A.“Our customers buy tractors and implements to make food plots and maintain their property, as well as ATVs and UTVs for getting around. They’re also interested in electric units because of low noise and lack of emissions. They also buy travel trailers to stay in while they’re hunting, or to leave out there altogether. Then there are deer blinds, corn and guns, which we’ve never gotten into, but it would be a cool place that does that, like Bass Pro Shop does. Now there would be an interesting model for a rural lifestyle dealer to study.”

—Tim Berman, sales manager, Big Red’s Equipment Sales & Rentals, Granbury, Texas

A.“We’re seeing many of these customers asking their dealers about rotary tillers for the maintenance of food plots. Three-point tillers will range in size from 40 inches to 14 feet, but the trend seems to be in the 80-90-inch range. If set properly and matched correctly to the tractor, the tiller will make any plot purpose-ready in a single pass, reducing prep time and unnecessary costs.”

—Adam B. Crozier, sales manager, Ford Distributing, Marysville, Ohio

A.“We normally sell 30-40-horsepower compact tractors with loaders, 5-foot rotary cutters and rotary tillers, used 4-row planters or new 2-row planters, ATVs and UTVs, 25-gallon sprayers for the food plots, small grain drills, 5-6-foot discs, 5-foot blades, small rollers or small used packer/mulchers, chain saws, drag harrows and spreaders. They’re interested in anything that will help them till food plots, spray Roundup, spread fertilizer, plant corn and soybeans, plant drill or broadcast various small seeds, clover, alfalfa or sorghum.”

—George Cummings, salesman, A.C. McCartney, Wataga, Ill.

A.“Our hunting enthusiasts are most interested in John Deere Gators for hunting, recreational riding and utility tasks. The UTV segment hasn’t fallen off in terms of sales, like our ATV’s have. We believe that’s due to being more practical, vs. ATVs being perceived as a ‘riding machine.’ ”

—James Taylor, vice president, Hillsboro Equipment, Hillsboro, Wis.

A.“Camouflage-style ATVs and UTVS equipped with hunting accessories, gun-carrying cases and spots for coolers are popular. APM&S sells the Polaris brand which provides a special “hunting model.” Most major brands provide a “hunting version” ATV/UTV for these customers. Hunters will put ATV/UTVs in their truck and they’re off to the hunt.”

—Jim Keller, manager, APM&S, Peoria, Ariz.

A.“Hunters buy John Deere Gators and ATV-type vehicles for hauling wood and their big bucks, as well as mowers, tillage equipment and other equipment for food plots. Chain saws, pole saws and accessories are purchased to clear trails. They also use zero-turn mowers for mowing paths and trails and keeping tall grass from choking out small trees, and leaf blowers to keep trails free of leaves in the fall. Hunters also need trailers for hauling their equipment to and from the properties.”

—Duane Nolden, president, Middleton Power Center, Middleton, Wis.

A.“There seems to be a lot of interest in Brillion’s food plot seeders. We’ve sold some Kasco drills and they seem to work fine. We get several inquiries on Taylor-Pittsburgh 3-point discs and tillers and sell several of those each year.”

—Jeff Suchomski, president, Suchomski Equipment, Pinckneyville, Ill.

A.“Most of the hunters want the UTVs, 4WD compact tractors with loaders, small seed drills and the hunting-blind trailers we sell. I’m looking into selling archery equipment and hunting supplies so I can bring in more of these customers.”

—Michael N. Rasmussen, owner, Rasmussen Equipment, Macy, Ind.

A.“With all the rain in California, we have been and will continue to sell mowers. We’ve stocked up on Kodiak rotary cutters and Vrisimo flail mowers, as well as 15-18-foot Schulte rotary cutters. We’re starting to see them roll out. We have high hopes of seeing them all gone by May.”

—Rob McFarlen, general manager, Dave’s Tractor, Red Bluff, Calif.

A.“They want mostly 30-50-horsepower tractors, 6-8 foot, 3-point discs, small grain drills, PTO-driven spreaders and 5-10-foot, 3-point rotary cutters. They’re used primarily to prepare, plant and maintain food plots of 0.5-20 acres.”

—Doug Abel, sales manager, Prairie Implement Co., Stuttgart, Ark.

A.“Our customers like utility vehicles (Kubota RTV), food plot seeders (Land Pride Plot Ranger FPS48), drills (Great Plains 606NT) and fertilizer spreaders (Land Pride FPS700).”

