Management Calendar — January/February 2026

Regular evaluation and intentional planning are essential to continued progress. As another saying goes, “Don’t keep doing the same thing and expect different results.” Late winter and early spring are ideal times to assess your management program, identify areas for improvement, and develop a clear plan to address those needs moving forward.

Transplant native shrubs or trees to add aesthetics or screen unnatural structures or objects.

While not directly related to wildlife management, late winter is an excellent time to complete small landscaping projects that can enhance the overall experience around your camp and hunting areas. Installing or transplanting shrubs and other plants can improve aesthetics and help conceal unnatural or utilitarian features around the property. Common examples include electric boxes, air-conditioning units, pump houses, clay target throwers, and similar infrastructure. In some situations, native shrubs can also be used effectively to create visual screens along property boundaries where desired. Although purchasing shrubs or plants is always an option, I encourage considering the transplanting of native plants already present on the property. These plants are well adapted to the site’s soils and climate, typically establish more successfully, and come at no cost. When selecting plants, prioritize species that are evergreen or provide year-round screening. Species that have proven successful include wax myrtle, broomsedge grass, various holly species, and ferns. When transplanting, it is important to keep as much of the root ball intact as possible. Leave ample space around the base of the plant and cut a wide circle with a shovel, gradually working deeper and beneath the plant until the root mass, along with the surrounding soil, can be removed. Handle the root ball carefully during transport to minimize disturbance and protect the fine feeder roots. Using a large nursery container (such as the black pots shrubs and trees are sold in) can help support and protect the root mass during relocation. Prepare the new planting hole larger than the original root ball and loosen the surrounding soil. After placing the plant in its new location, backfill with soil from the hole, ensuring that all air pockets are eliminated. Firm the soil around the root ball, secure but not compacted, and water the plant thoroughly if possible. During the first year following transplanting, particularly through the first summer, these plants may require some additional care. Ensure adequate moisture and control competing vegetation to promote successful establishment.

Prune fruit trees.

Pruning fruit trees is an important management practice that improves overall tree health and enhances fruit production. When done correctly, pruning promotes balanced growth and helps develop a strong, well-structured tree. However, heavy or improper pruning should be avoided, as it can stunt growth and delay fruit production, particularly in young trees. Proper pruning establishes a sturdy scaffold system made up of well-spaced, wide-angled branches capable of supporting heavy fruit loads and withstanding high winds. Young trees that are trained correctly will begin producing quality fruit earlier and continue to bear efficiently as they mature. The optimal time to prune fruit trees is during the dormant season, when stress on the tree is minimized and structural issues are easier to identify. That said, diseased, damaged, or dead branches should be removed whenever they are observed to prevent the spread of problems. Regular, incremental pruning on an annual basis is key to maintaining healthy, productive fruit trees. Allowing trees to go unmanaged for several years and then attempting to correct them with heavy pruning often leads to reduced productivity and increased stress. In contrast, older trees that have been neglected may require more assertive pruning over time to restore vigor and rejuvenate fruit production.

Collect shed antlers.

Across most of the whitetail’s range, bucks will have shed their antlers by mid to late March. Searching for and collecting shed antlers is a fun and rewarding springtime activity for friends and families, and it provides a great excuse to spend time outdoors together. Beyond recreation, shed antler collection offers valuable insight into the quality and progress of the deer herd on your property. By documenting and comparing sheds from year to year, landowners can track trends in antler size and development. A gradual increase in shed size over time is often a strong indicator that a deer management program is moving in a positive direction. To improve your chances of finding sheds, focus your efforts in high-use areas such as food plots, fields, around feeders, and along travel corridors—especially locations where deer are forced to jump fences, cross ditches, or navigate other obstacles. These areas commonly cause antlers to loosen and drop. For those looking to add an extra element of enjoyment, training a Labrador retriever (or other suitable breed) to locate shed antlers can be a highly rewarding experience. Shed dog training not only increases efficiency but also creates a fun and engaging outdoor activity for both the handler and dog.

February and March are THE BEST times to scout your property for deer sign and identify new stand locations.

Have you ever noticed that deer seem to disappear just before or shortly after hunting season begins? It’s not because they have the season marked on a calendar. More often, it’s the result of increased human activity and disturbance as hunters prepare for opening day. Loud noises, frequent property access, full-scale scouting sessions, and last-minute stand preparation can cause deer to alter their movement patterns and shift into areas where they feel safer. With more than 25 years of experience managing and hunting deer, I’ve learned that hunting pressure plays a major role in hunting success. If your goal is to improve your hunting experiences and consistently see more deer, particularly mature bucks, managing disturbance on the property is critical. One of the most effective ways to reduce hunting pressure is to be prepared well in advance of the season. Late winter or immediately following hunting season is the ideal time to evaluate your property and identify areas for improvement. After a whole season of being pressured, deer naturally gravitate toward areas where they feel secure. Learning where deer spend time when pressure is high provides valuable insight into where they are likely to be found during the following hunting season. Late winter is also an excellent time to erect or relocate stands, trim shooting lanes, and complete other habitat or access improvements. Completing these tasks months ahead of the season significantly reduces the amount of pressure you’ll need to apply just before opening day. By planning ahead and minimizing disturbance, you can dramatically improve your chances of seeing and harvesting the mature bucks you’ve worked hard to grow, while also creating a more enjoyable and productive hunting experience overall.

