From now until stand-hanging time in September a lot of people will be out working their deer hunting property, clearing trails, taking out trash trees to let in more sunlight, etc. What’s the best saw for the job? Illinois land management expert Matt Cheever says: I prefer Echo, Stihl and Husqvarna in that order. Echo has the longest warranty and best power to weight ratio (it’s all I currently own). Stihl has always made a good saw, and a “Husky” is built like a tank, but seems to have a longer power stroke so you have to run them wide open all the time for best performance. All 3 are solid choices. Buy a saw in the 40-45 cc range with [...]

Now is time to build new mineral sites (or start recharging old ones) on your hunting land. “Licks” are easy and relatively inexpensive to build and maintain, and they serve 2 purposes: 1) provide trace minerals and vitamins for all deer, from bucks growing new antlers to does getting ready to drop fawns; and 2) they are top spots for you set trail cameras and monitor growing antlers all summer as you prepare your 2018 game plan. Scientists note that whitetails use mineral sites most heavily from late summer until the first frost next fall. From personal experience and observation here in Virginia, bucks start hitting minerals whenever we set them out in early spring through the first 2 weeks [...]