White-tail Nutrition and Food Plots. By David Winkler County Extension Agent Bosque County

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2 White-tail Nutrition and Food Plots By David Winkler County Extension Agent Bosque County

3 Study Area /species/white_tailed_deer/

4 Plant Classes Browse 36%, 24% Browse refers to the growing soft portion (stems and leaves) of perennial woody plants. Trees, shrubs, vines and plants typically referred to as brush fall into this category. are plants that are often called weeds by farmers, ranchers and those maintaining urban lawns. They are herbaceous (nonwoody), normally broad-leafed, flowering plants. include all flowering herbaceous plants that are not grasses.

5 Plant Classes Continued Mast 20%, es 12% Mast is the fruit of the plants defined as browse species. Mast includes things such as oak acorns, mesquite beans, prickly pear fruits, berries, etc. As a group, mast is seasonally important in deer diets and was therefore reported as a separate forage class in this study. es (and grass-like plants) include herbaceous species of grass, sedge and rush families.

6 Plant Classes Continued Food Plots 7%, Feeds 5% Planted agricultural forage and grain crops include forage items that are planted for farming, grazing or specifically for wildlife in the form of food plots. Cool season crops typically include clover, vetch, wheat, oats and ryegrass. Common warm season crops include peas and other legume varieties, milo and millet. Commercial feeds include sacked feed used as either a true supplement pellets or a deer hunting attractant corn.

7 Extremely Dry Spring of 1996 January to May Rainfall <5.25 inches White-tailed deer diet by forage class in the Cross Timbers Ecological Region of north central Texas, May, Mast 12% Food Plots 8% 17% 13% Brow se 50% Browse Mas t Food Plots

8 May 1996 TEN MOST PREFERED Acorns Wheat/Oats Mat euphorbia Deciduous holly Skunkbush berries Wild onion Oak Common greenbrier Skunkbush Yellow woodsorrel TEN MOST IMPORTANT Oak Skunkbush Acorns Common greenbrier Wheat/Oats Cedar elm Mat euphorbia Texas wintergrass Dichanthelium Yellow woodsorrel

9 Wetter than Normal Spring of 1997 January to May Rainfall >23.5 inches White-tailed deer diet by forage class in the Cross Timbers Ecological Region of north central Texas, May, Mast 14% Commercial Feed 2% Food Plots 5% Unidentified Plant Material 5% 36% Brow se 30% 8% Browse Mast Food Plots Commercial Feed Unidentified Plant Material

10 May 1997 TEN MOST PREFERRED Acorns Wheat/Oats Common chickweed Yellow dalea Rain-lily Texas vervain Prairie bishop s-weed Stork s bill Venus looking-glass Western spiderwort TEN MOST IMPORTANT Oak Skunkbush Skunkbush berries Acorns Common greenbrier Wheat/Oats Cedar elm Common chickweed Western ragweed Illinois bundleflower

11 Dry Spring vs- Wet Spring White-tailed deer diet by forage class in the Cross Timbers Ecological Region of north central Texas, May, Mast 12% Food Plots 8% 17% 13% White-tailed deer diet by forage Food Plots class in the Cross Timbers Ecological Region of north central Texas, May, Mast 14% Brow se 50% Commercial Feed 2% Food Plots 5% Unidentified Plant Material 5% 36% Browse Mas t Brow se 30% 8% Browse Mast Food Plots Commercial Feed Unidentified Plant Material

12 Forb Diversity Wet -vs- Dry : 7 Species Partridge pea Wild onion Mat euphorbia Two-leaf senna Yellow woodsorrel Western ragweed Texas thistle : 29 Species Partridge pea, Wild onion, Mat euphorbia, Two-leaf senna, Yellow woodsorrel, Western ragweed, Texas thistle, Catnip noseburn, Silverleaf nightshade, Spiderwort, Queen's delight, Prairie verbena, Coreopsis, Venus looking-glass, Dalea, Illinois bundleflower, Zexmenia, Plantain, Snoutbean, Deer pea vetch, Lespedeza, Wild carrot, Prairie bishop's weed, Rainlilly, Texas vervain, Chickweed, Stork's bill, Fleabane, Beggars Tick

