This stand location took time to develop a winning strategy - but it paid off with several hunts this year! See how identifying food sources, reading the sign, designing and executing a hunting plan can end with fresh venison and lots of great memories!
Deer Hunting in Arkansas with Heath back in 2017: In this hunt, Heath is after a couple bucks that they have gotten some daylight pictures and hoping they get in range.
In this video: grunt calling, bow hunting, scent control, wind direction, scouting white-tails, food plots, aging deer and more!
Bradley and Danny did a great job designing and executing a hunting plan for an 80 acre property. By creating a hidey hole food plot, they created a limited resource and made an incredible bottleneck that got deer within range and in the freezer. See how their plan came together in this new video! Plus, Grant defines the limited resources for a 20 acre hunting property. Then Grant shares a habitat improvement plan with targeted strategies for better deer hunting.
See the how and the why of what we're doing now to ensure our food plots produce forage that's super attractive to deer and our strategies to hunt these plots throughout the season.
Plus, Grant designs a habitat improvement and hunting strategy to maximize deer herd quality and buck encounters for two Georgia properties.
Grant shares how to calibrate the Genesis drill before planting cool season food plots! Take the time to calibrate the drill and get maximum value from your food plot seed investment!
Antlers have developed and now we can identify individual bucks. We're getting Reconyx trail camera images of Swoops and Slingshot! Watch to see the new strategies we plan on using to hunt these two bucks. Plus: more on food plots, bow maintenance tips, and a hack and squirt update!
Over 40 tips in this video to help hunters improve hunting opportunities in the pines! Recommendations designed to attract and hold turkey and deer, the best food plot locations and types/varieties, timber harvests, prescribed fire, food plots in the thinned row pines, managing sweetgums, and much more! Watch to see the details as Grant lays out the framework for the best wildlife-oriented habitat management plan focusing on forestry and food plots for better hunting.
Our early scouting indicates it's going to be a great fall! First, one of our hit list bucks is back (a big, wide 10 pointer!) and he's bigger than ever! Then Grant shares 4 steps to create an ideal hunting location. Watch to see what we're learning as we scout and how we will adjust our hunting locations and strategies for the 2019 season.
See how cover crops have multiple benefits! Not only do they reduce weeds and provide nutrients when they decompose - see the tests here that reveals they also keep the soil cool!
For 500 episodes we've shared what we do at The Proving Grounds in the rough, steep, rocky Ozark Mountains to produce bigger antlers and better hunting. Here's a summary of the techniques we've shared and the people of GrowingDeer.
See why weekly scouting for current preferred food sources is one of the best ways to find hot stand or blind locations. Then Grant shows how to apply the Buffalo System to small food plots. These easy techniques improve the soil and create great hunting locations. Plus, the white oak mystery is solved!
For more details on the Jumping Oak Gall: https://mdc.mo.gov/sites/default/files/downloads/FH_Alert_Jumping_Oak_Gall.pdf
Bedding areas, funnels, travel corridors and food plots come together for a hunting hot spot! See how you can apply this strategy to fill your buck tag this fall! Then check out a new project in northern Missouri to improve traditional ag ground by converting the farming practices to the Buffalo System!
Grant evaluates a bedding area that was recently burned. Check out the incredible results of the prescribed fire! See the diversity of plants and learn about the benefits for wildlife: umbrella plants, preferred deer browse, successional growth, cover for whitetails and more. Then Grant digs deeper into food plots to show how the Buffalo System makes food plots more productive, healthier and easier to establish.
Growth! Spring fawns, sprouting antlers, food plots...and archery challenges! We're seeing the first fawns for the year. Watch to learn how the birthday of those fawns can be a great clue for predicting and hunting the 2019 pre-rut! Plus, see an update on steps for the Buffalo System food plots -- and gardens. Stay tuned to the end for a bow shooting challenge from the Gould Brothers!
A new critter at The Proving Grounds to help the food plots and native vegetation with pollination!
Grant travels to upstate New York and Minnesota to design habitat and wildlife management plans. Watch to see what Grant recommends for these hunters. See how naturally occurring bottle necks and food plots can be designed to get deer into shooting range. Then an update on our next steps for better food plots.
Plant leaves are the worlds most efficient solar panels. Grant explains the relationships between the sun, plant leaves and soil biology.
The GrowingDeer team puts their turkey hunting skills to the test when the conditions get tough. Find out how understanding turkey behavior, scouting, and decoys helped hunters tag toms in Missouri and Kansas! Then see how using the Buffalo System saved food plots during recent floods at The Proving Grounds.
