The fall months mean a change in weather, embracing the holiday season and, for many, the opening of deer hunting season. Whitetail deer become the focus for many this time of year.
If you are a landowner, you might hunt deer on your own property, and that is where Tagout Technique LLC comes into play. Owner Derek Borkholder says he co-founded the business in 2018 with a vision “to inspire all that pursue the great outdoors to emerge victorious.” The company provides a comprehensive approach to planning a superior hunting and land management experience, through supplying high-performing hunting and land management products, as well as delivering strategic analysis and layout of a property to prepare for successful hunting. Part of the property design process includes recognition of natural growth patterns that ensure a sustainable environment for wildlife. The desired results of Tagout Technique’s customers are bigger bucks and healthier deer.
Borkholder notes that what sets Tagout Technique apart from some other, larger hunting businesses is the deep understanding of the quality products they offer. “We use the products we sell, so we know them well for a variety of scenarios,” he says. “We can answer most questions and advise property owners based on firsthand knowledge of a product’s field performance.”
Borkholder is also a whitetail habitat consultant under Don Higgins of Higgins Outdoors. For the property owner, Borkholder’s services include detailing a complete land management plan for you and your hunting property, based on your goals. This includes strategic planning of food plots, bedding cover, native warm-season grasses, enter and exit paths, tree-stand and hunting blind locations, and more. For the non-hunter, a blind is a place where the hunter positions to watch for wildlife, and the placement and construction of the blind are critical to a deer hunter’s optimal results.
The property consultation process begins with a meeting on the property with the owner to understand goals, and what the property offers as far as terrain, cover, food, and neighboring hunting pressure. From there, Borkholder creates a 10- to 12-page write-up on the property, detailing a map and a management plan. Borkholder works closely under Higgins Outdoors to evaluate the plan, leveraging the insight and expertise of industry icon Don Higgins, who Borkholder looks to as a mentor.
There is a big-picture perspective in the way Tagout Technique designs deer-hunting properties. “We maximize the potential of a property without deer feeling hunting pressure, creating a low-impact environment that gets better throughout the season and over the years,” Borkholder says. “We want to build a long-term plan so that in five years the property holds deer that the owner never thought possible.”
For those who want to manage their property on their own, which makes up the majority of Tagout Technique’s business, Borkholder has a call-in/mail-order company with all the products needed to set up a productive deer-hunting property. Tagout Technique began the mail-order company by carrying products they knew and believed in from experience, and the selection has grown from there. The Tagout Technique team guides an owner through the process to make sure the hunting experience and the wildlife will continue to flourish.
Borkholder brings to his business a lifetime of hunting knowledge. He grew up on a deer farm and began hunting deer at 11 years old, with a passion for watching his father use a bow to hunt deer. Now, as a father of three young children himself, Borkholder hopes to soon usher his own children into a world of appreciation for outdoor activities.
The company’s stated mission is to “provide outstanding products and services with integrity, honesty and dedication, so that the relationships with our customers become valuable to their hunting experience.” Developing meaningful customer connection is an important element of Tagout Technique’s business model. One example of this is an event that Tagout Technique hosts each September, attended by many of their customers and members of the community. The annual Hunters Bash is an evening of motivational speakers and dinner at Claywood Event Center in Nappanee. An auction with items donated and sponsored by community members and businesses raises funds, with 100% of the net proceeds benefitting a designated need that changes from year to year.
In February, Borkholder coordinates an outdoor trade show called the FAE Midwest Sportsmen Classic at the Michiana Event Center in Shipshewana. Look for more details on this event in upcoming issues of The Lakes.
Tagout Technique’s service area is Northern Indiana and southwest lower Michigan for consulting and field management. The retail business ships nationally from coast to coast and everywhere in between.
For more information or to request a free catalog, contact the Tagout Technique team at tagouttech@gmail.com, or by calling 574-248-9667.
