Jordan,

We didn’t get any pictures of Chainsaw since once season started.  We haven’t found his sheds yet.  No neighbors have reported tagging or seeing Chainsaw.  I hope he shows up next season!

Thanks for watching and enjoy creation!

grant

March 2, 2016

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Pete,

Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) usually takes years before the deer show any signs.  Most of the deer that have tested positive for CWD look normal. 

The symptoms you described sound more like Hemorrhagic Disease (H.D.).  H.D. is a virus that transmitted deer to deer by very small biting flies. Deer that contact the H.D. virus go from looking healthy to dead in a matter of days.  H.D. has been studied for more than 50 years. There is currently no vaccine and epidemics of H.D. have occurred throughout the whitetail’s range.  Deer herd’s always bounce back from H.D.

CWD is 100% fatal and a very serious threat to deer.  You can learn more about CWD at http://www.CWD-info.org.

It the deer are dying from CWD – that’s a major game changer for you and all of your neighbors.  I suggest you contact you local state wildlife biologist if you find any fresh deer carcasses.

Hoping for the best,

grant

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Chase,

Congratulations on almost completing your degree and having a successful football career!  That’s very exciting!

Some folks call me a consulting wildlife biologist.  It’s really no different than a wildlife biologist.  I research and share my results.  Some wildlife biologists work for government agencies. I work primarily for private landowners, but have worked for corporations and government agencies.  

Thank you for asking God to bless my family!  That’s a huge blessing to me!  

Enjoy creation and listen to where God wishes to use you!  

grant

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Parker,

I’ve known several wildlife biologists that went to school for two years at ABAC and finished their wildlife degree at the University of Georgia!  I agree with your father – that’s a fine program!  

Wherever you go take each class seriously and be intentional about your career objectives.  For example, take the written and speaking communication skills classes very seriously. These skills are essential to all professions!  School choice is important, but not as important as each student’s desire to learn and participate in activities that will benefit their career.  

We rarely accept candidates for our intern program unless they are a junior or more advanced in college.  Our internship program is designed to last a college semester.  Most schools give credit for such field experience.  

I hope you will consider doing an internship with us at you progress through a wildlife degree program!

Enjoy creation,

grant

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Clayton,

There’s 10’s  of 1,000’s of acres of public and just outside Charleston called the Francis Marion National Forest.  Some of my friends used to hunt both deer and turkey there!  That’s one place to start while you are meeting landowners, etc., and looking for other places to hunt!  

Remember to be willing to trade some work for hunting rights!  Many landowners need help planting food plots, etc.!

Enjoy creation!

grant

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Robert,

I’ve experienced a few bouts of target panic.  A good friend of mine taught me an easy (but not quick) cure for target panic.  I’m very confident his cure will work for you if the steps are followed.

1.  Stop shooting at dots, X’s, etc. Stop now!  

2.  Get a good target and backstop and shoot blind bale. Blind bale is shooting with your eyes closed – literally. You are only focused on form. You are not worried about where the arrow hits as long as it’s safe.  To learn more about the blind bale technique watch the episode of GrowingDeer at this link:  https://www.growingdeer.tv/?ep=how-to-get-ready-for-deer-hunting-now

3. Use the blind bale technique daily if you can.  You can use this technique almost anywhere if you have a quality target and use the appropriate safety precautions.

4.  ONLY shoot using the blind bale technique for a minimum of 2 weeks! Don’t shoot using normal practice techniques to see if the target panic is cured.

 5. After a very minimum of two weeks start each practice session by shooting at least 10 shots blind bale. Don’t get lazy and simply start shooting targets.  

6. When you shoot at a target, DON’T SHOOT AT A DOT, X, ETC.!!!! Shoot at a 9″ pie plate, 3D target that doesn’t have dots or circles, etc. Start at 5 yards.

Remember – being accurate at archery is all about good form. Having great from at 5 yards equates to good shots at much  longer distances!

The only tough part about curing target panic is being discipline enough to stick to the above program and don’t cheat or take shortcuts.  You must retrain your brain and muscles to a good technique.  This is used by pro athletes, law enforcement, etc.

I’ve had several bouts of target panic. I’d miss 2′ targets at 10 yards and shake like sapling in a wind storm.  I stuck with the above program and continue it today. I start almost every practice session with blind bale and I’m a very confident shooter now!

Let me know how you are progressing! Stick to this program!  

Enjoy creation,

grant 

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Michael,

I haven’t read C.J. Winand’s article titled Coyote Update.  

I suspect he’s referencing research that showed coyotes can be very mobile and tend to fill areas/territories that aren’t defended by other coyotes.  One of the grad students I helped advise published the results of removing coyotes just before and during fawning season.  There was an amazing response in fawn survival!  You can read about that work at:  https://getd.libs.uga.edu/pdfs/vangilder_cory_l_200808_ms.pdf

However, in many states, including where I live in Missouri coyote trapping season closes well before fawning season. That doesn’t mean there aren’t benefits to trapping coyotes during the winter.  I’ve trapped at my place for years.  Through the years we’ve noticed an improved fawn survival rate.  It seems trapping during the winter requires many more years to achieve the same results at trapping just prior to or during the fawning season.  

As the State Director of Wildlife in Virginia said recently “…dead coyotes don’t eat deer…”  If the predator/prey population is out of balance where you hunt, I encourage you to remove coyotes whenever you legally can.

Enjoy creation,

grant

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Will,

That’s a good looking buck!  It’s tough to accurately estimate the age of deer when part of their body is blocked by plants.  From what I can see it appears his neck merges well above where his chest meets his brisket.  HIs shoulders and hams don’t appear to be fully developed and his facial features are very fine (unscarred).  

These are all indicators the buck is likely 2 or 3 years old.  If he’s a 2 year old the buck has tremendous potential!  Even if he’s 3 years old he’s a great looking buck!  

Enjoy creation,

grant

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Jeremy,

I’m glad you are a fellow bowhunter!  I’m not a fitness expert.  I’ve read and believe that the best training for shooting a bow is to shoot a bow.  Shooting exercises the exact muscles used for this activity.  I suggest you back off the weight of your bow so you can shoot it comfortably.  This will allow you to shoot more accurately than while straining.  

Shooting a bow that is set to heavy will cause you to develop an improper shooting form.  By shooting an appropriate weight bow you will be more accurate and accuracy is way more important than arrow speed.  As you practice you’ll gain strength through repetition! 

Practicing should be fun and rewarding and this will happen if you shoot with a bow that’s the right weight and draw length.

Enjoy creation,

grant

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Tim,

I strongly prefer using wheat as a cover crop when I establish clover during the fall.  The wheat will usually germinate quickly and provide forage while the clover is still very small. In addition, the wheat will protect the young clover from hard rains, harsh sun during dry conditions, etc.

The following spring the wheat will serve to outcompete most weeds. In addition, when the wheat matures deer and turkeys will benefit and be very attracted to the wheat grain!

Once the grain is consumed the wheat straw will decompose and serve as organic matter and fertilize for the clover.

I’ve had much success using the Monster wheat variety from http://www.EagleSeed.com.

I like a short growing clover.  I avoid most ladino varieties.  I’m experimenting with some newer varieties now and will keep you posted how they perform.

Enjoy creation!

grant

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David,

I agree!  Herbicide labels can be confusing due to all the legalize.

The active ingredient in Roundup is glyphosate and it’s one of the safest herbicides used today.  Unless there are weeds that are resistant to glyphosate most farmers use 2 quarts of Roundup per 20-25 gallons of water per acre.  

There are many variables such as the hardness of the water, the droplet size produced by the sprayer’s nozzles, etc. However, 2 quarts of Roundup mixed with 20-25 gallons of water is a very generic and successful recipe.  

Enjoy creation!

grant

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Wheeler,

Most state agencies don’t allow doe harvest until most fawns are old enough to survive should the doe be removed.  It’s often necessary to remove does to balance the number of deer with the habitat’s potential to produce quality forage in many areas.  This has been a standard practice for decades in most states and the deer herds have thrived!  

If there are more deer than the habitat where you hunt can produce quality forage or if the adult buck:doe ratio is out of balance in favor of does I suggest you tag some does and allow you and your family to enjoy fresh venison while helping the deer herd!

Enjoy creation,

Grant

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Derek,

Mrs. Tracy has agreed to share some of her preparation techniques and recipes!  Keep watching!   

grant

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Logan,

Prescribed fire can be an excellent and relatively inexpensive tool to promote native warm season grasses.  The best results usually occur when prescribed fire is used before the native warm season grasses have started growing during the late spring.  Most other herbaceous and woody plants will have already greened up before the native warm season grasses.  Fire will set back these other species and stimulate the established native warm season grasses and their seeds to grow!  

In areas where ag is the predominate land use, cover can be a limiting factor for wildlife.  Native warm season grasses can provide great cover as well as build huge amounts of organic matter!

Enjoy creation,

grant

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Allen,

I’ve been planting Eagle’s Seed’s (www.EagleSeed.com) forage soybeans in small plots and then over seeding them with Broadside during mid August (when there’s ample soil moisture available.  Eagle’s Wildlife Manager’s blend works great for smaller plots.  This rotation has both attracted deer and built soil!  Deer love the soybeans all summer and the Broadside blend includes radishes, a forage wheat, and two types of brassicas.

Deer prefer the radishes early, the wheat during the mid season, and the brassicas during the late season!

The forage soybeans are Roundup Ready so it’s easy to keep the plots weed-free all summer and the Broadside blend can be seeding into the weed-free beans during the fall. This rotation does a great job of breaking the weed cycle!

Enjoy creation,

grant

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Ben,

Recently we’ve shared footage of a buck we call Chainsaw!  He has very large antlers several kickers.  I confident almost every deer hunter would gladly tag Chainsaw.  I estimate this buck to be 4 years old. We don’t recognize Chainsaw as any of the bucks from our farm last year.  Chainsaw’s range also includes a member of our local deer coop and that landowner doesn’t recognize him either.  I suspect Chainsaw’s antlers are much larger this year than during any previous year.  Had we (or our neighbor) been tagging 3 year old or younger deer Chainsaw may not have survived to express his genetic potential.

I’ve seen this same pattern many times!  Bucks often don’t show their genetic potential until they reach 4 years old or older.  Several spikes that have been tagged or fitted with a radio collar have produced Boone and Crockett level antlers when they matured to 4 years old or older.  

Based on this and several research projects I do recommend passing bucks until the age criteria used where you hunt. It’s almost impossible to determine a buck’s antler production potential at younger ages.  

Remember that does make a huge contribution to antler shape.  The bottom line is that culling bucks without a known pedigree for several generations on both the doe and buck side is useless.  

Enjoy creation,

grant

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Richard,

The large “white square” is a product from a company that is no longer in business.  It is only to be used with field tips.

I often use large round bales of hay as a backstop behind 3D targets. These are inexpensive work work great!  They will decompose over time and need to be replaced.

Thank you for watching http://www.GrowingDeer.tv and for sharing the link with  your friends!

Enjoy creation!

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Mark,

Turkey poults usually pip or open one end of the egg shell to get out.Some of the shells appear that a chick was successfully hatched. Othershells have been crunched by a predator, etc. Most predators would destroyall eggs, not just one or two.

I suspect the chicks hatched normally and then a predator found the nextand busted a few shells by stepping on them, etc.

Hopefully the chicks are still alive and growing!!

Enjoy creation,

Grant

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Clayton,

Tracy (my wife) and I used to live near Abbeville, South Carolina! I did my Ph.D., work in Clemson!  While in school I hunted on the National Forest above Clemson and hunted around Greenwood and Abbeville when Tracy and I lived in that area. I had some great hunts on public land. Not many folks are willing to hike into the National Forest in the Mountains above Clemson. There was rarely much sign of hunters 1/2 mile or more off the road.  

I also enjoyed some good hunts near Abbeville, South Carolina. I often traded helping with some projects for permission to hunt private land.  You might attend some local Quality Deer Management Association meetings and ask landowners there if you could trade helping them for permission to hunt!  Many landowners will trade help with planting food plots, preparing stands, etc ., for access to hunt.  

You can find out where local Quality Deer Management Association branches are meeting at http://www.QDMA.com.  There are QDMA branches throughout South Carolina.

Enjoy creation!

grant

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Neil,

Deer don’t like change.  It can take a week or longer for deer to accept significant changes.  The feeders, smell of the oats, removal of vegetation and plowing all were major changes in the area monitored by the camera. I suggest you simply stay away from the area a few days and allow deer to accept the changes aren’t associated with danger.  Once they are comfortable they will return to the plot unless they’ve found a better food source or one they don’t associate with danger.    

Enjoy creation,

grant

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Joshua,

I’m not aware of any research that shows some areas have better genetics than others for producing large antlered bucks.  

You mentioned northern Missouri.  That’s a great example!  There wasn’t a deer season in any northern Missouri counties when I was a child.  Missouri has great stocking records and many of the deer used to stock the northern Missouri counties were from Taney County – where I live!  So – same genetics in northern Missouri where many BC bucks are tagged and Taney County where a BC buck has never been recorded.  

Clearly the difference in soil quality and forage (soybeans versus timber) accounts for the differences.  Within any location there will be huge genetic diversity among deer.  I don’t believe the BC distribution map reflects differences in regional genetic diversity. Rather if reflects differences in habitat quality and management (age structure due to state regulations, etc.).

Enjoy creation!

grant

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Calvin,

Scent carries better during moist than dry conditions.  So we rarely hunt from stands where the wind is likely to swirl when the humidity is high.  During high humidity conditions we are more likely to select stand locations on ridgetops or areas where the wind is not blocked by vegetation or topographic features.  At such locations the wind is much less likely to swirl.

Enjoy creation!

grant 

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Danny,

Glyphosate has no activity in the soil.  It’s only works by entering plants through green leaves, etc.  So there’s very limited value in spraying glyphosate before disking.  The disking should kill all the weeds.

Enjoy creation!

grant

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Lee,

The buck in your picture appears to have a swayed back, pot-belly, and his chest sags below where his shoulders meets his legs.  In addition, his shoulders and hams are very well developed.  These are all indicators that the buck is four years old or older. He’d certainly be on my hit list!  

I hope you have a great encounter with him!  

Enjoy creation!

grant

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Andrew,

I really enjoy trapping!  I enjoy the activity and working to balance the predator/prey populations!  There are not many red fox where I live due to high numbers of coyotes.  In fact, we saw three coyotes in the yard today.

We have a lot of raccoons.  I trap raccoons to reduce the number of nest predators during the turkey nesting season.  Each fall more raccoons disperse back into my property as there is not much trapping pressure in the surrounding area.

I’ve been using Duke cage trap for years with great success!  These traps are very easy and quick to set and almost failproof!  I use sweet baits (peanut butter, marsh mellows, orange slice candies, etc., during the early fall and more meat based baits once the temperatures get colder.  This rotation of baits has proven very successful for me!