—Jerry Jackson, salesman, Kane Equipment, Topeka, Kan.

A.“In the past, 4-wheelers were big, along with utility vehicles, which are growing in popularity. We always do well with the 30-40 horsepower tractors with loaders, and equipment to put in food plots.”

—Gene Saville, Lamb and Webster, Springville, N.Y.

A.“They like tractors 50 horsepower and under, small disc harrows, tillers, sprayers and spreaders/seeders.”

—Ralph Stellick, sales, Portland Implement Inc., Cashton, Wis.

A.“They’re more prone to go with a 2-person UTV. They’re so capable now and have more capacity.”

—Don Van Houweling, Van Wall Equipment, Perry, Iowa

A.“Our hunting enthusiasts are interested in Arctic Cat ATVs, Arctic Cat and Cub Cadet utility vehicles, and New Holland and Cub Cadet compact tractors for planting and maintaining deer plots and hunting lease roads.”

—Mike McCrate, president, Tulsa New Holland, Tulsa, Okla.

A.“The only item I’ve had a few calls for are old grain drills to plant food plots and cover crops.”

—Keith Wood, salesman, American Implement,
Ulysses, Kan.

A.“We’re Polaris dealers, so ATVs, UTVs and accessories are the only products we have that hunters come to us for.”

—Tim Robinson, president, APM&S, Casa Grande, Ariz.

A.“Our most popular hunting equipment is our Kubota RTV utility vehicle.”

—Gary Lanning, sales manager, Longmont Farm Supply, Longmont, Col.

A.“Our hunting customers like tow-behind tillers for food plots.”

—Michael Johnston, DR Power Equipment, Vergennes, Vermont

A.“The customers purchase compact and utility tractors with blades, rough-cut mowers, and seeding and tillage equipment.”

—Larry Tichenor, salesman, St. Joseph Equipment, La Crosse, Wis.

A.“I’m finding customers are looking at the “side-by-side” utility vehicles like the John Deere Gator. The economy took a huge toll on Gator sales last year.”

—Gary Smolik, general manager, The Tractor Place, North Royalton, Ohio

A.“Our customers buy tractors and implements to make food plots and maintain their property, as well as ATVs and UTVs for getting around. They’re also interested in electric units because of low noise and lack of emissions. They also buy travel trailers to stay in while they’re hunting, or to leave out there altogether. Then there are deer blinds, corn and guns, which we’ve never gotten into, but it would be a cool place that does that, like Bass Pro Shop does. Now there would be an interesting model for a rural lifestyle dealer to study.”

—Tim Berman, sales manager, Big Red’s Equipment Sales & Rentals, Granbury, Texas

A.“We’re seeing many of these customers asking their dealers about rotary tillers for the maintenance of food plots. Three-point tillers will range in size from 40 inches to 14 feet, but the trend seems to be in the 80-90-inch range. If set properly and matched correctly to the tractor, the tiller will make any plot purpose-ready in a single pass, reducing prep time and unnecessary costs.”

—Adam B. Crozier, sales manager, Ford Distributing, Marysville, Ohio

A.“We normally sell 30-40-horsepower compact tractors with loaders, 5-foot rotary cutters and rotary tillers, used 4-row planters or new 2-row planters, ATVs and UTVs, 25-gallon sprayers for the food plots, small grain drills, 5-6-foot discs, 5-foot blades, small rollers or small used packer/mulchers, chain saws, drag harrows and spreaders. They’re interested in anything that will help them till food plots, spray Roundup, spread fertilizer, plant corn and soybeans, plant drill or broadcast various small seeds, clover, alfalfa or sorghum.”

—George Cummings, salesman, A.C. McCartney, Wataga, Ill.

A.“Our hunting enthusiasts are most interested in John Deere Gators for hunting, recreational riding and utility tasks. The UTV segment hasn’t fallen off in terms of sales, like our ATV’s have. We believe that’s due to being more practical, vs. ATVs being perceived as a ‘riding machine.’ ”

—James Taylor, vice president, Hillsboro Equipment, Hillsboro, Wis.

A.“Camouflage-style ATVs and UTVS equipped with hunting accessories, gun-carrying cases and spots for coolers are popular. APM&S sells the Polaris brand which provides a special “hunting model.” Most major brands provide a “hunting version” ATV/UTV for these customers. Hunters will put ATV/UTVs in their truck and they’re off to the hunt.”

