Winter Food Plots

[Brad W Wi]

Thinking of next year already. I'd like to plant something that would help the deer through the tough NW Wisconsin winters. I have planted clover and turnips. The turnips are pretty much gone( the deer ate them) and the clover is covered with snow and more coming.My food plots are 2 small clearings of a total 1 1/2 acres and a trail system through a 40 acre piece I own. This is my first year doing this so not much experence to fall back on. I'd like to plant sonething for the deer to feed on in winter. Corn is not an option as I only have an acre and 1/2 field and too damn many rocks to pick. I'm looking for something that the deer might feed on that can stand the snow, or that the deer are willing to paw through the snow for. Any ideas?

[farm hunter]

Brad - This is a really tough one - and not a lot of real good news for those of us that get a lot of snow.

Food plots aside - I've learned that a large % of a deer's diet is natural browse - especially in the winter. So a good plan might be to clear your foodplot trails 20 ft on either side in the early spring and allow new growth to come in thick. Plant the trails with clovers and or annuals like Rye in the fall - and fertilize the sides.

This type of program can really benefit your local deer - it wont feed a yarding herd of 100 deer - but can help your local deer go into the winter and come out of it better off.

As far as a food plot goes - Stick with high carbohydrate foods like Winter Wheat or Rye - the deer will paw through at least 1 foot of snow for them. Clover is important too - especially at green up - and in the summer - but the Hi Energy carbs help deer make it through the winter.

[ostdc]

A little select logging would help. If you would cut half an acre per year it would take 80 years to cut over the whole thing. The deer really come in on those tops.
Brian

[Brad W Wi]

That would be a good idea but it was selective cut 3 years ago. I bought the 40 for tapping the maple trees for sap to make syrup. There are a few areas that are cleared, maybe an acre, but no brush has started to come up yet just grasses and thistles (which I spray) My trail system and an opening a little over an acre ( that I had cleared and the stumps removed ) are the only food plots with 2 more smaller plots going in next spring. I was hoping some popple would pop up but nothing so far. Is there a way to get seeds for popple and broad cast the seed out???????????

[DUCKSTAMPEDE]

In your country shock cane and field milo won't mature but are very hardy in their stand-great carbs and can be planted in small dual rows-the other idea about rye grasses and stems grasses is important as well-they all add nutrients back to the ground which keep future growth healthy. Stay with plants that convert at least some of their process to sugars-this is what a deer needs in the winter-quick fuel.