FWIW............

[Dean Parisian]

I am not a deer manager. I can help "my deer" on the properties I own, but the chase for bigger antlers can be expensive. I have been around this great website for a while and don't remember ever posting in the QDM or Food Plots forums, so here goes. I bought 25 acres in a great part of Tennessee in 2005. In the fall of 2006, I grabbed a rifle and went for a walk, and was almost run over by a small doe running down a trail I was standing on. Since in 2006 I had been deer hunting for nearly 40 years, I steadied myself next to a tree, anticipating horns to be following that running doe. Seconds later, the small buck folded faster than Bill Clinton headed after an intern. I haven't killed a deer since on my land. We have a small hayfield of a few acres, a post oak savanna, and some mature woods. A few years ago, my wife and I decided to do a bit more for the wildlife and struck up a conversation with the guys at the Region 3 TWRA, the DNRC crew, and a couple of guys from Quail Forever. There was talk of turning our open space into its original form, and on July 31, 2023 we met with TWRA biologist Richard Underwood and NCRS personnel, Cody Franklin and Janet Dowlen to establish a framework for wildlife habitat improvement. So far, one meeting. It was our goal to turn the unproductive hay ground into something more beneficial to wildlife. The talk turned to what it would look like if we eliminated the current forage and let the ground turn into the natural seed bank. It wasn't an overnight project and would take time. I am only relaying to you what has happened on my property. Early on, in our stewardship of my farm, we had planted corn, soybeans, and hay. Mixed results, the deer were plentiful, the turkeys spotty, and the bobwhite, nonexistent. There aren't many what I call GAGGER or BOMBER bucks in Cumberland County, and I haven't personally ever seen a real big buck in this county. I do know a friend of mine, Austin Brown, arrowed a bomber in the Crossville City Limits last year, a buck that would be called big in any county in the country. The big ones are few and far between here, even with all the big-time hunters that feed corn year-round. The biggest buck I have ever seen in TN was a half mile from the Nashville airport, standing in the ditch, a few years ago. That ditch is now the offramp to the airport off I-40. Funny how civilization is depleting our TN hunting land, day by day, week by week, month by month. From great habitat to concrete! They call it progress, what do you call it?

So the work began. I dropped $135 on Glyphosphate. Green turned to brown and we let it sit a bit before burning. For a portion of the hay field we planted some flowers, purchased from www.roundstoneseed.com, flowers that were indigenous to this ground and would do well in our soil type. The first year, in 2024 we were impressed. The field held a large number of deer, produced great pollinator habitat and turkeys were around as well as coyotes. Fawns were abundant. This year I am happy. This strategy exceeded our expectations by 2 or 3 times. If memory serves we had over 40 deer in the small hay field several times last winter. Still haven't seen a big buck nor have we any on trail cameras. Not certain what is up with that. I know there are a tremendous number of fawns around and the field looks so healthy. The bugs, birds, and bees are living large and the colors of the natural coverage are amazing.

Hopefully the quality of this cover will only improve. I will continue to use fire to enhance the long-term benefits to the ground. I would also give a shoutout to David Lowman, who is a Manager of the Habitat Specialist Crew. What a great guy to work with. In closing, I want to say that giving up on planting this, planting that, fertilizing this, farming that, harvesting this, spraying that is done. Over. No more. It's me and fire for the long haul. Those seeds were in the ground long before white men walked in TN and will be around long after I am dust. The wildlife habitat is spectacular, and the other day, in the morning mist, sipping some hot coffee, that bobwhite quail started talking to me!

 

[Carlos Viagra]

Hey- that's awesome to hear.
Hopefully you'll see some better deer in the area before long.

I remember when Austin shot that big buck. My son-in-law works with him, and he went along with Austin on a hunt, and got to see your place last year. He still talks about that trip.