Enjoy creation!

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Jim,

Green vegetation usually won’t carry a fire very well.  Green vegetation is usually full (literally) of water.  Some plants are composed of 70% water!  In situations where you are trying to remove such vegetation it’s often best to mow the vegetation and allow it to dry then carefully use a prescribed fire to remove the duff.  The fire can also create a clean seedbed!

I very rarely prescribe hinge cutting.  It can work well the first year or two. However the limbs will rapidly grow toward the sun and shade out any vegetation below.  Deer and most critters need cover from ground level to three feet tall.  Most hinge cutting creates cover above three feet. In a few years when the hinge cutting shades out the ground it’s an ugly mess that’s difficult to redirect to better type of cover.

Enjoy creation!

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I really like your plan to move off the field edge and create a staging area hidely hole plot!!

Whether it will be best to cut the weeds or use herbicide depends on the species of weeds.  Most perennial weeds will simply sprout back after being cut.  The safest bet is to use glyphosate. You can spray on day (in good conditions) and literally add lime, fertilizer and seed the next.  

Make sure the site receives at least 50% sunshine a day.  Forage crops need sunshine to grow.  I often use a rack or other hand tools to prepare hidy hole plots!  

Let me know how this one turns out!

Enjoy creation!

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It depends on what type of grass and how mature it is.  There are several grass-specific herbicides such as Poast Plus, Clethodim, etc.  None of them are very effective on grass that’s very mature.  So using a grass-specific herbicide depends on the maturity of weeds. You could try mowing but most grass species respond to being cut by growing again if it’s during the growing season.  

It may be best to terminate the weeds and crop by herbicide or tillage and plant a fall crop now.  If you take this action, make sure there is plenty of soil moisture before you plant the new crop!

Enjoy creation!

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The results of the recent research by scientists at Mississippi State University that we shared (https://www.growingdeer.tv/#/whitetail-antlers-and-genetics-fact-or-fiction) hasn’t been published yet.  It is to be published soon and we’ll share a link to that publication when it’s available.

Enjoy creation!

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Deer in research facilities do become conditioned to accept and not become alerted to certain individuals or smells that would alert wild deer.  

Deer have an incredible sense of smell.  I suspect they can be conditioned to accept any cover scent. However, when the hunter was present the deer would most likely smell the human and cover sent.  I don’t believe the cover scent will mask all odors given off by the hunter – including the hunters breath, ongoing death of bacteria, etc.  

Cover scents have been around for decades and still hunters commonly get busted by deer.

Enjoy creation!

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Brent,

Thank you for watching GrowingDeer and for sharing the encouraging words!  

I believe the primary determinant of deer activity is survival.  Deer certainly co-exist with bears in many areas.  However, deer often change habits/patterns when a new or increase of predators occurs.  Given the substantial increase the number of bears where you hunt it’s certainly possible that deer in the area have switched to using a different portion of their home range.  

I suggest you don’t use any supplemental feed as bears are very attracted to easy groceries.  If you aren’t feeding then there’s probably not much you can do to discourage the bears from spending so much time where you hunt.  Hopefully some of the bears will move on soon!

Enjoy creation! 

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Mark,

There are no grazing restrictions on the glyphosate label.   In addition literally millions of deer and other critters have browsed on glyphosate treated crops throughout the U.S. for years without one reported negative response.  There have been literally 1,000’s of studies and not one scientific, peer-reviewed study has shown a negative relationship between glyphosate and humans or deer.  

Based on the research to date, and no known negative reports for more than a decade, you should feel comfortable using glyphosate per the instructions on the label.

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Deer usually take a while to accept blinds placed in their range.  Some folks do a great job of “brushing in” blinds and deer seem to accept these new “brush piles” quicker than a typical blind.  For the last two years I’ve been using a Hay Bale blind from Redneck (www.RedneckBlinds.com).  I’ve found that deer accept these blinds the first day they are put out if there are hay bales in the area.  I’ve been shocked at how rapidly deer ignore a hay bale blind placed at the edge of a food plot versus a tent style blind!

No matter what style of blind being used, I suggest getting it out as soon a practical.  Every day that deer walk by it without associating with danger makes it a better hunting location!

Enjoy creation!

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Corey,

Broadside should be planted 45 to 60 days before the first expected frost.  The average first frost date in northern Mississippi is during late October (check out:  http://www.plantmaps.com/interactive-mississippi-first-frost-date-map.php).  Based on this information I’d suggest planting during the first week or two of September.  Within that range I’d try to broadcast the Broadside just before a rain.  There will normally be a higher germination rate for seed that’s broadcast if it’s planted just before or even during a rain.  

This technique usually results in rapid germination and prevents seed from being damaged by desiccation and/or being consumed by rodents and birds.  

You need to check with landowner/farmer to insure they are OK with Broadside germinating before the soybean crop is harvested.  I’ve used this technique often with great results!

Enjoy creation!

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There’s always some seed that doesn’t germinate when using the Broadcast technique.  This can be due to where the seeds land, being consumed by rodents or birds, etc. 

I’ve had very good success broadcasting Broadside over existing beans at 25 pounds per quarter acre.

Enjoy creation! 

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I’ve had the same observation here at The Proving Grounds!  For example, one of the larger antlered bucks here now is Chainsaw.  We’ve shown several video clips of him.  It appears Chainsaw has fewer ticks than other bucks and does of the same age class and using the same areas.

I assume for reason Chainsaw doesn’t attract ticks as much as the other deer in the area.  This is only a assumption and I’m not aware of any biological facts to support this assumption.

For comparison, Adam is younger and probably healthier than me.  When we work side by side we seem to get about the same number of ticks – as does the rest of our Team.  

If you learn more on this subject, please share it with me!  

Enjoy creation! 

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Broadside does best when it’s planted 45 – 60 days before the first hard frost.  None of us can predict when the first frost will occur each fall so the best  we can do is use the average first frost date for each area.  The average first frost date for northern Indiana is around the 2nd week of October.  Based on this average I suggest broadcasting the Broadside blend during mid August or so.  I would wait until there is a good chance of rain in the forecast.  The broadcast planting technique works best if the seed are spread just before (or even during) a rain.  

We’ll be planting Broadside at The Proving Grounds about the same time as you!

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Antler Dirt is composted and humified poultry litter.  You can learn more about how it’s made by watching: https://www.growingdeer.tv/#/big-antlers-start-in-the-dirt

To build Antler Dirt correctly requires turning it daily and adding beneficial living microbes, etc.  I suspect it would be much less expensive to pay the shipping than to purchase the equipment and all the ingredients.

You might reach out to the guys at http://www.AntlerDirt.com to learn more.  

Enjoy creation!

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Duane,

Congratulations on accurate some land the manage and hunt!!

It can take months for normal ag lime to totally react with soil. However, the finer particles will begin reacting with the soil within days if there is adequate soil moisture.  I suggest you go ahead and apply lime now. The crops will get some benefit now and more as they mature throughout the fall! 

The finer the grind of lime the faster it reacts with soil. There are some sources of very finely ground lime that has been pelletized so it’s easy to spread.  I did some research on high quality pelletized lime years ago and it substantially improved the soil’s pH in a month!  

Whether you use standard ag lime or high quality pelletized lime I suggest you spread it as soon as you can!

Enjoy creation!

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Mike,

I hope you enjoy the Field Day with your local QDMA Branch!  

I wouldn’t broadcast the seed into your standing soybean food plot until the chances of rain are very good!  There must be adequate soil moisture for seeds to germinate and survive.  Rain also serves to splash dirt and help cover the seeds!  In addition rodents and birds can consume must of the seed if it lays on top of the ground and doesn’t germinate.  

I often broadcast seed during rain with great results!

Enjoy creation,

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There are many variables that determine how many acres of food plot there should be on any property.  If the hunting property is an area where corn and soybean crops are commonly grown then food plots, especially during the summer, are rarely necessary.  In these areas food plots during the hunting season can be useful to attract deer after the production crops have been harvested.  

In areas where timber or pasture are the primary land uses then more acres of food plots will be necessary to provide enough quality forage for all deer to express their full genetic potential. Ideally there will be enough acres of food plots that each deer has all the quality forage they wish to consume. 

An easy and accurate indicator that can be used to evaluate the quantity of food to the number of deer in an area is to notice if quality forage such as soybeans is being over-browsed.   If it is then either more acres of food plots should be established or the deer population should be reduced – or both actions at the same time.  

Enjoy creation! 

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Like you, I’m amazed every year at how much forage Eagle Seed forage soybeans produce even when being heavily browsed.

Unless there’s an earlier than normal frost at your property or you planted a very late maturing variety of Eagle Seed such as Big Fellow or Large Lad it shoulds like the beans in your plot will produce pods.

I really like the many benefits of cover crops!  Some cover crops can provide excellent forage for deer and other game.  When the temperatures are warmer than normal during hunting season deer tend to prefer green forage versus grains (bean pods). By overseeding standing soybeans you can provide deer both greens and grain in the same plot and keep attracting deer during both warm and cold temperatures.  

Eagle’s Broadside blend works great to mine or recycle nutrients. That is to say this blend grows in all but the coldest conditions and actively growing plants take up nutrients that otherwise might leach below the reach of new plants next spring.  When the winter cover crop is terminated the decomposing forage and roots release great nutrients for the new warm season crop.  I could go on with benefits of cover crops.

I strongly suggest planting Broadside in your standing crop of forage soybeans.  If you use a no till drill this will create gaps where the sun will reach the soil and allow the Broadside to germinate.  If you plan to broadcast the seed you may wish to drive and ATV through the plot, etc., and disturb at least 1/3 of the forage crown.  This will allow the Broadside to germinate and the remaining beans to produce pods.

I know it sounds crazy to remove a small portion of a plot you worked hard to grow!  However the benefits of a cover crop outweigh any damage to a small percentage of the standing beans.

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Most forages do require at least 1/2 day of sunshine to be productive.  The sun is the source of all energy and with ample sunlight the photosynthesis process doesn’t work.

I agree with you that white clovers are about as tolerant as any forage I’ve tried  You will need to insure there are plenty of nutrients in the soil. All forages are simply nutrient transfer agents and if the nutrients aren’t in the soil the  plants can’t transfer them to deer.

If the site has a full canopy I wouldn’t recommend using your resources to try to establish a food plot in that location.

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Plants requires a certain amount of nutrients to grow. I’m not aware of any liquid fertilize that has enough nutrients to work without a base of some traditional or composted fertilizer.

I’m sure there are some great add-on products.

Your best bet may be to build the quality of soil using minimal tillage and good crop rotation.  I’ve been amazed at how much the soil fertility has improved at my place simply from using soybeans during the warm season and a combination of radishes, wheat, and brassicas (Eagle Seed’s Broadside blend) during the fall.

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Great question! Yes, you can definitely plant the Eagle Seed Broadside mix over the standing production beans. See this video for my suggestions on easy food plots over standing crops: https://www.growingdeer.tv/#/secrets-to-quick-food-plots

My only concern is that you don’t plant too early. If you plant too early the farmer may have difficulty combining his soybeans in November. You always want to stay on good terms with your local farmer!

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Mike,

It sounds as if you have a great food plot established!  I’m glad you are preparing to overseed the Eagle Seed forage soybeans with Broadside. That’s a great technique to keep attracting deer as the seasons change.  

The Broadside or most forage crops will do better with less competition.  If the weeds are turning yellow they will likely be gone before the Broadside germinates.  If not, it might be best to treat the weeds again before planting the Broadside.  

Can you see some of the soil while walking through the plot or have the forage soybeans made a complete canopy?  If there is a complete canopy there won’t be much sunshine reaching the soil and allowing the Broadside to germinate and grow rapidly.  If this is the case I suggest splitting the plot in 1/2 and allowing deer to browse half the beans while protecting the other 1/2. Plant the Broadside in the 1/2 where the deer browse the beans and open up the canopy so at least 50% of the soil is receiving sunshine.  

Either way, I suggest planting the Broadside while there is adequate soil moisture.  This will result in a much higher rate of germination and more tonnage produced before the first killing frost.  

Enjoy creation!

grant

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The plant in your picture appears to be ragweed.

The active ingredient in Roundup is glyphosate.  Glyphosate is only active on living leaf surface area.  It won’t prevent weed seeds that are in the soil from germinating.  Disking often results in bringing weed seeds within the top inch of soil. These seeds will usually rapidly germinate.  It’s rarely necessary to spray Roundup before disking as disking will remove the weeds and Roundup won’t keep existing weed seeds from germinating!

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Thank you for watching GrowingDeer and for asking God to bless our Team!

Tracy, the kids, and I all enjoy venison! Tracy’s a great cook and we consume 10+ does each year! So you and I have the same goals.

Just like with humans, does tend to show their age by changing body shape as they mature in patterns similar to bucks. As does mature their posture goes from very straight to having a swayed back and sags in the belly region. Does don’t have plastic surgery so changes due to age are probably more pronounced and constant than female humans express. In addition most does will produce fawns each year so they show similar signs of aging compared to humans as some ladies bare a lot of children while others very few or none. In addition most does give birth as yearlings or as two year old does. The age humans produce the first child is highly variable.

I tend to age does on the hoof as immature, prime, and elderly based on the shape of their body.

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Based on lots of data from GPS collars placed on mature bucks researchers have learned that they are unique individuals and have different habitats and home range sizes just like humans.  These data also show that the home range size of most mature bucks decreases as they mature.  

Based on these findings it is unlikely to “attract” mature bucks outside their home range. So the secrete to seeing more mature bucks on a given property is to reduce the harvest of immature bucks on the same property.  As long as the bucks are dying in a portion of their range that’s outside the property where you hunt, it only requires passing immature bucks to produce mature bucks.  

Hopefully you are part of or can form a neighborhood deer management coop and adjoining landowners will follow the same buck harvest guidelines!  This is a great way to increase the age structure of a local deer herd!

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Travis,

Like you, I have a friend that keeps his bees at our place!  I enjoy the work they do and the honey they make!!

I have a tree plot (fruit and nut producing trees planting within a forage-based food plot) at my place!  Here in southern Missouri I prefer fruit trees as the landscape is primarily covered by oaks.  I usually prefer plums and pears to apple trees simply because apples trees tend to require a lot more maintenance to produce fruit.  I get my tree stock from Flatwood Natives and have experienced good success and I appreciate thier service and advice!

You can see some of the planting and maintenance advice from Flatwood Natives in episode #247 here.

There’s lots of native soft mass at my ranch as a results of the native habitat management.  These include wild strawberries, dewberries, blackberries, etc. Most of these ripen long before season opens but do provide a source of energy for deer and other wildlife species.

Thank you for watching http://www.GrowingDeer.tv!

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Matt,

Thank you for for sharing the encouraging words and leading by example!  Your daughter is blessed to have a Dad that loves her enough to constantly protect her and spend time with her!

