One of the questions often asked is, “Can I manage for both livestock and wildlife on a profitable basis?” Well, the answer is “yes” and it’s easy to implement. One of the primary objectives of a sound deer management program is to assure that plants provide for leaving adequate food and cover for deer and other wildlife during a cattle operation.

Often times, brush management — rather brush clearing — is desirable because cattle eat grass. However, one thing to keep in mind is that deer do not eat much grass at all! But if brush clearing is desired, make sure that it is done properly so that deer are not adversely impacted. For example, deer like a open to wooded ratio of about 50:50, so make sure your property is represented with at least 50% brush or woody cover.

However, keep in mind that the west side of your property shouldn’t be the open half and the east side of your property the wooded half if you desire deer across your land! Since whitetail are primarily browsing ruminants, make sure woody patches are distributed throughout your property so that deer can utilize browse and forbs evenly. Make sure travel corridors are available so that deer can securely travel witin your property. Wildlife will only succeed where their basic requirements of food and cover are satisfied. (more…)

Habitat (plant) response after a fire is influenced by the intensity of the fire, condition of plants at the time of burn, weather conditions, and grazing management decisions following the fire. However, fire effects differ depending upon rainfall, fuel quantity, and length of the growing season.

Several factors that determine a fire’s intensity are fuel quantity and continuity, air temperature, humidity, wind speed, soil moisture, and direction of the flame front movement relative to the wind direction. Keep all of these factors in mind when planning a safe and effective burn to improve your deer habitat.

Generally, the intensity of a fire increases with greater quantity and continuity of fuel, higher temperature and wind speed, and lower humidity and soil moisture. In addition, a fire set to move in the same direction as the wind (headfire) tends to be more intense than a flame moving against the wind (backfire).

Controlling the fire’s intesity through correct firing techniques under appropriate conditions is a key factor in achieving the desired responses from a prescribed burn.

An equally important factor to consider when planning a burn to accomplish specific objectives is the stage and type of growth of desirable and target species. For example, the growth stage of forbs at the time of the burn greatly affects the current and following year’s production. Forbs are prolific seed producers, but an untimely fire can destroy forb seed production and important white-tailed deer food.

Forb seedlings are highly susceptible to fire. Therfore, a late winter burn after many annuals have germinated reduces their population. Burns conducted in early to mid-winter with good soil moisture results in late winter annuals and allows rapid recovery of perennials, and is probably more beneficial for deer. However, I suggest burning some of your designated burn areas in early winter and some in late winter to keep a diversity of habitat.

Fire was a natural ecological factor on much of United States prior to European settlement. As a result, native vegetation is well adapted to burning. Fire effectively supresses most woody plants while encouraging grass and forb growth. However, for fire to benefit white-tailed deer it must be used in concert with sound range and wildlife management.

Prescribed burning, sometimes referred to as controlled burning, follows guidelines that establish the conditions and manner under which fire will be applied on a specific area to accomplish specific management objectives. Prescribed burning directly contrast with wild fires that can occur at any time fuels will burn, often under very hazardous (difficult to control) conditions.

The conditions selected for a prescribed burn, such as season, vegetational growth stage, and weather factors, must be conducive to safe and effective burning. Management objectives determine the fire characteristics needed to maximize benefits, minimize damage, and conduct a safe burn.

Timing of a burn, in addition to the frequency, will impact both short and long-term results and have varying effects on the habitat. The most commonly recognized management objectives that can be accomplished using prescribed burning for deer include:

1. Increased production of grass forage (for grazing and fawning cover) and deer browse.

2. Suppression of most brush (to keep within reach of deer) and cacti species.

3. Control of selected forbs and/or grass species.

4. Improved herbaceous composition.

5. Improved grazing distribution if livestock and wildlife.

6. Increased available forage and browse.

7. Improved forage quality and/or palatability.

8. Increased animal production.

9. Removal of excess mulch, debris, and other dead organic matter.

10. Improved nutrient cycling.

Prescribed burning can be very effective at maintaining highly-productive white-tailed deer habitat. It is one of the best mangement tools we have. However, many folks get really nervous whenever someone talks about burning their property because there has been so much negative press regarding wildlfires and the “destruction” of wildlife habitat. Truth be known, wildfires are natural and both plants and animals are adapted to the periodic disturbance caused by fire.

Prescribed burns, however, are not and should not be wild. When setting up a prescribed burn, prescribed fire, controlled burn, or whatever you want to call it, the person responsible for the fire basically writes a prescription for the fire. This means that a host of conditions must be met in order to carry out the burn safely and effectively. Fire breaks, fuel loads, sustained wind direction, relative humidty, and safety equipment must all be address for a properly conducted prescribed burn. When all conditions of the burn are met, the prescription is completely achieved, and the area can be burned. (more…)

Creeks, streams, rivers, and all riparian areas are important habitat for white-tailed deer. Not only do these areas typically provide access to water and good bedding cover, but they also serve as great travel corridors and have the most fertile soils in most any area. Great bottomland or riparian soil is typically clay and silt-rich and full of nutrients and natural fertilizers.

So why do riparian soils (those found along drainages) serve as outstanding areas of food production areas for whitetail? Well, we know the soil is nutrient rich and this happens over time from flooding and drying and the decay of organic matter. But in addition to being rich in organic matter, riparian soils have a high water-holding capacity. In fact, any soil rich in clay and silt has this ability, but let’s not forget that bottomland soils are also adjacent a seasonal or permanent waterway.

