Whisk_67338f5aa8cdaf08d7b454702b96564fdr.jpeg

Shurley Wildlife & Habitat Services

Hunting Property Management for Landowners in the Southeast

Land is a finite resource. Think wildlife conservation.

contact

Why Many Hunting Properties Underperform

Land across the Southeast, especially hunting land, has been mismanaged and underutilized for decades.

Hunting property management is more than forest management. While timber practices and early successional habitat can be beneficial, they do not consistently produce strong deer, turkey, and quail populations across much of the Southeast.

Travel Corridors, food plots, edge, and cover hold more deer, turkey, and quail than forest management practices alone. When these key elements are applied correctly and at the proper scale, they work together to support healthier wildlife populations and better hunting success.

A man in camouflage hunting gear kneels on the ground at night, holding the antlers of a large deer with a brown coat and prominent antlers. The scene is outdoors with trees and fallen leaves, illuminated by a flash.
A man in camouflage clothing kneels at night beside a large, dead deer with antlers, holding one of the antlers. The deer is lying on the ground with a visible wound.
A smiling man in camouflage clothing and a cap holding a large deer with impressive antlers in a truck bed at night.
A man in camouflage clothing and a black beanie smiling and kneeling next to a large deer with antlers, holding its antlers in a wooded area at night.

A Flagship Property Design

In 2015, Matt Shurley developed a management framework that prioritizes food plots, cover, edge, and travel corridors at population specific scales. This approach has shaped successful hunting properties across Georgia and other Southeastern states.

One example is a 5,000 acre timber tract in east Georgia designed from a deer management perspective using home range data and Deer Management Zones.

Matt was hired to design the property from a deer management perspective. He used his knowledge from the Jones Research Center and home range data to develop Deer Management Zones. Food plots, crop rotations and yearling buck dispersal were also considered in DMZ’s. A simplified version of the property management map can be seen below.

Map showing different zones within a wildlife management area, including Deer Management Zones DMZ1, DMZ2, DMZ3, and a Quail Management Zone (QMZ). The map features various color-coded plots: green for harvest food plots, orange for summer food plots, pink for dove fields, along with designated buffer zones. The map was created by Jason Scott on June 8, 2016, using 2015 NAIP orthomosaic imagery, with the coordinate system NAD 1983 UTM Zone 17N.
Logo of Shurley Wildlife Habitat Services featuring a black deer and a wild turkey against a geometric green outline and a forested ground, with the company name below.

Wildlife & Habitat Management Services

Management Plans & Site Visits

Shurley Wildlife & Habitat Services works directly with landowners to evaluate properties and develop practical management strategies.

Learn About Management Plans

“An asset the size of land should be managed. There will never be more land made and that alone is reason to manage it appropriately.”

— Matt Shurley

Own Land in the Southeast?

Every property is different. Soil limitations, forest history, nutrition, and hunting pressure all influence what is possible.

The right management strategy can dramatically improve the performance of a hunting property when it is applied correctly.

If you own land and love to hunt, there is a good chance you need help.

Request a Site Visit