Featured Listing - Riverside Equestrian and Wildlife Estate Mission Statement Cooking with Chef David- Turkey en croute "How to Train a Retriever: Who is Training Who?" by Brent Glover Property Profiles: "Waukegan Farms- A Masterpiece in the Making" by Ben Wolfe Back by Popular Demand- "Habitat Connectivity" by Robert Smith

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Turkey en croute 2 turkey breasts, cleaned 2 tbs. fresh thyme 3 cloves garlic, minced 2 tbs. olive oil 1 yellow squash, julienned 1 zucchini, julienned 2 tbs. butter ¼ cup shredded Parmesan cheese 1 package good quality puff pastry ¼ cup flour 2 eggs, whipped for egg wash 2 cups cooked turkey wild rice (recipe below) ¼ cup toasted pine nuts 2 tbs. + 1 tsp. of salt 1 tbs. + 1 tsp. of fresh ground black pepper Toss the breasts with the thyme, garlic, olive oil, 2 tbs. of salt and 1 tbs. of pepper. Marinate for 1 to 3 hours. Heat a sauté pan to medium-high, add 2 tbs. olive oil and sear the breasts on each side for about 2 minutes or until golden brown. Cover with tin foil and let rest for 10 minutes. Slice into ½ inch wide strips and let cool. Add 2 tbs. of butter to a sauté pan and preheat to medium. When the butter is melted, add the squash and zucchini and sauté until just about softened. Season squash and zucchini with 1 tsp. of salt and 1 tsp. of freshly ground black pepper and set aside to cool. In a dry sauté pan or skillet at medium-high heat add pine nuts and roast until slightly golden and aromatic. (This can also be done in the oven under the broiler.) Preheat oven to 375°F. (See Hint) Work with the puff pastry on a cool, lightly floured surface. Roll out a piece of the pastry about 12 inches tall by 20 inches wide and ¼-inch thick. Starting about two inches from the bottom, place the turkey, zucchini, squash and ¼ cup of Parmesan across the pastry leaving a 1-inch gap on both ends. Do not over stuff so you can’t close the puff pastry. Brush egg wash on the entire top edge and sides about 1 inch deep. Starting at the bottom, carefully roll the puff pastry into a tight log sealing with the egg wash at the top and sides. Transfer the pastry to a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and brush the top lightly with egg wash. Immediately bake in the oven for about 25 minutes or until golden brown and crispy. Transfer to a cutting board and divide into 4 equal pieces. Cut those four pieces in half, place atop wild rice and sprinkle with nuts. Enjoy! Home-made turkey stock 2 turkey legs, skins removed 4 cups water 2 sprigs thyme 2 garlic cloves 1 shallot, rough chopped Place the turkey, thyme, garlic and shallot in a pot and cover with water, 1 inch over the turkey. Bring to a low simmer and cook for about 1 to 1 ½ hours. Strain the stock and reserve. Remove the turkey legs and dice the meat. Set aside. Turkey wild rice ½ cup wild rice 1 ½ cups turkey stock 1 cup button mushrooms, sliced and sautéed in olive oil 2 tsp. salt 1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper Bring 1 ½ cups of the stock to a boil in a small saucepot. Add the rice and reduce to a low simmer. Cover and cook for 45 minutes. Remove lid and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and fold in 1 cup of turkey meat, and the sautéed mushrooms. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. This dish has simple, rich flavors and therefore needs an uncomplicated, young, fruity wine to go with it. Nothing says this better then a Beaujolais or Beaujolais Villages. It’s an easy drinking, low alcohol, inexpensive wine that’s usually drunk in large quantities. Hint: When working with puff pastry remember to work quickly and continue to keep the puff pastry cold until it is to be prepared. If it gets too warm it will fall apart and become greasy and be tasteless and tough when cooked. It’s always good when rolling out puff pastry to use more flour then less to prevent sticking. After rolling it out, take a soft brush to remove any excess flour before using. When rolling up the turkey and vegetables, only overlap the puff pastry by about ½ inch and trim off the rest. If there is an excess amount of puff pastry on the ends or around the seam it will not cook evenly and become doughy and greasy. About the Author David Olson of Park City, Utah, is the Corporate Chef and Underwater Cameraman for Fischer Productions. David, an NC State Graduate, went on to attend and graduate with honors from the Culinary Institute of America in New York. David can be seen as part of the crew on the exciting new show "Expedition Great White", airing on the National Geographic Channel.