 

[JCDEERMAN]

I am not a deer manager. I can help "my deer" on the properties I own, but the chase for bigger antlers can be expensive. I have been around this great website for a while and don't remember ever posting in the QDM or Food Plots forums, so here goes. I bought 25 acres in a great part of Tennessee in 2005. In the fall of 2006, I grabbed a rifle and went for a walk, and was almost run over by a small doe running down a trail I was standing on. Since in 2006 I had been deer hunting for nearly 40 years, I steadied myself next to a tree, anticipating horns to be following that running doe. Seconds later, the small buck folded faster than Bill Clinton headed after an intern. I haven't killed a deer since on my land. We have a small hayfield of a few acres, a post oak savanna, and some mature woods. A few years ago, my wife and I decided to do a bit more for the wildlife and struck up a conversation with the guys at the Region 3 TWRA, the DNRC crew, and a couple of guys from Quail Forever. There was talk of turning our open space into its original form, and on July 31, 2023 we met with TWRA biologist Richard Underwood and NCRS personnel, Cody Franklin and Janet Dowlen to establish a framework for wildlife habitat improvement. So far, one meeting. It was our goal to turn the unproductive hay ground into something more beneficial to wildlife. The talk turned to what it would look like if we eliminated the current forage and let the ground turn into the natural seed bank. It wasn't an overnight project and would take time. I am only relaying to you what has happened on my property. Early on, in our stewardship of my farm, we had planted corn, soybeans, and hay. Mixed results, the deer were plentiful, the turkeys spotty, and the bobwhite, nonexistent. There aren't many what I call GAGGER or BOMBER bucks in Cumberland County, and I haven't personally ever seen a real big buck in this county. I do know a friend of mine, Austin Brown, arrowed a bomber in the Crossville City Limits last year, a buck that would be called big in any county in the country. The big ones are few and far between here, even with all the big-time hunters that feed corn year-round. The biggest buck I have ever seen in TN was a half mile from the Nashville airport, standing in the ditch, a few years ago. That ditch is now the offramp to the airport off I-40. Funny how civilization is depleting our TN hunting land, day by day, week by week, month by month. From great habitat to concrete! They call it progress, what do you call it?

So the work began. I dropped $135 on Glyphosphate. Green turned to brown and we let it sit a bit before burning. For a portion of the hay field we planted some flowers, purchased from www.roundstoneseed.com, flowers that were indigenous to this ground and would do well in our soil type. The first year, in 2024 we were impressed. The field held a large number of deer, produced great pollinator habitat and turkeys were around as well as coyotes. Fawns were abundant. This year I am happy. This strategy exceeded our expectations by 2 or 3 times. If memory serves we had over 40 deer in the small hay field several times last winter. Still haven't seen a big buck nor have we any on trail cameras. Not certain what is up with that. I know there are a tremendous number of fawns around and the field looks so healthy. The bugs, birds, and bees are living large and the colors of the natural coverage are amazing.

Hopefully the quality of this cover will only improve. I will continue to use fire to enhance the long-term benefits to the ground. I would also give a shoutout to David Lowman, who is a Manager of the Habitat Specialist Crew. What a great guy to work with. In closing, I want to say that giving up on planting this, planting that, fertilizing this, farming that, harvesting this, spraying that is done. Over. No more. It's me and fire for the long haul. Those seeds were in the ground long before white men walked in TN and will be around long after I am dust. The wildlife habitat is spectacular, and the other day, in the morning mist, sipping some hot coffee, that bobwhite quail started talking to me!

Great post. I would feel accomplished the day I hear a bob while quail. If you have them, you know you have good habitat for turkeys, deer, and all else. We run fire every year and do all the TSI and planting, but I've never heard one. If you have Bob White Quail, you are doing something. I killed one back in the 90's on our place….thats the only one I've seen, killed or heard since. Love habitat improvements

 

[mcbuck58]

Great story. You've made a great accomplishment. Hope you kill a big buck there. Very familiar with Roundstone, they are not to far from me. Fire and saw are your friends. Keep up the good work.

 

[DoubleRidge]