Ensure deer have quality nutrition during late winter through spring green up.

Late winter through spring green-up is one of the most nutritionally stressful periods for deer across much of their range. Bucks have just endured the physical demands of the breeding season, does are pregnant, high-quality natural food sources are limited, and colder temperatures increase overall energy requirements. Ensuring deer have access to adequate nutrition during this time is critical to helping them enter spring in good physical condition. Providing quality food sources through late winter allows deer to capitalize on the spring green-up—one of the most nutritionally rich periods of the year due to the abundance of new plant growth. When deer enter spring in good condition, they can direct this high-quality nutrition toward body growth rather than basic maintenance. The result is healthier does, increased fawn survival, improved body condition, and increased antler development. Although this topic falls within a February–March management window, the availability of quality food during late winter is largely the result of management actions implemented months or even years earlier. These actions may include timber thinning, active management of native vegetation, incorporating perennial plantings into food plots, and maintaining appropriate deer herd densities. These foundational practices form the backbone of effective nutritional management. One action that can be implemented immediately is the use of supplemental feed, which can provide an additional source of high-quality nutrition during periods of low natural food availability. However, supplemental feeding should never be viewed as a stand-alone solution. As the saying goes, you cannot hang shutters if you do not have a house. Similarly, you will not grow big bucks or maintain a healthy herd through supplemental feed alone. Supplemental feeding is most effective when used in combination with sound habitat management and proper herd control. Before initiating a supplemental feeding program, landowners should ensure that core management practices are in place and verify compliance with local game laws, as many states restrict or prohibit feeding. Ideally, supplemental feed should be provided year-round, but its value is greatest during late winter and late summer, when natural food availability is at its lowest. For landowners with limited budgets, focusing supplemental feeding efforts during these critical periods will yield the greatest benefit to the deer herd.

Plan and schedule timber harvest activities.

When timber is harvested during winter or early spring, sunlight reaches the forest floor at a time when native plants are beginning their annual growth cycle. This allows desirable grasses, forbs, legumes, and woody browse to germinate and grow throughout the entire growing season. The result is a rapid response of early successional vegetation that provides high-quality food, abundant cover, and improved habitat structure for a wide range of wildlife species. For deer in particular, this flush of new growth offers nutritious forage during spring and summer when body condition, antler growth, lactation, and fawn development are occurring. Additionally, the dense regrowth created following a timely harvest provides valuable bedding cover and escape habitat, improving overall security for deer and other wildlife. In contrast, timber harvested during the middle of summer—when much of the growing season has already passed—limits the amount of time plants have to regenerate before cooler temperatures and shorter days slow growth. While vegetation will still respond following a summer harvest, the reduced growing window often results in less overall plant biomass and lower-quality cover during the first year. As a result, the immediate wildlife benefits of the harvest are diminished until the following growing season. Beyond deer, properly timed timber harvests can significantly benefit a variety of wildlife species, including turkeys, quail, songbirds, and small mammals. Increased insect abundance, improved brood-rearing habitat, and greater plant diversity are common outcomes when sunlight and disturbance are introduced at the right time. Over the long term, strategic timber management helps create a diverse mosaic of habitat types across the property, which is essential for supporting healthy and resilient wildlife populations. Of course, timber markets, access, and stumpage prices play an important role in determining when a harvest occurs, and these economic factors must be considered. However, when market conditions allow for flexibility, scheduling timber harvests during the winter or early spring can substantially increase the immediate wildlife value of the harvested area and accelerate the return on habitat investment. When combined with follow-up management such as prescribed fire, selective herbicide use, or controlled browsing pressure, these harvests can become some of the most productive wildlife habitat on the property.

Make finishing dormant season prescribe burning a priority.

Prescribed fire is one of the most effective and cost-efficient habitat management tools available to landowners, and late winter through early spring is an ideal time to apply it. When properly planned and executed, prescribed fire improves habitat quality by resetting plant succession, increasing plant diversity, and stimulating the growth of native grasses and forbs that are highly beneficial to wildlife. For deer, prescribed fire promotes the growth of nutrient-rich forage that becomes available almost immediately during spring green-up. This high-quality forage supports body condition, antler development, lactation, and fawn growth. In addition to forage benefits, fire reduces dense understory vegetation, improving movement and visibility while still maintaining adequate cover for bedding and security. Prescribed fire also provides significant benefits to a wide range of other wildlife species. The increase in forbs and insects following a burn creates excellent brood-rearing habitat for wild turkeys and other ground-nesting birds. Over time, rotating prescribed fire across the property creates a diverse mosaic of habitat conditions—varying in vegetation height and structure—that supports greater wildlife diversity and resilience. Late winter and early spring burns are especially advantageous because they allow vegetation to respond immediately as growing season approaches. These burns can also reduce fuel loads, helping to lower wildfire risk while improving long-term habitat conditions. Prescribed fire is most effective when integrated into a broader management strategy that may include timber thinning, invasive species control, food plot management, and proper deer herd management. For many landowners, recruiting the assistance of a professional wildlife biologist is helpful in determining where and when prescribed fire would be most beneficial on the property and help develop a long-term burn plan that aligns with landowner goals.