FEATURED LISTING

RIVERSIDE EQUESTRIAN AND WILDLIFE ESTATE

Own and experience Dan River’s finest! Riverside Equestrian and Wildlife Estate encompasses nearly 400 sprawling acres nestled between the tree-lined banks of the Dan River and the NC/VA line. Centrally located on the farm and accessible by the mile long paved driveway is the spacious 5,800 sq. ft. home with detached 4 car garage, 10 stall horse barn, office and equipment building, helicopter hanger, and heli-pad.

The land is simply breathtaking as there are 100 acres of extremely well kept rolling pasture and nearly 300 acres of pristine forest. The forest is loaded with refreshingly mature hardwoods that tower over the miles and miles of horseback riding trails throughout the farm. The quality of wildlife is exceptional as there has been no hunting allowed on the property for 17 years, creating a park-like atmosphere where the wildlife has had the opportunity to thrive. Other land attributes include a 2 acre pond, numerous streams, 4,200 feet of river frontage, extensive road frontage, exceptional trail system, and much more!

Though worlds away from the city life, Riverside Equestrian and Wildlife Estate is ideally located just 5 miles from the city limits of Danville, VA and 9 miles from Virginia International Raceway. Property shown by appointment only.

Now offering at $2,390,000.

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HOW TO TRAIN A RETRIEVER: WHO IS TRAINING WHO?
by Brent Glover

As most sportsmen can attest, watching a dog work in the field is a real treat. A lab beating the brushy bank of a beaver swamp with its tail wagging in the air shows the true love that these companions have for being with nature. To train a puppy to be by your side while hunting from the time they are just a few inches tall, until they are full grown “mischief” machines, is one of life’s treasures that I have had the good fortune to experience. This “training” spills over into all aspects of your life, it is unavoidable. My yellow lab, “Cotton”, joined me in 1999 as a 7 week old puppy. The training started immediately. I was training her, at least I thought. The realization of what this meant would not come to fruition until some 12 years later on that spring morning, February 21, 2011. We both attended a class called “Trust 101” on a blustery January day way back in 2000. I was tossing bumpers at Falls Lake for Cotton to retrieve on a blustery 35 degree day and all was going well. The bumper was your standard orange retriever dummy with a piece of rope tied to it with a small loop on the end. While 35 yards out, Cotton managed to get her two front legs tangled in the rope and with only her back legs to paddle with she began to sink. Cowboy boots,jeans, wallet and all…in I went. I managed to swim and free her from the dummy and she then managed to beat me back to the shore. I subsequently managed to beat hypothermia. Moral of the story here: show your dog they can trust you and they will do whatever you ask them to do. Proof and point was evident for many years as I asked her to retrieve ducks in some unspeakable conditions. And she did it with a smile, or the equivalent of a smile, the tail wag. She trusted that I had her best interest at heart. Some years later she retired from the hunting scene and entered a new phase of her life, to show our family and our son what love was. She fulfilled this mission with all the glory and splendor that only a Lab could do. Many tears and memories later, on that morning in February, I gave her the ultimate show of love, trust, and respect. I gave her aging body and soul permission to take that long pain free nap. She trusted me enough to let me do that. You don’t realize that it is the ultimate act of love, and while I asked God to let her die on her own, I was at peace with having the honor of telling her goodbye that one last time. She is sorely missed, and we smile when we look back and think about how long it took her to train us. And just to think, all the while I thought I was training her. The honor was all mine!

