|
|
Post by Catscratch on Jan 7, 2018 9:31:51 GMT -6
I don't hunt my foodplots. I like to see deer in them... but it's kind of worthless for me to say that they are needed for my hunting.
With that said I'm considering my approach and if I'm ultimately on track with it. KS deer don't have to fight to survive winter. They have plenty for the conditions. Where I think I want my management plan to succeed is in the growing big bucks department. Spring and summer is when they will add wt and antler.
So, I'm starting to focus on the best plants and soil conditions to grow deer. I have a couple hundred acres of bean very close to my place so they are getting plenty of "bean nutrition". What plants can be a good growth accessory to spring/summer beans?
As well as plots I'm starting to manage native quite a bit. Periodic mowing, burning, and fertilizing to keep plants; palatable, nutritious, and within reach are my goals with natives.
What foodplot plants and what practices with natives am I missing? I want my summer deer to have the best nutrition/minerals!
(ps - I feel that minerals are mostly gained from plants. ie - a great fert program is needed).
|
|
|
|
Post by batman on Jan 7, 2018 10:26:17 GMT -6
Get a protein feeder and pellets.
|
|
|
|
Post by Catscratch on Jan 7, 2018 10:31:00 GMT -6
Get a protein feeder and pellets. Good idea but not in my nature. Not going to spend the money, take the time, or really enjoy doing it that way. |
|
|
|
Post by sd51555 on Jan 7, 2018 17:18:19 GMT -6
Clover could be a good straddle for early spring and after beans get pulled off the field. I'd make sure you've got chicory too for when your clover gets torched. One of my favorite ideas is just liming/fertilizing native vegetation and spraying some sunlight with your chainsaw. I haven't gotten around to doing it yet, but I like the idea a lot.
|
|
|
|
Post by Catscratch on Jan 7, 2018 17:37:37 GMT -6
Clover could be a good straddle for early spring and after beans get pulled off the field. I'd make sure you've got chicory too for when your clover gets torched. One of my favorite ideas is just liming/fertilizing native vegetation and spraying some sunlight with your chainsaw. I haven't gotten around to doing it yet, but I like the idea a lot. The majority of my plot space is already in clovers and chicory so maybe I'm already doing what I want. The native stuff is so easy to work with, and is what the deer are naturally attracted to anyway... might as well make it more palatable and nutritious. I don't have a lot of trees like you do, I just keep it low enough and not woody so that they can eat it. |
|
|
|
Post by Sandbur on Jan 7, 2018 18:20:04 GMT -6
Would rye or winter wheat fill any early spring gap for you?
|
|
|
|
Post by Catscratch on Jan 7, 2018 19:06:58 GMT -6
Would rye or winter wheat fill any early spring gap for you? Rye gets very little use on my place. Wheat is loved! I overseed awnless wheat into all my plots; clover, chicory, brassicas, and any grains I leave standing for the winter such as sunflowers and sorghums. They hammer it from the start of fall until it joints in the spring. Then they return to it in July to eat the heads. So yes... they are good but no gap, already in heavy use. |
|
|
|
Post by jbird on Jan 9, 2018 8:52:59 GMT -6
Cat to be honest I think your plotting plan is pretty robust. I think if you are fertilizing and maintaining your native browse already I think your a step ahead as well. Something that hasn't been talked about is mast. I know you have sawtooth oaks...... What is your overall mast production like, both hard and soft? I would consider hard mast to be more important than soft, but it's the only "rock" we haven't turned over yet.
You may be further ahead than you think. If your mast production is solid, the only thing left may be supplemental feeding or supplemental minerals...... You know the other aspects of growing big deer (genetics and age) and you can only control those to some extent. You may essentially be "maxed out".
|
|
|
|
Post by Catscratch on Jan 9, 2018 9:34:54 GMT -6
J-bird, here is my mast situation:
I'm big on the native stuff! I figure they're proven survivors and it's what the deer are eating already. My approach is to make the native stuff more nutritious and more palatable.
Soft mast - I have 15 fruit trees planted and am adding about 5 a year. None of it is significantly producing yet. I consider fruit a fall attractant only. No nutritional value during spring or summer. Except Osage Orange and Mulberry... which I actively top/stump/hing because their leaves are high in protein and deer love them! The orchard consists mostly of crabs, apples, pears, and a few oddballs like Che and Jujube. I've decided to add a significant amount of persimmon to the place this yr.
