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Off-season food plots, supplement feeding; What now?
Topic Started: Dec 9 2012, 11:02 AM (1,030 Views)
Renegade
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Atikokan, Ontario
Deer hunting season is over in most northern states and provinces. Now that the season is over, what can you do to improve your deer habitat. I would think it would be a good time to put out mineral supplements or start a new mineral location. The winter will give the minerals time to work into the soil and the deer will hammer it in the spring. Also a good time to get out the chain saw and clear shooting lanes, clean up around food plots and maybe hinge cut some trees for winter feeding deer. Supplemental feeding could also be in the cards as well. What do you plan to do this winter?
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Posted Image barr creek acres
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My plan is too clear small areas for browse augmentation this is what my property lacks is good quality winter browse. I have an area that has existing Red Osier Dogwood and it is surrounded by young balsam fir and some poplar.Eliminate the fir and poplar and a new growth of Dogwood will shoot up. The young Doe I missed this past week at 100 yards was feeding on Dogwood and it is by far my herds favorite winter browse. Hinge cutting of young maple trees no larger then 4 inches diameter is also on my agenda. Clearing future food plots is on my list of things to do this winter.
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trophy
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I just finished cutting some extra shooting lanes, which would have allowed me to shoot 2 bull elk this archery season.
I have a winter feeding station. Made a new PVC pipe feeder, hung a timed feeder, and put out a truckload of bales. Looks crazy, happy deer.
First 2 deer at the feeder, 2 big bucks, where were you a couple weeks ago!
Should be good shed hunting season.
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Posted Image Bocephus_86
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we have a pile of cedar around that helps the deer through the winter here but I plan to knock some of them down so they are easier for the deer to get at and will also double as shooting lane clearing. Also plan to keep the feeder full all winter and tidy up around my food plots and get ready for some frost seeding of clover in March :cheers:
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Posted Image Archer Ontario
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Archer Ontario, Kingston Ont

trim up trees when we cut wood normally the next day the ground is coverd with deer tracks in the snow eating the browse .
mineral sites and feeding will be benificial to the deer :cheers: clear foodplot areas . hinge cut some trees for cover mark all you oak trees and clear the not so desireable trees around the oaks giving them more sunlight and less compatition to produce more mass crop :cheers:
SHOOT STRAIT OR SHOOT ALOT "SMACKDOWN"
www.ontariotrophybucks.ca
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Posted Image Cervus_stalker


I'm always cautious with feeding deer during the winter. Sudden changes in diet, specifically towards a high-carb diet, can cause the stomach acidity to increase. At best the deer will feel these effects and start reducing their feed intake (likely all feed). In more unfortunate cases the stomach pH spirals downward to the point where the animals may die as a result. Another potential problem with high carb foods (e.g., corn, oats, wheat seeds) and even high protein foods (e.g., brassicas) is that they can cause the gases in the stomach to no longer escape, and this can lead to death as well.

I think cutting natural browse is a good alternative, but I'd be very careful with species that are slow to regenerate, especially the ones that have trouble escaping deer browsing. Plants that come to mind here are hemlock, white cedar, and basswood. These are all like candy to deer during the winter, plus hemlock and cedar provide excellent thermal cover for deer during winter. If you start cutting them down and they can't easily regenerate, then all you have done is provide a day's worth of food for a few deer and removed a tree that may never be replaced in your lifetime. I think if you can open up the canopy by cutting elm, poplar, or ash, then you will do well. Like barr creek mentioned, the dogwoods are a very popular food item in the winter and fall. Luckily enough they are also really tough plants since they can handle a ton of browsing damage without dying and they grow like 'weeds'. If deer have access to alfalfa fields during the winter, then the natural browse should be plenty good for getting the average deer through the average winter.
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trophy
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Cervus_stalker
Dec 9 2012, 07:51 PM
I'm always cautious with feeding deer during the winter. Sudden changes in diet, specifically towards a high-carb diet, can cause the stomach acidity to increase. At best the deer will feel these effects and start reducing their feed intake (likely all feed). In more unfortunate cases the stomach pH spirals downward to the point where the animals may die as a result. Another potential problem with high carb foods (e.g., corn, oats, wheat seeds) and even high protein foods (e.g., brassicas) is that they can cause the gases in the stomach to no longer escape, and this can lead to death as well.

