Category: Food Plots

A few days ago I received an email with some troubling content from a good friend and fellow deer manager, Doug Galloway. The piece of dirt Doug plays with is about three hours southwest of The Proving Grounds (my place). Doug reported that one of his food plots was totally destroyed by armyworms. He also reported that the armyworms had removed all the leaves from some oak trees on his property.

Armyworms

This morning, the local extension office reported that armyworms have been identified in several counties in southwest Missouri, including the county where The Proving Grounds is located.

If you are not familiar with armyworms, there is a great summary at Integrated Pest Management. Armyworms are named such because they can literally move across the landscape like an army, eating most forage in their path. They can be so numerous that they will literally stack up several inches deep against a building in their path.

The good news is that infestations are not always at a level that causes massive damage. When they are, there are several insecticides that can be used to control armyworms. Warrior RUP is an insecticide that is commonly recommended to control armyworms. As always, read and follow the product label. Timing of the application is critical as applying too early will not kill the coming worms and waiting too late will result in significant damage to the crop and the worms moving on before the insecticide is sprayed.

For some of you that have food plots in the southern states, the damage from this round of armyworms has already occurred. Some of you in the northern states haven’t even thought about planting yet. However, for those in the Midwest, it will be critical to monitor our plots, check with local extension agents and farmers, etc., to monitor armyworm activity near and at our properties.

Being a deer manager is not simply passing up immature bucks. During the next few weeks, it may mean fighting a literal army of worms for some of us. It’s better to fight than to let an existing food plot be consumed by this pest. The link I described above has some good tips about scouting for armyworms.

Growing Deer together,

Grant

I get a lot of requests to publish a calendar that tells when and what to do to have great food plots! I’ve had offers from seed companies, magazines, etc. I could have sold and resold such a calendar. Heck, I probably could have paid for several great whitetail hunts from publishing such a calendar.

The problem is that such calendars seldom are accurate. Planting by such guides seems to result in as many failures as good crops. This is not the authors’ fault. The data for these guides are based on historic weather patterns and averages of climate data. That’s like saying the average man is 5’10” tall. Some men are 5’10” but many more are either shorter or taller than 5’10”.

Grant explains the science of planting food plots

The same is true for the last frost dates during late winter, the first frost date during the fall, rainfall amounts, etc. Averages rarely predict the best conditions to plant on any given year.

Rather than offer a planting calendar, I will share the guides I use to create successful food plots!

1.  Take a soil sample from each plot to be planted – at least once a year. I typically collect soil samples during the late winter and when the soil is dry.
   1. One sample a year will be fine. Don’t skip years! Soil tests are the least expensive part of growing forage that deer wish to consume more than other food items.
2.  Add lime and fertilizer based on the soil tests results a week or so before planting.
3.  Clover and alfalfa can be planted when the soil temperature is 40 degrees and up to 60 degrees. The exact planting date within that range should be based on forecast, soil moisture, etc. A hard frost will damage or kill most young forage crops, including clover and alfalfa.
   1. The temperature today is only half the story. I study the weather forecast and attempt to insure there isn’t more cold weather coming.
   2. By the way, I’m not a fan of alfalfa for food plots!!! Deer eat it – but it is tough to manage – I leave alfalfa to the professional farmers – not the food plot farmer with limited ability and time to spray harsh insecticides, etc.
4.  Corn should be planted when the soil temperatures are 50 degrees and rising – not just a spike of 50 degrees.
5.  Soybeans and almost all other crops should be planted when the soil temperature (2″ deep at 9 AM) is 60 degrees and rising. The timing of this will vary almost every year!!
   1. Soils warm up later (as much as a few weeks later) in no-till plots compared to areas where the soils have been plowed, disked, etc. This is because the remaining vegetation shades the soil and keeps it cooler – a significant advantage later during the summer. By the way, this is just one of MANY advantages to no-till systems.

Fall planting (soil temperatures are almost never an issue for planting fall crops.)

