Late season food source

[Hillbilly Hunter]

In my efforts for Continuous Habitat Improvement, I want to attempt to address the weakest links in my habitat first. The most glaring one is late season food sources. By late December, most deer have left my place to find food sources. Even coons and squirrels sightings decline dramatically. Any ideas on what can be planted or done to improve food sources?

 

[deerhunter10]

Winter wheat, winter rye leave corn or beans standing til late, clover. There are several things. Main thing is to have enough imo.

 

[TNlandowner]

Wheat, oats, brassica plants (turnips, rape, radish, etc.)

 

[DoubleRidge]

Winter or cereal rye is a option if you have enough plots....last year following that artic blast in December our cereal rye plots bounced back when temps returned to normal and the deer were in them....basically it was the only green in town.
Also...while im sure your already working on it...open the canopy in your forest areas and increase the natural browse as much as possible....create good food and good cover....win-win.

 

[BSK]

In a woodland environment, it's really hard to produce quality winter food. Getting sunlight on the ground to produce early-stage regrowth is very helpful, but most of the natural forage plants vastly decrease in forage quality during the winter months. I hate to sound like a "food plots are the answer" type guy, but what can be grown in a food plot in winter is definitely more nutritious and digestible than what is growing naturally.

 

[TheLBLman]

In a woodland environment, it's really hard to produce quality winter food. Getting sunlight on the ground to produce early-stage regrowth is very helpful, but most of the natural forage plants vastly decrease in forage quality during the winter months.

The chainsaw is your friend.

I'd rather have 10 acres of clear-cut than 1 acre of cultivated food plot.

Just broadcast (walk & do by hand spreader) annual rye, clovers, brassicas, and winter wheat.
Try to do the brassicas first (like in August & September),
although you can do all at once.

Main thing is to do this right ahead of a nice rain,
so that the seed germinates before birds eat it.

Lastly, do this mainly on sparsely vegetated areas where the sun can actually hit the ground.

 

[Ski]

I'm looking into creating a couple of plum and crabapple thickets. Certain crabapples don't fall until winter and even though plums drop in late summer, they are resilient browse that bounce back really fast. I'm looking into some other bushy shrubs like red dogwood as well. I have rye every year but this year was a bust due to drought. My plots are so sparse this year that it exposed my property's weakness. I need contingencies and shrub thickets are my next step.

 

[Popcorn]

For natural native browse honeysuckle thickets are a big plus in the winter.
Other than that cereal grains and brassicas

 

[TheLBLman]

For natural native browse honeysuckle thickets are a big plus in the winter.
Other than that cereal grains and brassicas

Year after year, I've watched deer feed on honeysuckle during daylight, only go to the cultivated food plots at night. The food plots may be more for the hunters than the deer, albeit many hunters waste their time sitting over food plots instead of actually HUNTING the deer where older deer can be more vulnerable.

It's mostly younger deer utilizing food plots during daylight (anywhere there's much deer hunting on or around those plots).

Another winter staple seems to be greenbrier.
Low nutritional value, but it seems older deer value just living over getting killed if they expose themselves in the open (during daylight).

 

[Popcorn]

Year after year, I've watched deer feed on honeysuckle during daylight, only go to the cultivated food plots at night. The food plots may be more for the hunters than the deer, albeit many hunters waste their time sitting over food plots instead of actually HUNTING the deer where older deer can be more vulnerable.

It's mostly younger deer utilizing food plots during daylight (anywhere there's much deer hunting on or around those plots).

Another winter staple seems to be greenbrier.
Low nutritional value, but it seems older deer value just living over getting killed if they expose themselves in the open (during daylight).

I used to hunt a farm between 7 knobs and the newer "The Boils" wma in Jackson county that was overgrown thickets largely consisting of green briar and honeysuckle. It was loaded. I could kill deer there every time it rained or came a big frost cause that's where they would be feeding. Walked up on a big doe feeding one day in a down pouring rain, at 20 yards with a bow, she didn't see or hear it coming.

 

[BSK]

The chainsaw is your friend.

I'd rather have 10 acres of clear-cut than 1 acre of cultivated food plot.

A time and place for everything. In summer, I would rather have 10 acres of clear-cut than 10 acres of food plots. However, in winter, I would gladly trade 100 acres of clear-cuts for 10 acres of food plots.

And that's why managers should shoot for "some of everything." I will gladly sing the praises of cut or thinned timber. WITHOUT QUESTION it is the most powerful management tool available in a hardwood environment. The native foods and thick escape cover timber cuts provide are invaluable all year around. However, in winter, deer can be greatly benefitted by the plants that can be grown in food plots. These plants vastly outperform the native vegetation in winter.

So give me a little of everything. Cut some timber (more than you think you need cut). Then give me some food plots as well for winter food.

 

[Hillbilly Hunter]

I need to increase my food plots I guess.

 

[DoubleRidge]

These type conversations are interesting with the different view points and experiences and while reading all this the one word that comes to mind is diversity....TSI, food plots, old field management, early successional growth, edge feathering, etc.....Diversity.
I've experienced both sides of the conversation....green plot of cereal rye can take the cold and deer are on it late season ...no doubt. Honeysuckle and briar thickets....deer use the heck out of it...seen them stand in it feeding and even bed in it for hours on end during cold rainy late season hunts...And so much can be said for thick cover...especially if your neighbors are lacking it...but the entire conversation is about offering diversity.