I’m not aware of a herbicide that’s safe to use over legumes (clover and alfalfa) and chicory.  Weed control in plots with multiple species is difficult.  You can use most of the grass- specific herbicides over legumes and broadleaf (chicory) with damaging the forage crops.  There are several grass-specific herbicides and all have advantages and disadvantages.  

Mowing rarely controls weeds (grasses or broad-leafed weeds).  This is one reason I tend to plant warm season plots with a single species like forage soybeans and use blends during the cool season.  Weeds are rarely a problem in cool season plots – especially if there has been a warm season forage crop and good weed control during the summer.

Depending on the size of the plots and the number of deer in the area the best rotation I’ve found for attracting and feeding deer is Eagle Seed forage soybeans during the summer followed by overseeding the beans with the Broadside blend about 60 days before the first expected frost of the fall.

The Roundup ready beans make it easy to keep the plot weed-free during the summer and the Broadside is a great soil builder and deer attractant!

Enjoy creation,

Grant 

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Doug,

I only spread lime on small plots (1/8th of an acre or so) by hand.  This still takes some time, but my spreader holds 50 pounds so I open the flow gauge up wide and spread each load quickly.  I think the effort is worth it as mature bucks readily use high quality forage in small plots that don’t receive much hunting pressure!

Growing Deer together,

Grant

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Jason,

We are constantly working or hunting on our place.  To offset this level of disturbance we have sanctuaries or places that we never go in except to retrieve a harvested deer, look for sheds, or limited management activities such as prescribed fire.

Sanctuaries are a critical part of our habitat!  We design/designate sanctuaries on all of our clients’ properties. Is their 20+ acres on your farm that serves as a sanctuary?

Thanks for watching GrowingDeer!

Grant

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Michael,

Prescribed fire can be a great tool in your soil management program!  Fire was a big factor in building the great soils in the prairie states.  You can use fire to remove the duff from past crops and then broadcast seed on plot.  Remember that fire rarely destroys the roots from past crops.  There is often more roots (plant material) under the soil than what is present on top the ground.  The roots will break down creating high quality organic matter and channels for roots of new plants to seek sources of water and nutrients.

When using a fire-based system of preparing a seedbed you will need to select crops that germinate well when the seeds are broadcast on top the soil.  Common crops that work well in this system include clover, wheat (most all small grains), turnips, radishes, buckwheat, etc.

I often plant 20% more pounds per acre when broadcasting compared to using a no till drill because of the seed will be consumed by critters (birds, squirrels, etc.) or won’t germinate due to limited seed to soil contact.

This system works best if the seed is planted just before a rain.  Rain prevents the seed from desiccation and helps insure the seed have good contact with the soil.

It’s often better to terminate the mature crops with herbicide to insure there’s dry vegetation and the fire will effectively burn throughout the whole plot.

The GrowingDeer.tv episode at the following link shows an example of me using fire to remove the duff from an unmanaged pasture to create a food plot:  https://www.growingdeer.tv/#/a-new-buck-and-storm-proofed-food-plots

Be careful with fire and enjoy creation!

grant

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I use Moyle Mink & Tannery (http://www.moytown.com/). The quality of work is excellent and prices are reasonable.

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It’s common for bucks that are healthy to hold their antlers until mid March or so. There’s so much ag in eastern Kansas that I suspect the bucks are very healthy in your area.

Bucks, does, and fawns will use licking branches (the branches overhanging scrapes) year round. In addition, female fawns often become receptive when they reach about 70 pounds. There are probably some receptive fawns causing bucks to display rut behavior in your area.

After the majority of rutting behavior is over and the testosterone level of bucks begins to decrease they often get together in bachelor groups and will remain in these groups till they begin shedding their velvet next fall.

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It’s common for bucks that are healthy to hold their antlers until mid March or so. There’s so much ag in eastern Kansas that I suspect the bucks are very healthy in your area.

Bucks, does, and fawns will use licking branches (the branches overhanging scrapes) year round. In addition, female fawns often become receptive when they reach about 70 pounds. There are probably some receptive fawns causing bucks to display rut behavior in your area.

After the majority of rutting behavior is over and the testosterone level of bucks begins to decrease they often get together in bachelor groups and will remain in these groups till they begin shedding their velvet next fall.

Thanks for watching GrowingDeer.tv!

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Sounds like you have permission to hunt a good farm! Corn and millet are both great sources of energy for deer (and other species of wildlife)! However, they don’t provide much protein for deer. A combination of soybeans and corn (on different parts of the farm) would be great – with the soybeans providing protein during the growing season and corn providing energy (carbohydrates) during the winter. If some of these crops (odd corners, etc.) were left standing during the winter, they would be a great feeding and hunting area! You might consider trading the farmer work days during the off season for him leaving a bit of grain standing for hunting during the winter. Thanks for watching GrowingDeer.tv!

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The herbicide used depends on the species of trees to be treated. Glyphosate will work on several species and Tordon RTU works well on locust. Glyphosate doesn’t work well on maples. I suggest you Google “hack and squirt” and the type tree to be treated – like “hack and squirt maple” and find information from your area. Thanks for watching GrowingDeer.tv!

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Tanner, it can get tough when hunting a lot and not seeing deer! When I help folks improve hunting on properties that are similar in size to the one you hunt I always try to determine where the best food, cover, and water sources are in the neighborhood. Deer will certainly use neighboring properties so understanding where they are using food, cover, and water during different times of year and weather conditions is very important. Once I get a better handle on where deer are using food, cover, and water I see if I can create the preferred location for one of those resources on the property where my clients hunt. Second – I always have at least 4 stand/blind sites – one for a north, south, west, and east wind. Just as importantly I plan an entrance and exit route for each of those wind directions. It’s easy to alert every deer on 26 acres by simply walking to the stand with the wind at my back and letting every deer know to avoid the area while I’m there. Sometimes this means walking around the outside edge of the property or entering from the opposite side to ensure I don’t alert deer to my presence. By determining where deer are using food, cover, and water, and approaching, hunting and exiting stands/blinds without alerting deer should allow hunters to punch their tag no matter where they hunt! Finally – I often share with folks to not do the same thing and expect different results. Too often deer pattern hunters more than hunters pattern deer. Remember there are several factors that may impact deer besides the hunter – such as coyotes, bears, or hunters on neighboring properties that alert deer. I look forward to hearing about your results after you try some new strategies!

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I’ve never seen or read about turkeys consuming deer pellets. Deer are efficient at removing food value through their digestive track and there wouldn’t be much nutrient value in their droppings. However, if a turkey was starving they’d probably try anything! Turkeys certainly consume a very wide variety of foods – from small snakes to lots of types of vegetation! Wicked cold weather and frozen deep snow that they can’t scratch through has certainly been reported to cause turkeys to die. Let’s hope the brutal conditions change soon!

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I truly enjoy such spending time with my dad! We really enjoyed that hunt!!! My house is just up the hill from where we were hunting – so I took the buck to the house to weigh, etc., and have a clean source of water to dress and remove the meat. Thanks for watching GrowingDeer.tv and stay warm!

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It sounds like you have a good property to hunt. However, it’s tough to pattern mature bucks anywhere! I always study the preferred sources of food, cover, and water throughout the seasons/varying conditions and use that information to pattern bucks. Just as importantly, I study where I can place and how I can approach stands without deer patterning me! I consider being able to enter, hunt, and exit the stand without alerting deer just as important as the stand location itself. I enjoy hunting does and providing that natural meat to my family. Don’t hesitate to take a few does if there are plenty of deer in your area and enjoy hunting while patterning the local deer herd! Thanks for watching GrowingDeer.tv and may God bless you with great 2014!

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Check out the current episode at http://www.GrowingDeer.tv (Watch GDTV 215 here) – you’ll see several bucks gorging on Eagle Seed’s Broadside blend and my dad tagging a buck! I tagged several deer this year by placing stands so I could hunt food plots planted with Broadside. The blend of forage varieties in that blend has worked VERY well for me! May you be blessed with some great hunts during 2014!

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Thanks for watching GrowingDeer.tv! Soybeans can be planted successfully by preparing the soil (working it with a disk, tiller, etc.) and then broadcasting the seed (I often use a hand spreader) and then covering the seed by using some fencing, logs, etc., to drag the soil. I usually plant about 20% more seed than normal when using this method as some seed won’t be covered and birds, squirrels, etc., will consume a portion. Planting just before a rain usually produces the best results. I wish you well with this project!

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I agree – Florida is unique! Antler drop is a function of increasing day length and decreasing testosterone. The increasing day length is like a starter cue. This sets the process in action. However, bucks will hold antlers as long as their testosterone is above a threshold. Bucks that get injured, etc., often drop much earlier than healthy bucks. The rate of day length increase is close to the same throughout Florida – but the testosterone levels very significantly as does are mostly bred in some areas and haven’t started becoming receptive in other areas. No one (that I’m aware) fully understands why deer follow the breeding patterns they do in Florida.

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Congrats on harvesting a mature buck! It sounds as if the buck has been injured. Bucks with messed up testes almost always have a deformed/non-typical rack. I suspect he was injured after he shed his velvet and before you harvested him.

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Kyle, congrats on your previous successes and thanks for your support! As a fellow Wisconsinite I understand the frustrations that go along with tremendous fluctuations in local deer herd numbers across the state. Not sure where you are at exactly, but I see a lot more deer in SE WI than in N WI, and for some obvious reasons…food, predators, and hunter numbers. We could talk all day about WI deer management, but I’ll choose to save that for another day. Your first question was how you should go about planting the large (4 acre) ag field. My answer would be to experiment. Since the property is surrounded by ag, I would expect little over browsing during the early fall. Thus, I love the thought of providing a smorgasbord of quality forage types in your food plots. The majority should still be planted with grains because my guess is the surrounding farmers till the fields after harvest. Try out a pattern like this: 2 acres of corn, 1 acre of soybeans, ½ acre Broadside (great mixture of brassicas, winter wheat and soybeans made by Eagle Seed), and ½ acre of clover. This will be a great way to view what the deer are preferring to eat during different times of the year. Monitor from an observation stand or time lapse mode on trail cams and hunt based upon what you are seeing. Your second question may be a tough hurdle. From your description it sounds as though the deer numbers are low in your area and the factory farm shoots every doe they can. Tough scenario to deal with because you can’t really blame the farmers for using their ag tags because the crop is their moneymaker. Also, shooting at them with rifles will turn them nocturnal. Maybe you could ask if you would be able to fill their ag tags with the use of a bow before season? Could be a win win. You get to hunt and the deer get shot at less, and eventually learn it is safe to feed during the day again. I hope these suggestions help. Hunt safe!

— Andrew Gall, GrowingDeer.tv

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Would you rotate and plant beans to the food plot on the “other side of the creek”? I would consider planting all beans to provide the summer forage and then mow a strip in the center of the larger field about August and plant Broadside. This seems the best way to have your cake and eat it also. Or consider an elevated blind like I use to hunt the Eagle Seed beans and allow your Dad and brother an advantage!

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I remember years ago when the University of Georgia tried Milorganite in some experiments. It did seem to keep deer from browsing for a few days. I use an all natural fertilizer called Antler Dirt. It seems to do the same, but has a very high organic matter content. You can learn more about Antler Dirt at http://www.AntlerDirt.com. Thanks for watching GrowingDeer.tv!

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Tracy and I have about 1,500 acres. We have about 60 acres of food plots. We’d like more but the land is so rough that there’s not many more acres that are flat enough so the tractor won’t turn over – literally!  You can read more about Our Place by clicking here.

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Deer are picky eaters! Their preferred foods are based on what else is available at that location and time. What are the deer eating at your place between when they are focused on the soybean forage during the summer/early fall and the pods during the late winter? Do you hunt/plant in an area where there are lots of acorns? I live and hunt where there are lots of acorns. I plant Eagle Seed Broadside blend during August and deer are readily attracted to it until the acorns are present everywhere. Deer tend to abandon all my food plot crops while there are plenty of acorns and then return to the plots when the acorns become less abundant.

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I set traps very close to the private roads inside my property. Deer are conditioned and accept me driving these roads. I believe the benefits for trapping far outweigh any negative impacts. Unless vehicles are rare on the property where you hunt I doubt it will have a negative impact or alert the herd if you locate the traps close to the roads and obviously avoid food plots, etc. Thanks for watching GrowingDeer.tv!

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It’s tough to get an accurate survey in Illinois due to the no attractants regulations. I put cameras on trails and scrapes (licking branches before season) and know the survey won’t be as accurate as if I was using an attractant. I simply look for areas where deer will frequent and do the best I can. I hope you have a great hunting season!

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One problem with spreading hay is you will likely spread weed and/or grass seed that you don’t want in your plot. I think in your case it will be less expensive and produce better results to simply spread more seed (to compensate for a lower germination rate) and hopefully spread the seed just before or during a rain. This works great for small seeds like clover, turnips, etc. It works good with wheat. It doesn’t work as well with soybeans and other larger sized seeds. This may mean focusing on planting forage that has smaller sized seed – not a bad program! Rain helps cover the seed by splashing dirt on the seed and burying the seed. It also allows the seed to germinate quickly so rodents and birds don’t consume the seed.

Best,

Grant

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Rob,

Yes, new growth is almost always more nutritious. That’s one advantage to mowing. However, mowing causes the crop much stress – so don’t mow if it’s dry and the crop is already showing signs of stress, etc. I also don’t mow if I wish to increase the number of plants in the stand and need the existing clover to produce seeds.

Thanks for watching GrowingDeer.tv!

Grant

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Wheat can be planted during a wide range of dates. The best time to plant depends on the mission. If there are lots of early season food sources in the area, then it may be better to plant wheat later (mid to late September) so it doesn’t mature past being palatable before deer start using it as a food source. I usually begin planting wheat during early to mid August depending on when soil moisture is available so the forage will be available and attracting deer by the opening of bow season – September 15th – as there isn’t any competing food sources in my neighborhood. Wheat seed, like all crops, needs good seed to soil contact. The existing vegetation can be burned down with glyphosate, but the seed needs to be placed in the soil with a no-till drill or the weed duff removed so the seeds will reach the soil.

Growing Deer together,

Grant

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Bob,

Thanks for the encouraging words! Crimson clover is a winter annual where you and I live – and has about finished its productive season by this time of year in the Ozarks (depending on precipitation amounts). I agree with your observations that the fescue is using the nitrogen provided by the crimson clover and doing well. If the crimson clover is all brown and made a hard seed already, then I would spray the fescue with glyphosate (generic Roundup) to control the fescue before it gets too tall. Once fescue is more than one foot tall it’s tough to control. You could use a grass specific herbicide like Clethodim, Select, Poast, etc., but those herbicides cost more and are not as effect as glyphosate at controlling fescue. If you do control/kill the fescue I’d plant a mixture of brassica, wheat, and radishes in the plot this fall about 60 days before the first expected frost. If the crimson clover has already made a hard seed, those seeds will germinate this fall/next spring and result in another great crop of clover for the early growing season!

