# Feeling good about QDM



## leon (Jan 23, 2000)

Well, I've been to my favorite remote location in the UP the last two weekends and I've had some fun, done some hard work, and I'm feeling good about QDM and what I've learned about creating good deer management habitat through my involvement with QDM and its people. 

Last week, I planted 15 more apple trees and staked them out with mesh wire so the deer can't browse them while they are so young and tender. I bought the trees from Hilltop Nurseries in SW Michigan, a very professional establishment serving the wildlife habitat community. When these trees (and others I've planted every year) mature, I'm going to have tasty apples and soft mast available for deer all over my property.

I also fertilized three clover fields by hand that I created following the instructions of Ed Spinnazola of the Mid-Michigan Chapter of QDMA (available in a new book or on the website www.QDMA.net). I used a 6-24-24 fertilizer blend for the first time. The deer are already using the clover fields which green up much more quickly than other fields. Now that we've hopefully had our last four inches of snow, these fields should start providing good protein and other nutrient levels to the deer.

I installed three wood duck houses last weekend, and lo and behold, this weekend, there were three hen wood ducks swimming on the ponds. Gosh, they are beautiful birds. Now if they will just use those duck boxes for nesting, I'll be thrilled!

I carefully noted the amount of deer browse following the winter. There wasn't a stick of brush under five feet tall that didn't have its top snipped off. For the very few deer we seemed to have last fall, I witnessed an incredible amount of damage to the habitat from winter browsing. Gee, maybe there are more deer than what we saw last fall! I guess I better have some fun and take out a few more does this year!

It's a long time until I can draw on deer in October, but habitat management work we can do goes on all year long. This also is an important part of hunting that sportsmen and sportswomen need to do. It's also a big part of what QDM supporters believe in. Now you can wait for government programs and others to lead the way in habitat management, or you can do it yourself and make your own contribution. This year, why don't you step up to the plate and help create some improvement in the habitat for Michigan's magnificent whitetailed deer?

If you do, you just might have as much fun as I've had the last two weekends, and you just might be a part of improving our whitetail habitat and our future hunting experiences.

Best wishes,

Leon


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## Jeff Sturgis (Mar 28, 2002)

It's a great time of the year to be "out and about" in the woods! No bugs, great temperatures, easier walking, and increased sight distance all work together to make this a great time of the year.

My food plots are still too wet to get the tractor into(especially with the 7 inches of snow we got sunday), but I've found it relatively easy to spread a total of 3000 pounds of lime so far on one of my newer fields. 500#'s at a time on the ATV, open up the 50# bag and walk while moving the bag back and forth. The rate will end up about 4 tons per acre-just what the soil survey said. I'll till it up later, but for now I only have 1000#'s to go on that field and I'm finished. I've also taken this time to fertalize 2 other clover fields(remaining from my brassica/clover mixture from the last spring and fall plantings), and spot seed the few bare areas.

Like Leon, I've learned a great deal from the QDMA about planting food plots, habitat improvement, and native vegitation management. I've found that adding this knowledge has not only increased the quality of habitat on my property, but has increased my passion, understanding, respect, and year-round enjoyment of both the whitetail deer and it's habitat.

I've got to give a big thanks to the QDMA! What other organization could have done this for me?


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## beer and nuts (Jan 2, 2001)

This is what QDM is really about, and I feel the most important element in creating a herd most would like to see-improving the habitat!

NorthJeff-you ask what other organization could have helped you out, well maybe not organizations but you could have got the info. from farmers(just ask them most would be willing to give you some great info.), your state conservation offices, the seed companies provide great info., especially the wildlife seed companies, even some of the outdoor mags are now providing articles on food plots, also there are private companies/individuals out there that you can hire and do the planting and soil tending for you, internet can provide a wealth of info. as well. Lots of sources out there.

Leon-I'm not sure what you mean by deer browse from wintering deer, when there is snow on the ground what do you expect the deer to eat?, nibbling at the first buds on the lower shrubs and smaller trees is all normal because there is really nothing else for them, it really does not hurt or destroy the habitat it all recovers as the snow melts and they can start to browse the new green shoots on the ground.


