Mihalak Outdoors

Thank you to Lauren from Lamar Advertising for making this possible! Located on 6N after Conneaut Creek heading East into Albion...so very cool.

Good Morning from MihalakOutdoors! We are officially open for the 2021 food plotting season. I currently have in stock Eagle Seed, BrierRidge, Grandpa Rays and Real World Wildlife Products. I am also a Centerra Lime and fertilizer retailer along with Timac Agro products. Maple syrup season has ended but I have some syrup remaining. I currently have a limited amount of rough cut oak in stock for sale. Boards are approximately 10’ in length. If you enjoy wildlife as much as I do (and being in the woods) consider a visit or consultation to improve your habitat. Enjoy all Pennsylvania has to offer. The birds are singing this morning! Enjoy Kev.

Good morning from MihalakOutdoors! Batch #9 is ready! If you prefer a dark syrup with tremendous flavor it’s here. Great for pancakes, waffles or my favorite French toast. Maple syrup can also be a substitute for sugar in your recipes. Made from sugar maples on my farm only! From the heart of Cherry Hill! Enjoy Kev.

Good morning from MihalakOutdoors. Batch #7 is ready for sale. Amber in color with excellent flavor. Absolutely scrumptious! We are registered with the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture as a syrup producer #172731 and just recently passed our inspection with no issues. If you enjoy local, homemade syrup please contact me. From the heart of Cherry Hill... enjoy. Kev.

Greetings from MihalakOutdoors. Eagle Seed has finally released their newest blend featuring MultiMax soybeans. I am always enthusiastic about new blends and this is one I am looking forward to. I will be stocking this and all of their other quality blends. If you enjoy wildlife as much as I do consider a food plot from MihalakOutdoors. Hunt smart. Kev.

Congratulations to Alexa from Mihalak Outdoors on this beautiful late season Pennsylvania archery buck. Her smile says it all. Alexa made a perfect shot at 27 yards as the buck fed in the Eagle Seed Habitat Haven soybeans heading to the Eagle Seed corn. The cold temperatures, deep snow (a foot plus) combined with Eagle Seed was the perfect combination...and a steady aim. MihalakOutdoors is proud to have played a role in the success of her hunt. Congratulations Alexa!

Happy New Year from Mihalak Outdoors! If you are interested in a great read or a great podcast before the ball drops....Chasing Giants with Don Higgins episode 31 features Dr. Bronson Strickland and the maternal effects mother deer have on their offspring. This influence in turning genes on and off is termed epigenetics. The data suggests the environment that the mother lives in plays the critical role in the growth and development of the offspring. If the mom senses a... good, healthy, nutritious environment genes are turned on in the fawn that say thrive and grow. BUT this does not take place in one generation...it takes two for this switch to happen. To quote the book You are what you eat - and what your mother and grandmother ate! Agricultural regions explain this concept perfectly. Another interesting diet quality that really comes to the forefront is increased phosphorus and protein levels. These two factors appear to play major roles in growth and development of whitetail deer. As I finish my last post of 2020, my 6th grade teacher Mrs. McCommons would be proud (although my handwriting was atrocious and I had to rewrite my spelling words a hundred times) as I read all 10 chapters in one day...if she would have just handed me a deer book lol. Happy New Year from MihalakOutdoors!! Kev. See more

Greetings from MihalakOutdoors! The first shipment of seed arrived for the 2021 planting year. Brier Ridge is the food plot division of LaCrosse Seed located in LaCrosse Wisconsin. They specialize in small seeds used in cover crops. Reviews are strong on these blends and I am currently having success here on the farm with the Rut and Ready mix which is green under the snow. When the maple sap begins to flow frost seeding of clover can occur. We need freeze thaw cycles t...o sow the seed naturally. A shout out to Rob the Northeast Regional Sales Rep for the additional bags of seed I can use in my classroom. We will incorporate in our IPM (Integrated Pest Management) lessons cover crops and the growth of tillage radish (bio drillers) used to aerate and loosen soil compaction in heavy soils. This should be pretty cool... thanks Rob!!If you love wildlife as much as I do consider a food plot with premium seed from Brier Ridge. It’s a proven performer. Kev. See more