Growing Deer together,

Grant

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Drew,

I use Clethodim to control grass in clover. I follow all instructions on the label, including using a non-ionic surfactant. Clethodim – like most grass-specific herbicides work best when applied when the grass is 4-8″ tall. For the best results, following the instructions on the label! Thanks for watching GrowingDeer.tv!

Grant

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I find hidey holes (small plots off the beaten trail) great locations to kill mature bucks! 1,200 square feet is about 3/100 of an acre. Hence, it needs to be a browse tolerant forage, or time the planting/hunting closely so deer don’t consume all the forage before there are good conditions to hunt! White clover is fairly shade and browse tolerant. I suggest making sure all weed competition is removed (using herbicide or tillage) and heavily fertilize the area. Fertilizer will accomplish two goals including making the forage more palatable than other food sources and allowing the forage to continue growing even if there are lots of deer eating at the plot. Another great tool is a Hot Zone electric fence (you may have seen them used on GrowingDeer.tv). These solar powered fences keep deer out until you wish to hunt, then you can create a gap in the fence that funnels deer into a good shooting position.

Thanks for watching GrowingDeer.tv!

Grant

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Thank you for the kind words and for watching GrowingDeer.tv! I’m a huge fan of using prescribed fire. However, prescribed fire under a closed canopy – where limited sun is reaching the forest floor – won’t result in much growth of forbs or grasses. Oaks and some other hardwoods are fire adapted and low intensity fire rarely results in much damage to the trees. However, fire can damage cottonwoods and willows.  It’s best to define the mission and then learn what tools/techniques are appropriate for that mission.

Thanks again!

Grant

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I do use the Reconyx software to manage all our trail camera data. I use ScoutLook to manage my hunting observation data – it’s by far the best system/program I or my clients have used to manage hunting observation and harvest data.

Growing Deer together,

Grant

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I doubt many eggs have hatched yet – so the weather that determines that success is yet to come. Turkeys smell a lot when wet and predators can easily follow hens to the nest – called the wet hen theory by Mississippi State – but it’s not a theory any more. I am sure many hens were killed on the nest last week.

Growing Deer (and turkeys) together,

Grant

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I either use rebar to stake down my Duke DP traps or use a D loop (buy at Lowes, etc.) and some 1/8″ cable with fastened loops at both ends. I place the cable around a tree and through one loop and then fasten the loop to the chain on the DP trap with the D Loop. This is quicker and easier than driving stakes. The D Loop is a quick link that screws closed. The snap closed links will open if a critter or the cable hits them right. How the cables are made isn’t as important as insuring they will hold the critter when they tug. You may wish to view past episodes about trapping by looking in our archives.  Go to this link and page down and on the left you will see a Trapping section. In those episodes I think you’ll find all the info you are seeking.

Thanks for watching GrowingDeer.tv!

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If your primary concern is to attract deer during the fall and provide quality forage during that season, I’d probably go with a turnip/brassica blend. This is especially true if there are a lot of deer in the area. A few deer can limit the pod production potential of soybeans in a 1/2 acre plot. Therefore, planting soybeans in that plot is a bit of a gamble. However the risk is limited as it’s easy to broadcast brassicas into heavily browsed beans about 45 days before the first frost – so a combo may be best! Thanks for watching GrowingDeer.tv!

Grant

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Harrison,

To my knowledge, Cargill (huge feed company that researches and sells to the whitetail market under the brand Sportsmen Choice) has the largest whitetail nutrition research program. There is lots of good information on their website.

Grant

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Thanks for watching GrowingDeer.tv! I would make sure I have plenty of Trophy Rock (60+ trace minerals) out during January. I want it out year round. I tend to create new hidey hole food plots and stand sites at this time also. There are no ticks and the woods are open so visibility is better! We produce a new show each week and all the past shows (160+) are available online. So can easily see what we are doing each week. Thanks again and best of luck with your habitat work!

Grant

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I like a blend of radishes, turnips, and forage brassicas. I like to plant them at least 45 days (preferably more) before the first expected frost.

Thanks for watching GrowingDeer.tv!

Grant

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Edward,

The Eagle Seed soybeans give the most tonnage of high quality forage per dollar and effort. Several university studies have evaluated the forage quality and quantity of Eagle Seed forage soybeans. Remember to have a soil test and lime and fertilize appropriatly as all forages need good growing conditions to express their potential.

Grant

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Ryan,

Yes, other predators are certainly attracted to the carcasses from your trap line! It seems most prefer bobcat – but will come to raccoon carcasses, etc.

Good trapping!

Grant

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Peter,

I find hidey holes (small plots off the beaten trail) great locations to kill mature bucks! 1,200 sq feet is about 3/100 of an acre. Hence, it needs to be a browse tolerant forage, or you must time the planting/hunting closely so deer don’t consume all the forage before there are good conditions to hunt! White clover is fairly shade and browse tolerant. I suggest making sure all weed competition is removed (using herbicide or tillage) and heavily fertilize the area. Fertilizer will accomplish two goals including making the forage more palatable than other food sources and allowing the forage to continue growing even if there is a lot of deer eating at the plot. Another great tool is a Hot Zone electric fence (you may have seen them used on GrowingDeer.tv). These solar powered fences keep deer out until you wish to hunt, then you can create a gap in the fence that funnels deer into a good shooting position.

Thanks for watching GrowingDeer.tv!

Grant

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Ron,

I suspect it’s due to later frost dates in the north. Oaks produce flowers and the flowers make acorns. If the flowers are damaged by frost, they won’t mature into acorns.

Grant

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I like a blend of radishes, turnips, and forage brassicas. I like to plant them at least 45 days (preferably more) before the first expected frost.

Thanks for watching GrowingDeer.tv!

Grant

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Logan,

The incidence rate of CWD will be very low in your area. The odds of you seeing or harvesting a deer with CWD are extremely low. I compliment you for desiring to be prepared! The best information about CWD can be found at the link here.

Deer in the early stages of CWD show no overt signs. They appear normal. Deer often incubate CWD for years. Deer that are closer to dying with CWD appear droopy, weak, not alert, etc. They will appear sick. Such deer (whether harvested or not) should be immediately reported to the local game and fish department. If you harvest such a deer, submit it to the local game and fish for testing.

CWD has never been shown to be transmitted to humans – NEVER. However, it’s always smart to wear gloves with dressing deer and not cut through the spinal column or other areas of the primary nervous system. I usually simply debone deer.

Don’t let the news scare you about CWD – check the link I shared and enjoy hunting!

Grant

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I prefer to hunt food sources after the rut. It is best to hunt food sources where mature bucks haven’t been recently alerted. Bucks have been hunted for months now in most areas and are extremely cautious. If such food sources are available in your area, my next preferred location is on the edge of bedding areas.

Good hunting!

Grant

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David,

Most likely the deer you are jumping (alerting) during entry are at minimum going to be tougher to hunt – if they return by your stand. I’d probably try walking the very edge of the property and then cutting into your stand. This will likely be a longer walk – but will result in more deer encounters. I’d walk the edge that is most favorable from a wind direction. If you jump deer in the same location – I’d find a path that goes around (down wind) that area.

I hope this helps!

Grant

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Denton,

Folks in Texas commonly use solar powered electric fences to exclude cattle and allow deer access to plots. They typically use one strand about 20″ above the ground. However, if calves are present, two strands at 12″ and 24″ may be necessary. The best value in solar powered fences I’ve found is the Non-Typical Electric Fence. I use this to keep deer from over browsing small plots until I have time to hunt. Simply don’t use the outside strand and deer will readily use the plot while keeping cattle out.

Thanks for watching GrowingDeer.tv!

Grant

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Dan,

You are wise to seek counsel about burning before using that tool! I’ve never burned in Illinois – and am not sure what resources are available for private land there. Most states have a Forestry Commission (name varies a little state to state). They usually offer prescribed burn classes, workshops, and some states offer assistance.

Growing Deer together,

Grant

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This is the most frequently asked question I receive. However, it’s like asking what aircraft I use. I use a helicopter to count deer in the brush country of South Texas. However, a jet works much better to get me to clients’ properties in distant portions of the whitetails’ range. Both aircraft work, but are much better suited for different missions. Similarly many varieties of food plot crops will grow in different areas. However, specific crops should be selected based on a site-specific basis depending on the mission of plot, the soil type of the plot, budget, etc.  Throughout the year, the Growing Deer Team will frequently show and discuss what crops they use to establish specific food plots for specific missions (warm season, cool season, attractant, nutrition). As an example, I use forage soybeans from Eagle Seed for the last few years in plots where the mission is maximum warm season forage with great success. I use a different crop for small, attractant or cool season plots. My best advice to you in this limited space is to research several options and continue to watch here for more shows and tips on this exact subject!

Growing Deer together,

Grant

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Jared,

Thanks for the kind words and for watching GrowingDeer.tv!

I suspect the “ball” on the buck is a fibroma that has become detached from the skin.  You may wish to check out the information online at The Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks website.

If the deer is harvested and you find out something different, please let me know.

Growing Deer together,

Grant

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Michael,

The forage soybeans I referenced are produced by Eagle Seed.  It is a family owned business, and that family has been selecting soybean traits for literally 40+ years.

However, I’m not sure you should plant the Eagle forage soybeans within sight of a public road.  Deer find the Eagle Seed soybean forage and pods very attractive.  I suspect that may make the deer more visible — at least the corn provides some cover.  This is especially true during the early growth stages when the soybeans are 4’+ tall.

A cover crop that I frequently recommend for similar situations is Switchgrass.  Switchgrass provides great bedding/escape cover and typically stands all winter (even through snow and ice).  I plant it next to public roads so poachers can’t see and don’t wish to walk through it.

Growing Deer together,

Grant

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Ron,

I record the date, start and stop time of each hunt (morning and afternoon).  I record the time in military style so morning and afternoon are never confused.  I also record where I hunt based on a grid system, I don’t use stand names as stand names change from time to time.  I also record the number of bucks, does, fawns, and unidentified deer observed.  I differentiate between antlered bucks and male fawns.  I also am very careful to never assume!  If I can’t positively identify the deer, I list it as an unidentified.  Typically about 30% of the deer I observe are listed as unidentified.

I don’t record moon phase, temperature, etc,. as all of those data are available from the Nation Weather Service.  I find the basic information, such as I described above, is more useful than detailed information that doesn’t allow me to see the big picture.  On some of my research projects where I’m attempting to address specific questions, my staff and I collect additional data.

In addition to observation data, I collect harvest data (age, body weights, etc.).  I’m a huge fan of using trail camera surveys to monitor a herd’s population demographics.

Growing Deer together,

Grant

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Garry,

Food plot crop rotation is an excellent practice.  However, it is possible to plant corn in the same location multiple years in a row.  However, there is a much better chance of allowing the population of pests specific to that crop to increase significantly as their cycle is never broken by rotation crops.  In addition, different crops usually remove different micronutrients from the soil.  By growing the same crop at the same site year after year this will usually result in depletion of that micro nutrient.

Another consideration is if there is more corn being produced than the critters eat?  If so, it’s likely that deer in the local herd are not expressing their full antler or fawn production potential.

Growing Deer together,

Grant

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Larry,

Depending on the species of weeds, Glyphosate (the chemical name of Roundup) is probably the best option.  It usually works best if you use fire first to remove the duff (dead plant material) from the field (check out GDTV 20 for an overview of prescribed fire).  This allows the herbicide to make better contact with the fresh vegetation that will grow after the burn.  If a burn is not an option, mowing or even disking is the next best option.  No matter what option you select for preparation, it’s important to remember that Glyphosate is most effective when the new growth is relatively young and there is enough leaf surface area for the herbicide to make good contact with the plant.

Growing Deer together,

Grant

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Chad,

Thank you for your kind words!  There is a very detailed explanation of each variety of Eagle Seed beans on their website.  I use both Large Lad and Big Fellow per the recommendations on their site.  There are several good varieties of both white and red clovers.  I like clover varieties that put more energy into producing forage than stems.

Deer usually readily use the fruit from both apple and pear trees.  In fact, they readily consume most fruit that they have had experience consuming in the past.  Deer often take some time to learn to eat cultivars of fruit that they haven’t been exposed to previously.  However, by using different varieties of fruit, the tree plot may remain productive and attractive longer than when limiting the cultivars to apples and pears.

Growing Deer together,

Grant

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Colton,

There are many great broadheads on the market!  I prefer a fixed-blade design so the chance of failure is minimal.  More importantly, I insist that the broadheads I use are literally shaving sharp.  Broadheads kill deer by causing rapid blood loss.  Dull broadheads cause more trauma to deer and therefore deer instantly secrete a hormone that causes blood to clot.  Deer are much less likely to secrete this hormone when hit by a razor sharp broadhead.  To illustrate, think about how much you bleed when you hit your finger with a hammer (not much) versus how much you bleed from a simple paper cut.  Paper cuts don’t cause trauma — so our bodies don’t release the clotting hormone.

I shoot a Blackout Fixed-Blade Broadhead from Bass Pro.  I had great results on multiple mature bucks using that head last year (GDTV 45).

Growing Deer together,

Grant

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Pete,

Congratulations on owning your own Proving Grounds.  Crops are simply nutrient transfer agents that serve to transfer nutrients from the ground to the deer.  So the first step is to ensure there are ample nutrients in the soil by collecting a soil sample and having it analyzed at a good soil lab like Waters Ag.  Check out GDTV 71 for a refresher on how to properly collect and label a soil sample.

I prefer forage soybeans over other types of forage because they are relatively drought resistant, easy to establish and manage, and very nutritious to deer.  Few other crops produce quality forage throughout the entire growing season.  If you are far enough North, white clover works fairly well, but doesn’t usually do well in sandy soils and won’t produce nearly as much tonnage as Eagle Seed forage soybeans.

Thanks for watching GrowingDeer.tv and the kind words!

Growing Deer together,

Grant

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Justin,

I would try Eagle Seed forage soybeans.  They handle droughty conditions as well as any forage crop I’ve tried.  However, if there are a lot of deer in the area, the forage soybeans might be severely browsed in the smaller sized plots.  I use a food plot fence to protect the soybeans until they mature a bit and can handle browse a bit better.

Remember that all forage plants are simply nutrient transfer agents.  That is to say if the nutrients aren’t in the soil, the plants can’t transfer them to the deer.  That’s why one of the most important steps in establishing a food plot is to collect a soil sample and have it analyzed at a reputable lab like Waters Ag.