It's not a weedy mess! It's called planting green. Watch to learn how spring food plots are planted at The Proving Grounds.
We are always working to improve the food plots on The Proving Grounds. When we find what works, we pass it along to our viewers. Check out this video to see a test that shows how your soil performs in absorbing rain water. Plus: an update on our turkey season and food plot planting.
A summary of the steps to planting food plots to maximize success.
Spring Field Days are here again! Watch as folks from across the whitetail's range gather at The Proving Grounds to learn more about habitat management and hunting. See some of the great food plot, hunting and trapping tips shared during this fun weekend!
See the concepts of the Buffalo food plot applied to the home garden. GrowingDeer editor Blake Porter had great results with cover crops, crimping, and planting.
This has been the scene all too often in the post rut here at The Proving Grounds. Deer are hanging in the acorns on the warmer slopes out of the wind and only on food plots for very brief times.
In this Facebook live Grant talks about weather, antler development, summer food plots,
The not-so secret "secret" to planting successful food plots. Use inoculant to stimulate growth.
We've got about half or better of our food plots in...and getting rain. This one storm dropped a lot of water!
Tyler has been in the tractor seat a lot of hours this week as he works to get the food plots in with the Genesis no-till drill!
The SwiveLift helps save time and our backs! Working safely means more time to get those food plots in!
Spring green up and coyotes are cruisin' the food plots.
The history behind Eagle Seed and what drives them to develop and provide the best forage soybeans on the market. Watch to learn why we here at GrowingDeer choose to work with this innovative company and why soybeans are one of our top choices for food plots.
More questions and more answers from a recent property review: fat, food, soybeans, soil, food plots, nutrients, etc.
Watch as the Non-Typical Wildlife Solutions fence keeps this buck out of those great looking beans! Keep deer out of your food plots or gardens with these electric fences.
Time lapse video of the "team work" crimping and no-till drilling of one of the larger food plots on the Proving Grounds. First the Goliath roller/crimper goes over the cover crop. Then the no-till drill goes over the same area planting the Eagle Seed forage soybeans the deer will feed on for the summer and into fall.
Here is a recipe for success! Grant shares tips on calibrating your Genesis drill for no-till food plots.
Dr. Woods discusses the benefits of native Louisiana browse versus planted food plots.
Eagle Seed beans have been the main stay of our food plot program. The spring shipment is always a day to celebrate! Local hunters often order their seed and pick up at The Proving Grounds.
Chowing down! This young buck shows a lot of potential! Providing good nutrition through quality food plots like Eagle Seed Broadside blend can make a huge difference!
A teaching moment: Dr. Grant Woods takes an afternoon to share his knowledge and experience with students from the College of the Ozarks.
Clover is a staple crop for a food plot program. Adam explains how we establish and maintain our clover food plots for the long term success.
Adam explains the strategy to intercept deer on their way to a major feeding food plot.
The Reconyx Trail Cameras caught this activity by does and fawns in our food plots.
A report from the field as the team is putting in food plots! What to look for to make sure it's done right!
Most hunters plant food plots on smaller acreage. Most farm equipment is designed for planting production ag crops on large acreage. The new Genesis drill is designed specifically for the food plot farmer and hunter. Easy to use, quick and easy calibration, small and efficient for smaller acreage. Wa
Dr. Woods speaks to a group of Alabama hunters on food plots, deer management, and hunting.
The Genesis No-Till Drill is soon to be available as a better tool for deer managers and farmers to plant food plots.
Working in the field taking food plots has additional benefits. Daniel shows his find in this video from the field.
After a hard morning of planting food plots, the guys have a little fun in the truck questioning a mystery of life and favorite foods: who eats that?
We never get tired of seeing the deer satisfy their nutritional and energy needs by eating in our Eagle Seed Broadside food plots!
Finding a food plot blend that feed deer during the harsh winter months is a challenge. The whitetails at our place have leaned that Eagle Seed Broadside mix fits that bill.
Using the No-Till Drill to over seed an existing food plot is a useful strategy to ensure food for the deer herd year round.
These does chow down on the brassicas in this food plot! Brassicas are a great choice for winter food plots.
Our mountainous terrain means there isn't a lot of flat ground for food plots. It also means you can't clear new ground with a bush hog. We experimented with a new method to get some ground cleared for either a new food plot or better native browse. Welcome to the "Boss Hog"!