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## Jeff Sturgis (Mar 28, 2002)

B&N,

I've been doing this for quite a few years and have exausted every resource available for help. Here are some of my experiences:

Farmers: I used to live in the thumb farm land and personally know quite a few farmers. As a whole, farmers are not experienced with wildlife plots and small-time plantings. Where I live now, the nearest farmers are 60+ miles away and probably just as inexperienced at planting and maintaining habitat, and are not available to hire due to distance and narrow logging roads. Farmers are also used to planting on farm land, not bulldozed wildlife plots in blueberry soil.

Conservation Offices: I have had 2 state foresters on my property and neither was very benificial. The problem is, the 2 were primarily concerned(as is the state) with timber reproduction, not wildlife restoration. They will tell you how to plant your trees in patterns for the most "boards per foot", but really know very little when it comes to wildlife habitat in relation to the basic biological needs of wildlife. They do not generally know about native vegitation management, protein values and yields of clearcuts to mature forests, stategic habitat minipulation, or other wildlife habitat concerns. The one officer told before I bulldozed and planted my now very successful clover field that it couldn't be done in that spot-just 1 example of how little they know.

Seed Companies: I've had personal face to face conversations with people from Mossy Oak, and Todd Stittleburg, of Antler King. They are indeed helpful, but sometimes might push a product not really appropriate for you specific needs or area. If you can nail down the product yourself, and then ask for their recommendations of planting, they can be helpful, but probably not as much help as your local Ag. agent. at the county.

Magazineseer and Deer Hunting has had a few good articles, North American Whitetail has as well. I subscribed to D&D Hunting for the scientific articles, second only to the QDMA Quality Whitetails, but buy any other magazine that has food plot/habitat related articles. The other magazines have very few articles per year and do not have the combined knowledge and experience of what you'll find in the Quality Whitetail magazine by itself. The Quality Whitetail magazine has food plot species, tips, and personal experiences not just in the spring, or when it's too late in the fall, but ALL year long, every article. The QDMA magazine, as well as their website, has helped greatly.

Individuals: There is no one to rent, hire, or give advice that I'd trust anywhere I've found in the U.P. yet. I did hire somebody, he is a board member for the QDMA associations with clients in over 30 states and Canada. His name is Mark Thomas and he has a degree in Forestry, as well as Wildlife biology(a rare combination), and assists private landowners with the strategic management of their own properties, specializing in native vegitation management, strategic food plot locations, herd surveys, wildlife herbacide applications, and effective harvest strategies taylored to your property. I had to fly him up here from AL, pay him his daily fee, and he was well worth it. I really doubt if I could have found someone with his background and experience in MI, let alone in the U.P. There are also no individuals even available for hire in my area, let alone that have proven cradentials and experience that I would even let on my property in the first place. The one person that has helped me greatly in MI is Ed Spinnazola from the Mid-Michigan chapter of the QDMA. Ed is also a QDMA national board member, and specializes in food plots, including test plots, planting strategies, and anything remotely associated with not just food plots, but quality food plots.

Believe me, I've exausted every effort to find the true facts in deer management, but I find the guys with the true facts are very few and far between. Just a degree in wildlife biology or forestry alone means very little. I'm very lucky to have a guy like John Ozoga close to me, one of the top 2 or 3 deer scientist in the country, and also a life member and contributing scientist for the QDMA. John has been a wealth of knowledge, especially with U.P. concerns. I've gone to the experts in not just MI, but across the country, and have found that 99% of them share a common ground besides they stand for just the facts, they are not surprisingly all members of the QDMA.

The QDMA is the ONLY organization that can help you with every aspect of herd management and habitat improvement. They not only help you, but help you with the advice and experience from a collection of the best professional whitetail managers in the country, second to none. 

You may not believe what I'm saying, but if managing whitetails and habitat is as much a passion with you, as it is me, you'll find that after years of persuing the truth all roads of proven expertice will lead to the QDMA. 

I guess it all goes back to when I was a little kid and would get my dad to drop me off at the local tackle shop so I could listen to the tournament guys talk about bass fishing. At 10 years old I had no desire to get advice from the guy behind the counter at the sporting goods section of whatever-mart, and today I feel the same about deer management. 

To me, being involved with the QDMA is like "a kid being left alone in a candy store".....or a local tackle shop in my case.


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## beer and nuts (Jan 2, 2001)

Wow, North Jeff. No doubt you have the resources($$$$) to do about anything you want. I gotta believe you could have been able to plant soybeans and corn if thats what YOU wanted to do. This takes away absolutely nothing what you have accomplished but sounds to me you might be making alot more out of something that should have been easier than what you went through! You are sounding more and more like the top 1% of property owners that have the resources to do alot more than any average joe landowner.

