. TSI suggestions. (Timber Stand Improvement). Timber buyer liaison. Native vegetation assessment, MOST IMPORTANT piece to this puzzle. Hinge cut suggestions. Hinge cut demonstrations. Cover, daylighting, travel, bedding. Food plots - where, when, how and why.
Hunter Mgmt - Scent control techniques. Blind set up techniques. A.M. Hunts P.M. Hunts. Trail camera set up: when, why, where, how. Mock scrapes. Licking branches - how, when, where, why. Reading the weather and choosing high quality sits. Most difficult of the 4 cornerstones is Hunter Mgmt.
Herd Monitoring -Data sheets provided. Record every hunt, every hunter. Trail camera for populations, inventory (adult deer vs fawns) Visual observations. Marking bedding locations. Marking trails. Food, Water. What are the deer trying to do on your property. 20 deer per sq mile.
Herd Mgmt - When to shoot, why to shoot, where to shoot. Doe populations. Older the doe the more female offspring. Doe will run off bucks especially her own off spring. Collecting data and why. Lower jaw bone aging. Cementum Annuli aging.
I put all these pieces to the puzzle together with you. We will become close because your success is my success. Landscaping for Whitetails. Please See Disclaimer.