About the Author Brent Glover of Washington, NC is a VP/City Executive for State Employees Credit Union and an avid outdoorsman. Brent is especially passionate about his inshore fishing and custom rod making. Brent builds quality rods under the name Pamlico River Rod Works. If not on the water or in the shop Brent can be found spending time with his wife, Catherine, and son, Will.

 

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PROPERTY PROFILES
by Ben Wolfe

Showcasing a premiere recreational property in an effort to promote and share sound land management strategies.

Waukegan Farms- A Masterpiece in the Making

 

As I stood atop the lodge’s elevated viewing tower I could only marvel at the show. The soft, late afternoon light seemed to make the lush clover and wheat fields come alive. While there was so much to take in, my eyes couldn’t help but to focus in on the various groups of wild turkeys and strutting toms that glided around so gracefully as they demanded the attention of their ladies. The view was picturesque and the location was Waukegan Farms in Caswell County.

Waukegan Farms, land traveled by General Cornwallis and British Redcoats during the Revolutionary War’s “Race to the Dan” in 1781, is one of Central North Carolina’s finest private recreational properties. Waukegan Farms is a 900 acre tree farm managed strictly for the purposes of timber, wildlife and recreation. The farm has been a 10 year long project for owner and land enthusiast, Maurice Hull.

The land purchased by Hull had previously been neglected from a natural resource management perspective so Hull, along with forester Sterling Wall, established a comprehensive forestry and wildlife management plan that would serve as the road map in achieving his desired management objectives. He also enlisted the assistance of District Conservationist Warren Mincey with the USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service and Steve Thompson, County Ranger with North Carolina Forest Service, for developing a Woodland Management Plan. The goal for Waukegan Farms would be to work with the natural beauty and existing components of the land to create a first class timber and wildlife sanctuary. Equally as important for Hull was to establish a venue where he could share the great outdoors with family, friends, and other like-minded sportsmen/conservationists.

First Things First- Access

To be an effective land steward, Hull understood the importance of having a well organized and well maintained road system. However, the new farm had no existing roads so Hull set out to construct a new road system that would help maximize timber, wildlife and recreational opportunities. Hull didn’t come up short as the farm is now equipped with over 13 miles of well maintained roads, and many more miles of trails. With extensive frontage on two paved roads, Waukegan Farms has utilized its frontage well through the creation of multiple gated access points on all of its sides. Creating numerous entrances has helped maximize the efficiency of all farm related activities, including those related to timber, hunting, farming, and routine maintenance.

 Optimization of Wildlife Habitats
Hull, a long time board member for the North Carolina Wildlife Habitat Foundation, has a deep passion for wildlife habitat management so it comes as no surprise that Waukegan Farms has devoted the necessary resources to creating an environment where its targeted species can thrive. The farm’s targeted species include the wild turkey, bobwhite quail, whitetail deer, dove and waterfowl. By improving the land’s various habitats, Waukegan Farms intends to increase the native quail population, maximize the health of its already excellent turkey population, attract and hold migrating waterfowl, and improve the age structure and quality of its whitetail deer.

Food- With close to 60 acres of food plots, Waukegan Farms does some serious wildlife farming. Combine this acreage with the amount of native browse available and the farm simply has more food available than the wildlife can consume, creating a much desired wildlife buffet. There are roughly 30 food plots that range in size from 1/8th of an acre to 10 acres. These warm and cool season plots include large fields loaded with a number of different seed varieties, medium sized fields which are slightly more secluded, and small secluded “harvest plots”. Most of Hull’s smaller plots consist of various clovers while the medium to large plots are typically made up of several different sections so as to provide options for the wildlife. Seed varieties found throughout the farm include clovers, wheats, lespedezia, switchgrass, corn, soybeans, austrian winter peas, and various millets. Japanese millet is used in the farm’s new waterfowl impoundment along with corn and egyptian wheat.