Growing Deer together,

Grant

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Dan,

I use prescribed fire, etc., to promote very good native vegetation at The Proving Grounds.  Most native vegetation is at peak production and palatability the same time clover is productive – during the spring green up period.  However, as the spring progresses and the temperatures warm and the amount of soil moisture decreases clover decreases in productivity and quality.  This time of year, soybeans usually provide much more tonnage and quality than clover.  So, I plant about 5% of my food plot acreage in clover and the remainder in soybeans and corn.  I usually plant 2/3rds of this acreage in soybeans and 1/3rd in corn as corn typically produces twice as much grain as soybeans.  This grain is critical to provide quality food during the winter or non-growing season months (again, when clover is unproductive).  Soybeans provide forage during the growing season and grain (their pods) during the non growing season, so they play a larger role in my deer food management program than corn.

Each property will have a different composition of native vegetation, neighboring ag fields, ratio of food plot acreage, etc.  However, the ratio of crops I described above is a good starting point that can be customized on a site-specific basis.

Growing Deer together,

Grant

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Greg,

That’s an interesting observation!  There is no way to positively identify what species made the tracks without seeing an image or very good description of the tracks.  However, based on the limited information, I would guess a bobcat.  Bobcats tend to walk in a very narrow path with each step placed almost exactly in front of the other.  In addition, they often stop frequently.  There are several good web sites that help identify tracks.

Growing Deer together,

Grant

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Joe,

My wife, daughters, and I really enjoy shed hunting!  Through the years, we’ve learned to spend most of our time looking in areas where deer feed and bed during January through March.  We also search the travel zones between the feeding and bedding areas.  Rodents (squirrels and mice), coyotes and other critters will consume sheds.  However, they usually don’t consume the entire shed, especially the larger ones.  These critters tend to chew on the points and less on the main beams.  The biggest factor to finding sheds is the number of sheds in the area.  Therefore, in areas where a higher percentage of bucks from the herd are harvested each year, there will obviously be fewer sheds to find.  If you and your family are actively passing bucks on your land to allow them to mature, you should have a good opportunity to find some sheds!

Growing Deer together,

Grant

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Martin,

There are no agricultural row crops (soybeans or corn) in the county where The Proving Grounds (where I live) is located.  The first year I planted soybeans, deer didn’t consume the bean forage or pods.  However, some brave deer apparently took a bite the next year and it was obvious when the local herd learned to consume the forage and pods.  I don’t know if this is the situation in your area.  I would be surprised if the local herd has been exposed to soybeans and didn’t consume them on your property unless they had a strong association with danger and the food plot location.  I would recommend you plant Eagle Seed soybeans again and use a Reconyx trail camera to monitor usage.  Another great tool is a utilization cage.  The cage won’t provide data of which deer are using the plot, but will confirm if the soybeans that are growing outside the cage are being consumed versus the beans that are protected from consumption inside the cage.

Growing Deer together,

Grant

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Robbie,

Eagle Seed forage soybeans have been shown by several universities to produce more tons of digestible, high quality forage than almost any other crop that deer prefer!  Deer consume the foliage during the summer and the bean pods during the winter.  It can truly be a 10 month per year crop!  However, deer find these soybeans so attractive, that small-sized plots can be over-browsed when the seedlings are young unless protected by an electric food plot fence.

The size of the plot that won’t need any protection depends on the number of deer in the area and the availability of other high quality foods.  If your food plot is large enough, I doubt you will find a better crop!

Growing Deer together,

Grant

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Rob,

If you have permission to hunt the hilltop where the deer prefer to travel, I would place a stand within range of that location.  Remember that being able to approach and leave the stand without alerting deer is just as important as the stand’s location.

If you don’t have permission to hunt the hilltop where the deer prefer to travel, can you determine why deer frequent that hill?  Is there a preferred food source there or nearby?  Is it close to a bedding area?  If so, can you create a better source of food or cover closer to your existing stand?  Deer usually seek out the best habitat features within their home range.  It seems there is something on the hill they frequent that is the most preferred source in their neighborhood.

Growing Deer together,

Grant

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Michelle,

That’s a huge buck and no doubt very mature.  There is lots of research that has shown some mature bucks rarely move during daylight hours.  This may be the behavior of the giant buck you are hunting.  I would attempt to limit human disturbance as much as possible to the area where you believe he is bedding and feeding.  I would only hunt this buck when conditions are favorable to the hunter (constant wind that favors the hunter, etc.).

Chances are you won’t see this buck much, so it’s critical that you are well practiced with your weapon of choice and all of your equipment is in perfect working order.  The personality of some bucks make them almost impossible to harvest as they are almost totally nocturnal, etc.  That’s okay, as the legendary bucks keep most of us inspired to keep hunting!

Growing Deer together,

Grant

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Doug,

I only spread lime on small plots (1/8th of an acre or so) by hand.  This still takes some time, but my spreader holds 50 pounds so I open the flow gauge up wide and spread each load quickly.  I think the effort is worth it as mature bucks readily use high quality forage in small plots that don’t receive much hunting pressure!

Growing Deer together,

Grant

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Shelby,

Deer seem to be attracted to whole shelled corn almost everywhere I work.  In fact, corn combined with a Trophy Rock is what I use to attract deer to camera sites when I do a camera survey for deer.  Even in areas where baiting is legal and mature bucks tend to avoid corn during the daytime because of hunting pressure, they visit the bait piles at night (a very good reason not to bait — as most deer rapidly learn to avoid bait during daytime).  If shelled corn doesn’t work, I suspect the buck you’re attempting to pattern has been conditioned to avoid bait.

I suggest you try a Trophy Rock, if legal in your area, or simply put the camera over scrapes.  During the few days just before the peak of breeding, bucks visit scrapes frequently.  Hence, scrapes can be a great location to capture images of a mature buck!

Growing Deer together,

Grant

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Dean,

Almost all apple trees should be pruned annually (during the dormant season).  They should be pruned significantly – enough that most folks squirm!  The specifics of how and how much to prune is very detailed.  The QDMA web site has some great articles about maintaining fruit trees.

Fruit trees are a crop, and benefit from being fertilized.  The blend and amount of fertilizer depends on the local soils and types of trees.

As I work throughout the whitetails’ range, I realize that different species of plants are often referred to by the same name.  So “prickers” could mean blackberries, hawthorns, multi-flora roses, hedge trees, etc.  However, in general deer may consume “prickers” during some portion of the year.  This is usually when the plants are young or have fresh growth during the early spring. The species you are referring to may be consumed by deer, but will not be enough to provide a high quality diet by itself.

Growing Deer together,

Grant

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Jeff,

I like to use as many Reconyx trail cameras as practical given time and budget constraints.  The Proving Grounds (my place) is 1,500 acres and I try to use one camera per 100 acres when doing an official camera survey and I continue using them to scout with throughout the season.  Using rechargeable batteries has greatly reduced my operating costs!  I have other projects where we “leap frog” cameras as we don’t have a camera per 100 acres.  We get usable data, but not as good as using a camera per 100 acres simultaneously.

Growing Deer together,

Grant

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Zack,

Some deer do stay within a few miles of where they were born and others move many miles.  There are several factors that determine if and how far a deer disperses from its place of birth.  Male fawns are usually forced to disperse from their mother’s home range.  If the doe dies before it is time for the male fawn to disperse, he tends to remain in the same area where he was born.  This is one advantage of harvesting does!

If the doe is alive and she forces the young male to disperse, the distance he will travel is influenced by the quality of the habitat, the local deer herd density, predator population, and several other factors.  As biologists learn more about deer by using GPS collars and other neat tools, we are discovering that deer are like humans in that each one is a unique individual.  The averages often quoted for home range size, distance of dispersal, etc., rarely closely represent a large percentage of the population due to the individual nature of deer.

Growing Deer together,

Grant

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David,

Mature bucks can be difficult to pattern.  I use Reconyx trail cameras to determine where deer are moving at night, then I use my knowledge of the area to predict where the mature buck will bed during the day.  I call this connecting the dots.  Based on this information, I locate stands in between the dots (travel zones).  Once a pattern is suspected, I limit my disturbance to the area and wait until the wind and other factors are to my advantage before hunting that buck.  I think that successfully patterning a mature buck is as much fun as harvesting one.

Growing (and patterning) Bucks together,

Grant

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TJ,

Are you referring to the crop – the white sack above the breast?  If so, what shape was the iron?  If small, they were probably picking it up as grit.  Turkeys ingest grit daily and the grit passes to the gizzard and is used to grind up food.  The grit basically serves as their teeth.

Growing Deer together,

Grant

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David,

Prescribed fire is a great tool, but it can also be dangerous and even deadly. I helped combat a wildfire recently that was started by folks attempting to do a prescribed fire that didn’t have sufficient training, knowledge, or equipment. You are wise to seek assistance!

Many state and federal agencies provide workshops for prescribed fire planning and implementation. Some states require participants to be certified before they can help with prescribed fire. I’m not sure what the policy is in Arkansas, but a call to your local county or forestry extension office should provide you with the correct information and hopefully an opportunity for training! Don’t dare drop a match without help or adequate training!

Growing Deer together,

Grant

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Owen,

I lived in north Georgia and South Carolina for several years and hunted the national forest lands in the mountains. It was great turkey hunting but a very difficult place to pattern deer.  The same is true in the Ozark Mountains where I grew up (and currently live).  Without habitat improvement, deer rarely have distinct patterns and certainly rarely use trails in such areas.  This is because food sources and bedding areas are not defined in contrast to the ag production areas of the Midwest.  However, I would spend the bulk of my time scouting, looking for fresh sign and general travel routes.  Within these travel routes I would concentrate on bottlenecks such as steep saddles in the mountains or bluffs that force deer to travel within a specific area.  Once these areas are located, they will provide quality hunting unless the deer sense the danger and change their patterns.

If you can successfully harvest deer regularly in the mountains of Georgia on public land, you can be a successful deer hunter anywhere!

Growing (and hunting) Deer together,

Grant

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Kermit,

I select stand locations based on how much hunting pressure occurs in the area.  If there are food sources that aren’t frequently hunted, then deer may come to them well before dark!  If that’s the case, then placing stands overlooking or near the food source is a good option for afternoon hunts.  If the food sources tend to get pressured, deer likely won’t approach the field until after dark.  In this situation, it’s best to place the stands between the food and the likely bedding areas.

I almost always opt for stands closer to bedding areas in the morning as the deer will likely be close to the food sources just before daylight and if I attempt to approach that area I will spook the deer.

The bottom line is that I prefer to place stands where I can access them without spooking the deer.  This means I’m approaching and leaving the stand at time when the deer are not close to that location.

Growing (and hunting) Deer together,

Grant

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Brett,

Quality bedding cover for deer is cover that is thick from 0-3′ high and open above 3′.  It needs to be on south facing slopes if it is to be used during the winter.  If it is to be used during the summer it needs to have a partial canopy for shade and be on a north facing slope.  The size of the bedding area is also important.  Deer will use small areas (an acre or two in size) if that’s the largest block around, but prefer larger blocks so predators have difficulty isolating them.  I usually create bedding areas that are at least 10 acres or larger.

In addition to creating bedding areas, I make them sanctuaries.  That is I stay out of them except during the spring to shed hunt or to recover a shot deer during season.

Growing Deer together,

Grant

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Matt,

There is a good book available through the Quality Deer Management Association about the restocking of white-tailed deer throughout their range.  The authors collected records from most states, including Missouri, to document the sources of deer used to restock and how many were released.  It seems there are gads and gads of stories about the fabulous restocking effort, but the book by the Quality Deer Management Association is the best collection of accurate information on the subject that I’m aware of.  Most of the deer restocked in Missouri were from remnant populations in Missouri.  In fact, they restocked 2,292 deer trapped from within Missouri and 356 from Michigan and Minnesota.  There were most likely some unrecorded events of citizens moving deer as well.

It is interesting that deer in northern Missouri were mainly stocked from existing populations in southern Missouri.  The large difference observed now between body and antler development in northern Missouri compared to southern Missouri is simply the vast difference in land use practices (ag crops in the central and northern counties compared to predominate timber and fescue pasture in the southern counties).  Deer in most counties south of I-44 simply can’t express their potential because of the low quality food available in this area.

Growing Deer together,

Grant

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Jonathan,

The frequency at which to check a trail camera without spooking the local deer depends on where the trail camera is located.  If it’s in a bedding area one trip is too much!  That’s why I never locate trail cameras in areas where I want to hunt or bedding areas.  Doing so would simply condition deer to avoid the area during daylight.  I prefer to set trail cameras in areas that are relatively open and easy to access (a few steps from a road, trail, etc.).  I get the images/data and then figure out where to hunt.  I rarely place a stand close to a trail camera location as deer are conditioned to avoid that area during daylight hours.

Growing Deer together,

Grant

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James,

The size of the plot necessary to produce soybeans is dependent on the number of deer locally, the productivity of the plot, and alternate food sources such as the quality of native browse in the area.  I do a lot of prescribed fire and have fairly high quality native browse.  The quality of the native browse at The Proving Grounds peaks about the time when the forage soybeans at my place are germinating, there is plenty of food and deer don’t decimate the beans during the critical stage of their development.  I have 53 acres of appropriately fertilized food plots and about 500 acres of productive native browse/cover areas in the 1,500 acres of The Proving Grounds. However, the neighboring properties are mainly unmanaged hardwoods and fescue pasture.  There is no row crop ag within counties of me.  So I provide the quality forage for all the deer in the neighborhood.  The ratio of plots to total acreage to produce quality deer will be more or less at different areas depending on the production of each plot and land use practices on the neighboring properties.  If the deer density is high and there are many other quality food sources when the soybeans are germinating, then plots even an acre or more in size would need to be protected with an electric fence to allow them to mature enough to not be damaged by browse pressure.

Growing Deer together,

Grant

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Kevin,

Fawns in deer herds with access to good nutrition will reach puberty (approximately 70 pounds) in Georgia before and during the opening of the spring turkey season.  The female fawns that reach their first estrous cycle during that time of year cause the bucks to express rutting behavior.  Rutting behavior rarely occurs this time of year in areas without ag crops or good food plots.

I’m not sure about the timing of rubs on your property.  It could be that bucks are shifting their range a bit and more bucks are present on your property during January.  This could be caused by local farmers harvesting their crops and your food plots are providing the best food in the neighborhood during that time of year.

Growing Deer together,

Grant

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Weston,

I plant when the soil temperature at two inches deep is 60 degrees at 9:00 AM.  9:00 AM is usually when the soil temperature is the coldest throughout the day.  Soybeans germinate and grow rapidly at this temperature.  They will germinate when it is warmer, however, warmer temperatures result in more soil moisture evaporation and lack of moisture rapidly stresses seedlings.

I plan to plant my Eagle Seed forage soybeans during the next 10 days or so, depending on weather.

Growing Deer together,

Grant

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Bryan,

Thank you for the kind words!  It sounds as if you have a good deer management program started!  You are correct that providing quality food is a good tool for minimizing the home range size of deer.  The biggest change I would suggest to your program would be to plant forage soybeans rather than the warm season blend you described.  Deer may consume some of the varieties you described, but none of them produce as much tonnage of quality forage as forage soybeans.  In addition, soybeans are relatively easy to establish and maintain.