13 Above Average Summer 1996 Following Dry Spring White-tailed deer diet by forage class in the Cross Timbers Ecological Region of north central Texas, August, % Mast 17% Food Plots 2% 13% Commercial Feed 1% Brow se 46% Browse Mas t Food Plots Commercial Feed

14 August 1996 TEN MOST PREFERRED Mesquite beans Mistletoe Prickly pear fruit Lespedeza Deer vetch Dichanthelium Skunkbush Oak Partridge pea Lab Lab TEN MOST IMPORTANT Skunkbush Oak Mesquite beans Dichanthelium Prickly pear fruit Common greenbrier Mistletoe Cedar elm Mat euphorbia Lespedeza

15 Near Normal Summer1997 Following Wet Spring White-tailed deer diet by forage class in the Cross Timbers Ecological Region of north central Texas, August, Mast 14% Commercial Feed Food Plots 1% 1% 43% Unidentified Plant Material 1% Brow se 29% 11% Browse Mast Food Plots Commercial Feed Unidentified Plant Material

16 August 1997 TEN MOST PREFERRED Hill Country wild mercury Deer vetch Mat euphorbia Mesquite beans Tall bush clover Lespedeza Yellow dalea Beggar s tick Prickly pear fruit Stork s bill TEN MOST IMPORTANT Oak Skunkbush Prickly pear fruit Mesquite beans Hill Country wild mercury Deer vetch Common greenbrier Croton Mat euphorbia Partridge pea

17 August Diet After Dry and Wet Spring White-tailed deer diet by forage class in the Cross Timbers Ecological Region of north central Texas, August, % Mast 17% Food Plots 2% 13% Commercial Feed 1% Brow se 46% Browse Mas t Food Plots White-tailed deer diet by forage class in the Cross Timbers Commercial Feed Ecological Region of north central Texas, August, Mast 14% Commercial Feed Food Plots 1% 1% 43% Unidentified Plant Material 1% Brow se 29% 11% Browse Mast Food Plots Commercial Feed Unidentified Plant Material

18 Wet Fall 1996 Following Above Average Summer and Dry Spring White-tailed deer diet by forage class in the Cross Timbers Ecological Region of north central Texas, November, Food Plots 4% Commercial Feed 11% Brow se 38% Mast 26% 11% 10% Browse Mast Food Plots Commercial Feed

19 November 1996 TEN MOST PREFERRED Acorns Corn Mistletoe Wheat/Oats Deciduous holly Mat euphorbia Oak Rescuegrass Sugar hackberry Cedar elm TEN MOST IMPORTANT Acorns Oak Corn Skunkbush Cedar elm Common greenbrier Mistletoe Wheat/Oats Deciduous holly Prickly pear fruit

20 Slightly Dry Fall 1997 Following Near Normal Summer and Wet Spring White-tailed deer diet by forage class in the Cross Timbers Ecological Region of north central Texas, November, Commercial Feed 18% Brow se 32% Food Plots 7% Browse Mast 32% 7% 4% Mast Food Plots Commercial Feed

21 November 1997 TEN MOST PREFERRED Acorns Corn Wheat/Oats Coralberry Tall bush clover Prickly pear fruit Lespedeza Oak Flameleaf sumac Mistletoe TEN MOST IMPORTANT Acorns Corn Oak Skunkbush Wheat/Oats Common greenbrier Cedar elm Ashe juniper Coralberry Tall bush clover

22 Near Normal Winter 1997 Following Above Average Fall, White-tailed deer diet by forage class in the Cross Timbers Ecological Region of north central Texas, February, Food Plots 10% Commercial Feed 8% Brow se 32% Mast 25% 12% 13% Browse Mas t Food Plots Commercial Feed

23 February 1997 TEN MOST PREFERRED Acorns Corn Wheat/Oats Mistletoe Mat euphorbia Oak Deciduous holly Common greenbrier Cedar elm Wild carrot TEN MOST IMPORTANT Acorns Oak Corn Wheat/Oats Common greenbrier Skunkbush Cedar elm Mistletoe Texas wintergrass Ashe juniper

24 Wet Winter 1998 Following Near Normal Fall White-tailed deer diet by forage class in the Cross Timbers Ecological Region of north central Texas, February, Food Plots 13% Commercial Feed 10% Unidentified Plant Material 1% Brow se 27% Browse Mast 18% 17% 14% Mast Food Plots Commercial Feed Unidentified Plant Material