Greetings from Mihalak Outdoors! Another major influence on Mihalak Outdoors was my Grandpa McConegly. Besides being one of my biggest fans, he loved wrestling, he taught me how to set a dirt hole set for a fox. I can still remember that eye shine from that set. Grandpa said If you can catch a fox your a trapper and catch a fox I did. This may explain my absolute love of trail cameras. The catch is to leave absolutely no human scent and if you do they will flip your trap. This also explains my excessive use of deer lures. To make a scrape to simulate what deer do naturally is a primitive art...like trapping. So a thank you to Grandpa...I keep your picture on my hunting shelf. Apparently I do need to wear something white... I see a trend. Enjoy wildlife. Kev.

Greetings from Mihalak Outdoors! This post highlights the foundation of MihalakOutdoors.... my dad and my uncles. (dad’s sporting a new MihalakOutdoors sweatshirt from Santa FYI). My Uncle Tom is far left, dad middle and Uncle Steve far right. Dad tells me this picture was probably taken around 1965 give or take. Archery hunting is not just a sport...it’s a mindset and a lifestyle as the picture shows and apparently I got the gene. My Uncle Tom owns Mihalak’s Guns and h...as been in business for four decades. Dad loves waterfowl hunting, trapping, fishing and deer hunting. My Uncle Steve was, from what dad says, was the archer. Making and cresting his own wooden shafts and shooting them from his 80 pound recurve. To take a dozen arrows into the woods back then was a necessity. Take a peak at Uncle Steve’s grip...perfect. As I celebrate my 40th year of archery hunting (yep it’s that important to me) I am appreciative of the positive influences I have had in my life... but I don’t know if I would wear the white pants lol. (My mom will have a field day with this one lol.). Thanks Dad, Uncle Tom and Uncle Steve. See more

Congratulations to Jason and his Cousin Ben Jr. from Mihalak Outdoors! Mihalak Outdoors is proud to have played a role in these two successful harvests. We applied the beans and greens system planting Eagle Seed Wildlife Managers Mix in June followed by Eagle Seed Buffalo Blend in August. (we also added Eagle Seed Winter Garden and Eagle Seed Fall Blend in specified strips and we surrounded the plot with Eagle Seed Hunt Master Clover....that was a lot of seed lol). I would... have included pictures of the plot but they have eaten it to the ground. The landowner reports deer are not in short supply and by the looks of the doe they are eating well. Jason, pictured in front of the blind, is the owner of Hilltop Hunting Blinds in Springboro PA and is a retailer for Redneck Hunting Blinds...the Ghillie Deluxe Blinds are awesome...they can take some abuse from the elements. Thanks Jason. Congratulations from MihalakOutdoors on these absolutely beautiful harvests. Excellent job men. Kev. See more

Good morning from the tundra...aka Mihalak Outdoors! 16 to 19 with drifting...ferocious. This puts the snow up to a deer’s belly. Corn will be a big hit tonight as most everything else except some beans will be covered. Hunt smart...or in a box blind. Kev.

Merry Christmas from Mihalak Outdoors! A beautiful Christmas tree from the heart of Cherry Hill. Both trees were from the same batch of trees, planted on the same day and in the same soils. The differences, although subtle, make substantial impacts on the outcome. The Christmas tree had the privilege of being fertilized on a yearly basis with the clovers it is surrounded by and nourished by the nitrogen produced by the clovers. The bulbs that adorn this tree say a great d...eal about a the soils that grows it. The grass, or Christmas tree, isn’t always greener somewhere else...it’s pretty green right here. Tomorrow begins the late deer season, second season archery and flintlock. We have, depending on where you measure, 12 - 13 inches of snow. The deer will, as a rule, be bedded near food and make a straight line for grain at last light. Data says 4:55 is the earliest they will move unless it’s a blue sky and the barometrer is on the rise. The moon is on the rise and testosterone is decreasing...but the need for energy in these conditions is powerful. Snow camo here I come. If you have never hunted late season over a standing food source consider a food plot....the view can be spectacular. Happy Holidays. Kev. See more

