Focus on the deer requirements in least abundance to set your property apart.
QUESTION: I have hunting land surrounded by dozens of farms and thousands of acres of corn, soybeans, alfalfa and clover. It has been a total waste planting a few acres of these items, as the deer have miles of that stuff to eat. I want to plant something totally different than the normal items the farmers are using. I have about 5 acres to work with. Is there something to plant in the spring to hold the deer, then replant in the fall with turnips? Help. — Dr. James
ANSWER: You might want to think outside the box, or in this case, the bucket. If your bucket has holes in it you can only fill it up to the lowest hole. Figure out what’s missing in your deer habitat and provide it.
Food doesn’t seem to be the issue, so there’s probably not much you could plant that would compete with surrounding land, with the possible exception of some mast trees like chestnuts or oak. You might consider planting a conservation mix like those provided by the Conservation Reserve Program or CRP. They usually contain a blend of perennial grasses and forbs that will grow into the type of dense cover deer love to bed in.
If you have young timber on the property, you might also consider doing some hinge cuts. The deer travel far and wide across neighboring properties to find food, but if yours is the only bedding cover around, they’ll always come back there.
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