—Jim Keller, manager, APM&S, Peoria, Ariz.

A.“Hunters buy John Deere Gators and ATV-type vehicles for hauling wood and their big bucks, as well as mowers, tillage equipment and other equipment for food plots. Chain saws, pole saws and accessories are purchased to clear trails. They also use zero-turn mowers for mowing paths and trails and keeping tall grass from choking out small trees, and leaf blowers to keep trails free of leaves in the fall. Hunters also need trailers for hauling their equipment to and from the properties.”

—Duane Nolden, president, Middleton Power Center, Middleton, Wis.

A.“There seems to be a lot of interest in Brillion’s food plot seeders. We’ve sold some Kasco drills and they seem to work fine. We get several inquiries on Taylor-Pittsburgh 3-point discs and tillers and sell several of those each year.”

—Jeff Suchomski, president, Suchomski Equipment, Pinckneyville, Ill.

A.“Most of the hunters want the UTVs, 4WD compact tractors with loaders, small seed drills and the hunting-blind trailers we sell. I’m looking into selling archery equipment and hunting supplies so I can bring in more of these customers.”

—Michael N. Rasmussen, owner, Rasmussen Equipment, Macy, Ind.

A.“With all the rain in California, we have been and will continue to sell mowers. We’ve stocked up on Kodiak rotary cutters and Vrisimo flail mowers, as well as 15-18-foot Schulte rotary cutters. We’re starting to see them roll out. We have high hopes of seeing them all gone by May.”

—Rob McFarlen, general manager, Dave’s Tractor, Red Bluff, Calif.

A.“They want mostly 30-50-horsepower tractors, 6-8 foot, 3-point discs, small grain drills, PTO-driven spreaders and 5-10-foot, 3-point rotary cutters. They’re used primarily to prepare, plant and maintain food plots of 0.5-20 acres.”

—Doug Abel, sales manager, Prairie Implement Co., Stuttgart, Ark.

A.“Our customers like utility vehicles (Kubota RTV), food plot seeders (Land Pride Plot Ranger FPS48), drills (Great Plains 606NT) and fertilizer spreaders (Land Pride FPS700).”

—Jerry Jackson, salesman, Kane Equipment, Topeka, Kan.

A.“In the past, 4-wheelers were big, along with utility vehicles, which are growing in popularity. We always do well with the 30-40 horsepower tractors with loaders, and equipment to put in food plots.”

—Gene Saville, Lamb and Webster, Springville, N.Y.

A.“They like tractors 50 horsepower and under, small disc harrows, tillers, sprayers and spreaders/seeders.”

—Ralph Stellick, sales, Portland Implement Inc., Cashton, Wis.

A.“They’re more prone to go with a 2-person UTV. They’re so capable now and have more capacity.”

—Don Van Houweling, Van Wall Equipment, Perry, Iowa

A.“Our hunting enthusiasts are interested in Arctic Cat ATVs, Arctic Cat and Cub Cadet utility vehicles, and New Holland and Cub Cadet compact tractors for planting and maintaining deer plots and hunting lease roads.”

—Mike McCrate, president, Tulsa New Holland, Tulsa, Okla.

A.“The only item I’ve had a few calls for are old grain drills to plant food plots and cover crops.”

—Keith Wood, salesman, American Implement,
Ulysses, Kan.

A.“We’re Polaris dealers, so ATVs, UTVs and accessories are the only products we have that hunters come to us for.”

—Tim Robinson, president, APM&S, Casa Grande, Ariz.

A.“Our most popular hunting equipment is our Kubota RTV utility vehicle.”

—Gary Lanning, sales manager, Longmont Farm Supply, Longmont, Col.

A.“Our hunting customers like tow-behind tillers for food plots.”

—Michael Johnston, DR Power Equipment, Vergennes, Vermont

A.“The customers purchase compact and utility tractors with blades, rough-cut mowers, and seeding and tillage equipment.”

—Larry Tichenor, salesman, St. Joseph Equipment, La Crosse, Wis.

A.“I’m finding customers are looking at the “side-by-side” utility vehicles like the John Deere Gator. The economy took a huge toll on Gator sales last year.”

—Gary Smolik, general manager, The Tractor Place, North Royalton, Ohio