Greetings from Mihalak Outdoors. I caught this young buck tending a scrape last week. Good looking 2 year old so he got a pass. The interesting part of the video is he did what biologists call rub- urinate. If you watch closely he rubs his rear legs together when he urinates. This behavioral adaptation saturates his tarsal glands with urine and through bacterial action makes him stink... hello ladies. Apparently this gives him his own unique odor and this is one way in which he communicates with others in the vicinity. QDMA has a great read on this fascinating behavior... enjoy.

Congratulations to Team Mihalak Outdoor Pro Staff Member Shaun Fawcett on his magnificent buck. This 195 pound bruiser had a spread of 20 3/4 inches. The buck was following a doe, headed for the beans, when he decided to stop and make a scrape...poor choice. 30 yards quartering away and Shaun made it count. Shaun has put countless hours, research and a personal commitment to making his property the best it can be. Congratulations to Shaun from Mihalak Outdoors on his Pennsylvania archery harvest.

Congratulations to Alexa from Team Mihalak Outdoors on her first successful deer harvest. This beautiful creature was harvested in a clover plot at 28 yards. Her smile says it all. Congratulations to Alexa and her dad on this great story.

Team Mihalak Outdoors adding venison to the freezer. Congratulations to Caleb for this fine doe harvest. Caleb contacted me this spring and we formulated a food plot plan based on his situation. We decided on a fall plot as he had previously purchased some seed and his location had the potential of excess moisture early in the summer. We made the plot a semi circle backed up to a fence with the blind on the edge. We added Eagle Seeds Winter Garden to the winter wheat.....success. 40 yard shot. The gem in this story is this is Caleb’s first property, first food plot and first successful harvest on that plot. Mihalak Outdoors is proud to be a part of Caleb’s success story. Congratulations Caleb. Caleb is pictured with his son.

Team Mihalak Outdoors would like to congratulate Jordan on a beautiful archery deer. Jordan, accompanied by her guide and scout father, made a 22 yard shot over a stand of Brier Ridge clover mix that was planted this past summer. The smile on this young ladies face says it all. Congratulations Jordan from Mihalak Outdoors!!

Good Morning (a very good) from Mihalak Outdoors! I believe my smile says it all too. This year marks my 40th year of archery hunting thanks to my dad....thanks dad. As the summer started I was digging through my archery box and found some Bear broadheads and said to myself...it would be so cool to harvest a deer this year with the same broadheads I started with when I was 12 years old.... I never imagined. What an amazing deer. 19 spread, 5.5 G1’s, just under 9 G 2...’s and 3’s, heavy main beams and ran maybe 50 yards. A podcast I listened to said don’t hunt this weekend as the temperatures will be unfavorable for movement.... well maybe. I included a picture of the moon as it was overhead. Apparently research has been done on all aspects of the moon and deer movement and the data says there is no coronation...the irony is all of my mature deer have been harvested on a late afternoon moon rise.. yesterday 5:07. My suggestion is to do what works for you...I wanted to go hunting. Hunt smart and keep your own deer movement data...I do. Enjoy Kev. See more

Good morning from Mihalak Outdoors. A thank you to Nate Mitchell/Creations Wood and Metal for this beautiful stainless steel sign that will adorn the front of my building. Each color is a separate layer of cut out stainless steel with the layer between the two greens polished...should look very cool in the sun. A special thank you to my wife for this fantastic creation. I’ve included Nate’s business card...excellent job Nate!

