First so background, the total property is roughly 3500 acres including some leased acreage in the hill zone more exact Attala Co with pond rives and streams for water sources, Swamp, hills and open CRP timber land. There are three "major plots" that we plan to use as spring and summer feeding plots for the populations. The plots range from 20 acres to 5 acres. There are some smaller 2 +/- acre plots that our hunters plant themselves. Due to our CRP agreement we are currently limited on the acreage we can plant. We've come to the conclusion that what we've been doing isn't working, our state numbers show an increase in population and decrease in 2.5, 3.5, 4.5 year old bucks and doe weight and size. So we're going to start keeping plots year around and have been authorized to cull 50 additional does from the property (which will be processed and given to local homeless shelters and family's in need). Now for the question, and I have to defer to the knowledge of the fine people here to help direct us. I may be asking a lot so if I'm off base just tell me and I'll sit down. What we've kind of narrowed down our plants to are: kale, rape, lab lab, turnips, beans. If you'd mix and match let me know. Our hope is for better buck antler growth and better meat does. Spring/Summer 20 acre plot between water source and bedding area; We thought 1/3 Kale, Turnips, lab lab. Or 1/2 corn and Turnips 8.5-12.5 acres low pressure and surrounded by woodlands with water source near by: mix Kale and Rape 5 acres; beans Fall / Winter 20 acre; leave corn standing for cover and replant Turnips only 8.5-12.5 acres; ??? 5 acres; ?? If you'd do anything different speak up. Even if its a different species of plant or ratio whatever. Take me to school.
Soy Beans are the best nutrition for a whitetail for just about every month out of the year! However their are a few months that soy beans are gone. For spring and summer soy beans are the best way to go! Spring/Summer: Soy Beans plots and a few clover plots Fall/Winter mix: Soybeans, radishes, wheat, turnips
What are your planting methods? Are you still stuck in conventional tillage? 1. First off, you're way short on acres for plots to service that large a tract of land, do you realize that many of the CRP contracts can be altered through the NRCS to permit up to 5% of a field to be planted into food plot? 2. Look at developing your timber, many native food sources can be planting into your timber. Things like fruit trees and native browse sources. Managed burns can also promote low browse growth if managed correctly and at the right time of year. Clear cutting some of the timber will open the canopy and allow sun light and promote low browse species. I've read many times that much of your deer quality problems down there are from excessive deer numbers wiping out the native higher quality food sources. If you're limited on planted annual crops then look to forestry development. 3. Manage the deer numbers as best as you can. I like ratios higher than QDMA standards but get into trail cam surveys and get your population per mile down into something workable. 4. Look at soil health practices and zero till with cover crops. Healthy soil grows healthy deer and will increase the natural carrying capacity of the farm making deer pop numbers easier to deal with in the high range. 5. Look at some perennial species like clover that will keep up with browse pressure, we've had good luck with Durana clover but I like diverse mixes. 6. Diversity diversity diversity.....diversity. High diversity is great on many levels. It's great for the soil and great to spread deer pressure out over all your plots. Your areas deer pops are so high it's probably a good idea to start looking at the situation almost like a livestock grazing program. There are some great youtube vids from Gabe Brown on the subject of diverse grazing, cover crops, etc... 7. Look at feeders and mineral. If you can't get enough food plots to boost your nutrition then look at supplemental feeding. There are some interesting numbers in recent studies on nutrition and deer health and size. Grant Woods had it featured in a recent episode of Growingdeertv. Lots of great info on his shows as well. 8. Make sure you have good clean water year around, often times streams get rather nasty in late summer and promote disease rather than actually acting as a good water source. Get out and scout the "known water sources" during the dry time of the year, how do they look, would you drink from them, would you feel safe even using that water through a filter and/or with boiling it? If the answer is no...look at developing some dependable water. 9. Manage for age structure. Seems like a complaint already that your maturity levels aren't where you'd like them to be. This is done through managing what your group harvests (team effort) and by doing everything possible to convince the deer to stay away from your property borders and going off farm. Develop sanctuaries in the middle of the farm with food and forestry development. Hinge cutting, bulldozing, food plots, native plantings, fruit trees. Forum member tynimiller is a top tier book of knowledge on those subjects. 10. One of the most important for the plots is to soil test extensively. Do this both to manage amendments but also to monitor soil health changes, cause/effect reactions. Soil PH is a biggy, do not underestimate the importance of soil PH. I manage ~2800 acres and farm ~800 of it with ~100 acres of plots, all zero till and cover crops...big into the soil health initiative.
Eagle seeds has a soybean called "Whitetail Thicket" that is said to outgrow browse pressure. I have not used the product personally but results I've seen from them have been impressive. The other alternative is just to plant diverse mixes so as deer selectively browse, they spread their browse pressure out over a larger area. I don't like deterrents, I prefer for plots to do their job and feed the deer.
So a big thanks to whoever suggested the "Huntstand" App. with that I've been able to really see how far things are from water, barriers, bedding ect ect.. all in all we have roughly 150 acres of food plots and it looks like we're reworking most of them this spring.. Looks like the disc and spreader are going to get a real good work out this year. Thanks again for the help and suggestions, this should be interesting to see how it helps. No if I can just get my hunters to kill 50 more does this year than last to give us a fair chance at getting plants up above the ground.