In addition to planting various annuals and perennials the farm does some strip disking. Strip disking is a simple but highly effective wildlife habitat management strategy that sets back natural succession while promoting the release and resurgence of annual grasses and forbs preferred by Hull’s targeted wildlife species, especially the bobwhite quail and wild turkey. These areas can also serve as ideal escape cover and nesting habitat.

By design, native browse is abundant throughout Waukegan Farms and is provided through prescribed fire and reforested clearcuts. While unpleasing to the eye, reforested clearcuts are beneficial from a nutritional perspective because they provide high quality wildlife browse, especially during the first 3 years of existence. These recently reforested areas also provide necessary edge that offers value to much of the farm’s wildlife, especially the whitetail deer. Additional browse can be found in abundance throughout the farm’s recently burned loblolly stands. Prescribed fire has become one of Hull’s favorite management techniques as he has witnessed just how beneficial it can be for both his forest and the wildlife. These recently burned areas produce wildlife hotspots as they are rich with highly palatable and digestible forbs.

Rounding out the buffet at Waukegan Farms are orchards consisting of apple, pear, and persimmon trees. These areas vary in size and are strategically located inside and along the perimeters of many of the farm’s food plots. In addition to being aesthetically pleasing, these areas can enhance wildlife viewing opportunities as the deer can find them to be rather irresistible once ripe.

Cover- In addition to food sources, Waukegan Farms places a great deal of focus on cover. Because the farm manages for a number of different wildlife species, it is absolutely essential that it offer cover that is abundant and diverse. Creating proper cover can be an enduring process that requires a tremendous amount of patience, but pays huge dividends in the end for land managers.

The farm’s targeted wildlife species can now find cover in a multitude of locations, including reforested clearcuts, chop and drop areas, food plots, and swamps. There are a number of reforested areas throughout the property that offer ideal bedding and loafing habitat. These reforested clearcuts are invaluable to a land manager as they provide for excellent cover for a lengthy period of time. I also noticed several “chop and drop” areas throughout the property. These thick and nasty areas are made simply by chopping down small trees and then letting them lay. Chop and drop areas make for excellent small game cover. Wildlife throughout the farm can also find cover within many of the tall, healthy food plot areas. Some of the more natural cover areas include swamps, some field edges, and isolated thickets. During winter, the beaver swamps serve as ideal habitat for migrating waterfowl.

Water- Water is a precious resource and a vital component of habitat management. Fortunately for Waukegan Farms there is an abundance of it throughout the property. Specifically, the farm has three ponds, a couple beaver swamps, waterfowl impoundment and several perennial and intermittent streams. Hull has taken a particular interest in managing the larger of the 3 ponds for a quality fishing experience. He has managed the pond for several years now since stocking it and has also constructed two fly fishing platforms for those looking to deviate from the standard rod and reel. Hull’s most recent project pertaining to water was the construction of a new duck impoundment which will likely improve in productivity over time. Hull feels good about his chances with Hyco Lake located just a short distance away.

In the Business of Tree Farming

Equaling its commitment to the management of wildlife habitats is the farm’s devotion to Timber management. Waukegan Farms, member of the NC Tree Farm Program, is intensively managed for timber so as to provide for high quality and diverse loblolly stands, farm income, quality wildlife habitat, and a quality recreational experience.

With the help of Sterling Wall and full time farm manager, Steve Blackard, Waukegan Farms has been able to unleash the true potential of this previously unmanaged forest. From the outset, Wall and Hull found it necessary to compartmentalize the farm’s various timber stands. By doing this, Hull was able to establish various management units that could each be managed independently of one another. Managing individual units separately from one another promotes added forest and wildlife diversity along with creating continuous cash flow opportunities.