I’m not sure I understood correctly, but it sounds as if you are mixing soil samples from all your plots and then submitting one sample to the lab.  If that’s the case, I strongly suggest you watch GDTV #71 about how to collect and label soil samples.  I think it will clearly explain a better system to help you produce better crops and better deer!

Growing Deer together,

Grant

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David,

Congratulations on owning land!  I would start by analyzing what critical elements of deer habitat (food, cover, and water) are the most limited in availability on the surrounding properties.  From your note, it sounds like there is plenty of cover (clear cuts) and water (creeks and lakes) in the surrounding area.  However, you didn’t mention any cultivated food?  If there is no food except native browse in the area, then I would start by establishing food plots with high quality forage.  Deer are very selective foragers and will readily use the best forage within their home range.  From what I know about your neighborhood, adding high quality forage may be the best way to make sure the local deer spend a disproportionate amount of time on your property.

Growing Deer together,

Grant

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Wil,

Although phragmites is a very invasive weed, it does provide great bedding cover.  Deer prefer to bed in habitat similar to phragmites.  I doubt by hinge cutting some trees, you will change where deer bed in your area.  If the phragmites are controlled (by using specific herbicides), the deer might rapidly adapt to the next most suitable bedding cover.  On the other hand, if closed-canopy forest was the only cover type within the home range of those deer, they would readily adapt to using the hinged cut trees for cover.

If you do opt to hinge cut for the purpose of developing ground-level cover, you should burn first, then hinge cut.  The timing of fire is more important than the timing of hinge-cutting most trees.  Please always use caution when using prescribed fire!

Growing Deer together,

Grant

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Pat,

Thank you for the kind words!  I believe it is illegal to place any mineral supplement or bait for deer in Illinois (always check the local regulations).

Growing Deer together,

Grant

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Tom,

I’m not aware of an effective herbicide for controlling bamboo.  This is especially true for the varieties that spread by runners.  The American Bamboo Society has more detailed information on their web site.

Growing Deer together,

Grant

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Jamie,

I had the same experience when I first planted soybeans at The Proving Grounds!  There are no soybeans within a couple of counties in any direction of me, and during the first two years I planted soybeans I couldn’t tell that a single leaf had been removed by deer.  Now they readily consume them.  Deer certainly can and will learn to consume new forage types.  It’s up to the landowner to decide if the variety of forage he is planting has enough benefit to weather the duration of the learning process.  I felt (and still do) that Eagle Seed Forage Soybeans were so productive and high in nutritive value that weathering the learning process was well worth the wait!

Growing Deer together,

Grant

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Viney,

Unfortunately there are gads of neighborhoods throughout the whitetails’ range that are overpopulated.  Residents go from liking to see an occasional deer to some of the residents hating deer.  It is sad when deer are left unmanaged and then become hated.  They are beautiful creatures and deserve respect and to be appropriately managed.  I’m not aware of any group that will move deer.  Deer are owned by the state (unless part of a captive herd) and can only be moved, harvested, etc., by special permit issued by the governing state agency.  Problems similar to yours have been faced for years and the only solution to date is to harvest the excess deer.  There are several major metropolitan areas that accomplish this by hosting archery only hunts.  These hunts are strongly regulated, and often the hunters must qualify by taking a safety and proficiency test.  If you and your neighbors wish to address the problem I’m very confident this is the only route.  You may wish to contact the regional Missouri Department of Conservation office and seek addition counsel since this would be a state/local jurisdiction sanctioned event.

Whatever you do, don’t allow the neighborhood to lose respect for a beautiful part of God’s creation.  The deer are not at fault.

Growing Deer together,

Grant

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Shane,

I usually start by identifying if food, water, or cover is the most limiting factor in the neighborhood.  I do this by combining information gathered from using Google Earth and driving around the neighborhood.  If one of these critical habitat elements is limited in availability, I begin by establishing that resource on the property I’m managing.  I also attempt to determine the amount of hunting pressure locally, and how that might impact deer activity in the neighborhood.  I also insure when I hunt the property, my approach to the stand doesn’t alert deer to my presence.  That often means approaching using a non-direct route such as walking the border 1/2 way around the property so I can approach with the wind in my face.  Don’t forget that the smaller the property, the more critical sanctuaries may be.  Deer need an area where they always feel secure.  By providing this on your land, deer are more likely to spend the days on your property.  Having deer present on your property during daylight hours is a huge advantage!

Growing Deer together,

Grant

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Jim,

Thank you for the kind words!  It seems there are new herbicides and new combinations of herbicides annually!  A great resource is “A Guide to Successful Wildlife Food Plots” by Dr. Craig Harper that is available at QDMA’s online store.  I primarily use glyphosate (the active ingredient in Roundup) as I plant mainly Roundup Ready soybeans and corn.  If you plant a wider variety of crops, I think Craig’s book will be a great resource.

Growing Deer (and learning) together,

Grant

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Colin,

Several states have some great mule deer hunting opportunities, but generally there is a draw process to receive a tag.  Nevada has some exceptional opportunities, but the chance of drawing for a non-resident is very slim.  There are some great mulies in western Kansas, but tags are mainly limited to residents.  Kansas has a great walk-in program on private lands.

Growing Deer together,

Grant

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Stan,

I burn approximately a third of The Proving Grounds annually.  The percentage varies based on weather and other factors.  The correct prescribed fire program for a pine plantation would depend on the type of pines, the age of the stands, other management activities such as herbicide and fertilizer, and the management objective.  I would mislead you by offering a simple answer.  Prescribed fire is a great tool when used appropriately, but can be extremely damaging and/or dangerous if misapplied.  If you work with a consulting forester, they may be able to offer you site-specific advice.

Growing Deer together,

Grant

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Phil,

In the areas where I work, there always seems to be a spring, or some source of water that is not frozen.  I’m not sure if all the water sources at a specific location freeze if deer will consume snow, but I suspect they would.  Deer, and other critters, also will break through ice with their paws to get to water.  Once the water source is opened, it would be easier to reopen daily.  With deer surviving in areas of Canada where winter conditions are severe and prolonged, deer obviously can survive in much harsher conditions than what I experience at The Proving Grounds!  At least we have several months where mosquitoes are not a factor!

Growing Deer together,

Grant

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Kasey,

I’ve also heard of buck, doe, and fawn bedding areas.  However, I have no idea how to create gender-specific bedding area.  In areas where bucks receive more hunting pressure than does, they tend to bed in areas with thicker cover.  However, in areas where the harvest pressure is even, I’ve never noticed a difference between the characteristics of a buck or doe bedding area.  Bucks will typically be more solitary than doe/fawn groups.  I’ve certainly never noticed fawns bedding in different areas than does once the fawn is mobile and able to follow the doe.  I’m skeptical of these claims, but am willing to learn if anyone wishes to share!

Growing Deer together,

Grant

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Tracy,

Hunting pressure can be a deterrent to daytime deer activity.  It’s a given that many hunters will hunt very near the food plots.  However, it’s often worth walking the extra distance to get away from where most hunter activity is located.  In addition, consider when and where the bulk of the hunters will be moving and consider using that disturbance to predict where and when deer will be moving.  There are many great hunting opportunities on public land.  With a little scouting of both deer and fellow hunters, you and your son should be enjoying some successful hunts!

Growing Deer together,

Grant

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Bob,

Daytime deer activity is strongly influenced by daytime temperatures everywhere, but especially in the South.  I’ve had some great hunts, and some total bust hunting during mid to late October in South Carolina (I lived there for many years).  I realize this doesn’t help you plan vacation days.  However, weather is a huge factor that influences daytime deer activity.

Growing Deer together,

Grant

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Nolan,

Most forage crops don’t do well when their feet are wet.  White or ladino clover is about as tolerant of moist soils as any food plot crop that I’m aware of.  Food plots that are oriented east and west will receive more sun and evaporation than those oriented north and south.  By ensuring the plot receives as much sun as practical each day will help remove some of the excess moisture.

Growing Deer together,

Grant

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Dave,

I’m not aware of any research that reports which side deer shed first.

From bucks I’ve watched in captivity, I’ve never noticed a bias for shedding the left or right antler first.  I strongly suspect your observations are coincidental.  Keep looking and you will probably find the other sheds from those bucks.

Growing Deer together,

Grant

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Logan,

Bucks need food, cover, and water.  A great technique is to use one of the free mapping services like Google Earth on the internet and study where sources of food, cover, and water are located in your neighborhood.  If any of these critical habitat components are missing, such as high quality food, then attempt to establish that where you hunt.  Remember that deer would rather survive than eat, sleep, or drink, so be very careful how you approach your hunting location.  Always try to have the wind in your face, even if you have to walk around the border of the property and then enter to your stand from the backside.  Being able to approach a stand without spooking deer is as important as the stand’s location.

Growing (and hunting) Deer together,

Grant

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Joe,

Deer don’t really digest any foods.  They ingest the food, and then bacteria in their rumen (gut) digest the foods.  These populations of bacteria are somewhat specific to the type of food they breakdown.  For example, if deer haven’t had access to corn, the bacteria that digest starching foods will significantly decrease in population.  If a deer ingests a lot of corn while the appropriate bacteria populations are low, the corn can’t be digested and the deer will die with a tummy full of corn.

If the deer haven’t been consuming corn, then either don’t start or start feeding only very small amounts.  The deer will literally have to grow the appropriate bacteria before gaining any benefit from the corn.

Growing Deer together,

Grant

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Dan,

Wow – sounds like some great hunting on your farm last season!!  Congratulations!

Clover is easily established using the frost seeding method (GDTV 68).  However, alfalfa rarely can be established as well using that technique.  Alfalfa germinates best when there is a firm seedbed and very good seed to soil contact.  This is rarely the case when frost seeding.

Chicory is a softer seed and often will crack or rot before germinating when planted when frosts are still occurring.  To establish a good stand of either alfalfa or chicory, you will need to either till or use a no-till drill once the soil temperatures warm up a bit.  Many counties rent no-till drills so be sure and check with the local county extension or NRCS office.

As I write this, there is snow covering portions of Pennsylvania.  I’ve established great stands of clover by spreading it directly into late season snows and letting the seed be placed by the melting snow.

Growing Deer (and crops) together,

Grant

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Tom,

I’ve planted all of those varieties of Eagle Seed forage soybeans at that latitude with great success!!  There is a great description of each variety/blend on their website.  I think you will be amazed at the production of Eagle Seed’s forage soybeans.

Growing Deer together,

Grant

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Ty,

I’ve had my best results establishing switchgrass following a crop of Roundup Ready soybeans.  The Roundup Ready soybeans add nitrogen to the soil and allow weeds to be controlled.  The following spring, I simply use Roundup to remove any weeds and no-till the switchgrass seed into the weedless field.  Corn uses most of the available nitrogen, and therefore the switchgrass will be slow to become established and allow more weeds to develop.

Growing Deer together,

Grant

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John,

The 12 acres is only 1.7% of the property in food plots.  If the remainder of the property is closed canopy forest, then clover might be the best option.  Do the existing plots receive a lot of browse pressure?  If so, more palatable crops such as forage soybeans would most likely be over browsed unless they were protected by a food plot fence.

I have used a no-till drill to seed brassicas into an existing clover stand.  This technique works well if the clover is dormant from drought conditions.  The brassicas will struggle if the clover is lush and blocking the sun from reaching the soil.

No matter what you plant, it’s critical the crops are as productive as possible given the food plot to timber ratio.  I recommend you do a soil test annually and request the lab base their recommendations on a maximum yield.

Finally, I also recommend using a utilization cage in each plot so production versus utilization can be compared.

Growing Deer together,

Grant

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Todd,

I’m not a rye grass fan.  However, heavily fertilized rye grass is more attractive and will provide more nutrition to deer than fescue.  Given that you want something that looks like turf that deer will consume, rye grass is a viable option.  If it was my yard, I’d plant soybeans, make the deer happy and let the neighbors worry about their own yard.  Obviously, I’m more of food plot guy than a yard guy — just ask my wife.

Growing Deer (and relationships) together,

Grant

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Brady,

Roundup Ready alfalfa is not labeled (not legal) to plant for wildlife consumption.  This has nothing to do with Roundup being toxic to wildlife, but rather Monsanto did not pay for research to get the government to label the product for wildlife consumption.

I don’t like alfalfa as a food plot crop.  All varieties of alfalfa require intensive management to be productive.  I like hunting near alfalfa that farmers establish and maintain.  However, it requires more equipment and work than I and most food plot farmers can expend.

Growing Deer together,

Grant

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John,

You can use Slay on those varieties of clover.  However, you may find very similar chemistry in ag stores that are priced much more reasonably, depending on local supplies.

Growing Deer together,

Grant

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Greg,

I’m glad you phrased your question by starting with “on average…”  Each buck is an individual just like humans.  For example, I was the tallest kid in my first grade class.  However, I didn’t even make the freshman basketball team.  Different individuals (human or deer) will express their growth potential at different ages.  However, Mississippi State published the following data years ago that represents the average amount of antler growth potential expressed by several bucks in their research program.

I suspect the trends would apply to free-ranging, wild herds as well.  There is no doubt about it, allowing bucks to mature to at least four years of age will allow most bucks to express more of their antler growth potential.

Growing Deer together,

Grant

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Ryan,

Thank you for the kind words!  I also plant soybeans with a no-till drill and use a 7.5″ spacing.  This actually gives each bean more room around the plant and allows for better utilization of sun, fertilizer, and soil moisture.  This spacing is not good for a typical combine, but is great for four-legged combines (deer) that I want to harvest the crop!

Growing Deer together,

Grant

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Danny,

Thank you for your kind words!  The soybeans in that episode were Eagle Seed forage soybeans — the Large Lad variety.  Eagle Seed is the only soybean breeder that I’m aware of that sells group 7 (live until it frosts) forage soybeans that produce as much tonnage of forage and tremendous pod production as well.  They’ve literally won forage production tests at several universities.  Simply stated, they are a private company that has been family owned for 40+ years and no other soybean breeder has created such great quality forage soybeans.  Eagle Seed is literally decades ahead in selecting traits that make them the ultimate forage crop!

Growing Deer together,

Grant

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Kable,

Unfortunately, I don’t accept jaws to age.  If I did, I would receive literally 1,000’s through the mail.  I hope there is a good biologist close to you that can provide an accurate estimate.  There are gads of good illustrations and descriptions about how to age deer using their lower jaw online.  One such source is the University of Missouri Extension.

Growing Deer together,

Grant

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Greg,

Without clear pictures, I can only assume based on the description provided.  Bobcats typically place their paws very close together and their hunting style often includes stopping frequently.  My best guess would be the critter was a bobcat.  Were the tracks more circular?  If so, that also indicates the critter was a bobcat.  Most other predator tracks are more oblong or even rectangular.