Hard mast - Natives that I have a lot of: DCO (First to drop. Drop lasts about 1wk). Chinkapin oak (2nd to drop, lasts about 2wks). Burr oak (3rd to drop. Starts dropping about 2wks after Chinkapin's are done and takes about 4wks). Red oaks (drop about same time as Burr, but stay's on ground until burrs are gone so they are a later draw).
Hard mast added - Sawtooth, Swamp White oak, and Chinese Chestnut. None will be producing significantly for quite a long time (if at all). They are early producers that correspond with my native DCO's and Chinks.
|
|
|
|
Post by jbird on Jan 9, 2018 14:17:12 GMT -6
Well Cat, from what I see I think your looking for the really small holes in your habitat bucket to be honest. I think you have the major ones covered and have a firm grasp of where you are going with them. I can only think of maybe 2 other things. Do you grow/use alfalfa? I am not a fan of it myself, but I do know that some folks have great results with it. Secondly maybe your summer time non-woody plants. I assume you are fertilizing as much as you can, but until I saw it for myself on a trail cam I wouldn't believe mow much deer eat things like jewel weed, rag weed, creeper vine and the like in the summer time - when soybeans are 100 yards away. I have no idea what the natural nutritional level of these sorts of plants are.....but I was really surprised to see how the deer used them. I'm all out of ideas beyond these. Maybe making sure things like your woody shrubs stay trimmed back so the fresh fleshy growth is in the reach of the deer and the like, but now I'm grasping at straws.....
|
|
|
|
Post by honker on Jan 9, 2018 14:29:19 GMT -6
The prescribed burns, if you haven’t already been doing that, will add a lot of nutritional value to what you already have established. The early succession in years 1-3 following a burn are significantly higher than a stagnant field or closed canopy timber would be. TSI and burns will have a much higher payback in total tonnage per acre than a foodplot will and much less expensive to maintain.
|
|
|
|
Post by Catscratch on Jan 9, 2018 16:50:49 GMT -6
I really want to give alfalfa a try. I've never planted it due to the expense and likelyhood of failure (I've heard repeatedly that it's difficult to establish). Maybe now is a good time to take that leap.
I burn and it's an important part of my system. I don't like actually burning though. I had a old rancher tell me once that "he had never lit a fire that he didn't immediately regret". I'm in constant fear of a burn getting out of control and spreading to the neighbors.
Thanks for the suggestions guys. Some of it's new ideas and some of it confirms (or justifies) what I'm ready doing. As always, more suggestions are welcome.
|
|
|
|
Post by Sandbur on Jan 9, 2018 18:23:11 GMT -6
I really want to give alfalfa a try. I've never planted it due to the expense and likelyhood of failure (I've heard repeatedly that it's difficult to establish). Maybe now is a good time to take that leap. I burn and it's an important part of my system. I don't like actually burning though. I had a old rancher tell me once that "he had never lit a fire that he didn't immediately regret". I'm in constant fear of a burn getting out of control and spreading to the neighbors. Thanks for the suggestions guys. Some of it's new ideas and some of it confirms (or justifies) what I'm ready doing. As always, more suggestions are welcome. Would you need to irrigate alfalfa in your area? |
|
|
|
Post by Catscratch on Jan 9, 2018 19:36:34 GMT -6
I really want to give alfalfa a try. I've never planted it due to the expense and likelyhood of failure (I've heard repeatedly that it's difficult to establish). Maybe now is a good time to take that leap. I burn and it's an important part of my system. I don't like actually burning though. I had a old rancher tell me once that "he had never lit a fire that he didn't immediately regret". I'm in constant fear of a burn getting out of control and spreading to the neighbors. Thanks for the suggestions guys. Some of it's new ideas and some of it confirms (or justifies) what I'm ready doing. As always, more suggestions are welcome. Would you need to irrigate alfalfa in your area? No. I know people that have grown it for yrs. with no problems. As long as they keep it cut/baled 3-4 times a yr the fields seem to last forever. |
|