I think cutting natural browse is a good alternative, but I'd be very careful with species that are slow to regenerate, especially the ones that have trouble escaping deer browsing. Plants that come to mind here are hemlock, white cedar, and basswood. These are all like candy to deer during the winter, plus hemlock and cedar provide excellent thermal cover for deer during winter. If you start cutting them down and they can't easily regenerate, then all you have done is provide a day's worth of food for a few deer and removed a tree that may never be replaced in your lifetime. I think if you can open up the canopy by cutting elm, poplar, or ash, then you will do well. Like barr creek mentioned, the dogwoods are a very popular food item in the winter and fall. Luckily enough they are also really tough plants since they can handle a ton of browsing damage without dying and they grow like 'weeds'. If deer have access to alfalfa fields during the winter, then the natural browse should be plenty good for getting the average deer through the average winter.

Do you think its a problem(carbs, grain) if you start this early. I do it every year and haven't had any problems.
I wouldn't do it later like in february.
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Posted Image Cervus_stalker


trophy
Dec 9 2012, 09:43 PM
Cervus_stalker
Dec 9 2012, 07:51 PM
I'm always cautious with feeding deer during the winter. Sudden changes in diet, specifically towards a high-carb diet, can cause the stomach acidity to increase. At best the deer will feel these effects and start reducing their feed intake (likely all feed). In more unfortunate cases the stomach pH spirals downward to the point where the animals may die as a result. Another potential problem with high carb foods (e.g., corn, oats, wheat seeds) and even high protein foods (e.g., brassicas) is that they can cause the gases in the stomach to no longer escape, and this can lead to death as well.

I think cutting natural browse is a good alternative, but I'd be very careful with species that are slow to regenerate, especially the ones that have trouble escaping deer browsing. Plants that come to mind here are hemlock, white cedar, and basswood. These are all like candy to deer during the winter, plus hemlock and cedar provide excellent thermal cover for deer during winter. If you start cutting them down and they can't easily regenerate, then all you have done is provide a day's worth of food for a few deer and removed a tree that may never be replaced in your lifetime. I think if you can open up the canopy by cutting elm, poplar, or ash, then you will do well. Like barr creek mentioned, the dogwoods are a very popular food item in the winter and fall. Luckily enough they are also really tough plants since they can handle a ton of browsing damage without dying and they grow like 'weeds'. If deer have access to alfalfa fields during the winter, then the natural browse should be plenty good for getting the average deer through the average winter.

Do you think its a problem(carbs, grain) if you start this early. I do it every year and haven't had any problems.
I wouldn't do it later like in february.

If you start early and give lots of roughage (alfalfa hay) through the entire winter then it might be okay. The deer run into problems when they gorge on the high-carb foods and don't get enough roughage with it. They key when feeding this stuff is to make it hard for the deer to gorge. Dairy farmers have feed mixers that make it hard for the cattle to eat any of a single item. If it weren't mixed, the cattle would likely just go for the high-carb foods and eat a lot less silage and dry hay, with the end result being acidosis (low stomach pH). I know some people that feed alfalfa hay and sprinkle oats with it. It makes the deer work a little harder for the grain. Plain alfalfa hay, especially second cut (leafier), is a more cautious way to feed them. Even the hay needs to be introduced gradually though, unless you have been feeding them before the winter has started. If your deer are used to feeding on waste corn or wheat then that might help the situation too (should you choose to feed oats, for example).

here is a half decent link: http://www.gov.ns.ca/natr/wildlife/conserva/Feed-deer.asp

I'd consider asking some of the folks that keep deer on here (e.g., Muskoka whitetails) what they feed. Keep in mind that captive deer are usually on a highly nutritious diet all year, so what works in captivity might not always be the best option in the wild.