Even without rainfall, many of the plants adjacent a creek or river can simply extract water from the soil below like any other plant, but there is a lot more water. Thus, the amount of forage produced in bottomland areas is often 3 to 5 times that on upland soils during the same year. This soil provides for an abundance of a very lush and diverse plant community. And remember, deer like diversity especially when it comes in the form of forbs and browse!

So what should you do with bottomland areas on your property? As important as they are for deer habitat and the health of the overall wildlife community, I recommend protecting them and revegetating them if necessary. Many bottomland floodplains are cleared and become prime farming and grazing land. If you are serious about deer management, encourage native vegetation to retake these areas, saving some portions for great food plot areas.

This ag field has a filter strip - but to benefit deer, it needs to be “let go” into native weeds, grass, and brushy plant species

In addition, permanently vegetated areas along creeks, streams, and wetlands reduce erosion and sedimentation, stabilize streambanks, improve plant diversity, and improve wildlife value of these sensitive areas. I also recommend establishing vegetative buffers or filter strips along water courses or runoff areas to trap valuable bottomland soil in the event of heavy rainfall and or channel flooding.

So here’s the bottom line: White-tailed deer and other wildlife love bottomland areas. Not only do these areas attract big bucks, but because of the quality and diversity of habitat, it attracts lots of does. And to a big mature buck, that’s a good thing!

Habitat conditions throughout most of Texas this year were in excellent condition thanks to the abundant rainfall we received throughout spring and summer. The plentiful rain translated into great warm-season forbs and browse production, which in turn put Texas’ white-tailed deer herd in outstanding condition. Bell county was no exception. Although conditions were not ideal for hunters heading to the field for the General Season opener (due to mild temperatures), that didn’t deter one Bell County hunter.

Opening morning didn’t bring the big boy out, but Sunday, just after 9:00 am, he saw this main-frame 8 point buck with split G2s step out that gross scored 130 2/8 Boone a Crockett inches, and that was enough reward for enduring the near 90 degree weather on Saturday. The buck’s main-frame 8 point rack grossed 119 2/8 inches and the buck had 11 inches of non-typical antler due to the split G2s.

Good habitat conditions, good body conditions… make for a nice 10 point buck!

The mangement of white-tailed deer and their habitat has become of increasing concern in recent years. Hunters and landowners realize that it takes more than luck to produce outstanding deer on their land, and improved habitat conditions are a major factor in regards to deer development.

Fundamental requirements that must be considered when managing for white-tailed deer habitat include food, cover, water, and the proper distribution of these elements. Habitat management must be directed at maintaining a productive and healthy ecosystem. The ecosystem consists of the plant and animal communities found in an area along with soil, air, water and sunlight. All management activities should be aimed at conserving and improving the quantity and quality of soils, water and vegetation. There is no substitute for good habitat. Good deer habitat makes good wildlife habitat, and it keeps your ranch looking great. First and foremost, managing for plant diversity is essential. A diverse habitat site will have a good mixture of various species of grasses, forbs and browse plants. Many of these plants will be at various stages of growth, which adds another element of diversity.

The diversity of vegetation increases the availability of food and cover for wildlife species. A greater diversity of range plants results in more food being made available during different periods of the year. The volume and diversity of plants protects the soil from erosion. Also, the decomposition of vegetation helps restore needed minerals to the soil to sustain plant life. An abundance of vegetation improves the water cycle by trapping water from rains, thereby preventing excessive runoff which leads to the erosion of soils and flooding of streams.

An ecologically-based habitat management program will serve to improve the plant community of your rangeland by increasing vegetation quantity, quality and diversity. This improvement in the plant community will not only conserve and enhance the soil, but improve the water cycle as well. A greater diversity of all forms of life, including microorganisms, insects, reptiles, amphibians, birds and mammals is achieved under a sound management scheme. The long term health of the land is improved and conserved for future generations to utilize as a source of income, recreation and for aesthetic enjoyment.

In Texas, the climax herbaceous vegetation community of most rangelands is dominated by grasses with a low percentage of forbs. While this may be suitable for livestock and for a few species of “grassland” wildlife, many wildlife species are more dependent on the seeds and foliage of forbs (commonly called “weeds”) than on grasses.

Keep this in mind: plant communities with a diverse array of “weedy” plant species are more productive than a community dominated by perennial grasses. Periodic disturbances such as fire, soil disturbance, livestock grazing, and mowing can set back plant succession and maintain a diverse plant community. Remember, it’s important to mix it up to keep deer habitat healthy and productive.

A ranch must be divided into at least two pastures before even the least complex two pasture/one herd deferred-rotation grazing system can be implemented. If not cross-fenced, the land manager would need to have access to other areas where livestock could be moved to during the prescribed rest periods. Electric fencing is a lower cost and less labor-intensive alternative to barbed wire for dividing a ranch into multiple pastures.

For a deferred-rotation grazing system to be most effective, all the pastures in the system should be more or less equal in size and/or have similar grazing capacities (e.g., pastures on the most productive, deep soils of a ranch would have higher livestock grazing capacities and should therefore be smaller than pastures on shallower, less productive soils). (more…)