Vet Judy

            Be sure not to neglect the biggest nutrient requirement for you deer this fall: water.

            The availability of water is crucial both when designing and maintaining your food plot.  You always want to be careful to retain natural sources of water.  There are plenty of examples of poor wildlife habitat management where wetlands or other natural water sources were removed—at the later expense of providing natural wildlife water sources.

            Adequate access to water is especially important for whitetail deer in the fall months.  These are the months when deer are making the transition to shrubby vegetation after the fall frosts kill off the more succulent summer forage.  In dry years, some ponds that provide water for deer may also dry up, leaving them dependent on permanent streams for water.

            If you’re doing fall tillage or planting, be sure to leave access to water along natural trails and runs used by deer.  In fact, access to water should be just an important consideration in your land management scheme as access to cover.  This again illustrates the value of advance planning: it allows you to maximize the deer habitat requirements.

            If you’re in an area that has been particularly dry this year, providing supplemental water near your deer food plot may be an option that you wish to consider.  Livestock watering troughs are an easy option for providing supplemental water for the deer on your property.  Be sure that, when you are maintaining water troughs, you are filling them up at times that deer are not likely to be grazing the food plot.

 For more information on deer food plots feel free to visit our website:

 http://www.diydeerfoodplots.com/