 

[MickThompson]

Something to keep in mind- late winter can be harsh, but late winter doesn't have a lot of nutritional demand, especially in Tennessee. The rut has passed. Does aren't lactating and fawns aren't on the landscape. Bucks aren't growing antlers.

I think there's a balance to be struck between browse, plots, and thermal cover. Browse is reliable because it's mostly perennial- a fall drought doesn't derail that like it does your food plots plan. The quality may not be as good but you get volume and at minimal cost. Plots are great but they all get beat up by January. Thermal cover though- manipulate your habitat so deer are able to conserve energy on those cold, raw days. Create some patch openings on south-facing slopes- sun gets in but the north wind is blocked by the terrain or vegetation

 

[BSK]

These type conversations are interesting with the different view points and experiences and while reading all this the one word that comes to mind is diversity....TSI, food plots, old field management, early successional growth, edge feathering, etc.....Diversity.
I've experienced both sides of the conversation....green plot of cereal rye can take the cold and deer are on it late season ...no doubt. Honeysuckle and briar thickets....deer use the heck out of it...seen them stand in it feeding and even bed in it for hours on end during cold rainy late season hunts...And so much can be said for thick cover...especially if your neighbors are lacking it...but the entire conversation is about offering diversity.

We have a winner!

Some of everything. And each property has it's unique situations, and only experimentation will tell you how much of each does the most good.

I would love to say I have the formula all worked out, but I don't. I'm still experimenting and trying new things and measuring the results. And so much depends on the size of a property and what habitat the neighbors have.

 

[TheLBLman]

And so much depends on the size of a property and what habitat the neighbors have.

Other factors include the resources (time, equipment, money) of those endeavored to "improve" the property for deer. Then add "return on investment" to this, before asking at what point is it not worth more of your time & money?

What if "your" property were partially (or fully) owned by other family members or entities, and was likely to be put up for sale (portions or all) within 5 years?

What if you found out neighbors' plans to build a subdivision of houses & mini-farms along one of your property lines?

Every property has a multitude of factors beyond its size and the neighbors current habitat. One should also consider how things beyond your personal control may be changing in the coming year(s).

As to "return on investment", few habitat improvements will typically yield as much as simply mowing significant areas (annually or once every 2 yrs), spreading lime, and simply broadcasting clovers, annual rye, brassicas, and winter wheat. Of course, you must have areas where the sun hits the ground.

 

[DoubleRidge]

As to "return on investment", few habitat improvements will typically yield as much as simply mowing significant areas (annually or once every 2 yrs), spreading lime, and simply broadcasting clovers, annual rye, brassicas, and winter wheat. Of course, you must have areas where the sun hits the ground.

This year I have experienced something similar as to what you described as "mowing significant areas"....This year towards the end of summer I was on the property working and had the tractor and bush hog....we had already sprayed and planted various food plots so I was just bush hogging the roads and different strips that we keep mowed....on our property we have a powerline thats basically "grown up"....other than strips we keep mowed and the food plots we have....its blackberry briar, Honeysuckle, golden rod and a diverse selection of other forbes/weeds.
Well after completing all the task I had planned I was headed back to load the tractor up and noticed one soft sloping hillside that was basically head high briars...not an area we hunt....but i can see it from one of the shooting house's....always looking for cost effective ways to add diversity and improve habitat so I drove up the hill and cleared around 3/4 acre...went over it three times....really chopped it up good....some areas even scalping the dirt...following week we got one of the rare rains...never thought much more about it...didnt seed it...didnt spray it....then weeks later while checking cameras I noticed how nice and green it looked...allot of "edge" was created along with allot of young tender new growth....Also now the deer are using it on that ridge as a corridor to cross the powerline....but I've been shocked at how much this simple project has paid off with nothing invested but a little time and tractor fuel.
I will be repeating this process in two other areas on the property in the future...very eye opening.
"diversity on a dime"...all projects dont have to be expensive.

 

[TheLBLman]

...very eye opening.
"diversity on a dime"...all projects dont have to be expensive.

Imagine . . . . . for just a few dollars, you could have additionally spread only 4 to 8 (40-lb) bags of pelletized lime, and top sowed some clovers, brassicas, cereal rye, or winter wheat. Often, it seems the older deer put the premium on their security than the most nutritional food sources. That new little "plot", being in an area you're not disturb, surrounding by cover, is ideal.

 

[Hillbilly Hunter]

The Ash Boring Beetle, even though detrimental to the Ash trees, has provided a lot of new growth in spots throughout my woods, which has changed areas of my place dramatically. I enjoy the habitat improvement as much or more than the hunting because I can do it all year!

 

[DoubleRidge]

Imagine . . . . . for just a few dollars, you could have additionally spread only 4 to 8 (40-lb) bags of pelletized lime, and top sowed some clovers, brassicas, cereal rye, or winter wheat. Often, it seems the older deer put the premium on their security than the most nutritional food sources. That new little "plot", being in an area you're not disturb, surrounding by cover, is ideal.

Great point...going forward I would certainly consider this...spreading lime and seed over this area wouldnt have taken long at all...but still, I'm amazed at how the deer are using this sloped area now since this habitat change....But some wheat and rye would only make it better.