Growing Deer together,

Grant

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Brad,

Deer will eat almost anything if they are hungry enough and nothing else is available.  However, there are much better forage options in most areas than any variety of grass.  Deer simply don’t have the correct bacteria in their gut to digest grass as efficiently as cattle.  The grass would simply act as a competitor to the cowpeas — competing for water and nutrients that the much more preferred forage could use.

Growing Deer together,

Grant

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Floyd,

Lablab is an annual legume somewhat similar to soybeans.  It usually doesn’t produce as much tonnage as Eagle Seed forage soybeans (selected specifically for high quality forage production).  It is also more fickle to establish (soil temperature, etc.) and weed control is tougher because lablab is not Roundup Ready.  For these reasons and more, I prefer forage soybeans as an annual legume for food plots.

Growing Deer together,

Grant

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Bobby,

Most folks that attempt to use genetic testing to match sheds (bones, etc.) remove a small amount (the dust from a drilling a small hole) from the bases.  The most recent cost I was quoted for such research was about $65.00 per sample.  The samples must be collected, labeled, and shipped appropriately so the lab can process them efficiently.

Growing (and researching) Deer together,

Grant

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Colin,

Thank you for the kind words!  I think the key to being successful in any field is to have a passion for the line of work and seek the best information and training to prepare.  To be a wildlife biologist that focuses on deer management, I strongly suggest you find ways through internships, volunteering, etc., to gain experience and make relationships with practicing deer managers.  I consider gaining experience just as important as the coursework associated with obtaining a degree.  One without the other will leave some gaps in your preparation.  I’ve addressed different aspects of this before and those comments can be found by searching the Ask Grant and blog entries on this site.

I look forward to working with you someday soon!

Grant

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Thomas,

In general the healthier bucks are the longer they will carry their antlers through winter.  I’ve seen bucks that haven’t shed during mid-April.  It sounds like you were blessed to observe a very healthy buck!  Bucks that don’t have enough quality food or that have been injured will typically shed much earlier during the winter.

Growing Deer together,

Grant

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Ryan,

A heavy load of the sciences (biology, botany, forestry and wildlife) are a given.  However, it seems many students that desire to enter the wildlife field don’t realize the amount of writing and oral communication necessary to be effective.  I strongly suggest you, through course work or practice, attempt to become a very effective written and oral communicator.  I am very confident communication skills will improve your life no matter the profession you choose.

Growing Deer together

Grant

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Evan,

Wow, that’s a neat observation!  I doubt anyone can explain exactly what happened to that buck. However, in general, bucks shed when their body conditions drops below a certain threshold (release of antlers is caused by a change in hormone levels).  The buck was obviously not in prime condition during late winter.  As to exactly what happened, I doubt we will ever know.  Some theories would include he shed and was coincidentally killed by a predator or was injured which caused him to shed and was trying to find cover in a brush pile and died from his injuries.  Again, these are simply theories!

Growing Deer together,

Grant

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Bob,

Cover crops are extremely valuable tools.  In fact, there is a new field of study of cover crops.  Different crops provide different values such as extracting more nutrients from deep in the soil to fracturing hard pans.

Unfortunately, some of the cover crops are not palatable to deer, especially during the summer months.  One that I like to use up north is buckwheat.  Buckwheat is an annual flower forage crop that deer readily consume.  Any portions that are not consumed can be tilled back into the soil as a source of organic matter.  Soybean forage also makes great organic matter.  For this purpose, it is not necessary that the plants produce pods.  This is a great application for rapid growing Eagle Seed forage soybeans.  Their aggressive growth will provide lots of quality organic matter during a short timeframe.  However, they may need to be protected with an electric fence in a plot that is 1/2 acre in size.

Remember that even cover crops need fertilizer to express their growth potential.  This is especially true if the cover crop is to double as a source of forage for deer.  Make sure to have the soil tested at a reputable lab, I use Waters Ag, and apply lime and fertilizer as recommended for the crop.  You can inform the lab that you will be planting buckwheat followed by brassicas for a custom recommendation.

Growing Deer together,

Grant

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Neil,

I’ve addressed several questions about becoming a wildlife biologist.  You might check out my answer to Getting Involved and use the search feature to find more answers.  I strongly believe that most folks can be successful at any occupation that they are passionate about.  That doesn’t mean entering or advancing in that occupation will be easy or profitable.  You should know that passion about hunting is not the same as passion about being a wildlife biologist.  The two certainly complement each other.  However, many wildlife biologists (including myself) spend more time helping other hunters and landowners than we do hunting.  My strongest suggestion for you would be to spend a summer as an intern with a wildlife biologist that works in a specific area of your choosing.  Spending a summer, even on a volunteer basis, is much less expensive in terms of dollars and time, then finding out that being a wildlife biologist was a bad choice.  I believe that internships or similar programs are extremely beneficial to folks deciding which career path to take.  I volunteered a summer through the Student Conservation Organization when I was a junior in college.  I worked for the Bureau of Land Management at the Elko, Nevada District.  I was only paid $25 per week and provided a small trailer for living quarters.  It was a fabulous experience.  My best counsel for you is to do an internship and see what being a wildlife biologist is really like before making a decision for your degree program.

Designing studies that provide meaningful results takes a bit of time.  Please take time to consider the question (hypothesis) you wish to address and be honest about all the variables that may impact the results.  Probably the biggest flaw in most studies is not accounting for all the sources of variability.  Results without understanding the variables often lead to erroneous conclusions.

Growing Deer together,

Grant

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Dan,

Thank you for the kind words!  All of the past episodes of GrowingDeer.tv are available on the website.  Simply click on the word “videos” on the top navigation bar.  You can find past episodes by topic, or review all the past episodes on this page.

Growing Deer together,

Grant

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Brandon,

Eagle Seed soybeans will remain green and growing much later in the fall than most production beans.  That’s positive for most hunters in most situations because once the local production beans turn brown the deer tend to find the Eagle Seed soybeans very attractive.  However, if the local deer population is high, then the beans could be damaged by excessive browsing in a small plot.  The ultimate design in the situation you described is to use a food plot protection fence and protect the Eagle Seed forage soybeans until you wish to hunt.  Then open the gate and allow deer access to the beans.  If there are any pods left, the plot would be very attractive to turkeys the following spring.

I have the same concern about turnips if the local deer population is high.  Once deer decide turnips are palatable, they can remove the forage and bulbs in just a few days in the situation you described.  The forage varieties of Eagle Seed soybeans have been consistently shown to produce five tons or more of forage per acre in university trials.  That’s not counting the pod production.  So, if a food plot protection fence is used it’s tough to find another forage that will provide that much green forage during the early bow season plus 2,600 pounds (at a production of 40 bushels per acre) of high quality grain during the winter.  For comparison, wheat produces 1,200 to 1,600 pounds of digestible forage per acre.  Given this, it’s easy to see why deer populations are higher and in better health in ag production areas versus non-ag areas.

Growing Deer together,

Grant

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Matt,

Yes, some forms of commercial fertilizer are acidic.  However, nutrients must be in the soil for plants to transfer them to deer.  So fertilizer and enough lime are added to insure nutrients are available in the soil and the soil’s pH is balanced at about 6.5.  By adding enough lime, the acidic qualities of the fertilizer are more than neutralized.

This is a perfect example of why soil tests are so important — the results of a soil test provides accurate information of how much fertilizer and lime is necessary to create a healthy environment for the specific crop to be planted.

Adding lime and fertilizer is always a balancing act!

Growing Deer together,

Grant

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Josh,

I use 1/3 gas (at max!!) and 2/3 diesel.  Make sure you don’t use more than 1/3 gas as it can be extremely explosive!  Also, make sure the drip torch has a backflow control (usually a 360 in the spout).

Growing Deer together,

Grant

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Paul,

The trick in finding shed antlers is knowing where he is spending most of his time during antler casting season.  After the breeding season this is in two primary locations – bedding and feeding areas.  Find these locations by looking for fresh scat and tracks, which is easier than ever since nothing is growing.  I also keep my trail cameras out over heavily used food plots so I can see when individual bucks are shedding their antlers, narrowing down when/where I should be searching.  Once these areas are located it’s just a matter of searching and sometimes researching likely areas.

My wife, Tracy, has been training a lab puppy to search for antlers.  The mineral content in antlers is unique among bones.  A dog’s nose is much better than human eyes, so if you get serious about finding sheds, consider training a dog as they will cover much more ground and most folks really enjoy watching a trained dog work.

Growing Deer together,

Grant

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Rodney,

The quickest and most cost effective method to protect quality forage from being browsed by cattle is to use a Gallagher Electric Fence.  Usually a single or double strand of electric wire or tape powered by a solar charger will easily exclude cattle but allow adult deer to simply jump the fence.  This is different from a food plot protection fence where a single strand is placed three feet in front of a second row of fence with two stands.  Using Gallagher fencing, food plots can be established anywhere within the cattle pasture that provides an advantage to the crop and/or hunter.

This technique has been used and refined in Texas and other states where cattle have access to most of the properties.

Growing Deer together,

Grant

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Andrew,

The Proving Grounds is simply too rocky for chufa, which does best in loose soil conditions.  Some of my clients that are die-hard turkey managers do use chufa as part of their program.  The National Wild Turkey Federation has some good information about establishing and maintaining chufa.  Check out their website or contact one of their regional biologists.

Growing Deer together,

Grant

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Ben,

Deer, like humans, can mature at different rates.  For example, I was the tallest kid in my fifth grade class.  By my freshman year in high school, I wasn’t close to being the tallest in my class.  The same trend is true with deer.  Most follow an average growth and maturation rate.  However, some will express more of their antler growth potential early and some will blossom late in life.  On average, wild, free-ranging deer have expressed most of their antler growth potential by the time they reach six years of age.  However, there are many factors such as weather conditions, wounds, etc., that can cause an individual buck to express more or less of his antler growth potential during any given year.  I hope in 2011 this buck will express more of his antler growth potential.

Growing Deer together,

Grant

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Chris,

To my knowledge glyphosate hasn’t been a problem with turkeys.  Glyphosate is the active ingredient in Roundup, which is used to kill weeds in Roundup Ready crops, like corn and soybeans.  Roundup Ready crops have dominated the agricultural market for the past couple of decades yet turkeys are still thriving.  From personal experience on The Proving Grounds my turkey population has grown tremendously since I began incorporating glyphosate and Roundup Ready crops into my food plot program.

Growing Deer together,

Grant

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Brooke,

Great question!  As a matter of fact, yes.  At least if you call the upcoming shed hunt “hunting.” You are welcome to join us on March 18-20^th for the 2^nd Annual Shed Hunt to roam The Proving Grounds in search of antlers.

All other “hunting” on The Proving Grounds is reserved for my family and close friends.  Almost everyone in my family enjoys hunting which is a huge blessing but keeps me busy!

Growing Deer together,

Grant

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Barry,

I am sorry to hear that hogs have reached your property.  They can wreak havoc.  The most effective method of reducing hog numbers is trapping.  I strongly recommend you attempt to limit the hogs with a very aggressive plan.  This will be much less expensive than the damage they will cause.  This requires setting up a large trap (fenced in area with a gate) that allows a group to fit within.  There are gads of setups out there.  The second recommendation is to never let any leave alive.  Hogs are highly intelligent animals and quick to learn.

In addition to trapping always take the opportunity to remove any you see while hunting or working on the property.  I’ve worked on properties in that part of the world that removed over 180+ hogs per year and they kept on coming.  So buckle down and be prepared for a long road ahead.  I consider wild hogs extremely damaging to native habitat and critters.  I dispatch each one I can.

Growing Deer together,

Grant

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Stephen,

Good observation, I have planted corn mixed with soybeans in the past.  However, after digging deep in the available research I have found that rotating corn and soybeans instead of mixing them provides better results.  Two of the primary reasons are parasites and disease.  In particular, whenever a crop, say corn, is planted in a food plot year after year the parasites and disease that accompany corn start to build up to a point that they begin to negatively affect yield.  By doing a rotation and planting soybeans instead of corn on some years the corn specific parasites and disease levels quickly fall off.  After a year or two the corn can then be replanted in the food plot with little loss in yield due to these factors.

At minimum, it’s best to split the field and plant half in corn and the other half in soybeans, then rotate the location of each crop the following year.

Growing Deer together,

Grant

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Jay,

It sounds like there is currently no water on your property.  I would recommend providing water on your property to lower the need for deer to be traveling across other properties to get a drink, especially if the urge to drink is during the hunting season.  Water sources don’t have to be large.  The goal is to provide water throughout the year.  In most situations, a few thousand gallons is all that is needed.  I typically establish ponds that are three feet deep at the deepest and about 30’ or less in circumference.  These small ponds, when located in areas with good cover, can be fabulous hunting locations!  I use liners to get the ponds to hold water if the soil at the desired site doesn’t have enough clay content.

Growing Deer together,

Grant

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Wesley,

Thank you for the kind words!  I typically plant Cave-in-Rock switchgrass as a buffer around properties because it grows tall and stands up well to winter wind/snow/sleet.  In addition to screening a property from poachers it also serves well as bedding and fawning cover.

Growing Deer together,

Grant

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Shelby,

One of the best kinds of protein is that produced by forage soybeans.  Forage soybeans produce highly digestible and high protein leafy forage in the summer and grain in the winter.  I can’t think of a better method of providing high quality protein forage for an extending time of the year.

Food plots are great places for trail cameras.  Deer live and die by their gut so putting a camera over a food source is one of the quickest ways of taking their picture.  I leave my cameras out year-round and the vast majority of them are usually overlooking a food source.  The more pictures you can get of a particular deer, the more you can learn about his particular movement patterns around the property.  While you are running those cameras keep in mind to minimize disturbance so as to not unintentionally condition the deer you wish to hunt to avoid the area during daylight hours.

Growing Deer together,

Grant

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Bob,

My answer is “that depends.”  As in people, deer appear to all have different personalities.  Does typically have a smaller home range than bucks.  Doe home ranges average around 100-600 acres while buck home ranges are 500-1,500 acres (1 square mile = 640 acres).  Even within each sex there can be a lot of variability.  Just like people, some deer are roamers while others are homebodies.  Yearling bucks often disperse from their mother’s home range and often travel quite far to set up a separate home range from where they were birthed.  Recent research also suggests that as a buck matures his home range decreases in size.

Growing Deer together,

Grant

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Alex,

No, I do not eat most of the predators I trap.  These animals are generally not considered to be table fare.  However, I do tan their hides and use them to educate school children and others interested in wildlife.  They are also used as decorative pieces in my home and as gifts to friends.

Growing Deer together,

Grant

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Dean,

I never worry about deer consuming too much salt.  Most critters, including deer, need a lot of salt for their bodies to function properly.  I’m not aware of any cases of free-ranging deer consuming too much salt.  That would be hard to monitor, but with all the salt available from cattle licks, gas and oil drilling, etc., there is a lot of salt available in many areas yet no reports of deer suffering from ingesting too much salt.