Evidence of prescribed fire marks several of the farm’s loblolly stands. Hull is a firm believer in prescribed burning and therefore controls the understory of his pine plantations this way. Hull rotates his burn areas so as to create much desired diversity among his loblolly stands and to promote the health of turkey, quail and deer population. In addition to prescribed burns, the farm performs regular thinnings to accelerate the growth of its desired tree species, the loblolly pine.

Reforestation is a process that involves the restocking of existing forests which have been depleted. Reforestation is a critical component of the tree farm cycle that is largely beneficial as it provides the landowner with future income, helps improve human quality of life by filtering polluted air, and rebuilds naturally healthy habitats. Waukegan Farms has reforested several areas over the past 10 years with loblolly pine. These sites vary in age and now offer high quality bedding habitat, browse, edge, cover and future income that ultimately can be placed back into the farm.

Hull continues to take a more informal timber stand improvement approach with the management of his hardwood areas. This approach involves the use of hack and squirt methods, backpack sprayers, and chainsaws to take out less desirable trees. Although typically slow moving, this practice can be especially beneficial as it promotes a faster growth rate on the desired hardwoods.

 Let the Good Times Roll!
Perhaps most rewarding for Hull is the ability to enjoy and share the farm he has worked so hard to create. His unwavering 10 year commitment to habitat and timber management has produced an environment that now teems with recreational opportunities, including some dynamite hunting. In an effort to maximize the hunting and wildlife viewing experience, Waukegan Farms has incorporated roughly 40 ladder and box stands along travel corridors, food plots, and areas of reforestation. In addition, several of Hull’s signature “Tiki Hut” ground blinds have been placed in strategic locations to give the hunter a more intimate eye level hunting experience. These cozy “huts” are actually rather clever as Hull has outfitted them with shingled roofs, wood chips all over the floor to keep movement whisper quiet and the ticks and chiggers at bay, and an abundance of brushing in to ensure concealment. Each year, Waukegan farms hosts a group of handicapped hunters that find these ground blinds particularly useful and enjoyable to hunt out of. The farm has also taken an interest in hosting annual dove shoots and forestry workshops.

When not creating memories afield, Maurice and Laura Hull can likely be found relaxing inside the farm’s spacious lodge, which is absolutely breathtaking. Refined and slightly rustic, the lodge breaths comfort, tradition, and the sporting life. Perhaps my favorite part of the lodge includes the climate controlled wildlife viewing tower that overlooks a lush 10 acre food plot. I also especially like the way Hull has enriched the character of the home’s interior by utilizing components from an old farmhouse on the property. The lodge serves as the centerpiece to most of the farm’s activities, but most importantly provides a venue where the couple can share their love for the outdoors with family and friends. Afterall, this is what life is all about! 

In closing, I would like to thank Maurice and Laura Hull for their southern hospitality and for allowing me to share Waukegan Farms with you. Waukegan Farms is living proof that you get out of something what you put into it. Congratulations on your much deserved success and keep up the good work!

 

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Habitat Connectivity
by Robert Smith

We all talk about “wildlife habitat”, when we really should be talking about wildlife habitats. Not only do different species need different habitats, but each species needs different kinds of habitats. For example, turkeys need nesting habitat, brood habitat, roosting habitat, and feeding habitat; they actually need different kinds of feeding habitat for spring, summer, fall, and winter. We could break the needed habitats for turkey down even further, and write prescriptions of how to manage those habitats. We could do the same for pretty much every wildlife species of interest.

Besides knowing what habitats are needed, and relatively how much of that habitat, there are several other factors that are important. Like the quality of the habitat and how it is arranged on the landscape. Is it in one big patch, two or three patches, or scattered across the property in small patches? How do the patches and the wildlife of interest interact with each other; in other words, how are they connected?

