Deer Food And Habitat

Whitetail Deer Habitat And The Food They Eat

High quality whitetail deer food and habitat is critical to having trophy deer in your hunting area. The best way to improve your hunting success is to do something about a whitetail deer habitat and the food they prefer to eat for optimal nutrition. If you're not seeing trophy deer on your hunting lands, then you need to do something to get them there, hold them there, and grow them bigger and stronger.

Food Plots

The process of developing quality deer food plots and whitetail deer habitat may take a few years of hard work. But once a hunter has laid the groundwork for whitetail deer habitat and deer food plots, the benefits, rewards and results will justify the effort. For about the cost of going deer hunting in Montana or other guided deer hunts for trophy deer, you may be able to establish deer food plots and improve the habitat for deer. Now you may have set yourself up for that kind of trophy deer hunting, year after year, by improving the nutritional value of the food deer eat and by habitat restoration, or habitat creation.

Improve The Habitat And Deer Food

Deer Hunting - Developing Deer Food Plots

If your serious about hunting large trophy deer on your hunting land, then you need to understand some basic principles in dealing with whitetail food plots and the whitetail deer habitat that will help you achieve this goal. You may need to improve the quality of your hunting real estate's whitetail deer habitat. For example; if your hunting area is a mature forest, it probably doesn't offer much in the way of a valuable wildlife resource; supplying quality food and habitat for whitetail deer and other wildlife. What you want to do is enhance the natural beauty of this hunting area and create the possibility for deer food plots and habitat that whitetail deer need and will use. When you do this; don't forget that deer need food year round. Don't just plan for planted food to peak or just be available to deer during the hunting season. A whitetails food preferences and needs change with the seasons. Look to the various manufactures and suppliers of food plot seeding for guidelines.

Hunting Lands

Remember this, whitetails thrive on the edge. Edges are where two or more different terrain features meet. This is a good hunting area to start reconstructing a quality area for food plots and habitat restoration. You may need to do some thinning of mature brush and trees so new habitat growth can appear; daytime hours of sunlight is important.

A great technique is to clear an area of brush and small trees.

Then you work up the soil with an ATV and its accessories, have a soil analysis done (call your state's university agricultural division for information on having a soil analysis done; it's cheap), fertilize and or lime the area as needed, and plant a wildlife food plot and habitat enhancement for deer and other wildlife. You should mow this deer food plot a couple times during the growing season for the benefit of all wildlife. Now you have created an edge; a nutritional edge that will attract and hold whitetail deer and other game.

Improving Antler Development

Also, if you also establish a good mineral lick near this new food plot and whitetail deer habitat area, you will be well on your way to growing trophy deer with large antlers year after year. If your hunting land, or the whitetail deer habitat area is somewhat barren, you may need to do various types of plantings; deer food plots, seedling trees and more to actually create a sanctuary for trophy deer. Establishing deer food plots and habitat reforestation will take time; in fact, it will take years. But now you have the opportunity to create a very special hunting area; and even leave a great hunting land legacy, with wildlife food and whitetail deer habitat, for your family for generations to come. Wouldn't that be great!

Articles:

Hunting Land - Food Plots,

Hunting Wildlife Management Plan,

Trophy Deer Bedding Areas,