Mihalak Outdoors would like to congratulate Adam on his early season 2B harvest. Estimated to be 4.5 years old, this Eagle Seed bean eater has a 19 spread, 11 points and a live weight of 229. I would like to thank Adam for his continued support of Mihalak Outdoors as he is one of my customers that travels two hours to purchase food plotting supplies from me. The smile speaks for itself. Congratulations Adam. Team Mihalak Outdoors putting quality venison in the freezer. (FYI 2B, 5C and 5D started Sept. 19th). 1B starts October 3rd. Hunt smart Kev.

Greetings from Mihalak Outdoors! I am proud to announce, in conjunction with Eagle Seed, a unique fall planted food plot blend designed for one purpose. It’s a blend I have tinkered with for years and it has finally made its way into a bag with a label. It’s not designed for improving soil, feeding deer in March, or growing earth worms....as I have plots for that. It’s sole purpose is for maximum attraction as September comes to an end. It is designed for 1/4 acre and to be broadcast planted. The blessing of this blend is the deer recognize the components immediately. When everything else is nearing the end of its annual life cycle this is just beginning. If you are looking for maximum sugar content look no further. Hunt smart. Kev.

Good Morning from Mihalak Outdoors. Mihalak Outdoors is licensed with the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture for 01 Agronomic spraying. In common terms, I can legally spray someone’s food plot on land other than my own. I am required to take continuing education credits through the department of agriculture and the class topics range from chemically resistant weeds, apiaries, and to the hypersensitivity registrar .... great stuff. The basis of spraying is not to spra...y... to use IPM. IPM (7th grade science students get this topic in January) is Integrated Pest Management. To properly identify weeds or pests and use the least toxic means possible or to tolerate the pest and determine the threshold when the pest control is necessary or not. Will the pest destroy the crop and is it worth the financial and time constraint. That’s pretty heavy stuff lol. So...if your brains don’t hurt after reading that....the bottom line is choose chemicals wisely...I prefer the signal word Caution. Your homework is to research signal words and LD50 . Enjoy wildlife!!! Kev. See more

Good Morning from Mihalak Outdoors. There are numerous ways in which a food plot can be planted....I will reference soybeans in this post. They can be drilled with a planter into tilled soils or un tilled soils. I prefer tilled soils for a few reasons. One reason is soil amendments can be incorporated aka lime and fertilizer. Reason number two is winter annual weeds aka marestail. No till is heavily dependent on chemistry. Reason three is the seeds are in a fluffy seed... bed and emergence is far superior in my opinion here on the farm. Again, opinion and experience here on my farm. Another great way to plant soybeans, believe it or not, is to use a rototiller to till them in. Prepare the seed bed first, broadcast your seed, then drop the shoes to the lowest setting and re-till. It is an unusual feeling of tilling the seeds in but it works and actually works well. Just don’t get them too deep. Soybeans can also be cultipacked...my least favorite but it does work. It’s my least favorite due to compaction...remember the entire seed emerges with a soybean (a corn seed stays underground). The soybean planting window has closed (at least for pod protection) but I will plant soybeans again in August as it is the number one food source preferred by deer here on the farm. If you enjoy wildlife consider a food plot from Mihalak Outdoors. Enjoy. Kev. See more

Good Morning from Mihalak Outdoors. Quantitative data! My goal is simple...when a deer eats the leaf I want them to say That’s the best leaf I have ever tasted! Funny but true. I also desire as many nutrients as possible in that leaf (and pods) as I can realistically obtain. Through leaf tissue analysis the data suggested low potassium levels. Potentially from a no till situation. No till has some benefits but also some drawbacks. I currently use both on the farm and this post is far to short to cover the two sides....but a great topic. If you enjoy wildlife consider a wildlife food plot from Mihalak Outdoors. I meet clients anywhere in the process from start to finish. Enjoy. Kev.

Good Morning from Mihalak Outdoors! Another punched primer in the 10 gauge. Long beard #2! 9 5/8 beard. The last day of spring gobbler. I am thankful the PGC offers a second tag. Most years it goes unused.... but not this year.