Tractors, other “farm” tools save outdoorsmen time and aching backs
Many hunters allocate multiple weekends in preparation for what they hope to be a rewarding season. Deer season alone demands a commitment that includes clearing areas of land for food plots, shooting lanes, grazing land, planting crops, and constructing stands and blinds. Today’s hunters and land managers have the benefit of many tools that make that job easier. There’s a tool that is right for every outdoor job.
Tractors can be outfitted with front-end loading buckets for clearing selected ground while outfitted with attachments like rotary cutters, commonly known as bush hoggers, tillers and seeders.
While the past demanded physical exertion and massive quantities of time, dealers today offer outdoorsmen equipment that offer ease and refinement. The latest machinery options allow hunters to disc grounds, till, and then apply seed. The wheelbarrow, shovel, and back pain can be replaced with engineering wonders that take physical exertion out of the equation and save time.
Celebrating 70 years
One Louisiana dealer that has fit that bill for a long time is M&L Industries, which celebrates its 70th anniversary. What started as a Ford tractor and New Holland hay equipment dealership in Houma has grown into multiple locations, including Baton Rouge, Broussard and Metairie. Marvin Marmande Sr. and R.E. Lee established the first dealership on March 1, 1953. M&L’s success follows a recipe that has been refined to promote farming equipment as multipurpose tools that expand benefits to hunters.
According to Derek Matthews, M&L Kubota salesman, today’s hunters can use a variety of farming equipment to prepare for hunting season and use throughout. He said tractors, utility vehicles, rotary cutters, tillers and seeders all hold a traditional use for farming but can be utilized strategically to remove the physical labor in preparation for the season of choice.
“While hunters traditionally had to start preparing land months in advance, our equipment options knock that down to just a few weekends,” Matthews said. “The ease of use and having our equipment makes life easier.”
Tractor use
The tractor claims fame as the most versatile for hunters with its multipurpose use. As the vehicle maneuvers attachments for building food plots and clearing shooting lanes, the front load bucket allows for easy transport of dirt, brush and valuable materials. The bucket can carry materials for stand and blind construction, seeds can be traveled to the desired location, and even ice chests of drinks can be placed where needed for those long and hot lease-mandated workdays. They can even carry game out of the woods.
ATVs, like four-wheelers, have long been the traditional method of providing hunters access to hunting locations and removing their prizes. Matthews says that utility vehicles have become a popular alternative. Utility vehicles take the basic ATV concept and expand upon the notion. Hunters can travel in pairs and comfort. These means of transport can be customized, and an enclosed cab can transform a miserable morning or afternoon combatting frigid temperatures and precipitation into a hideout from the elements while on the move.
Looking ahead, Matthews sees a growing demand for using farm equipment in hunting. The plethora of possibilities in use drives their demand. Just like any industry, technology becomes the driving force.
“Before Covid, it was a slow uptick in hunters using this type of equipment,” Matthews said. “Now, equipment use has gained traction with it being more readily available. We will see an increase in business as we approach the fall.”