When somebody starts flying in specialists from outstate to plant clover...wow! 

I have not looked into wildlife planting in real depth, but I would be intersted in what more there is, than just testing the soil than adding whatever is needed to get the desired ph. Tilling, planting and then fertilizing correctly- I know I make it sound simple but I also know its hard work too. Just wondering what else should a person look at. Also you talk about native vegetation management what sort of things are you doing with that?


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## Jeff Sturgis (Mar 28, 2002)

B&N,

We can get into discussions about what everyone spends there money on, but it just boils down to I might have different priorities than some. I live in a 1120 Sq. Ft. home with no- basement. I don't drink, smoke, or have a college education and had to borrow the down payment for our first home. My wife and I have been fortunate in that we made lucky/smart decisions with our homes and real estate-we had to sell to make money to put into the next one and so on. We were very lucky in that we could live and work in an area we could hunt and buy cheap land. When I left the thumb, I sold 36.5 acres for more than my 120 acres cost up here in the U.P. Our house was also cheaper up here. Some people buy a fishing boats, I instead payed a guy with a bulldozer to makes some food plots, bought treestands, minerals, seed, fertalizer, and hired a professional to help me not make mistakes.

That being said though, it has been very important for me and I feel almost a burden sometimes to not only improve the land, but lay a foundation for the future of the land and not make any costly irreversable mistakes of bulldozing the wrong spot, cutting the wrong stand of timber, or planting the wrong trees in the wrong area. We plan to live here(Lord willing) for 30+ years and I don't want to be 65 and look back and regret some of the managment decisions-I'd like to at least make an educated attemp at doing it right the first time. 

I didn't hire someone to help me plant clover-in fact that's not where he specializes, I hired him to look at the overall population,habitat,food plot acreage, food plot locations, access trails, timber, and surrounding property to re-assure me that I was doing the right things, and that my long range goals were necessary, accurate, informed, and attainable. I probably won't need someone now for as long as I own the property and I feel confident in my long range goals. Basically, I want to fit the most I can on my 120 acres, in the highest quality, and the right order. By having Mark come up, I may have pushed off a few items to be done on the property list for a few years, but they will still be done in the same order someday.

Just a few of the things I've done-mostly with all my own labor(including cutting out and piling all potential plots by hand): Created 4 acres of food plots strategically located around a 30 acre set-asside area that is never entered, created numerous access trails and bridges to allow for undisturbed access to stand locations, food plots were created with succlusion and privacy in mind to allow for daytime feeding, brush was piled from food plots adjacent to preferred wintertime snowshoe hang-outs for protection of young, native vegitation has been assesed and preferred browse areas have been fertalized and limed, instead of bulldozed and planted. I've done most of these things with an hour here, hour there type of thing, rarely ever more than 2 hours at a time. Some of the plantings have been done in the middle of the night so I could spend time with my family in the evening and still work during the day. With something like this you wouldn't believe what can be accomplished with small amounts of time spread out over years-you just have to have a consistent, focused plan from day one. Sometimes the doing isn't the hard part, it's the planning.

I have the same resources that anybody else does that ownes hunting land, just getting the land is the hard part. Once you get your land, managing it the wrong way is the expensive part. On the peice of land I sold in the thumb, my wife and I planted over 9000 trees by hand and I bet there are less than 200 growing today. Would it have been better to pay a professional to plant 1000, or do it my way? and if I paid the professional would I be in the "top 1%" of land owners, or would I have just done it right the first time? The point I'm trying to make is that you can learn a ton from the experts. Watch them do it one time, learn, remember, and do it the same way yourself the rest of your life.

Food plots: How much do you need for your particular deer densities? What total acreage is too little and ineffective? How much acreage is too much and a waste of resources? What do you plant to build up your soil? What crops do you rotate? What will grow best in your soil, in your temps? What seasons are the deer lacking food the most? What seasons do you concentrate your efforts for? When do you create a food plot, and when do you realize that it's better to keep that particular area in native browse and just fertalize instead? Do you place your food plots were they are easiest to get to, or where they are best for the deer? What's best to do when weeds overtake your field? Should your plots be round,square, uneven? What's the minimum food plot size for your deer densities? Is a 1/10 of an too little? is 2 acres too big? Are your plots located in the best position to take advantage of natural movements, bedding areas, and safety areas, with little human intrustion?