1.  I like to plant all forage varieties at least 45 – 60 days before the average first frost date. I like to error on the 60 day side. However, this also varies based primarily on soil moisture availability. I don’t plant into dry conditions with no rain in the forecast – even if it means waiting until 15 days before the average first frost date.
   1. Remember that plants are only nutrient transfer agents.  If there are limited nutrients in the soil, they will only transfer limited nutrients to the consumer (deer and other critters).
   2. Soybeans are the best single crop for deer and turkey that I’ve found yet. They are relatively drought hardy, easy to grow and deer love them! The only negative to soybeans is that deer do love them so much that beans can be damaged by being over-browsed, especially in small plots. I use an electric fence to keep deer out of these small plots until the beans have matured enough to withstand the browse or hunting season opens.

So, what’s the bottom line? It is this: professional farmers don’t gamble their income (crop production) on a set planting schedule and neither should you. Do your food plot activities based on conditions and not a date on a calendar or a bag map.

Growing Deer (and food plots) together.

Grant

In this latest installment of Petersen’s Bowhunting Radio, Whitetail management guru Dr. Grant Woods offers his advice for a successful food plot program. To listen to the podcast, please click HERE

I don’t know about you, but I am excited about this early spring weather, and I can’t wait to get started with my 2012 food plot program. When it comes to property management and food plots, I can’t think of a better person to get advice from than Dr. Grant Woods. Grant owns a 1,500-acre property in Missouri known as “The Proving Grounds,” which serves as a non-step test lab for best practices in wildlife habitat management.

In the latest episode of Petersen’s Bowhunting Radio, I talk to Grant about what needs to happen to prepare, plant, grow and hunt over successful food plots. If you are thinking about doing some habitat work on your hunting grounds this year, the information contained in this episode can help put you in a photograph like this! Click here to listen to the Interview.. . 

Every year about the time bucks shed velvet they begin actively seeking a source of carbohydrates to consume. This drive to consume carbohydrates is a given annually. The Creator timed this perfectly as this is the time many sources of carbohydrates are becoming available such as acorns, corn, etc. Hunters in agricultural areas may not notice this dietary shift as deer often shift from the soybean to the adjoining corn field and still use the same bedding areas. Often times the bedding areas are the corn fields. I call production corn the annual forest as it grows tall enough to provide cover and is “clearcut” on an annual basis.

However, in areas that are primarily forested such as my neighborhood, deer may not find sources of carbohydrates as readily as deer living in the corn/soybean belt. Deer living in areas where forests are the primary cover type often readily seek acorns as a source of carbohydrates. Deer seeking acorns can be difficult to pattern.

Given this and the knowledge that deer annually seek carbohydrates this time of year, a grain crop in food plots can be a huge attractant during the hunting season. This is true in areas with agricultural and forest cover types. Most commercial agricultural fields are harvested by early to mid hunting season. However, having a grain crop, such as soybeans, corn, or milo to benefit and attract deer during hunting season can be a huge advantage!

This requires the food plot farmer to plan ahead. Grain production occurs during the summer growing season. If food plots are not planted until late summer, the only option is to produce forage during the hunting season. The traditional “green fields” will attract and benefit deer. However, grain tends to be a better attractant during the fall and carbohydrates are usually in a more limited supply than protein.

For great hunting during the fall, try planting a grain producing crop like soybeans, corn, or milo. Standing grain provides a great source of energy for deer and can be a great stand location.

Growing Deer together,

Grant

Iowa State probably does more research about growing corn than any other university.  I have learned much about growing corn from their publications and staff.  Iowa State’s Extension department publishes a great E newsletter titled Crop Management News.

The issue today does a great job of explaining how temperature and soil moisture availability impact the productivity of corn.  As I’ve referenced frequently on recent episodes of GrowingDeer.tv, when growing conditions cause stress on forage or grain crops the critters are stressed also.

It is easier to monitor the impact of stress caused by drought on a corn crop.  Researchers can simply sample many aspects of the crop on a daily basis.  In fact, some of these factors (amount the leaves are twisted, tassel development, etc.) can be estimated from the comfort of a pickup.

