Likewise, supplemental feed might be a consistent, high-quality resource for deer, but it might not be necessary during certain times of the year when there is an abundance of other nutritional resources that can be produced at a much lower cost. In addition to natural forage, food plots, although more expensive, produced over 1,700 pounds/acre of forage exceeding 20 percent crude protein. Plus, the majority of this work can be done on small properties with little more than an investment of time and sweat equity. This three-step plan from Auburn University research sheds light on the best ways to maximize food availability for deer on a year-round basis while maximizing nutrition and … Maximize your property & deer … This is because fawns are typically born during early June across most of their range, but might be as early as April or as late as August in some parts of the Southeast. That may be the next step in your hunting career. Retention and management of hard mast-producing trees can help provide high-energy food sources during the fall when natural forage quality has declined. Food Plots. MS. WHITETAIL HABITAT MANAGEMENT. A key point to remember is that the relative importance of nutritional inputs (natural forage, food plots and supplemental feed) varies seasonally, which managers need to consider when determining how to maximize food production during nutritional stress periods. The property lacked both food and cover, but I actually had rented the house on the property a few years prior and knew its potential. For them, all of the hard work and preparation before and after each season is just as satisfying and rewarding as killing the buck of a life- time, filling the freezer with venison or spending time in the woods. For instance, the first strip closest to the mature trees should be a community of younger or shorter trees, anywhere from 10 to 20 feet tall. Enjoy creation and keep up the great work! On our study area, an abundance of high-quality natural forage was produced following prescribed fire due to the large area that could be burned at a low cost. starts now. “White-Tailed Deer Management and Habitat Improvement” is a full size 8 1/2 inch x 11inch book with 319 pages. Get your custom habitat design fast, and easy! Every property should have a solid management plan before any work starts. The ideal soft edge habitat consists of a stair-step of plant communities. We hunt on small Michigan parcels (70, 70, 36) surrounded by ‘brown down’ hunters and this can make accomplishing our harvest goals more difficult. March 15th, 2020, #538. The 2020 Deer Hunting Season is underway! We are a group of whitetail deer enthusiast that place particular emphasis on habitat management and eliminating hunting pressure in order to harvest mature deer. For these reasons, efforts designed to improve nutrition should be focused on the entire deer herd. By Erik Barber. He will … In addition to giving birth, lactation represents the most nutritionally demanding process for deer, and crude protein requirements might be up to 2 1⁄2 times greater at this time compared to the rest of the year. Just because certain habitat management options can increase natural forage quantity and quality at some points during the year doesn’t mean it is the most suitable method for nutritional management year-round. Because many high-quality forbs require an abundance of sunshine and might not compete as well with low-quality woody species, two general goals of habitat management are to increase sunlight avail- ability at the forest floor or ground level and reduce competition with woody species, thereby allowing nutritious, herbaceous forages to flourish. I also have the ability to implement your plan through food plot construction, hinge cut bedding, travel corridors, switchgrass, water holes, tree and shrub plantings, mock scrapes, and access routes. Jun 26, 2017 - Explore Alan Salts's board "Whitetail Habitat Management" on Pinterest. There- fore, natural vegetation alone is not capable of providing deer with significant quantities of high-quality resources throughout the entire year. Extensive farmland and fertile soils across much of the Midwest provide deer with high-quality native and agricultural forages throughout most of the year, while poor soil fertility and hot climatic conditions can lead to nutritionally deficient habitats in much of the southeastern United States. Suitable cover is an important resource for deer, especially to provide protection for fawns from predation. Although natural vegetation might be present throughout the summer and fall, there is a limited time frame before the nutritional quality begins to decline and is too low to support higher diet qualities for deer. Make sure to grab a notebook for this 12 month whitetail habitat and hunting priority checklist! My property was previously owned by a family that was notorious for poaching and were caught by the DNR in one of the state’s largest poaching cases. Want bigger bucks now? The print is clear on glossy … Whitetail Habitat Management. It is important for managers to realize that even though there might be an abundance of forage available, it might be poor quality compared to just a few weeks earlier. We are