The bottom line is, I'm very thankful I met Ed Spinnazola in 1997, got involved in the QDMA, and found all this information that was lacking in every other area, whether it be magazines, state foresters, farmers, whatever, was right at my fingertips in the QDMA book, magazine, and professional members. Whether you believe it or not, I was simply amazed at all the answers I found in one spot.

I'm sure there is a technical definition, but Native Vegitation Management is taking you existing vegitation(trees, shrubs, grasses, weeds) and doing whatever you can to enhance or protect their positive attributes to your habitat. One particular area I was planning a food plot for was actually the worst area on the property to create a food plot because it was the best area on the property for the quality of existing vegitation. Mark kept me from making a big mistake, and suggested a practice of fertalization and liming to improve the area. In contrast, the forester told me it would be a great place for a pond-maybe, but not in the big picture of the management of the property. NVM may also be looking at a stand of timber and clearcutting instead of select cutting. Then you may fertalize the clearcut to double the protein values and make it more attractive to wildlife. NVM may be looking at the big picture of the property, and realizing a need for less woody browse, and a needed increased implementation of native grasses and forages due to the fact that woody browse is difficult for the digestive tract of fawns. NVM is basically adding to the positives and replacing the negatives in a rate that is in balance with the positives.

I know that you know there is more to habitat improvement than throwing out a few seeds, but the QDMA is a virtual guidebook to doing it the right way.

By the way, you obviously care about deer, habitat, and hunting or you wouldn't be on this sight discussing this stuff all the time, how about you send by email your name and address and I'll buy you a QDMA membership for 1 year. No, I'm not rich, but I think that people with a passion for deer hunting like yourself would appreciate the membership and I guess I could just go without that Stars Movie pack I was thinking about upgrading to from the basic plan with Direct TV-it's all about priorities. I think you'd like the magazine.


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## bwiltse (Jan 18, 2000)

Great habitat management! Thanks for sharing with us!


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## johnhunter (Jun 17, 2000)

Amen, NorthJeff! Great posts.


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## beer and nuts (Jan 2, 2001)

Thanks anyway but I'll pass on your offer for the magazine/memebership.

Trust me when I say your still in the top 1% of land owners.

I think its great that you have put so much effort in habitat improvements.....you will no doubt be rewarded in alot of ways.


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## Jeff Sturgis (Mar 28, 2002)

B&N,

No matter how heated our discussions will get on this board, the offer will still remain, just email me anytime.

Think of the QDMA as if you took all of the top construction contractors from around the country-say the top 500, and put them into one organization. Then, from their combined expertise and experience they wrote a book, persued, studied, and recorded the latest tricks of the trade, and published magazine articles to portray their information in an effort to relay the truth and facts of their profession. Sure, you would have the occasional new guy that would say his way was better, or maybe someone would come along with years of experience contridicting the panel of experts, but as a whole you would feel pretty confident in the advice of the collection of the top experts in the country.

That's QDMA, and that's why you see guys on here getting so revved up about it. They trust the experts, have seen the results, and are excited at each article of facts they recieve when a copy of Quarterly Whitetails is delivered to their doorstep.

Email me anytime for the offer!


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## beer and nuts (Jan 2, 2001)

Again thanks, better idea is to donate that membership to a school library or youth group.

I'm not going to argue that QDMA has good info. on habitat improvement, but I still disagree with their preaching of certain deer management practices. 

Its funny how your statement---"""Sure, you would have the occasional new guy that would say his way was better, or maybe someone would come along with years of experience contridicting the panel of experts,..."""" describes exactly how I feel and see QDM as it is right now.

Good talking to ya and good luck with your land.


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## NATTY BUMPO (May 12, 2001)

Great posts, NorthJeff!!

As I read them, I was amazed at how my experience in getting information re wildlife habitat management paralleled yours almost exactly. I had looked at all of them and then some including the MSU publications, short courses, deer hunting seminars, etc, etc. You are exactly right. Nothing comes close to QUALITY WHITETAILS re habitat improvement topics and not just for deer. And Ed Spin is just great! Good luck with yr projects.

Natty B.


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## Jeff Sturgis (Mar 28, 2002)

B&N,

Seeing how QDM was started almost 30 years ago, virtually every top whitetail professional is on board-literally hundreds, it is the only biologically, scientifically proven management plan in the country, and entire states are managed strictly by QDM standards......how can you say it's the new guy?

