MSU Deer Lab

3 years ago, this was a solid stand of native warm-season grass. It provided no forage and poor cover. It’s now covered in good forage plants such as Illinois bundle flower, hairy white old-field aster, giant ragweed, sumpweed, trumpet creeper, and dewberry.

The deer trails, beds, and nipped stems are speaking loud and clear. Excellent food + cover maintained for a few dollars in drip torch fuel and diesel is how you maximize benefits for deer and many other critters on your property.

This was a production ag field for decades. It came out of production in 2023 and we began to manage it as an old field for wildlife. Since it was tilled annually and sprayed multiple times per year for its recent history, most of the seed bank was depleted and only a couple species dominated the first year or two once we took over.

We didn't plant anything. We've been working with what nature gives us each year through a combination of fire and/or spot-spray herbicide applications to shift species composition away from species we want less of and toward species we want to promote.

Unwanted species we spot spray every time wee see them:
sericea lespedeza (first picture)
tall fescue
crabgrass

Species we want more of that are becoming more prevalent:
beggar's lice (second picture)
common ragweed
daisy fleabane (background in first picture)
wild lettuce
prickly sida

There are also native species that we want, but too much of them is not a good thing. We spot spray dense pockets of these to reduce coverage slightly:
Canada goldenrod
dogfennel
broomsedge

This process is all about shifting the competitive advantage away from unwanted species and towards species we want more of. Native plants usually don't need much help to get going, but allowing invasives such as sericea or tall fescue to grow un-checked is a great way to forfeit the value of your old field to invasives.

There is no one-size-fits-all approach to management. You must understand the starting point, objectives, limitations, and context of every situation to manage successfully and efficiently.

Let's demystify the process of translating nitrogen ( N ), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) soil test recommendations to how much of each product is actually applied.

Soil test recommendations list N, P, and K as the following on a per-acre basis:

-Nitrogen is simply listed as pounds of N
-P is listed as pounds of P2O5 (not as pounds of elemental P)
-K is listed as pounds of K2O (not as pounds of elemental K)

Conveniently, fertilizer bags list their chemical analysis in the same N-P205-K20 format. A bag of 13-13-13 contains 13% N by weight, 13% P2O5 by weight, and 13% K2O by weight.

We like to use high-analysis fertilizers to custom mix applications for each food plot so we're not over-applying some and under-applying others. This means we often use:

-Urea (46-0-0): contains 46% N by weight
-Triple super phosphate (0-46-0): contains 46% P205 by weight
-Potash (0-0-60) contains 60% K2O by weight.

So let's say our soil test calls for 80 # of N, 60 # of P2O5, and 40 # of K2O per acre.

On a 1-acre food plot, we would apply the following rates of each product:

-Urea (46-0-0): 80 # / 0.46 = 174 # of 46-0-0 must be applied
-Triple super phosphate (0-46-0): 60 # / 0.46 = 130 # of 0-46-0 must be applied
-Potash (0-0-60): 40 # / 0.6 = 67 # of 0-0-60 must be applied

If you had a 2.5-acre plot, simply multiple each above number by 2.5 to get:

435 # of 46-0-0
325 # of 0-46-0
168 # of 0-0-60

If you need to apply secondary nutrients such as Mg, Ca, or S, find a fertilizer that contains them and use the same process. Secondary nutrients are listed after N-P-K. For example, a typical ammonium sulfate analysis is 21-0-0-24S, meaning 21% by weight is N and 24% by weight is S.

Plug and chug if you are using fertilizer with a different chemical analysis. These calculations will still work.

Come hang out with us! We will be on the pond bank and in the woods, discussing how to set up your pond for success and manage your property for deer.

Save the date! Come learn about pond and deer management in one combined workshop.

There are very, very few "one size fits all" approaches to habitat management. Whether that's fire timing, FSI, food plots, old-fields, or feeders, everything is context- and objective-dependent. What is "best" for one landowner with one unique set of objectives and limitations will almost certainly differ from what is "best" for another landowner, even a neighbor, with a different set of objectives and limitations.

Food plots are an easy example. We plant dozens of species depending on context. We use no-till drills. We use hand seeders. We use conventional tillage. We use roller crimpers. We use mowers. We use herbicide in some cases and not in others. You can manage excellent food plots with tractors and drills and you can manage excellent food plots with hand seeders and backpack sprayers. There is no "silver bullet" to habitat management.

Learn and borrow ideas from those around you, but most importantly, experiment on your land with the tools available to you to determine what methods best meet your objectives. Experiment with different techniques and measure the results. To many of us, this is the most rewarding part of management: learning from your land.

The deer are hammering this field of awnless wheat and will continue to do so for at least another month. The standing grain is providing an excellent buffer as our summer food plots are establishing. A general rule of thumb:

Plant an awnless variety if you want deer to eat the majority of the seed heads.

Plant an awned variety if you want to save most of the seed heads for turkeys.