Vet Judy

This post is about Texas Deer Hunting.

Even though I grew up with hunting, am an avid outdoors person, and even wrote a book about food plots, I have always faced an internal delema with regards to the topic of hunting.

 As a veterinarian, I have had a long standing problem reconciling the issue of hunting Trophy bucks while maintaining quality genetics and allowing propagation of a healthy species. 

I see some whitetail Trophy and mule deer Trophy bucks roaming around freely on our property here in Alberta before hunting season. As a matter of a fact, I saw one this year that was so big, it looked like a horse.

When I see these outstanding Trophy bucks there are two thoughts that come to mind. One is “What a Monster Trophy buck” and the other is “I hope that one makes it into next year, so he can pass on good quality genes”.  Both my husband and I really appreciate the magestic beauty of an animal that has been allowed to reach it’s full potential.

Well, in my research, I have come across a Texas deer hunting outfitter than has spent a number of years developing a program I can definately stand behind.  The Duval County Ranch has successfully merged the two concepts of save the best quality animals while still harvesting Trophy bucks. 

I love the rules on this South Texas Ranch. You can’t shoot unless your guide indicates it is an appropriate buck. No amount of your adrenaline changes that. Despite the potential as a Trophy buck, if the deer has more genetic potential you can’t take him. This is music to my ears.

Here is an example. This buck had been watched closely since 2003. He was scoring in the 230″s last year and turned out to be 210″s this year when he was shot. He was aged at 8.5+ years old.

This is what their deer hunting program at the Duval County Ranch is all about. This buck was protected and allowed to breed even though David Kitner (the ranch manager) knew that he would probably be smaller this year. Duval County Ranch and deer hunting outfitters want those great genes to go as far as possible. This beautiful buck was harvested this year because he was being pushed around so much by younger bucks he was unlikely to breed.  He was harvested before he was hurt or broken up by another buck. This hunter has had a rewarding experience, the buck was allowed to pass his exceptional genetics onto the rest of the herd until the time had come when even under natural selection he would be pushed out of breeding and likely injured by the younger bucks.

Part 1:

Most hunters become interested in food plots because of the utility of plots for attraction and harvest during hunting season.  It is often said, when it comes to deer hunting, he who has the food wins!

During the rut, the food is where the does are, and the bucks are out there looking for them. After the rut, the bucks are under pressure to find nutritious food to recover from the rigors of the rut and to increase fat stores in preparation for the winter.

The concept of food plotting is to create and enhance available food sources. This, in turn, may influence deer travel patterns. whitetail deer are selective feeders, consistently eating in their home range as long as palatable food is available there. Lucky for us, they will also move to other areas if better options are made available.

Once a person starts food plotting, they often develop a secondary interest in habitat management.  What starts out as a project to create a single hunting plot can turn into a life long passion for native resource management as well as creating both feeding and hunting plots.

L arger scale habitat management includes water, tree resource and deer population management. If you are interested in larger scale management of your deer herd, the best resource I can suggest for complete habitat management is the Quality Deer Management Association”s: Deer Steward Certification Courses.

http://www.qdma.com/qdma/reach-certification.asp

If you are interested in reading more on food plot Design Strategies, feel free to stop by my website at www.diydeerfoodplots.com/ and download (free) the first chapter to my ebook deer food Plots Made Easy.

            Okay, let me tell you right up front: forage rape (brassica napus) is my brassica of choice in the deer food plot mix on my ranch.  It’s not just the fact that the plant contains 30% crude protein—but that’s certainly a good selling point.

            First of all, remember: forage rape is different than oilseed rape.  You won’t be able to utilize the oilseed varieties in your deer food plot like the forage varieties.

            Second, there are also different kinds of forage rape out there.  There are “giant” varieties, which are often used to graze cattle and sheep and “dwarf” varieties which are used in the sheep industry as a forage in lamb production.  If you’re using your food plot to also attract deer for the early fall hunting season, be sure to use a “dwarf” variety, which will naturally mature when the plant is shorter.

            Forage rape is often regarded as a little easier to manage for grazing than kale and turnips.  At my location, forage rape will be seeded in early August to begin being available to deer in September or October, after our first hard frost. 

