Chipdasqrrl
Active Member
This could be food plot plants or anything found in the wild, but which plants will a deer herd benefit from the most?
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In your opinion: Best overall plants for deer health?
- Thread starter Chipdasqrrl
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Jason Broom
Well-Known Member
In the north, deer benefit the most from high stem count plants found in early successional growth. This will provide both food and nutrition throughout a majority of the year. With that said, deer need a wide variety of plants, in different seasons, to truly thrive. They also need other environmental conditions that allow for both security/escape cover as well as thermal cover.
If we were to list plants that benefit deer, by necessity it would be long and varied. Find an old hay field that hasn't been cut in a few years. Lime and fertilize it, followed by either periodic strip-discing or controlled burns. Therein you'll find the most beneficial habitat for a host of wildlife species.
If we were to list plants that benefit deer, by necessity it would be long and varied. Find an old hay field that hasn't been cut in a few years. Lime and fertilize it, followed by either periodic strip-discing or controlled burns. Therein you'll find the most beneficial habitat for a host of wildlife species.
FarmerD
Active Member
Like Jason said, there's lots of "depends" in there based on where you are in the country, what's normally available by Mother Nature and at what time of the year. My preference is clovers, cereal grains, and most importantly properly amended soils, for ph and minerals. Deer need different things at different times of the year.
In our area it is the oak tree...boom acorn crop means larger racks the next year and heavier deer...when we have poor to no acorn crop we have racks that didn't get to where they could have been and poorer deer...this is all in a big woods type setting...we are looking to have a great acorn crop this fall...
catscratch
Well-Known Member
Do you have a lot of diversity in your forest, or is it mainly one or the other; red or white oaks?
It sounds like a nutrition or feeding program would work well in a setting like yours. If you can see a difference from yr to yr based on acorn crops imagine what those deer would do if they never had a bad yr. We have great plant diversity and soil fertility, I think our bad yrs can be traced to dry conditions. Bucks in general seem to be smaller after a yr or two of very low rainfall.
In my area - south AR - they pretty much have food year round without having to fight snow and cold. Clover and soybeans provide a high protein food source for them pretty much year round. Of course, they utilize native offering in addition. Our deer will do ok with a total acorn crop failure. Fawn production wont be as high the following spring - but our deer dont die because of it. Beans and clover both will really concentrate deer during early summer when the does are lactating and the bucks are growing antlers. But, in my area - they would be ok without it.
If I lived in Mi. it would be alfalfa. After that all the clovers depending on what works best in your area. Beans and peas have their place though the most critical time for maximizing antler growth is when antler growth first starts. Small grains have their place but IMO it is the legumes that do the most for deer health.
dogghr
Well-Known Member
Doubt there is just one thing, but a combination depending on time of year. One without the other is a hole in the mechanism. Also area of the country, and type of land present . Certainly the midwest proves corn and soybean are king for fat, well racked bucks over a large area of real estate. But if we talk of my area where 80% is forests of varying age, then certainly the acorn is the Trump card for the health of the herd going into a winter. Certainly they survive without the mast, but following year fawns are single and antler production reduced.
With a mild winter, and good hard mast last year, low predator numbers, I've seen more twin fawns this year statewide than ever.
But make no mistake, natures planting in a successional growth will produce the greatest numbers of deer in explosion. This was proven across much of the country as small private farms were abandoned for farming and the field and woods began their recovery leading to the huge deer herds in much of the country until their reduction by predator and man beginning late 90's. No further proof is needed, few food plotters, farm cropping was static, yet the deer were fat and healthy until their numbers exceeded the food supply as those same successional growths moved toward more mature and less deer friendly growth.
If I had to pick a planting, then certainly it would be clover. Cheap , easy, grows anywhere , almost year round, and as high in nutrient as most any crop.
With a mild winter, and good hard mast last year, low predator numbers, I've seen more twin fawns this year statewide than ever.
But make no mistake, natures planting in a successional growth will produce the greatest numbers of deer in explosion. This was proven across much of the country as small private farms were abandoned for farming and the field and woods began their recovery leading to the huge deer herds in much of the country until their reduction by predator and man beginning late 90's. No further proof is needed, few food plotters, farm cropping was static, yet the deer were fat and healthy until their numbers exceeded the food supply as those same successional growths moved toward more mature and less deer friendly growth.
If I had to pick a planting, then certainly it would be clover. Cheap , easy, grows anywhere , almost year round, and as high in nutrient as most any crop.
Jason Broom
Well-Known Member
One forest crop that has been sorely missing from much of the Eastern US is the American chestnut tree. If and when the USDA and FDA approve the GMO version for release to the public, I can't imagine a better permaculture choice than to plant a goodly number on any suitable property. Even if you sacrifice food plot acreage or have to clear other forest trees to accomplish it.
Triple C
Well-Known Member
Only been at this game since 2011 so I'm still in the learning phase of all this stuff. From my limited experience, if I could only have one food source for deer my vote would be early successional habitat. Delivers most everything a deer needs and wants...food and cover. Down here, pine plantations are everywhere including my farm. Once thinning begins, the entire pine stand produces an abundance of early successional browse and cover as sunlight hits the floor. Come October, acorns are always a huge draw in the mature hardwoods but year round I'd go with early successional habitat. Love creating an opening and just letting it go fallow.
As far as planting, I'd go with perennial clover if I could only have one. Easy on the pocket book, relatively easy to maintain and deer feed on it daily. With the rain we've had this summer, it's still going strong. You get multiple years from one planting.
As far as planting, I'd go with perennial clover if I could only have one. Easy on the pocket book, relatively easy to maintain and deer feed on it daily. With the rain we've had this summer, it's still going strong. You get multiple years from one planting.