I am concerned about some sources of salt that folks make available to deer.  Salt marketed for different purposes often has different additives to make it flow better, bleached to make it a different color, etc.  It is certainly possible that these additives could be detrimental to deer and other wildlife.  Therefore, I only use feed grade salt for wildlife.  I personally use Trophy Rock as it has 60+ trace minerals.  Although deer only need very small quantities of trace minerals to express their full fawn and antler growth potential, without them included in their diet, they simply can’t express their full genetic potential.  Therefore, when supplying salt to deer, attempt to use a product that is food grade quality and has as many different trace minerals as practical.

Growing Deer together,

Grant

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Brian,

That’s a good question.  Soft mast is an important part of wildlife’s diet during several times of the year.  However I typically don’t go out of my way to plant them because they are very labor intensive for the return on my property.  I do actively promote the growth of soft mast species with periodic burning and timber thinning.  Both of these techniques open up the forest canopy and reduce competition from invasive or exotic plants.  Ripe soft mast during the hunting season can be a dynamite hunting location.  In my neck of the woods persimmon groves are great places to be hunting during early bow season.

Growing Deer together,

Grant

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TJ,

I have Trophy Rock out year around.  I place corn out during August for three weeks so I can attract deer to a location to do a camera survey.  Other than that, I don’t use any attractants or baits.

Growing Deer together,

Grant

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Wilson,

Deer don’t eat orchard grass – or any pasture grass.  They will eat the clover, but the grass will outcompete the clover for nutrients.  Seeing clover grow and deer getting good nutrients from clover are different.  Certainly deer will benefit from the clover more than solid grass.  However, it is like fishing from ski boat versus a bass boat.  It can be done, but not as well.

I would use a Gallagher fence in a portion of the horse pasture.  This will simply (and relatively inexpensively) exclude the horses and quality deer forage can be established and maintained.  Another huge advantage of this is that the owner will know exactly where the deer will feed – not just simply watching an entire horse pasture.

Growing Deer together,

Grant

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Brehdin,

The best crop to plant for deer depends on several factors including, but not limited to:

1. The time of year to be planted.
2. The time of year it’s desired to feed deer.
3. Whether the mission for the plot is primarily to attract or provide nutritious forage or grain for deer.
4. The size of the food plot, etc.

You might look through Grant’s Answer’s in the food plots category on GrowingDeer.

Growing Deer together,

Grant

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Nate,

If weeds didn’t grow in the plot, then the clover seeds may germinate.  However, I’d suggest you deal with any weeds that have germinated and then reseed the plot.

It’s relatively easy to keep cows out of a food plot and allow deer to enter by using a Gallagher electric fence designed for such purpose.  Electric fences are commonly used for such purposes and keep cows away from feeders while allowing deer access to them.

Growing Deer together,

Grant

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Ryan,

I do record the species, gender, and weight of each critter trapped at The Proving Grounds.  I haven’t analyzed the data, but is certainly appears that there are fewer raccoons and opossums at The Proving Grounds for awhile after trapping season.  However, by August there are several raccoons visiting our camera survey bait sites again.  Another measure is that I’ve caught 45 to 55 raccoons and opossums each year for the past four years at The Proving Grounds.  The critters I catch are now almost all male and yearlings.  It appears I’m removing a high percentage of the predators, but yearling males disperse and fill the open habitat by the next year.  However, effectiveness should be measured by the number of predators that are still reduced during the fawning and nesting season.  I haven’t addressed when the predators are recolonizing after trapping with a research project.  The turkey population has increased substantially at The Proving Grounds during the past few years, but I can’t state with certainty the relationship between this increase and removing predators.

Trapping is a viable wildlife management tool.  With fur prices being significantly reduced for years, it seems the predator/prey populations are out of balance in many areas.

Growing Deer together,

Grant

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Geoghegan,

A corn/soybean rotation, especially if corn and soybeans are both available within close proximity, provides great deer forage and grain.  Corn has the added benefit of providing great cover from when it is two feet tall until it is harvested and soybeans have the added benefit of providing high quality forage throughout much of the growing season.  Advances in combine efficiency results in less spilled grain now than during previous years.

No doubt areas of intensive corn and soybean production can produce great whitetails!  However, the productivity of such areas is determined by the local farming practices.  For example, if the fields are tilled shortly after being harvested there won’t be much grain available.

Growing Deer together,

Grant

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Gary,

Where you create cover depends on your mission.  If you are trying to encourage deer to enter a food source earlier, creating cover along the edge may be a good plan.  However, if your mission is to create cover for deer to use for bedding or escaping predators, then a larger area would be much better than a thin strip along a food plot.  I like cover areas that are at least 10 acres or large in size.  Predators such as coyotes can probably smell deer in smaller cover blocks.  In addition, human scent can easily carry through a one acre cover block.  For the cover block to serve as a sanctuary, consider making the cover block larger in size.

Growing Deer together,

Grant

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James,

The “woods” on a property can certainly be too open for good deer cover.

It would be very difficult for woods to be too thick.  Good escape cover for deer is usually so thick that humans don’t like to walk (or crawl) through the area.  Prescribed fire or other tools can be used to thin a portion of your woods if they are too thick and are lowering the recreational quality of your property.

The timber on my property had been mismanaged, at least from a wildlife habitat point of view, for decades.  There was no cover on The Proving Grounds when I purchased the property.  However, I’ve cut trees, used prescribed fire, etc., to open the canopy and allow ground level vegetation to grow.  You can see some of the cover I’ve established by watching GDTV #15.  Better yet, come and tour The Proving Grounds during the 2^nd Annual Shed Hunt as we will be discussing habitat improvements during that weekend!

Growing Deer together,

Grant

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Jay,

It sounds as if you have a neat property!  If the soybeans and other local production ag fields are providing year round food for the deer herd, then water and cover could be limited resources in your area.  The hunting on your property might be improved by establishing some small attraction plots for deer so they would have a place to feed while returning to cover.  If this is the case, crops that are prime during the fall, such as winter wheat, would function well and are easy establish.  I call such spots “hidey holes” and they can be fabulous hunting locations!  Remember to locate the plots so that you can approach and remain undetected by the deer you wish to hunt.

Growing Deer together,

Grant

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Chance,

The more similar the habitat, the more difficult it is to pattern deer.  This is because there are no limited resources that are more valuable than others to attract deer.  For example, if the entire property has oaks, then hunting acorns is probably not a good strategy.  It sounds as if high quality forage would be a limited resource and therefore very attractive to deer on your property!  Remember that deer are usually more concerned about surviving than eating.  So even if the food plots are the only quality forage in the neighborhood, deer, especially mature bucks, will avoid the plots during daylight hours if they associate them with danger.

I would be careful about establishing the clover plot by the creek if flooding is probable.  Another consideration is that if hunting is a primary mission for these plots, locate them where it’s to the hunter’s advantage to approach and hunt without alerting deer.  Usually the wind swirls less on ridge tops compared to bottomland locations.  Unless the soil is extremely low quality, I tend to establish hunting food plots on ridge tops.

Growing Deer together,

Grant

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Denton,

Fawns are typically born late in portions of Mississippi and Alabama.  As a manager, I worry more about the duration than the timing of fawning season.  If you are seeing small, spotted fawns for more than three consecutive months it may be an indicator that the adult sex ratio is skewed toward does.  This would result from an extended rut and therefore fawns being born over an extended period of time.  This has several negative ramifications for the herd including allowing predators to key in on fawns and abnormally high stress on bucks.  You, and all deer managers, need to collect simple harvest data to monitor the herd’s health and be able to make sound, site-specific management decisions.  Herds with characteristics as described above usually have lower body weights than normal for the local habitat.  Collect some simple, but accurate data and you can make some good assessments of the herd’s health and appropriate changes to the deer and habitat program.

Growing Deer together,

Grant

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RJ,

I’ve read about using brains from some critters to tan pelts.  However, I don’t have any experience with that technique.  Let me know if you give it a try.

Growing Deer together,

Grant

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Tom,

I use a .22 caliber rifle or pistol and administer a single shot to the head.  This provides a quick and humane result.

I always consider what’s behind the target, and unload the .22 before continuing with my activities.

Growing Deer together,

Grant

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Howard,

I have been using the Lil Griz brand of dogless traps.  However, there are some new models coming out for 2011.

Growing Deer together,

Grant

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Eric,

Eagle Seed’s forage beans will grow in the Georgia clay soils.  I have several friends that grow them throughout the Piedmont of Georgia and South Carolina.  Make sure to collect a soil sample and have it tested at a soil lab so you will know how much lime and fertilizer to add to ensure the crop will grow and express its full potential!  Healthy soybeans certainly help deer express their full potential and are a forage that deer find very palatable.

My girls have both harvested deer that were in plots planted with Eagle Seed beans.  Deer consume the forage during the growing season and the grain the beans produce during the fall/winter.  Good quality forage soybeans are truly a two season crop.

Growing Deer together,

Grant

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Kirk,

That sounds like a nice property with lots of potential to produce mature bucks.  Producing mature bucks requires protecting them from being harvested or killed by predators until they reach the age class that you wish to harvest.  The habitat in “typical Ozark hills” doesn’t provide much cover.  Therefore hunters and predators can have a huge impact on deer, especially bucks after the rut.  In addition, without adequate cover, hunters must willfully withhold from harvesting bucks until the bucks reach the level of maturity that hunters wish to harvest.  Mature bucks can be produced on almost any 1,100 acre property if that’s the hunter’s objective.  Trigger finger control is the primary tool for producing mature bucks.

However, there is a big difference between producing mature bucks and producing mature bucks that have expressed their full antler growth potential.  To produce mature bucks that express their full antler development potential requires improving the habitat unless the property has quality forage and grain production.  It’s helpful to remember that the majority of deer in northern Missouri where world class bucks are produced were stocked from the Ozarks.  Hence, deer with the same genetics that have access to quality forage and grain clearly express much more of their antler growth, fawn production, and body size potential.  To allow deer in the Ozarks (or any area that doesn’t produce quality forage and grain) to express their potential requires lots of habitat work.

My property, The Proving Grounds, is extremely steep and rocky.  There is no quality forage or grain produced within miles (counties).  In addition, there are 34 neighboring properties, none of which share my deer management objectives that I’m aware.  However, by providing quality food, cover, and water, bucks at my place are producing antlers similar to deer in northern Missouri of the same age class.  Given you are only an hour from me, I’m very confident you can achieve the same results.  I encourage you to attend one of our field days and see in person the techniques I’ve used to provide quality food, cover, and water.  There are simply too many details to provide in this format.  The next event is our 2^nd Annual Shed Hunt where we will collect sheds and tour much of my property.

Growing Deer together,

Grant

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Edward,

I enjoy coyote hunting and consider it a part of my deer management work.

Coyotes currently have a large negative impact on deer herds throughout much of the whitetails’ range.  I do plan to film a coyote hunt or two in the next few weeks.

Growing Deer together,

Grant

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Luke,

What crops to plant and how many acres to plant are both somewhat dependent on the local deer density.  For example, if the deer density is low and very palatable crops can grow without being over-browsed in the existing plots, then forage soybeans and corn are a great choice to provide the protein and carbohydrates necessary for deer to express their full potential.  If the local deer population is relatively high, then consider either adding more acres of food plots or protecting the crops in the existing plots until they can withstand the browse pressure with a Gallagher Food Plot Protection Fence.

The number of deer per square mile can vary significantly from property to property.  Therefore there is no standard ratio of the amount of food plots to total acres.  If the deer management mission is for deer to express their full potential of antler and fawn development, then there should be adequate quality forage and grain so that deer have all they want to consume during the late summer and late winter stress periods.

Growing Deer together,

Grant

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Stephen,

Dogs and other predators can easily cause deer, especially mature bucks, to change their pattern.  Be thankful your neighbor began keeping his dogs on his property!  It’s likely that the deer will return to using their traditional patterns by next hunting season.

Deer need food, cover, and water.  I suggest you determine which of these habitat features are limited in the neighborhood and supply them on the property you hunt.  A good strategy is always to identify a limiting factor and supply it in an area that allows you to approach a stand or blind without alerting deer to your presence.  Identifying limiting factors is always a good strategy on any property.

Growing Deer together,

Grant

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Josh,

I’ve had food plots in a very similar elevation and climate in New Mexico.  We planted brassicas and the elk loved them!  Concentrated food is rare in such environments and is very attractive to elk.  I recommend collecting soil samples and fertilizing according to recommendations from a soil lab.  Then plant a mix of winter wheat and forage brassicas.  I think you will be pleased with the results.  I’m willing to bring my bow and do some research during September!

Growing Deer together,

Grant

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Dustin,

Last year most of northern Missouri received feet (literally) of rain more than average.  In places, many of the soil nutrients were likely leached below reach of the plants.  This resulted in small, hungry plants.

Remember plants consume food just like deer, and when they consume the available nutrients in the soil, fertilizer must be added for the next crop to grow well.  Therefore it is very important to sample the soil in food plots each year and add lime and fertilizer according to the recommendation from the soil lab.

Make sure and tell the soil lab what crops you plan to grow so they can recommend the correct type and amount of fertilizer.

Growing Deer together,

Grant

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Taylor,

Recent research shows that soybeans often yield more if they are inoculated.  I inoculate the Eagle Seed beans I plant based on that research and because that practice is relatively inexpensive compared to the other food plot establishment costs.  Inoculation is very important if soybeans haven’t been grown in the plot to be planted during the past year.

Growing Deer together,

Grant

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Don,

Great question that currently applies to much of the whitetails’ range!

Providing feed that deer are not used to digesting, especially when they are stressed, can cause them great harm or result in death.  This is because deer only ingest the food (which they will gladly do during periods of stress), bacteria populations that live in their gut perform most of the digestion.  There are many species of bacteria in a deer’s gut and each species is somewhat specific to digesting different types of food.  Food sources in nature tend to become available and unavailable slowly over time.  For example, a few acorns will fall early and then more and more will fall until the supply will taper off.  The species of bacteria that helps digest acorns increases and decreases in population density in accordance with the quantity of acorns ingested.  However, when food resources are very limited, the population of bacteria decreases significantly.

If a deer herd that is stressed by a significant amount of snow suddenly finds a rich food source such as grain or high quality hay, they will consume large quantities.  However, they won’t have an adequate amount of bacteria in their digestive tract to digest the ingested food.  This is why deer given emergency supplemental food during periods of winter stress often die with a stomach full of the food provided by folks with great intentions.  All supplemental feeding programs should start slowly and be very closely monitored (if started at all).  This is especially true during periods of stress such as during winter storms.

You were wise to ask first!

Growing Deer together,

Grant

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Clark,

That’s a good question.  I called a friend at Boone and Crockett and he stated that it is simply a use of alphabetical order on the score sheet.  On the whitetail score sheet, A is for the greatest spread, B is for the number of points, etc.  G simply was in order for the data of tine length.

Growing Deer together,

Grant

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