Land & Legacy - Habitat + Hunting

Land & Legacy
  • 4.7 (383)
  • Wilderness
  • Updated Biweekly

The Land & Legacy podcast brings expert advice each week on everything from habitat management, hunting, and recreational land investments. We unpack real world scenarios that we experience through consulting across the country to help you become a more productive landowner and hunter. If you own land, this is the podcast for you!

  1. No Mow May, No Mow June, No MOW* Turkeys!

    5d ago

    No Mow May, No Mow June, No MOW* Turkeys!

    Turkey season may be behind us, but the real habitat work is just getting started. In this week's Land & Legacy podcast, Adam and Chad discuss what they've observed since the season closed and how those observations continue to reinforce the importance of active habitat management. One of the most noticeable changes has been the return of turkeys to the farm after neighboring properties stopped illegally baiting birds during the season. It's another reminder that turkey movements and behavior can be heavily influenced by concentrated food sources. Once those artificial attractants disappeared, birds quickly shifted back to utilizing quality habitat—areas providing natural forage, nesting cover, brood habitat, and security. The discussion also centers around the growing need for additional prescribed fire across the landscape. While many properties have seen improvements from previous burns, the reality is that much of the habitat has already begun to lose the open ground conditions, diverse plant communities, and insect-rich environments that turkeys depend on. Fire remains one of the most effective tools available for resetting succession, stimulating native plant growth, increasing bug production, and maintaining quality nesting and brood-rearing habitat. A major topic of conversation is the growing popularity of "No Mow May" and "No Mow June" campaigns. While well-intentioned, Adam and Chad explain why simply not mowing is often being promoted as a habitat solution when it does little to address the real limitations facing wild turkeys. Allowing cool-season grasses and weedy lawns to grow taller for a few weeks does not create quality nesting cover, brood habitat, or the diverse native plant communities needed for long-term turkey recovery. The focus should instead be on active habitat management practices such as prescribed fire, timber management, native vegetation establishment, grazing strategies, and invasive species control. Throughout the episode, Adam and Chad share field observations from their own farm, discuss current turkey use across the property, and outline practical habitat improvements landowners can implement right now to benefit turkeys throughout the year. If turkey populations are going to rebound across much of their range, the conversation must shift from passive management ideas to proven practices that create the habitat conditions wild turkeys truly need.

    39 min
  2. Whistling Woodlands: From Vision to Reality

    Jun 11

    Whistling Woodlands: From Vision to Reality

    Every landowner has a vision for what their property can become, but turning that vision into reality takes planning, persistence, and a willingness to adapt. On this episode of Land & Legacy, Chad and Adam sit down to discuss some of the most successful habitat projects completed on their farm, Whistling Woodlands, and the lessons learned along the way. From establishing diverse native grass plantings that provide critical bedding, nesting cover, and year-round wildlife habitat to developing productive annual forage pastures that benefit both livestock and wildlife, this episode highlights how intentional land management can create multiple returns from the same acres. Chad and Adam break down the planning process, site preparation, species selection, and management techniques that have led to successful outcomes on their property. The conversation also explores how these projects have improved soil health, increased carrying capacity, enhanced wildlife use, and created a more resilient landscape. Whether you're managing a small hunting property or a large working farm, the principles discussed can help you maximize the potential of your land while balancing conservation and production goals.

    34 min
  3. Honest Review - Wealth Strategy Service

    May 28

    Honest Review - Wealth Strategy Service

    During this episode, we review the Wealth Strategy service with Alan Summerford, who recently completed the program. This podcast aims to clarify the process and value this service brings to clients similar to Alan. This multi-step process offers clients substantial analysis, a financial eco-system review, and land evaluation. Our end goal and objective is to educate clients on the best way to structure their wealth revolving around land ownership. We hope this podcast reveals that a multi-facated team working together offers real benefits.

    30 min
  4. Simple Habitat Solutions - Back to the Basics

    May 21

    Simple Habitat Solutions - Back to the Basics

    In this episode, we break down several simple, practical habitat projects that can make a major impact on your property without requiring huge budgets or complicated equipment. Too often, landowners chase advanced strategies while overlooking the foundational improvements that consistently produce better wildlife habitat year after year. These are the kinds of projects that should be at the top of your habitat management list this season. We discuss low-cost, high-impact improvements like edge feathering, timber stand improvement, native grass management, small water sources, travel corridor enhancements, and strategic food plot placement — all designed to improve cover, bedding, nesting habitat, and overall wildlife movement. Whether you manage for deer, turkeys, or overall ecosystem health, these simple projects can dramatically increase the usability and carrying capacity of your farm. If you’ve been overwhelmed by habitat management or unsure where to start, this episode focuses on realistic, achievable work that almost any landowner can implement immediately. Sometimes the smallest changes on the landscape create the biggest long-term results.