It’s much more difficult to monitor deer.  They are mobile and tend to be nocturnal.  They don’t like to be held or measured.  Capturing deer is not necessary to know that they are stressed when crops are not expressing their full potential.  I’m not aware of an exact index that compares bushels of corn produced per acre that equates to inches of antler development per age class of bucks.

However when corn, soybean, alfalfa, etc., production is limited by harsh growing conditions, it is certain that deer won’t express their full potential.  For example, today there was an Associated Press article posted on Fox News that quoted the Texas AgriLife Extension Service as reporting that pregnant does are having difficulty carrying fawns to term and other fawns are being born prematurely due to heat stress.  Likewise the agricultural crops are very unproductive or a total failure in many parts of Texas.  Tough growing conditions impact all living things!

That’s one reason I enjoy reading Crop Management News.  It provides great information for growing quality food plots, and also provides a real-time index of the growing conditions for crops and deer in Iowa.  In addition, the information is useful no matter where I wish to grow crops or deer!

Information is the most valuable tool for any profession.  I hope this source of information helps you become a better deer manager.

Growing Deer together,

Grant

It remains very dry at The Proving Grounds.  In fact, it’s so dry the native vegetation seems to be going in water conservation mode and as such is not palatable to deer and several other species.  This means that food plot crops that are heavily fertilized are probably the most palatable forage available.  This usually occurs during late summer after the crops have produced tons of forage.  During that time excessive browse is rarely noticed if the number of deer and the quality of the habitat is appropriately balanced.

However, when drought conditions occur during the spring and early summer, crops can’t produce normal amounts of forage.  Likewise, the native vegetation that usually serves as a buffer while forage crops are becoming established is also unproductive and potentially unpalatable.  These conditions can result in food plot crops being damaged by over-browsing.  In turn, this results in bucks that don’t express their full antler growth potential and fawns that don’t reach their potential because the quantity and quality of does’ milk production is decreased.

In these circumstances competition for the available quality forage is a concern to hunters and habitat managers.  That’s why we have removed several groundhogs near our food plots this summer.  They are literally making crop circles in several of my food plots.  Groundhogs are good to eat and require skill to harvest.  They have a great sense of smell and good vision.  In short, they require many of the same skills  necessary to harvest a deer.  I often hunt them from my deer stands up until August or so.  Then I like to reduce disturbance by the food plots and stands as much as possible.

Get your rifle sighted in and grab your safety harness and go groundhog hunting!  It’s great practice for deer season while protecting forage in your food plots.  Or help a farmer by removing groundhogs from his fields.  By providing this service, you may gain access to some great hunting grounds!

Growing Deer together,

Grant

While in college, I was taught about the circle principle.  Simply stated, the principle is that our knowledge base is like a circle.  As the circumference of a circle increases, the border of the circle gets bigger.  Likewise, the more we know, the more we realize we don’t know.  I’ve been a practicing wildlife biologist for 20+ years.  My firm, Woods and Associates, Inc. was incorporated during 1990.  Throughout this time, I’ve worked primarily with white-tailed deer and turkey throughout their ranges.  Even with this level of experience and opportunities to learn, I have more questions now than when I started and my desire to learn is probably at an all time high.

Because I’m now a husband, dad, etc., I have less time I can dedicate to learning, research, etc.  That’s why I really enjoy learning from others that share my passion for hunting, wildlife, and habitat management.  One of the best ways to meet such folks is at events such as the Land and Wildlife Expo to be held in Nashville, TN during August 12^th – 14^th.  There will be speakers talking about the many aspects of deer management and current topics such as predation.  There will also be field demonstrations and the  ability to visit directly with manufacturers.  This is a great chance to ask wildlife managers and folks from the hunting industry direct questions face to face.

I look forward to learning and hopefully sharing information with fellow hunters and wildlife managers.  If you plan to attend, let me know.  Several of the GrowingDeer.tv gang are talking about planning a time we can visit about our personal hunting and management plans for this fall.  I plan on learning and preparing to be a better hunter this fall.  I hope we can visit there.