Protection of yearling bucks

Populations below carrying capacity of land

Improved sex ratios through adequate doe harvest and protection of yearling bucks.

Natures basic way!


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## johnhunter (Jun 17, 2000)

Again, great points, NorthJeff.

However, now that I've had the opportunity of meeting a fair number of QDM advocates and practitioners, I'd have to put you at no better than the top 5% of landowners in terms of active habitat management. Still pretty good!


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## Ansel (Mar 30, 2002)

Jeff,

Those were some good post. I've got to say that the time and effort you put into your post is incredible. I know that I read more than I post and when I do post it usually is only a couple lines.

I just wanted to say that I appreciate the time you spend replying to post - I enjoy reading them.

Your passion is not questioned or rivaled.


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## Jeff Sturgis (Mar 28, 2002)

Thanks for the compliments! I guess what I'm trying to do is convey the excitement and passion I have for QDM and the facts that surround it. I honestly feel that if a guy were to look at the facts about QDM, look at the history, see who is writing it, and see the basis and experience that goes into it, that they will in the end, except QDM.

At the present rate, we indeed are one of the most backward states in the country, and I feel that sometimes QDM seems so new in our state, more than most any other state, simply because our standars and expectations are so low. Call it a mission, but it does effect my quality of life in the area I live, and the bottom line is, I don't want to be a part of the last state in the country to embrace QDM as their management objective. I'll do my part to see that we are not the last. 

Again, if it weren't for Ed Spinnazola and the Mid-Michigan QDM branch, MI would be a lot closer to the dark ages than we are right now.


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## bwiltse (Jan 18, 2000)

Schools were mentioned in a prior post and for reader information, the Mid-Michigan Branch QDMA has donated several Quality Whitetails books to school and local libraries. The National QDMA also encourages members to donate their sporting magazines, and then makes them available to youth. These are just examples of QDMA working with and encouraging our youngsters, and represents another important element as to what the QDMA organization is about.


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## beer and nuts (Jan 2, 2001)

Oh come on Jeff, sure one or two guys started with this practice thirty years ago, so please don't start feeding half truths to everybody saying "QDM has been around 30 years". You have to admit that this is really a new concept-I'll give ya 15 years maybe-and most of that was practiced on enclosed trophy ranches. Its a new concept and management practice for a good 90% plus of sportsman.

"""""...it is the only biologically, scientifically proven management plan in the country.""""

-Give me a break, this is just the sort of horse crap QDM tries to pass. Hard to believe how our Michigan deer herd even survived the last 80 years of unproven nonscientific management. Your so called hundreds of experts sure were not around 15 years ago preaching QDM, at least I don't remember them. Again I will go back and ask PROVEN?!?!Where!?! Enclosed deer ranches. What states, Illinois-where they have harvested monster deer way before QDM came around, but QDM people try to take credit for it.


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## Jeff Sturgis (Mar 28, 2002)

B&N,

What other scientifically proven plan is there? 

Are you saying that until automobiles were used by everybody in the country that they also weren't around? QDM formally started about 28 years ago, that's a fact.

Many states that produce big deer practice QDM, whether they know it or not. Protection of yearling bucks, sex ratios, and population control measures have been used for years by hunters that were good stewards of their land. QDM isn't trying to take credit for people practicing QDM even if they didn't know it, it is just further evidence of the truth.

John Ozoga, although unnamed as QDM at the time, preached QDM principles of harvest and management to the MI DNR for many years before his retirement, as one of the top respected and most quoted whitetail research biologists that has ever lived in our country.

Are you trying to say that all those "walk-off" home runs they talk about lately in MLB, weren't actually "walk-off", until someone coined the phrase? It doesn't matter what it's called, or why someone is doing it, but if they have been doing it by definition, than they have still been doing it. Some people call it "attitude adjustment", some people call it "smoking pot", in the end it still gets you high(Unless you don't inhale....from what I here). 

I'm confident if you really put some research into your opinion, went to a meeting or two, read the QDM book, especially the regional section that includes studies completed in MI 20 years ago, you couldn't help but agree.


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## Neal (Mar 20, 2001)

Leon ~ Congrats on the success of your program....I just ordered the book by Ed Spin.. today.

Don't let the opinions of the terminally ignorant lessen your outdoor experiances, keep doing what is right and the rest will fall in line.

Neal


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