a Whitetail deer habitat design and strategy company focused on helping hunters and land owners build better herds and harvest more mature deer in the south. There's no tips, how tos or strategies in this video, just something I put together to hopefully get you hyped for this season! Adequate Doe Harvest. Just like there are many ways to prepare for the upcoming deer season, deer management encom- passes a variety of different tactics to improve the quality of a deer herd. Contact Success. Therefore, each property will require a unique management plan, but an understanding of different management options will help managers make the best decisions on how to produce quality deer next season and for many seasons to come. To try to help answer these questions, we conducted a study in east-central Alabama to determine the relative nutritional value of natural vegetation, food plots and supplemental feed. The first thing many landowners do to attract deer is to plant food pots and establish feeders. … A variety of warm and cool season food plot forages may be planted to provide deer with high-quality forage throughout the year. Staying at or below budget while ensuring an adequate supply of resources is provided can be even more challenging when also considering that the relative nutritional value of native forage and food plots varies throughout the year, and nutritional needs of deer vary. can all work for you or against you. Conversely, supplemental feed can provide high-quality resources on a consistent basis regardless of environmental conditions and is not subject to crop failure. Whitetail Habitat Design Expertise Jon Teater, Whitetail Expert Jon Teater lives in Central New York on 50 acres, he has achieved high levels of success in New York not because of the property he owns, but his dramatic shift in approach to creating a deer habitat like no other. How To Design Your Whitetail Parcel. 3 Keys to the Science of Whitetail Habitat Management - Sunday October 1, 2017 - Dr. Stephen Ditchkoff. Whitetail Obsession Outdoors January 21, 2021 0 Comments. While there was still an abundance of natural forage on the landscape during September, the vast majority was too low from a nutritional quality perspective to provide the nutrients needed to maximize lactation and fawn growth. Research has shown that high-quality diets promote greater body weight and antler size in male deer, and can reduce pregnancy length and increase fawning rates in female deer. provide optimum habitat for white-tailed deer. When properly managed, natural vegetation is a sustainable resource that can provide deer with a variety of high-quality resources. For our study, we used data from natural forage production in pine/hardwood stands treated with prescribed fire, Ladino clover production and a 20 percent crude protein commercial deer feed. These natural fluctuations in forage quantity and quality throughout the year result in a dynamic system where nutrient availability is constantly changing, and the most appropriate management strategy for maximizing nutrition is also changing. Managers should consider designating certain areas where heavy cover is a priority. From planning to switchgrass plantings, I am your one stop shop. I can create a habitat plan for your property or you can give me a call to help with any habitat improvements that you would like to implement. Hard and soft mast can also provide important food resources for deer, and management options that increase these resources should also be utilized. … The land is in the middle of 220 acres of managed land for whitetail. Enjoy! Services. In addition to the ever changing forage base for deer, nutritional demands of deer fluctuate, creating certain periods when deer are nutritionally stressed. White-tailed Deer Management and Habitat … Although food plots can produce a substantial amount of high-quality forage per acre of land, they also can be expensive, especially when considering initial establishment costs. Dr. Craig Harper of the University of Tennessee calls the technique Forest Stand Improvement (FSI), but it’s not as simple as cranking a chainsaw and … Food plots remained an important input nutritionally. Transform your land with a whitetail habitat solution custom-designed by Hunters’ Management Group. Our results in September highlight an important point to consider when managing a piece of property. With Habitat Solution's custom land management plans, Jake will visit your hunting parcel and create a master plan to transform your property to a deer hunting oasis. Whether you're an avid Whitetail Deer Hunter or a Nature Enthusiast who loves to view whitetail deer on your property--you don't need to have hundreds of acres to have a Whitetail Sanctuary. Herd management is another important consideration and option to increase the availability of nutritional resources. Despite the increased nutritional resources that food plot forages and supplemental feed can provide, research has shown that deer continue to consume native vegetation even when provided with these additional resources, indicating that the management of native forage is important even when nutrition is supplemented. 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