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trophy
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thanks for the link i do start early prob reason i don't have problems.
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Posted Image bigr
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I believe in only extreem winters we need to help out but caution needs to be viewed like others have said.

I wait till the late winter/spring and give the deer and more so the does with fawns a boost with lamb ration. Usually by the beginning of April I will put out a few hundred pounds of lamb ration, this is when its the hardest on the does with young, just before they get ready to give birth.
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Posted Image swampdogger
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I noticed yesterday that the deer are pawing up what is left of the trace mineral and salt i had out for beginning of archery season. I better get some more out for them, it would probably help , especially for the does.
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Renegade
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Atikokan, Ontario
I did get some trace mineral sprinkled in most of my mineral sites as well. They do paw at it a bit in the winter. So far little snow and temperatures have not been too cold. This week is going to quite a bit above normals. My friend is going to have some wolf hunters next month and they plan to do a lot of calling. Might have to get out and learn something from these fella's. I haven't really done much calling for wolves. Be neat to try a decoy and a fox pro for wolves. I can think of some pretty cool places to set up for em. A lot of them around this year and they are hungry. Deer population is down in a lot of crown land areas and many of them have to be really scavenging. A ton of rabbits around everywhere you go. Great time to be a lynx.
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Posted Image fishnhunt
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The North shore of L. Erie

Cervus_stalker
Dec 9 2012, 07:51 PM
I'm always cautious with feeding deer during the winter. Sudden changes in diet, specifically towards a high-carb diet, can cause the stomach acidity to increase. At best the deer will feel these effects and start reducing their feed intake (likely all feed). In more unfortunate cases the stomach pH spirals downward to the point where the animals may die as a result. Another potential problem with high carb foods (e.g., corn, oats, wheat seeds) and even high protein foods (e.g., brassicas) is that they can cause the gases in the stomach to no longer escape, and this can lead to death as well.

I think cutting natural browse is a good alternative, but I'd be very careful with species that are slow to regenerate, especially the ones that have trouble escaping deer browsing. Plants that come to mind here are hemlock, white cedar, and basswood. These are all like candy to deer during the winter, plus hemlock and cedar provide excellent thermal cover for deer during winter. If you start cutting them down and they can't easily regenerate, then all you have done is provide a day's worth of food for a few deer and removed a tree that may never be replaced in your lifetime. I think if you can open up the canopy by cutting elm, poplar, or ash, then you will do well. Like barr creek mentioned, the dogwoods are a very popular food item in the winter and fall. Luckily enough they are also really tough plants since they can handle a ton of browsing damage without dying and they grow like 'weeds'. If deer have access to alfalfa fields during the winter, then the natural browse should be plenty good for getting the average deer through the average winter.

I start feeding the last week of the season, that would be the last week of Dec. for me. I use a timed feeder filled with corn and have been doing it for a few years now. Perhaps it is my unique situation on the farm that I hunt comprising of cash crop corn, beans and two medium size fields of alfalfa, but I don't get alot of deer at the feeder through the winter. When I do it is usually does and fawns. I feed till the middle April. I have never had a problem with what you are cautioning about. I capture more deer on film/digital going to and from the natural food sources and in the funnels. I guess my point is just because you feed doesn't necessarily mean you will get deer gorging on high carb feed.

Beyond the feeder I am hoping to plant a bunch of apple trees and cornus this spring to further enhance the property I hunt
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trophy
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I feed oats, corn and 3rd cut alfalfa for years no problems.
I would try cutting some of that natural browse but in my area they don't exist.
I have dogwood, which they can reach. I do cut a lot of poplar down for firewood in the winter, but only the rabbits seem to feast on it.

Interesting note my area has no corn or carb fields, but i start early with amazing results. Over half of deer are bucks over 2 years old.
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