The size of the patches and how they are distributed on the property has a tremendous impact on wildlife; changing patch sizes and dispersion often requires making a massive perturbation to the property. Sometimes that big change is worthwhile, and other times it is economically or ecologically impractical. We can frequently, however, change how patches are connected. It can also be critical not to destroy existing habitat connectivity. When creating or leaving a connecting corridor, try to place it in places that wildlife will naturally use.

Some connectivity changes are simple and require doing less rather than requiring doing more. A good example of this is changing the area where a field or food plot borders the woods from a “hard” edge to a “soft” edge by allowing a strip of native grasses and early successional forbs to grow up. This strip can be from 10 to 70 feet wide. We would like to see broomstraw, blackberries, asters, goldenrod, and similar plants growing up in it. This habitat will provide important browse, soft mast (blackberries), nesting habitat, bedding cover, and security cover for many game and non-game species. This edge will of course require regular disturbance to keep it from becoming a woody jungle. That disturbance could be some combination of prescribed fire, drum chopping, strip disking, and herbicide application. This field edge buffer helps connect the field and the adjacent woods while enhancing the habitat for many different game and non-game species.

Field edges of early successional vegetation are valuable to many wildlife species, but planting an even larger patch of native warm-season grasses and associated forbs on a southwest-facing slope adjacent to a white oak stand creates a fantastic cold-day bedding area immediately connected to a prime food source.

Another example of connectivity enhancement that requires more thought and action is installing travel corridors and visual screens across old pastures or agricultural fields. Many wildlife species, deer and turkey included, are less likely to venture across large open areas during daylight. If an old fence row, a swale of tall grass, or a woodland strip provides cover for them, they will often use it.

Sometimes when land use changes either with a change in ownership or a change in management objectives, larger agricultural fields or pastures can be partially restored to several food plots with connecting woodland corridors. The woodland corridors can be a window-pane type pattern or can be as simple as one strip of woods crossing the opening. The woodland strip can be pines or hardwoods depending on the surrounding habitat and owner’s objectives.

In this example, the owner was primarily interested in optimizing an existing hayfield for white-tailed deer and turkey. The hayfield and adjacent hayfields provided more acreage than needed for food plots, and there was not a local demand to rent the area out as cropland or hayfield. The area could be improved for wildlife habitat and huntability by installing treeplots as travel corridors to enhance connectivity. There wasn’t enough acreage to justify planting pines, though they would have made excellent bedding habitat for a few years. The field was pretty much surrounded by mature hardwoods, but there was an opportunity to plant hardwoods in the field that would produce mast not found in the surrounding forest, such as persimmon, sawtooth oak, Chinese chestnut, pears, and crabapples. The new hardwood strips connected mature hardwood draws, created or widened travel corridors that deer, turkey, & other wildlife are already using (after less than a year), reduced the annual food plot budget by taking some open land out of production, and added new mast producers to the property. Each of the remaining areas of food plot were surrounded by an early successional buffer and planted with a variety of forage & seed producing mixtures for deer and turkey.

While creating or enhancing new connectivity is important, it can be equally important not to destroy existing connectivity. This can be as simple as leaving a thoughtfully shaped streamside management zone during a timber harvest or even leaving a strip of standing timber during a timber harvest. Making a “bowtie” clearcut (two triangles with their tips touching, similar to the stereotypical markings on a black widow spider) will create a bottleneck in the natural bedding & feeding habitats that will be used for many, many years.

The best time to think about how habitats are arranged on the landscape and how they are connected is during a planning period for the property – either when it is acquired or when major management changes are planned. It is never too late to start making long-range property plans, and the sooner an inventory is conducted and a plan is developed, the sooner you will begin reaching your long-term management objectives.

About the Author Robert Smith of Greensboro, NC is a forest and wildlife biologist who helps landowners integrate their wildlife, timber and agricultural management objectives. Robert earned his bachelor's degree with an emphasis in wildlife from Mississippi State University and his master's in forest ecology from the University of Georgia. Robert is the wildlife and forest biologist for Wolfe Speciality Real Estate and Consulting.