Mainly white oak with a few reds here and there. Lots of post oaks throughout loaded with acorns as well. Hickory is very prolific and I am declaring war on it...does nothing for deer and shades everything out...
I supplemental feed most of the year but there is enough browse that the deer leave the feed when grew up begins and return to it beginning late June. My clover plots get very little use once spring tree up is underway but they are hitting what clover hasn't gone dormant now. If I could only plant one thing it would be clover!
Big acorn years create tougher hunting in some areas and keeps deer away from feeders and plots so they area able to pack in some really good nutrition with the mast crop and also gain another year of age by staying in the timber.
I hunt the timber anyway and it can be a frustrating time with big acorn years but also can be very rewarding...
There is a reason deer will leave all other food sources when acorn drop begins...
Jason Broom
Well-Known Member
Blizzard Ridge
Well-Known Member
Soybeans - Nuff said drop mic and walk off the stage 
Cant disagree though I also like something available earlier than beans come up.Soybeans - Nuff said drop mic and walk off the stage
Blizzard Ridge
Well-Known Member
I agree Baker. I broadcast brassica, turnip, radish mix into my beans after canopy starts to drop. Leaves them some food throughout the winter into early spring.
Jason Broom
Well-Known Member
Presuming you can plant enough soybeans to get ahead of browse pressure, they are probably the best summer forage option available, in terms of planted crops. By the same token, if you can get enough growth to produce a lot of pods, they are of good benefit to deer during the colder months. However, the amount of acreage required to achieve either goal is significant, whereas other crop blends provide much the same benefit while being more browse tolerant. Also, from a cost perspective, old-field and TSI management efforts simply can't be beat. Permacultures ALWAYS trump a planted field, in the long run...and I plant food plots every year.
I propose a 10 or 15 acre soybean field will produce significantly more tonnage of the highest quality nutrition than 10 or 15 acres of anything else. I am a big fan of TSI. In fact I am thinning 175 acres of hardwoods right now. Valuable stuff. But an acre of thinned woods [ or clear cut ] in no way creates the same amount of forage as an acre of food plot and generally not of the same quality.
Down here beauty berry, smilax, devils walking stick, dew berries, muscadines etc will populate the thinned woods providing a lot of valuable nutrition and cover. But planted crops...and I will always include clover as one of the most valuable for many reasons ...provide by far more intense year round nutrition . This also allows a property to support a higher population of animals on a higher nutritional plane than a property without ag. That also increases the odds of having a few top end bucks and that all the deer have increased nutrition .
I am also a big fan of acorns. The thinning I am doing now is designed to release the top mast producers. We are removing many of the over mature water oaks and red oaks. They seam to be magnets for wind storms and lightning. I've lost countless dollars worth of timber to such. So , take emotion out of it and remove the over mature trees that get blown over and release the next generation. I also preserve as many white oaks as possible. A bit partial to them.
Now regarding the value of acorns of course it can't be overstated. But, their value has limitations. They are terrific at fattening deer up to better handle the rigors of the rut. They are terrific at fattening does up to kick pregnancy off in peak shape. They are terrific at making hunting super hard when acorns are really falling. And to some degree they can help post rut recovery both from pre rut fat and post rut carbohydrate. Beyond that though they do little for antler development. They are unavailable during antler growth and fetus development as well as early fawn nutrition. Acorn crops can be inconsistent with some years better than others and occasionally none at all. All this in my mind limit acorns value and there are ways to compensate without acorns.
I guess at the end of the day it depends on what your circumstances are, what your goals are and what resources are available. And with that said back to the op's original question I'm sticking with legumes as THE best highs quality years round food for deer.
Down here beauty berry, smilax, devils walking stick, dew berries, muscadines etc will populate the thinned woods providing a lot of valuable nutrition and cover. But planted crops...and I will always include clover as one of the most valuable for many reasons ...provide by far more intense year round nutrition . This also allows a property to support a higher population of animals on a higher nutritional plane than a property without ag. That also increases the odds of having a few top end bucks and that all the deer have increased nutrition .
I am also a big fan of acorns. The thinning I am doing now is designed to release the top mast producers. We are removing many of the over mature water oaks and red oaks. They seam to be magnets for wind storms and lightning. I've lost countless dollars worth of timber to such. So , take emotion out of it and remove the over mature trees that get blown over and release the next generation. I also preserve as many white oaks as possible. A bit partial to them.
Now regarding the value of acorns of course it can't be overstated. But, their value has limitations. They are terrific at fattening deer up to better handle the rigors of the rut. They are terrific at fattening does up to kick pregnancy off in peak shape. They are terrific at making hunting super hard when acorns are really falling. And to some degree they can help post rut recovery both from pre rut fat and post rut carbohydrate. Beyond that though they do little for antler development. They are unavailable during antler growth and fetus development as well as early fawn nutrition. Acorn crops can be inconsistent with some years better than others and occasionally none at all. All this in my mind limit acorns value and there are ways to compensate without acorns.
I guess at the end of the day it depends on what your circumstances are, what your goals are and what resources are available. And with that said back to the op's original question I'm sticking with legumes as THE best highs quality years round food for deer.
How acorns help is that the deer leave winter in much better shape so they can put more resources into antler growth instead of going the damage control route...
Blizzard Ridge
Well-Known Member
In my neck of the woods, if you were to cut the gut of deer open you will find more corn, beans and woody browse than anything. I know deer love acorns but around here they pick at them as they head to the soybean fields in the evening and just don't spend a lot of time sampling from one area. This could also be the result of an abundance of oak trees or could just be they prefer to eat beans and mature corn when it is available. The great thing about soybeans is they are a summer, fall and winter plot if you get enough of them planted to withstand the late season. Most of my bean plots were not picked clean until late February.
