Edges don’t just provide abundant native food, they provide cover, one of the most important ingredients in keeping deer on your property. (Don’t Miss: The Ultimate Deer Hunting Property), (Don’t Miss: How to Build a Big Buck Bedding Area), February 5, 2021   |  Turkey Blog with Steve Hickoff. But my results still were less than ideal. Because white oak acorns have less tannic acid and a sweeter flavor, they are normally eaten soon after hitting the ground. The problem with planting food plots, especially in a pine plantation, is that most hunters do it wrong. Food plots are such a widely discussed topic some people become overwhelmed by the ideas and the requirements. Even if a fire lane or road is narrow, when a deer crosses it and there's desirable forage planted, chances are the animal will stop for at least a bite or two. Subscriber Services. Another similar-sized tree, the honey locust offers both browse in the form of spring leaves, as well as a sweet-tasting seedpod that deer enjoy in the fall and winter. Do your best … And sometimes they did. How Can These Turkey Hunting Laws Be Legal? With so many places in North America allowing hunters to bait deer, why bother to plant? When my plot died, I did some research and found our soil to be naturally acidic, especially in a pine plantation. It takes a while for a tree’s root system to grow adequately to keep it nourished during dry periods. Here's how to tweak these habitats for maximum benefit during deer season. Similar in size to the wild plum, persimmon trees also provide both browse and edge cover. Watch them closely as the nighttime temperatures drop near the freezing mark. Image by Albert Herring / Virginia State Parks. www.GrowingDeer.tv: Did you know that better timber equals better wildlife habitat? Having available food during winter and early spring entices the deer to include your property as part of their home range. Avoid planting in existing timber or thickets unless you clear an area around the new tree. The hunting club's camping area is usually located on one of these and near the main access road, but on a large timber property you'll probably find several smaller ones scattered throughout. This is one of the best ways to keep a deer out of a food plot. The manager might charge you a fee to cover the cost of hauling in the equipment and paying an employee to do the work. There are services you can … We explain the why, where, and when to cut timber. Unlike annual or semiannual food plots like beans, clover, or alfalfa, trees and shrubs are a long-term project. Make sure to plant multiple varieties in close proximity for best pollination results. In many cases, over-hunting a food plot … The best Illinois food plots for deer fills the void in the food, cover, water formula, and the deer will come from miles around to fill their bellies. I simply spray the existing vegetation, disk, hand rake, etc., the dead vegetation, duff, etc., out of the thinned row so the planted seed will make contact with the … Some will charge you for doing this, but others realize the value you bring and will do it for free — especially if you pick the right areas to set aside. WMS recommends the Pea Patch seed blend as the best spring and summer food plot for deer. In fact, it's so important I'm going to devote this finale of our series on pine plantations to this part of the habitat equation. A land manager's job is to make a profit from that property, whether it's a private landowner or a major corporation. Check out the full blog on this setup, as well as hunting considerations: Small Soybean Food Plots … If you're looking for the "best" deer rifle, the good news is there are a lot of very good. In addition to helping deer hide from … Many factors affect where a whitetail wants to live. Many food plot forages grow best when temperatures are 60-65 degrees F. These "cool-season" plants include clovers, brassicas, birdsfoot trefoil, winter peas, winter wheat and oats. To that point he hadn't even been documented on a game camera on my property for two years. But the fruit is where this one really shines. Rye, wheat or oat planted appropriately is … You even can get free seed samples. Finding just the right balance between benefits to the deer and to the hunter is an art. And the hunting benefits from having quality food plots can be great, especially in those first 10 years when everything around the plots is huge thickets of young pines and regrowth. 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