Supplemental feeding high quality food plots definately increased the health of the herd. Although it doesn't when the population is to high. Studies have shown that planting only 1% of the available land in food plots will have an average increase of 20% in the body weights of the herd. That 20% probably wouldn't be possible in your area, because of all the available food anyways, in my area the body weight increase could even be higher, because of the lack of food. For your area, food plots would probably work best as harvest plots, with the use of natural funnels and corridors to offer great ambush sights, as opposed to nutrition plots.

The camp Cusino Deer research facility used high protein pellets for supplemental feedings, along with a limited number of small food plots. The deer actually had to be trained to eat the pellets, but when they were it was easy to catch them on the outside because they would just use the pellets as bait-none of the "wild" deer would ever be caught.

The problem wasn't the type of food, it was the herd density. Deer hate to be crowded. I have several small food plots, and get the same pictures, of the same deer, on each plot. Those deer have chosen the various field as "theirs", and there is usually alot of competition for the best food sources, even in low populations. If you increase that population, then yearling bucks, low does in matriarchal society, and their offspring, get the worst food sources. They all suffer because of increased herd stress and diminished food sources.

Deer have to have variety, and as you know, it's easier to list what a deer won't eat. With a high herd density, and the variety needed, some of the more attractive food sources can become completely eliminated due to overbrowsing, even if great food plots and supplemental food is depleted. After the 200 deer density days at the camp, there was virtually no browse available for any deer other than a mature buck. A mature buck could reach the highest available browse-around 7', and even mature does could not. It's been around 10 years since the incloser closed, and it would be very interesting to see what browse is available-I bet it hasn't regenerated much.

I've only been to central PA, from Harrisburg to Bloomsburg, and around the entire Bradford area, and from I've seen it seems there are still too many deer-just look at all the browse lines. Even the best lands can only support 50-60 deer per square mile before contributing to herd stress. If I'm seeing 25 on opening day, in a heavily forested, non-agricultural area, the deer herd seems pretty high.

Just a question, would you rather see 10 deer on opening day, with 4 bucks-even a couple of older ones, or 25 deer on opening day, with 1 buck-maybe a spike.

I feel fortunate to live and hunt where I do, there are low deer numbers and very, very few bowhunters, and I only average 2-3 deer seen for every 2 times I sit. I quess I chose the no hunter route, over the high deer population route.

Forgot something, who will take care of all those food plots if they are planted. Who will plant them? I spend hours and hours on just 5 acres of quality food plots a year(70 last year-according to my tractor, let alone my 4-wheeler), I put out 16 tons of lime last year, and have spent over a $1000 in bulldozer work in the past 3 years. Not to mention the clover that needs mowing 1-2 times a year for weed control, and the replanting needed when weeds eventually take over because of new farmland created, and the lack of funds to use effective hebacide control. The state folks are not farmers. We have clover fields by us that were cleared, planted, and then turned to weed the next year when funding ran out at the state level. You guys actually have lots of food in PA, try coming to the U.P. of MI. and I'll show you what the lack of food looks like. I can tell you it looks like spruce, tamerack, and tag alder, mixed with uneadible grasses, no nut crops, no fruit crops, no farmland, virtually no woody browse, and sand. Not many places in PA fit that description.

Jeff...U.P. of Michigan.

Edited by - NorthJeff on 03/04/2002 14:14:24