Growing Deer together,

Grant

The climate during 2011 in the lower 48 has been a series of extremes.  Some areas have experienced severe drought and others have experienced record flooding.  Some areas have experienced both.  For example, areas along the Mississippi River in Louisiana have received significantly less than normal precipitation during the growing season, but were flooded (as in underwater) because the levies failed or were purposely breeched by the US Corps of Engineers.

Some areas that were in a drought are now receiving rain, and some areas that were flooded are now dry enough to plant.  Many hunters in these areas have inquired about planting forage crops during late June  or even July (hoping that conditions will improve).

There are some forage crops that will respond well to being planted at this time of year if there is the correct amount of soil moisture.  Forage soybeans are a perfect example.  Research from Iowa State shows that soybeans germinate rapidly when the soil temperature is above 60 degrees and the days until germination actually decrease until the soil temperature at planting depth is over 85 degrees.

Soybeans planted at this time of year may not mature or produce as many pods.  However, the forage produced is extremely valuable to deer and other wildlife.  In addition, it’s an advantage to establish and maintain a crop so weeds are controlled and the plots will be much easier to prepare for a fall forage crop if the soybeans don’t produce enough pods to justify allowing them to remain throughout the winter.

The map above shows NOAA’s prediction of climate conditions during the next few days.  According to their predictions, I may be replanting a few acres of plots at The Proving Grounds that failed due to drought conditions earlier this growing season.  Predictions are not 100% accurate.  I’ll begin planting when the odds get better or it has already rained.  However, I accept food plot failure just as farmers experience failed crops.  I attempt to diagnose the cause and replant.  Replanting is simply a part of farming.  Do you have plots that need to be replanted?  Does NOAA’s predictions indicate now is the time for you to replant?

Growing Deer together,

Grant

It has been very wet in much of the Midwest this spring.  In fact, many farmers are still planting and/or replanting corn and soybeans due to the wet field conditions.  In other parts of the whitetail’s range there is a serious and ongoing drought occurring.  In fact, it is a small percentage of the whitetail’s range that has experienced normal precipitation and temperatures during the 2011 spring crop planting season.  The quality of the nutrition available is a huge factor in white-tailed deer expressing their full potential.  In fact, for whitetails to express their full antler, body and fawn development potential, they require a diet with a sufficient quantity of quality forage year round.  Certainly whitetails can and do survive in areas where the quality and/or quantity of forage is less than optimal, however, they do not express their full genetic potential.  Due to the typical quality forage (primarily soybeans) available during most of the growing season in the Midwest and grain (corn and soybeans – standing or missed during harvest operations) whitetails usually express more of their potential in areas with ag production compared to areas dominated by timber or pasture.  The exception is areas like south Texas where supplemental feed is extremely common.  Basically the crops produced in the Midwest are harvested, trucked, and fed at many ranches in south Texas – giving them a very similar diet to deer in the Midwest.

When weather conditions prohibit crops (forage or grain) from being produced during the entire growing season, or the quality of the crops are limited because the soil is too moist or dry for the plants to uptake nutrients, whitetails (and other consumers) will not express as much potential because of reduced dietary quality.

Each week that quality forage is not available reduces a deer’s ability to express its full genetic potential.  The lack of ag crops can be buffered by quality native forage.  However, weather conditions that reduce the ability of ag crops to be established or produce at their maximum potential also limit native vegetation from expressing its best potential.

Except in controlled environments (like us living in a house versus a tent), tough environmental conditions simply reduce the ability of living organisms to express their full potential.  It is much more likely that deer will be able to express more of their potential the following year then to offset a lack of nutrients within the same antler or fawn development season.

From a manager’s prospective, the best plan to limit the amount of variation in deer herd health from year to year is to create a very diverse habitat and maintain a deer herd’s population density well below the amount of food and cover available during tough conditions such as drought, harsh winters, etc.  Most deer herds can be fairly productive during years with good growing conditions. However, those weather patterns are rare.  By maintaining herds and habitat in a state of readiness for tough conditions, both will be extremely productive when environmental conditions are better than average!

To know what environmental conditions you can expect this growing season use drought prediction maps.

Growing Deer together,

Grant