Wildlife Management Forum
- Thread starter Canadian Bush Wacker
- Start date
I'm kind of making an assumption that almost anywhere in Canada, winter is the largest limiting factor affecting deer populations. At least locally, a long, hard winter will kill more deer than hunters, poachers, yotes and cars. As such, I would recommend winter cover/feed being the most important habitat feature.
Here in NS that means dense softwood stands adjacent to areas that have available browse (within reach for the deer).
It's easy to get caught up and try to make your woodlot the "perfect' habitat area, but take a look at the landscape level, the area that a deer will cover as part of it's home range, use aerial photos and look to see what you have lots of in the area and what is lacking. If your in agricultural country, feed shouldn't be an issue for three seasons, you'll need to think about winter feed sources.
If you're in hardwood country do partial harvests, group or single tree cuts, strip cuts work well also. Cutting hardwoods will result in sprouts/suckers that will provide feed for several years along with the slash from the harvest.
As for the 2-4-D, personally I'd avoid it, it only sets the trees back, doesn't normally kill them outright and will kill any herbaceous species on the ground.
YMMV
Here in NS that means dense softwood stands adjacent to areas that have available browse (within reach for the deer).
It's easy to get caught up and try to make your woodlot the "perfect' habitat area, but take a look at the landscape level, the area that a deer will cover as part of it's home range, use aerial photos and look to see what you have lots of in the area and what is lacking. If your in agricultural country, feed shouldn't be an issue for three seasons, you'll need to think about winter feed sources.
If you're in hardwood country do partial harvests, group or single tree cuts, strip cuts work well also. Cutting hardwoods will result in sprouts/suckers that will provide feed for several years along with the slash from the harvest.
As for the 2-4-D, personally I'd avoid it, it only sets the trees back, doesn't normally kill them outright and will kill any herbaceous species on the ground.
YMMV
There are countless more environmentally friendly chemicals than 2-4-D. In fact, it has been banned in many areas and it isn't overly selective in what it kills. It's a great friend of tame grass but not natural plants. Its use should end on your lawn.....
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I too am curious about how food plots would benefit Alberta? I don't own land nor do I currently farm so the experts will have to help me out a little.
How exactly, does one take a chunk of land and plant crops designed to support or benefit the local deer population? For the experts back East; Mule deer-the other species of deer found in AB-have a diet that includes up to 800 different plants. Any change to the natural habitat is detrimental to the over all Mulie population, with the possible exception of logging, clearing forest for ranching and forest fires.
How exactly, does one take a chunk of land and plant crops designed to support or benefit the local deer population? For the experts back East; Mule deer-the other species of deer found in AB-have a diet that includes up to 800 different plants. Any change to the natural habitat is detrimental to the over all Mulie population, with the possible exception of logging, clearing forest for ranching and forest fires.
But Ike, what would Jackie Bushman think about that?
First food plots, then sitting in your chair under a feeder. Oh the sport, what fun!
Good points! I'm fixing on setting up my chair 30 yds to the left and the feeder 30 yds to the right.
So how does altering the natural landscape benefit the Mulie population again? They almost exclusively browse(a word here which means eating while walking) over a wide area in order to meet their dietary requirements.
