Question for the northerners
07-23-2003, 10:52 AM
#1
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: WV
Posts: 91
Question for the northerners
This spring into April I guess we still had snow on the ground. Late March with all of the storms we still had I guess between 2 to 3 feet. Deer are obviously looking for things to eat come this time of year. I have about 4 acres of clover but under that much snow we did not see much activity in the clover. Does anyone have anything to recommend regarding plots that would be available during the immediate early spring that are very winter tolerant.
07-23-2003, 12:57 PM
#2
Typical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Munising MI
Posts: 501
RE: Question for the northerners
Wigmap,
My deer are gone the entire winter, and return very hungry in the spring after snowmelt-first to later 1/2 of April. My deer leave for 2 to 4 months, live on cedar, and then return.
It' s not a direct answer to your question, but in areas like mine, the best thing I can do for the herd is to make sure I have an adequate amount of clover available for them as soon as possible in the spring....meaning it' s got to be planted as a base planting with brassicas, oats, whatever else you want to use for a fall draw. I strive to have about 80% of my food plots into clover for the deer when they return.
Get em fat with high quality food before the winter, and right after, and maybe you' ll be just fine.
Jeff
My deer are gone the entire winter, and return very hungry in the spring after snowmelt-first to later 1/2 of April. My deer leave for 2 to 4 months, live on cedar, and then return.
It' s not a direct answer to your question, but in areas like mine, the best thing I can do for the herd is to make sure I have an adequate amount of clover available for them as soon as possible in the spring....meaning it' s got to be planted as a base planting with brassicas, oats, whatever else you want to use for a fall draw. I strive to have about 80% of my food plots into clover for the deer when they return.
Get em fat with high quality food before the winter, and right after, and maybe you' ll be just fine.
Jeff
07-23-2003, 01:20 PM
#3
Typical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Livonia Mi USA
Posts: 551
RE: Question for the northerners
A vit/min lick with less than 5% salt should help. Also, look at some of the newer seed blends available. It may take time to change the deer' s habits but for a few dollars you should see a difference this/next year.
07-23-2003, 04:29 PM
#5
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Ontario Canada
Posts: 2,059
RE: Question for the northerners
wigmap; at my property the deer feed on early spring plants such as trout lilly and the first growing tips of maple and ash. Pretty much anything edible until the clover/alfafa sprouts.
Dan O.
Dan O.
07-31-2003, 08:36 PM
#9
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: cazenovia, NY USA
Posts: 2,973
RE: Question for the northerners
No question the toughest time of the year for us is Mid March - Mid April. People think that the melting snow is good, but it actually drops the height the deer can reach into the air by 2-3 ft on average in our area. Worse yet, the lower branches are all browsed out, so the deer have to make due until green-up - Early May.
If the snow pack was high, and came early - some clover exposed is availible - in fact our clover fields look like golfing greens goining into May usually.
Standing corn is GONE by mid March for the most part. If you can afford to plant and leave dozens of acres - some might be left - we had over 5 acres last year - and it was gone well before green up.
The best food for deer is browse at this time. If you cut firewood - now is the time to go drop trees - no other food will be as readily eaten by deer (and almost deer only) this time of year. Its 100% digestible and the buds are very high in Protein in Mid March-Mid April. Maple and ash are the most preferred in my area. If you don' t cut firewood, - thin the woods by culling out inferior hardwoods.
One other notable food source this time of year for us is an unlikely one that deserves some note. All winter, in the Hemlock woods, winds, snow and ice knock down thousands of small and large hemlock bows. As the snow melts - the usually foodless woods, is GREEN with hemlock bows - and the deer concentrate on the food source, until the snow is gone. - also ferns that stay green under the snow are relished. I' ve never scientifically figured the food value - but its enough to be noteworthy.
If the snow pack was high, and came early - some clover exposed is availible - in fact our clover fields look like golfing greens goining into May usually.
Standing corn is GONE by mid March for the most part. If you can afford to plant and leave dozens of acres - some might be left - we had over 5 acres last year - and it was gone well before green up.
The best food for deer is browse at this time. If you cut firewood - now is the time to go drop trees - no other food will be as readily eaten by deer (and almost deer only) this time of year. Its 100% digestible and the buds are very high in Protein in Mid March-Mid April. Maple and ash are the most preferred in my area. If you don' t cut firewood, - thin the woods by culling out inferior hardwoods.
One other notable food source this time of year for us is an unlikely one that deserves some note. All winter, in the Hemlock woods, winds, snow and ice knock down thousands of small and large hemlock bows. As the snow melts - the usually foodless woods, is GREEN with hemlock bows - and the deer concentrate on the food source, until the snow is gone. - also ferns that stay green under the snow are relished. I' ve never scientifically figured the food value - but its enough to be noteworthy.
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