HABITAT AND LAND MANAGEMENT FOR DEER
What up guys? Back with another blog about habitat & land management for deer. Actually its for all wildlife because everything benefits. A lot of folks don’t realize that when you do things for deer to help benefit them you actually benefit all (in most cases)
I think land management gets really confusing at times because we look into it to much and try to do it all at once. I’ve realized its all the small things we do and it adds up very quickly. It doesn’t take much to improve your land and attract more wildlife. Obviously this can get very expensive depending on what you want to do but remember its the small things that add up!
Deer are hungry suckers haha. They eat 4-6 pounds of food a day depending on what time of year it is and whats available. They require a certain level of protein to maintain or enhance there health its usually about 14-16 percent protein. Most natural browse falls below that level do to poor soils and plants sucking all the nutrients out of the ground.
Prescribed fires are great for enhancing natural browse in the area and can have great benefits to your land. Lets be honest most people cant do that lol. They don’t have the land for it, it takes being certified and it can turn south real quick. The average hunter just cant do this its not a option. So what can we do to improve the land to better suit the deer and other wildlife? Enhancing whats already there!
Quality forage is key to land management.
Natural browse is the backbone to all healthy deer herds. Believe it or not dumping some powder on the ground because a TV hunter said to doesn’t actually help…… Stop wasting your money and throwing your hard earned dollars in the dirt. Deer get bigger and healthier by consuming tonnage. Tonnage is all that green stuff that grows outside. Briers, shrubs, grasses, weeds, yes deer eat weeds, honey suckle, vines and poison ivy. Actually there is over 700 different species of natural browse that deer will consume at different times of the year!
If you are looking to do long term management strategies “which you should” then the first step is to have more food. Enhancing natural browse, hinge cutting food plots etc. I believe the key is to have food year round. Natural browse spring and summer, food plots fall and winter. That way they have no reason to leave and you are providing high quality forage.
Most people just use corn. Corn is ok for a treat but its not going to grow deer. Besides that corn rots deer’s teeth and makes them age a lot quicker. But well save that talk for a different day… Corn is quick, you dump it out and leave. Most hunters live hours away from there hunting land. What happens when the corn runs out? Drive 4 hours to refill the feeder? What happens when it runs out and you don’t know about it? You need something thats there 24/7 working for you when your not there. See where im going?
This is one example that shows quality forage is a must.
Natural browse is there year round. It provides tonnage, vitamins through photosynthesis, micro nutrients from the soil giving it to the plants and water. Spring and summer is when this is most lush but when the leaves fall off what next? Well the natural transition to woody browse starts. The next step is food plots. Believe it or not food plots are cheaper then you think. If you plant the right species of plants it can get them through most of the winter time months even into the spring.
Obviously there is so many different things you can do. Some work and some are gimmicks. Know that the only way to grow and attract and hold more deer is by having actual food. Green and growing plants. Start with that and you will see a major difference and everything will benefit!
For more info please visit : https://landmanagementfordeer.com/
Also visit : https://www.antlergrow.com/
For land management videos and ways to attract deer check out my playlist on youtube and subscribe if you are new : https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLRgcjojVJfUDBcnwUwRDd2IgoqitKyJcH
Also check out this video!