Vet Judy

A client asked today about deer food plots in South and Central Florida. I thought I would share some easy to use resources.
The first is a great resource on plants to choose from in the area and the how to’s specific to the region. The second two are state businesses that may be helpful resources. Feel free to check them out and see if they are helpful to you.

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/UW/UW26200.pdf
http://www.wildlifeseedblend.com/
http://www.allseasonsfoodplots.com/

Looking for a list of fall planted legumes you can plant this year after you spend the early and mid part of this year preparing your whitetail deer food plot.

Consider the following legumes if you have well drained soils:

• subterranean clover,
• arrowleaf clover,
• crimson clover,
• hairy vetch,
• australian winter peas,
• alfalfa,
• red clover,
• white dutch,
• birdsfoot trefoil,
• sweet clovers.

If you have rather wet soils consider berseem, alsike, white dutch or ladino white clovers as good choices.

If you have acidic soil well drained the best choices are often subterranean clover and hairy vetch.

If you have acidic wet soil consider alsike clover. Remember almost always clovers are put with small grains, or annual rye grass.

There is often more than one clover in a mix with both small grains and annual ryegrass to improve success of your plot.

Here is an article for fall planting and spring to mid summer preparation that we found works very well: 5 steps to successful fall planting of whitetail food plots

Also see our latest video for application of these techniques.

We are please to provide you with resources on the subject of deer food plots. This is the first in a series of educational videos on doing your own deer food plots. If you are interested in food plots stay tuned for our series.

Visit our Website www.diydeerfoodplots.com

for more information on planting your food plots. We can make the process easier for you.

For those of you also interested in small game and turkey food plots, the good news is, there is overlap and you can achieve results for small game hunting with your whitetail food plot.

Are you located in Pennsylvania? Do you have the desire to do food plots but need some consulting services to help you get started. In my travels I have come across a professional and qualified (fee for service) called Drop Tine Wildlife Consulting. Here is the website address. Check them out if you need services closer to you and you are in Pennsylvania.

http://deerdevelopment.com/index.php

Feel free to visit our website http://www.diydeerfoodplots.com/ 

for a free Chapter Download of deer food Plots Made Easy.

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.