Improving the Limiting Factor
Filed under: Ask Grant, Food Plots
Corn and some switchgrasses, such as Cave in Rock SG, both grow upwards of 6 feet and both provide cover. I have the resources to plant corn and SG. There are many factors that appeal to me about planting corn in that it is a great attractant for deer hunting. I already have 5% in food plots on my 100 acre property which consists of a yearly planting of 3 acres of corn/soybean mix (in the form of 1 large destination plot) and 2 acres of clover and small grains (in the form of 4 smaller attraction plots). I’m not surrounded by ag crops and am mostly surrounded by cover. To my knowledge, I am the only one in my area within 1,000 acres planting food plots. I have the option this year to plant an additional 5 acres of corn/soybean mix or seed Cave In Rock switchgrass. I’m having a tough time deciding which to plant. On one hand I feel the corn provides cover and food and on the other hand I feel SG might provide consistent cover (but no food). The area I’m considering is on a power line easement that currently is only small shrubby growth that doesn’t seem to provide much cover or food. Any recommendations on which route to take (I know you can only do so much without seeing a property)? Keep up the nice work! David
David,
Corn does provide cover during several months of the year. The grain is also a great source of energy for deer and many other forms of wildlife. However, corn planted at the same location for repeated years often suffers from loss of micronutrients and pests frequently build to damaging levels. Crop rotation, along with annual soil analysis and adding the appropriate fertilizer, is necessary to keep any ag fields productive.
However, your statements that “The area I’m considering is on a power line easement…” and “…am mostly surrounded by cover…” bias me toward recommending you develop that area into food (corn/forage soybean rotation would be great) rather than permanent cover. Based on your statements, I assume cover is not a limiting factor in your neighborhood. In addition, critters using narrow strips of cover are very susceptible to predation. Predators can easily hunt the downwind side of narrow patches of cover and smell prey species within those areas.
When I was in grad school (many years ago), it became a common practice to leave narrow strips of timber unharvested along small streams as a buffer for erosion, shade for the stream, etc. Providing cover was also touted as a huge benefit of these streamside management zones (SMZ’s). Researchers that had placed telemetry colors on turkeys and other game species began noticing a very high rate of predation in the SMZ’s. Predators rapidly adapted to hunting these narrow strips of cover. Even though the SMZ’s provided high quality cover, it also concentrated the critters, making them a target rich environment for predators.
This and other research along with experience has taught me to make cover areas as large as practical for the area. I avoid designing long, skinny cover blocks that serve to attract prey and predators. In addition I always try to add to the limiting factor — which seems to be quality forage in your neighborhood.
Growing Deer together,
Grant