            Honestly, the thing I love about forage rape is that it can offer a forage food source well into the winter.  It’s ready for grazing about 60 days after planting; I like to plant in early August so it’s ready for the deer by October.  After the first grazing, forage rape will regrow in about a month—an ideal addition to the fall deer food plot crop mixture.

            As for all brassicas, forage rape will be more attractive to deer after frost.  It is also not a one-size-fits-all wonder crop for your deer food plot.  But if you’re looking for a winter-hardy, nutrient laden grazing crop of choice for deer—especially in regions of harder winters—forage rape is my brassica deer food plot crop of choice.

Today, let’s debunk some of the more popular myths about deer food plots.

Myth #1:         Food Plots Are Planted to Raise Carrying Capacity

            I’ve noticed that this claim really irks wildlife management professionals.  That’s because it’s how many deer food plots were marketed to hunters by companies wanting to profit off the sale of non-native plants, generic plans, and other one-size-fits-all packages.

            Responsible food plots are planted to enhance the habitat for existing wildlife.  Remember: for whitetails, it’s cover—not food—that’s the most important part of the habitat.  Properly planted food plots use natural elements for cover and maximize the interface needed to ease the deer into the food plot. For more on interface and cover see THIS article.

Myth #2:         Non-native Plants are Key to a food plot’s Success

            It’s true: some of the key plants in a well-designed food plot won’t be found growing in the native landscape.  (I’ve never spotted wild soybeans growing on my ranch!)  However, food plots are about more than just planting tasty, nutritious crops.  Proper food plot design integrates the plot into the landscape, and utilizing existing native plants, shrubs and trees is critical to easing the deer into your plot.

Myth #3:         The Right Crop Mix Means You Can Just Go Out and Plant It

            With the beginning of spring, it’s tempting to get your hands dirty and dig up the deer food plot that you’ve been thinking about planting.  Just as food plots aren’t “quick fixes” for guaranteeing a great deer harvest during hunting season, the right crop mix isn’t a “quick-fix” for the food plot.  You’ll need to take time to position your food plot in the right place, according to prevailing wind patterns, natural cover, and perimeter trails.  A soil test is an essential investment for long-term food plot planning.  There are also pesky things called “weeds” that have been underestimated more than once by food plot planters. For more on weed control strategies: visit http://www.diydeerfoodplots.com/articles/trophy-whitetail-deer-hunting.html

            deer food plots, like other good things, do not come quickly and easily.  Be sure to resist those myth-makers that would try to convince you otherwise.

brassica’s  are a good choice for fall and winter deer food plots. They produce large amounts of quality deer food during the time of year when perennial forages and native plants are limited in both production and quality. Seeding your brassica crops in the summer can attract deer late into the fall and early winter.

Food plots are used extensively by Deer Management groups. Good deer managers use brassica’s in their food plots because they realize the value of the brassica group. The specific varieties that Deer Management specialists commonly use are kale, rape, and turnips.

The leaves of these plants are bitter until hit by a heavy frost. Deer managers capitalize on this deer behavior to get outstanding deer attractant factor in their food plots in late fall and early winter during hunting season. Deer will be seen to eat the leaves first and then dig out the roots later in the season as the snow covers the plot.

Here are a few facts about the varieties of brassica crops used by deer managers.

Kale (brassica oleracea): Varieties with a high leaf to stem ratio are preferred by deer. If planted in the spring the stemless is ready August through September. The stemmed variety takes longer and is usually ready October through December.

Turnips: (brassica rapa):All parts of this plant are eaten by the deer. It can be late fall planted and the deer will eat the leaves first and then dig out the roots later. Choose a variety with a high proportion of leaves to provide a better deer attractant.

Forage Rape (brassica napus):  This variety is tolerant of adverse conditions such as cold, heat and drought. It is often planted in mid to late July.  The dwarf types are best when using them as deer lure.

brassica crops are often used by game managers to attract deer to their food plots, especially in the fall and early winter months. They are strong nutritionally and provide good grazing during times of the year when the native plant choices have deteriorated. So, consider brassica species when you want good fall and early winter grazing for your deer.

Planting Food Plots is beneficial to the deer herd and can supplement the herd when times are tough. Deer Food Plots Made Easy provides a complete and simple guide for the DIY crows who want more information on how to use deer food plots.