    43 min
  5. Blank Slate: Planning Exercise

    May 13

    Blank Slate: Planning Exercise

    Rethink your farm with us this week as we wipe the slate clean and re-evaluate how your farm works. This interactive podcast will guide you through starting cleanly, helping you understand how deer move on your property. This 7-step exercise will make areas on your farm stand out using OnX mapping. Future bedding thickets will be revealed, travel corridors and areas where deer are vulnerable to harvest will appear when you start over. New stand locations await you on the other side of the exercise. Mentally these are exercises that we perform whenever we walk a new farm. We see the farm with fresh eyes, no expectations, and with no previous observations of how deer use a farm—just the straight basics. Sometimes the path forward isn't straight; it may require you to take a few steps back, before moving forward.

    36 min
  6. Back to What Works: Building a Simple, Effective Spring Food Plot Plan

    Apr 29

    Back to What Works: Building a Simple, Effective Spring Food Plot Plan

    Spring plots don’t have to be complicated. Adam and Matt break down a simple, proven system for building food plots that actually work—without chasing trends. Back to the basics, back to results.

    43 min

  7. Apr 23

    Fantasy Land Management: When Habitat Advice Sounds Good… But Fails in the Field

    In this episode, we’re diving headfirst into what we call “Fantasy Land Management”—the world where habitat strategies sound great on paper, circulate heavily online, and get repeated often… but fall apart when applied on real ground. Too many landowners are making decisions based on secondhand opinions, outdated practices, or “highlight reel” results without ever questioning if those approaches actually fit their property, region, or goals. The result? Wasted time, wasted money, and in some cases, habitat that’s worse than where they started. We break down some of the most common false ideas in land management—things like over-prioritizing food plots, misunderstanding cover, blindly copying what works in other states, or assuming more work always equals better results. Just because something is popular doesn’t mean it’s effective. This episode is about cutting through the noise and getting back to principles that actually matter: observation, context, and outcomes. Good management isn’t built on trends—it’s built on understanding your land, your limitations, and the wildlife you’re trying to support. If you’ve ever felt like you’re chasing results that never quite show up, this conversation will help reset your approach and refocus your efforts where they actually count.

    41 min

  8. Apr 9

    LandBeat Review: How to Improve Timber for Wild Turkeys

    In this episode from the Land & Legacy podcast, the conversation zeroes in on how timber management directly impacts turkey populations—and why most properties fall short simply because the woods are too closed and stagnant. A major takeaway is that turkeys thrive in open, diverse timber—not mature, shaded forests. The guys emphasize that many landowners mistakenly believe “big timber” equals good habitat, when in reality, closed-canopy woods limit sunlight, suppress understory growth, and ultimately reduce the insects and ground cover that poults depend on for survival. The episode breaks down how to correct that through intentional disturbance: Timber stand improvement (TSI) to remove low-value trees and release desirable species Hinge cutting and thinning to create structure at ground level Prescribed fire to reset the forest floor and stimulate native vegetation These practices aren’t just about trees—they’re about creating usable space at a turkey’s level. As sunlight hits the ground, it drives the growth of grasses, forbs, and bugging habitat, which are critical for brood rearing. Without that, even properties with plenty of acreage can feel like a “biological desert” for turkeys. Another key point is structure and visibility. Turkeys need to be able to move, see, and avoid predators. Thick, tangled woods without intentional design can actually hurt turkey use, while properly managed timber creates a balance of: Open travel corridors Nesting cover Brood-rearing areas The conversation also highlights that timber work benefits more than just turkeys. The same practices improve habitat for deer, quail, and a wide range of species—making it one of the highest ROI projects a landowner can implement. At its core, the episode reinforces a bigger philosophy: If you want more turkeys, you have to manage the woods—not just the fields. Consistent disturbance, strategic tree removal, and a focus on ground-level diversity are what transform timber from unused space into high-quality turkey habitat.

    25 min
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4.7
out of 5
383 Ratings

About

The Land & Legacy podcast brings expert advice each week on everything from habitat management, hunting, and recreational land investments. We unpack real world scenarios that we experience through consulting across the country to help you become a more productive landowner and hunter. If you own land, this is the podcast for you!

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