Great read. Sounds like you have a great plan! While I enjoy doing food plots and will continue to do a them, the majority of the habitat management we will focus on going forward will be native vegetation and timber stand improvements. There is just so much more oppurtunity to have an impact managing what is there, and many times its much more affordable. Over the years I've had to adjust my idea of what is beautiful and what you described in your field sounds fantastic! One example for us is that we have a gasline project currently underway on our property. This gasline will run parallel to the current TVA powerline. So during the negotiation process we were discussing what the gasline would be planted in, they gave us the option, obviously no trees (was timber) so we went with native warm season grass and a pollentator blend. We'll see how that goes, staying in very close contact with the project manager. There are three areas the gasline crosses a clover plot, they are going to restore those areas as well. But the majority of the gasline (and powerline) will be managed for native grasses, forbs and pollenator blends (20 to 22 acres) Sorry to ramble on but the original post struck a cord with me. Im also going to reach out to Quail Forever and/or TWRA private lands biologist to discuss the plan we have and look for other opportunities for improvement. Really want to develop some burn units soon. The most benifical wildlife management tool we have doesnt come out of a food plot seed bag and certainly not from a bait bag....the seed bank and native forage is there. We just have to provide disturbance, whether it be through fire, herbicide application or fire....creating savanna type habitat, edge feathering, strip disking. Opportunities go on and on. And its been said before "the quail is the canary in the coal mine", And I understand quail are few and far between, but when you hear and see quail, the habitat is probably in very good shape for fawning, turkey nesting and poult brooding. Great topic to discuss. Thanks and good luck with your management plan going forward.

 

[BSK]

You're doing it the right way Dean. Use the natural habitat to its maximum effect. Not only are deer genetically adapted to subsisting on the natural habitat, but native plants are also usually much more drought and disease resistant than agricultural crops.

I have and use food plots in my management plan, but NOT as the food resources for the local herd. I use them as attractants to draw deer to the property. I use the natural habitat as the food resource.

However, I'm a bit concerned by this quote: "If memory serves we had over 40 deer in the small hay field several times last winter." Wow, that's a lot of deer! Depending on habitat, there is often a strong inverse correlation between deer density and top-end buck production. Although everyone assumes all of West TN has very high deer densities, I have never once come close to seeing groups of deer like that in my area. I think the most deer I've ever seen in one plot at one time was 10, and that was an extremely rare event.

 

[Popcorn]

Awesome and congratulations!
My experience with a doe sink is that the bucks will show up in October and November!

I have 3 properties where quail have naturally repopulated and turkey have flourished.
It's a great thing you have there, stay on point!

 

[DoubleRidge]

I have and use food plots in my management plan, but NOT as the food resources for the local herd. I use them as attractants to draw deer to the property. I use the natural habitat as the food reresource.

Excellent point. Nothing wrong with food plots but as its been said many times, food plots should be considered supplemental to the native forage.
We should do all we can do to improve the native habitat before we focus so heavily on any food plot program.
And there is so much more oppurtunity per acre to make an impact when focusing on the native forage...and I really enjoy planting food plots for wildlife and I plan to continue doing so...but it will be in addition to other habitat projects that are on a larger scale and which provide much more food per acre...in addition to fawning and nesting cover, pollenator habitat, etc.

 

[Dean Parisian]

You're doing it the right way Dean. Use the natural habitat to its maximum effect. Not only are deer genetically adapted to subsisting on the natural habitat, but native plants are also usually much more drought and disease resistant than agricultural crops.

I have and use food plots in my management plan, but NOT as the food resources for the local herd. I use them as attractants to draw deer to the property. I use the natural habitat as the food resource.

However, I'm a bit concerned by this quote: "If memory serves we had over 40 deer in the small hay field several times last winter." Wow, that's a lot of deer! Depending on habitat, there is often a strong inverse correlation between deer density and top-end buck production. Although everyone assumes all of West TN has very high deer densities, I have never once come close to seeing groups of deer like that in my area. I think the most deer I've ever seen in one plot at one time was 10, and that was an extremely rare event.

Brian,
My farm is a couple miles from the CATOOSA WMA, and surrounding farms don't get much pressure. There's alot of deer around and alot of dead ones on local roads. Does running around like chickens looking for fawns is what I have seen killed in the majority of cases. I don't hunt in TN even with a Lifetime license so don't get to see early fall numbers. I asked my wife this morning about the average number of deer we see in the winter and she said a dozen to two dozen, well after dark. I remember a time or two seeing around 40 head. It was more animals than we had seen on any previous occasion, going back to our purchase in 2005. This year we have an excellent fawn crop, and no coyotes have been heard in over a month. Additionally, no coyotes or bobcats have been spotted on trail cams, which is a plus. I am with you on the inverse relationship between deer density and bombers! Could you steer me to papers, books, or studies on that subject if you have time or would care to? I, like most on here, value your time and effort in what you do to enlighten so many of us!