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Tennessee Hunting Forums
Quality Deer Management
Range Question
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<blockquote data-quote="BSK" data-source="post: 3054570" data-attributes="member: 17"><p>tnbucs1,</p><p></p><p>If a property has or is surrounded by agriculture, I suggest more summer habitat work needs to be directed towards producing good fawning cover (brushy, overgrown areas and Native Warm-Season Grasses). Winter food sources are far more important for holding deer than summer food resources, so much of my emphasis on food plot work will be geared towards cool-season food sources. Although if no agriculture exists in the area at all, summer food plots certainly have their place. But I still try to produce as much "natural" summer foods as possible. Summer weeds can be almost as nutritious, and much easier to grow and maintain, than agricultural plants.</p><p></p><p>The "holding" ability of summer food plots is highly questionable, although much depends on the surrounding habitat. In a big hardwood area, <strong>any</strong> better habitat will be a real draw. But no matter what time of year, I believe good-quality cover is the best "deer-holding" habitat.</p><p></p><p>In an ideal situation, I would like to see 60% of a property in forest and 40% open. The 40% open would consist of agriculture, over-grown fields, and Native Warm-Season Grasses (NWSG). The timber would be primarily hardwoods, but I would want some pine plantations (or cedar thickets) mixed in.</p><p></p><p>For a summer <strong>baited</strong> census, you should be able to get away with one camera per quarter square mile (160 acres). However, for a season-long unbaited census, the more cameras the better. I feel pretty confident I can get a good season-long unbaited census at double the density of cameras used in a baited census (1 per 80 acres). But I can get good numbers with that few cameras by moving the cameras very frequently to new locations. I move some cameras weekly (although since I've moved to black-flash cameras, I find I need to move cameras less frequently, especially those over scrapes).</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="BSK, post: 3054570, member: 17"] tnbucs1, If a property has or is surrounded by agriculture, I suggest more summer habitat work needs to be directed towards producing good fawning cover (brushy, overgrown areas and Native Warm-Season Grasses). Winter food sources are far more important for holding deer than summer food resources, so much of my emphasis on food plot work will be geared towards cool-season food sources. Although if no agriculture exists in the area at all, summer food plots certainly have their place. But I still try to produce as much "natural" summer foods as possible. Summer weeds can be almost as nutritious, and much easier to grow and maintain, than agricultural plants. The "holding" ability of summer food plots is highly questionable, although much depends on the surrounding habitat. In a big hardwood area, [b]any[/b] better habitat will be a real draw. But no matter what time of year, I believe good-quality cover is the best "deer-holding" habitat. In an ideal situation, I would like to see 60% of a property in forest and 40% open. The 40% open would consist of agriculture, over-grown fields, and Native Warm-Season Grasses (NWSG). The timber would be primarily hardwoods, but I would want some pine plantations (or cedar thickets) mixed in. For a summer [b]baited[/b] census, you should be able to get away with one camera per quarter square mile (160 acres). However, for a season-long unbaited census, the more cameras the better. I feel pretty confident I can get a good season-long unbaited census at double the density of cameras used in a baited census (1 per 80 acres). But I can get good numbers with that few cameras by moving the cameras very frequently to new locations. I move some cameras weekly (although since I've moved to black-flash cameras, I find I need to move cameras less frequently, especially those over scrapes). [/QUOTE]
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