7 Things You Can do to Improve Deer Habitat in Winter
As I sit here with rain and snow coming down outside and my freezer is adequately stocked with venison, I was thinking of what I can do on client properties as soon as deer seasons are completely over. Winter is actually the best time to scout, plan for the coming spring work. This article will discuss the things you should do on your land during the winter to improve hunting next fall.
Things you can do to improve Deer Habitat in Winter are:
- Plan for the coming year’s activities
- Assess food availability
- Plant trees and shrubs
- Order seed and materials – line up equipment rentals
- Conduct a timber sale
- Cut browse with TSI
- Designate and improve bedding/sanctuary areas
In this article, I will run down the above 7 things you can do to improve deer habitat in more detail…so read on!
Planning
Forest Management Plans Through EQIP Program
I write forest management plans as part of my consulting services. As a TSP or Technical Service Provider for the federal government, I can write a plan according to their guidelines that identifies and addresses conservation concerns. These can include endangered wildlife habitat improvement, invasive species control, timber stand improvement to regenerate young quality forest. When a landowner goes this route, the FMP can be funded through the Farm Bill’s EQIP program. Here is a link to learn more on this program NRCS EQIP Program.
Here is a short video about my FMPs Steve’s CAP106 Plan Video
Deer Habitat Management Plan
If you want to simply address deer habitat, winter is the time to do it. In winter, I can see tracks to assess deer movement patterns, see the terrain and the timber, find bedding areas and feeding areas and assess browse pressure. This is the time to work up your habitat plan for the property. A written plan with a timeline and detailed maps with instructions can be written so you are able to hit the ground running in the spring.
Planning Some DIY Projects with Your Hunting Group
If you have a club or just guests who hunt your land, having a meeting to discuss and share ideas for the upcoming year and scheduling work weekends is a good idea. In the winter, before spring greenup when everyone is busy with other things is a great time to have this meeting. Schedule work times with weather alternates. Work on the budget and get commitments for funding should be done between the Holiday season and tax season.
Assessing Food Availability
Winter is the stress period for whitetails and the best time to check what they are feeding on and if they have enough forage to get them through the winter. Browse pressure on plants that are low on the preference scale is an indicator that the habitat cannot support the numbers of deer using the land. You can study up on plant identification and learn the browse preferences of winter time feed.
Assess food plots and see if deer are still using them. If deer are digging through the snow and coming to food plots every evening, that’s a good indication they are working. Many clover and brassica food plots are worthless in the dead of winter. You may want to assess the situation and if deer aren’t using them, consider planting winter tolerant plots like wheat, rye and winter peas. There are many blog articls and videos on my site for you to get information on what, how and when to plant food plots.
Deer should have plenty of chow to get through the winter in great shape. When they do, they have healthier fawns which leads to better bucks in the future.
Plant Trees and Shrubs
The dormant season is the best time to plant trees and shrubs. Nurseries usually pull their stock once all the leaves are down and fall is the best time to buy. You don’t have the problem of tree roots getting too dry and the stress of trying to grow just after they have been uprooted can be too much in the summer.
AS long as you live in a zone that doesn’t freeze solid, you can plant trees all winter. By spring the soil has packed itself around the roots and the plants will be ready to take off growing.
Order Seed and Materials
Some low cost seed can be lined up and purchased in winter. QDMA and Pheasants Forever are two non-profits who offer low cost seed but they are in short supply so you have to get in early to make sure you have them ordered.
I order my custom seed mixes in the late winter. In fact, I had a seed rep come during deer season and look at one of my properties I consult on to come up with a plan of what to plant where and maybe do some experimenting with new varieties.
If you did your club meeting then, maybe this would be a good time to reserve your rental equipment plenty early. You may need tools, seed drills, skid steers, tractors, etc. so reserve them early so you don’t have a bunch of guys sitting around drinking beer while you go and try to round up equipment.
Conduct a Timber Sale
Winter is the best time to have your Consulting Forester mark and sell some timber if it is ready. Winter, if the ground is frozen is the best for running log skidders as their will be much less or no damage to the soil. Also the bark is tight on the trees. You never want to harvest in the spring because the trees hitting your residual trees will have bark slip – where a felled tree strips the bark off a leave tree. Bark is much less prone to this when the tree is not growing.
Pulp will hold its moisture better and give more tonnage to the load in winter. And, most importantly for deer is that the deer really need the tender new growth on the tips of the branches that are suddenly made available in large quantities during a harvest. Here is a video of mechanized harvesting of maple and poor oak in the winter.
film of a feller buncher operating in the winter
Cut Browse with Timber Stand Improvement
TSI is basically dropping undesirable trees to make more space for the best trees. This is a non-commercial cutting where one will cut trees and leave them in the woods as they are not worth anything. This can be doen in winter and provide browse in winter and more low cover for bedding areas all year. The winter is great for this activity since if you chase deer out of the area, they will be able to settle back in later in the year.
If hinge cutting is in your plan, winter is the best time to take care of this process. Professional advice and labor is highly recommended here. I have seen some pretty messed up hinge cutting projects that made less habitat instead of improving it and I have seen some gurus cut trees that are becoming extremely valuable without good reason.
Design and Improve Bedding and Sanctuary Areas
This goes hand in hand with all of the above, really. At your meeting you can designate areas that will be santuary – zones where a deer will not see, hear, smell a human. Then you can do TSI, timber harvesting, planting, add browse and small food plots to the areas. In spring, the great habitat you created will be occupied by, hopefully, the biggest bucks in the area.
Many landowners put away their boots in winter and watch a lot of TV. They never step foot on their property sometimes until deer season. Don’t be that guy. Get out there and get your land in great shape for the upcoming hunting season.
