Feed or not to feed?

[Basfis]

I’m planning to put in a food plot or 2 behind my house this spring to aid in regular deer traffic for harvest. I live amongst several small 5-25 acre homesites and a few large working cattle/hay operations. Limited timber and all that is around is across many landowners.  Unless DRT, a deer changes landowners while expiring  

We have a ridiculous amount of deer and most folks don’t and won’t hunt in the area.  One guy 1/8 mike down the road walks his perimeter looking for trespassing during general deer season. I harvested an archery doe this year and need to do so at least once a year. As you might imagine deer are as small in stature as they are numerous. 

So, to the subject line, I’m thinking about putting out some feed to help survival and at the same time I hate to perpetuate the overcrowded condition. Don’t like the idea of them starving, seems cruel and wasteful. 

Thoughts?

[Seth]

Deer are very resilient. If the food is scarce, deer will vacate the area and yard up with other area deer on the nearest food source in the winter. You would be surprised how much they browse on what looks like weeds and brush to us, even with a food plot nearby. Of course extra feed is never a bad thijg and will definitely help your local deer herd get through the winter.

Which county are you located in? I am guessing you made sure you aren’t in one where it is illegal to feed deer or put out minerals due to the whole CWD thing, right?

[Basfis]

Yes on checking, Greene county.

no doubt on the browse and the doe I shot was the leanest deer I’ve ever harvested. Thin layer at the base of the tail. There are more taken by car than hunters within a mile of my place. 

[tjm]

imo, unless you plant  40A , a food plot isn't about aiding their survival. A handful of deer can eat most of a half acre garden in one or two nights. As an enticement to slaughter some plants will attract deer at certain stages of growth, select plants that will be at that stage of growth at the time you want the deer there. Otherwise let other people feed the nuisance animals. They won't starve.

[Basfis]

No intent to feed via food plot, only entice and generate habits for harvest as you outlined  

I may just leave the feed alone for the winter.  There are 3 really nice bucks in the vicinity I would love to have frequent my place late September of next year. I do wonder if a feeder wouldn’t impact their view of my property  

I used to deer hunt more than I do nowadays and always Osage river and north. I’m new to the urban deer issues. 

 

[Basfis]

Here are 5 scavenging tonight by my shop. Not a great pic but it’s from my kitchen. 

[tjm]

Winter wheat and/or  fall turnips  might be good, wheat will be green in the snow and deer have been known to top  a patch of late turnips. I think the visits to such will likely be nocturnal though. Corn feeders bring in 'coons as often as deer, I think. Neighbor used to have a big feed bunk for cattle and kept salt-mix out  in it; deer that visited regularly, they went so often that they could be ambushed 1/4 mile away.

So a feed station by your shop might let you catch them as they come off the neighbors land and make it more probable that they fall down where you can get to them without a trespass issue.

[Seth]

If you plan on running a feeder, just remember that you must have all feed removed from the area 10 days before you hunt it. As for food plots, if you want a kill plot that can handle heavy grazing, then winter rye/wheat, oats and a good white clover are your best bet as they will handle browsing pressure the best. They should hold up well throughout the fall until it gets really cold and go dormant. Winter rye continue growing until the soil gets below 34 or 36 degrees. A true late season food source such as standing soybeans or brassicas (turnips/rape) needs to be at least 5 acres in size if you have any number of deer in your area. Deer have no problem wiping out an acre and a half of turnips on dads place by the end of bow season.

[tjm]

Seth does it say how far away the feed has to be? What is the "area"? When my neighbor fed his cows and I hunted the deer on their way there was I in violation?

[Basfis]

21 minutes ago, Seth said:

If you plan on running a feeder, just remember that you must have all feed removed from the area 10 days before you hunt it. As for food plots, if you want a kill plot that can handle heavy grazing, then winter rye/wheat, oats and a good white clover are your best bet as they will handle browsing pressure the best. They should hold up well throughout the fall until it gets really cold and go dormant. Winter rye continue growing until the soil gets below 34 or 36 degrees. A true late season food source such as standing soybeans or brassicas (turnips/rape) needs to be at least 5 acres in size if you have any number of deer in your area. Deer have no problem wiping out an acre and a half of turnips on dads place by the end of bow season.

I was looking at a perennial clover blend maybe one blended with alfalfa. My son thinks he wants to raise bottle calves for my FIL. If he does do that, the clover is no harm to helpful.