Gear We Use
Folks often ask us what gear, seed, fertilizer, etc., we use on our projects. Using the right “stuff” saves time, money and increases your chances for success in the field. Grant calls this ROE (Return On Energy). Years of field experience have helped the GrowingDeer.tv Team select and refine the gear used to maximize ROE. Here is a list of some of the gear the GrowingDeer.tv Team uses day to day on The Proving Grounds and with our clients.
If you are looking for the heavy weight champion of warm season forage, Eagle Seed Beans are it. They are bred for maximum forage production. Almost any soybean can grow leaves and pods, but Eagle Seed Beans grow them bigger, faster, and longer. When most all other production soybeans have dried up and stand dormant in the field, Eagle Seed Beans keep right on putting out new leaves until frost occurs. If producing tons of irresistible green forage late into the hunting season isn’t enough, the beans themselves are a highly preferred and nutritious food source during the winter. This past season the “little” Ozark deer here at The Proving Grounds have had fat on them that rivals deer in Iowa! (Which means some good meat for our table and more work for the taxidermist!!)
Taking the “stink” out of chicken and turkey poop is more than this company’s goal. MicroLeverage’s system of transforming (composting and humifying) poultry manure into a soybean leaf or ear of corn for a buck’s belly sends even my scientific mind spinning. Here’s the scoop on the MicroLeverage system:
- Adds millions of beneficial microbes to the soil through their humifying process
- Improves the soil’s organic matter and minerals
- Increases soil water holding capacity
- Enhances plant growth and taste
With the nutrients and healthy microbes replenished in the soil, plants are super productive which yields bigger, healthier deer, and happier hunters!
A huge leap in trail camera quality has occurred since I first started using them in 1986. After years of trial and error I think that I’ve found the company that really understands what hunters need out in the field — Reconyx. They are the best at capturing deer pictures without a flinch from the deer themselves. This lack of response from each picture is a far cry from past jumping, running, and crouching to get away from other trail cams. This year I had more images of bucks bedded directly in front of my Reconyx units than I’ve had during the previous 20+ years of using trail cameras. Reconyx’s flash reaches further, their trigger is quicker, and it disturbs fewer deer than any brand I’ve ever used.
Hey, I’ve spent more hours in a tree than I would ever admit to my wife, so I know tree stands! Muddy stands are IT! They are lightweight, easy to hang, and have a seat pad so comfortable even my boney bottom can remain seated for hours on end. Staying comfortable in the tree equates to better chances of getting a mature buck. When in the woods, I’m usually found on a Muddy.
Scent control and comfort in one boot! I’ve literally worn the camo pattern off my original pair of Mucks from miles of walking for deer and turkey hunting. A couple of years ago my wife and I both got the Arctic Sport boot which kept our toes nice and cozy on our family ski trips to Colorado and then during those late season hunts in the Midwest. Some boots may say they’ll keep your feet warm but words do not always translate into reality. You would have to fight my wife if you wanted to take her Muck Boots away!
You can’t have unreliable equipment when you are working a fire. You don’t want to be in front of a fire and find out your blower or saw won’t start! Our Stihl equipment has proven itself over and over to be reliable, quick cutting, and easy to maintain. Stihl backpack blowers, chain saws, and limb saws are a key to our success and safety during controlled burns, timber stand improvement, and preparing stand sites. There’s definitely a reason why they are the number one selling chainsaw in the world!