25 February 1998 TEN MOST PREFERRED Acorns Wheat/Oats Corn Mistletoe Mat euphorbia Oak Wild onion Western ragweed Common greenbrier Texas wintergrass TEN MOST IMPORTANT Acorns Oak Wheat/Oats Common greenbrier Corn Texas wintergrass Skunkbush Western ragweed Cedar elm Mistletoe

26 Two Year Study May of 1996 to February 1998, With Above Average Rainfall in Bosque County Overall food habits of white-tailed deer in the Cross Timbers region. Food Plots 7% Mast 20% 20% Commercial Feed 5% Browse 36% 12% Browse Mast Food Plots Commercial Feed

27 Most Important Plant Species Browse Oak Liveoak, Spanish and other Greenbrier Skunkbush Sumac Cedar Elm Mistletoe Mat Euphorbia Yellow Woodsorrel/Oxalis Vetch Western Ragweed Wild Carrot &Beggars Tick Fillaree & Medics Mast Acorns Pricklepear Fruit Crops Wheat and Oats Commercial Feeds Corn es Texas Winter Dicanthelium

28 Browse Plants

29 Mast

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32 es

33 Habitat and Range Management The results of this study indicate that native plants are the most important component in whitetailed deer diets in the Cross Timbers and Prairies Region of Texas.

34 Why do we need food plots? Things we might say. Need to keep my bucks around Cut my feed bill Increase the fawn crop and survival Need more deer per acre The whole truth?

35 We all want to harvest this!!!!!!!

36 And This!!!!!

37 Key Words Harvest See bucks to harvest. Attract bucks from surrounding areas. Attract does that attract bucks This October through February Grow bigger horns April through August

38 When do we need food plot? Stressful times of year Winter Stress Period December through February breeding, reproduction, buck survival Summer Stress Period June through August fawn development, antler growth

39 When and Why December February Winter Stress Oats, wheat, clover, medics June August Summer Stress Legumes- alfalfa, beans, peas October February See bucks to harvest. Peas, oats, wheat, clover, medics April August Grow bigger antlers. Legumes- alfalfa, beans, peas

40 Food Plot Problems Adapted Species and Varieties Do not reinvent the wheel what are local ag producers growing or can grow Weed Control Multiple species plantings Soil Type Upland/Bottomland Blackland/Sandy Fertility

41 Bosque County Recommendations Winter Food Plots plant on upland or bottom land sites. Oats Preferred 2 to 1 by deer Wheat Left standing becomes a dove or turkey food plot Ryegrass Can handle wet feet Cow peas, Iron and Clay peas Grows rapidly in late summer/ early fall, attracts deer early

42 Higginbotham s Triple Threat Oats - 40 lbs per acre Plot Spike, Trophy, TAM Oat 406&606, Dallas, Harrison, Horizon 314, 270,&474, Heavy Grazer Cowpeas 40 lbs per acre Iron and Clay, black eye, red ripper Clover 10 lbs per acre Burr Medic, Button Medic, Rose, Yuchi Arrowleaf Plant Mid August to Early September Yield - 2,500 lbs peas before Thanksgiving and 4, lbs of Oats by April

43 Triple Threat Continued Plant oats and peas 1 deep. Drag ground or roll. Sling clover. Drag or roll.

44 Bosque County Recommendations Continued Summer Food Plots, only on bottomland sites Alfalfa Last 3-5 years - Clean ground Soybeans Round-up Ready Others with concerns -mainly weed control Cowpeas Iron and Clay peas Lablab

45 Planting Recommendation Alfalfa September to March Well prepared seed bed Let rain settle the ground Roll Broadcast 20 lbs per acre inoculated seed Roll Plant on clean ground Weed Control Post, Pursuit and Treflan

46 Planting Recommendations Soybeans Round-up Ready No-till or conventional till Plant 1 deep during March, target March 15th 20 to 40 lbs of inoculated seed per acre Spray with Roundup 2 weeks after it is up with 1pt plus surfactant per acre in 10 gallons of water. Spray with Roundup 4 to 5 weeks after it is up with 1pt plus surfactant per acre in 10 gallons of water.

47 Forage Cages

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