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.
Trees that produce mast are very important to white-tailed deer. Arguably, the most well-known mast producing tree species are the oak species. However, mast consists of the fruits and nuts of any woody plant, including vines, brush, and trees. The importance of trees and brush species to deer is often not fully appreciated by deer managers. These species provide high protein browse and energy-rich mast for whitetail. So, what are the best mast producing trees for deer?
Mast Trees for White-tailed Deer
In this article, we will discuss mast-producing trees other than oaks that are very palatable to white-tailed deer. These are species that you may consider establishing for tree plots on your hunting property.
Trees make great long-term food plots because they are low maintenance and can produce a large volume of food with very little input once established. Remember, sunlight is a must for most species of fruit tree and, of course, the correct tree species for your property will depend upon your latitude. Great species for tree plots include:
Apple — Apples can offer a mast which is a crisp and juicy food source. Apple seedlings 4 to 5-feet tall can produce fruit as early as the second year, but make sure to take necessary precautions to protect young apple trees. The Arkansas Black apple is a great apple species for mast production. The mast is small by apple standards, but Arkansas Black apple trees begin dropping fruit around mid- to late November.
Arkansas Black Apple Tree
Crabapple — Crabapples produce a great soft mast and serves as a prime food for white-tailed deer. A crabapple tree seedling that is 4 to 5-feet tall can also produce mast within its second year. The two best species of crabapple you can plant are the Transcendent and the Dolgo. The Transcendent is a 2-inch, red-cheeked yellow apple yielding very large crops in early fall. The Dolgo, which produces a 1 and 1/2-inch crimson fruit, also yields healthy crops in early fall.
Crabapple Trees Produce Tons of Mast
Pear — Pears are a soft mast which white-tailed deer love. A 4 to 5-foot tall seedling can produce fruit as early as 1 to 3-years. Pears begin dropping fruit in early October and can continue into late November. Pears are long-lived and are really among the easiest fruit trees to grow. In addition, pears are adapted to most soils, including those that are poorly drained. In the south, Keifer pears work great.
Pear Tree Loaded with Mast
Chinese Chestnut — Chinese chestnuts are loved by deer, wild turkey, and just about every squirrel species. Despite the fact that it takes a 3-foot tall seedling 8 to 10-years to produce, if you are serious about a primo deer food, it’s worth the wait! The nut is a wildlife favorite because of the sweet flavor and huge yields. You will like it because it will help with your property’s forage management.
If you decide to go with the Chinese chestnut, make sure to plant 2 or more of these trees to make sure that they cross-pollinate. Avoid planting these tree species on alkaline soils. If you are not sure what types of soils you have on your property, get a soil test!
Chinese Chesnut Mast and Leaf
These are the best options for mast trees in the southeast U.S. These species grow well and whitetail love them. Other good mast producing trees for deer include:
Common Persimmon
Red Mulberry
Mayhaw
Black Cherry
Elderberry
Chickasaw Plum
Trees are not the only game in town, however, when it comes to mast. Vines also produce valuable soft mast and browse for deer and other native wildlife. The best mast producing vines include:
Mustang Grape
Muscadine Grape
Summer Grape
Dewberry
Blackberry
Planting Mast Trees for Deer
Putting trees in the ground for future mast production is not a short-term deer management goal. However, you can meet your objectives of getting those trees in and growing rather quickly. All in takes is some planning, a little money for supplies and some hard work.
The best mast producing trees for a property will vary by region. It’s also good to look around and take inventory of the trees that you and your neighbors do have. Looks for trees that will perform well on your property but also are not very common in the area. These species make good choices for planting.
Can whitetail fawns breed? If you have ever witnessed a buck chasing after a doe fawn during the hunting season this question has likely crossed your mind. So, when exactly are white-tailed fawns old enough to participate in the rut, breed and start adding to the local deer population?
It turns out that white-tailed doe fawns are capable of breeding at 6 to 7 months of age and at approximately 70 pounds in weight , but this varies a bit depending upon latitude and individual body condition. In northern states, whitetail fawns may achieve adequate size, but because of their body’s need for energy for survival, reproductive development will be delayed. In addition, shorter days and cooler temperatures provide environmental cues that limit both sexual maturity and the breeding season in does.
In southern parts of the whitetail’s range, doe fawns can achieve puberty in early to mid-winter (January and early February) and be bred during that period. This is typically after the peak breeding season — the rut — after most adult does have been breed in an area. Of course, when big whitetail bucks are observed chasing does during the late winter, at a time when fawns have come into estrus, it’s often deemed a “late rut” by hunters.
The fact is that the rut for the area was right on time, same as usually, it’s just that doe fawns have finally come of age and size to have entered into estrus. As a result, doe fawns that have been bred will give birth to their fawns much later than adult does. Fawn survival of bred fawns is believed to be low because of a lack of fawn-rearing experience and because fawns are born during the middle of the Summer season, when food can be limiting.
Doe fawns with excellent nutritional levels have greater incidence of ovulation and puberty than fawns with inadequate levels of nutrition. With this in mind, in areas with very poor habitat, even yearling does (1.5-year old) can remain sexually immature! In one research study in the mid-west, approximately one-third of doe fawns examined were reproductively fertile in December.
White-tailed deer populations span from from the Atlantic to the pacific, north into Canada, and as far south as Peru. In every area white-tailed deer live, something is out to get them. Hunters will hunt and predators must eat, but deer have adapted to the endless pursuit of predators, including humans, and here is how.
Whitetail deer are mostly active at dusk and dawn (crepuscular) and will often feed at night, becoming totally nocturanal. This may be an adaptation to the habits of man because humans, of all animals, rely most heavily on sight to find deer. Deer, especially mature bucks, go nocturnal counter our limitations.
Sight, however, is not the whitetail’s keenest sense. Deer often can not distinguish between a motionless object and its background, but deer are quick to respond at the slightest movement. Just a twitch is enough to warn a deer that something is not quite right and set the animal on high alert. Deer hunters know this well.
If a deer is suspicious, but there is no movement, the deer will approach and stomp with its front leg in an attempt to make the out-of-place “thing” move. Without a reaction, a curious and smart white-tailed deer may also call into duty their sharpest sense – smell. A deer may circle downwind and analyze the wind with its nose in an attempt to detect danger. If things don’t smell right… goodbye!
As good as their senses are to sight and sound, there is no denying that a deer’s keen sense of hearing is their most effective weapon to ward off would-be predators and hopeful hunters. This is why hunting buck scrapes and using doe urine can be highly effective when used properly. Their ears are designed to collect sound waves, the eyes to collect colors, and their nose to smell danger. They all add up to one heck of a crafty white-tailed deer!
You had planned on bagging your buck early in the deer hunting season, but that time has come and gone. An unsuccessful early season strategy, a lack of hunting time, or just plain bad luck has left your freezer empty. So now what? Although early season hunting brings its own set of challenges, such as hot weather, chiggers, ticks, dense foliage, and abundant food resources, the late season can be that much tougher times 10!
Why? For one, there are less deer in the woods. Depending on the area you hunt, the number of bucks already harvested this season could comprise from 20 to 50% of the buck population! In additon, the bucks that remain are well-educated and know the game. And to make matters worse, the rut is pretty much over. Bummer.
By now, you are probably wondering where you can possibly go from here to find a nice buck. Well, here are a few late season hunting tips that may help you score big before time runs out.
1. Look for Quiet – Most hunters will hunt the first few days or weekends of the season and then bag their deer, simply give up, or run out of time. The places they hunted have been undisturbed for a while and the local deer know this. Look for areas that have received little disturbance since mid-season and secluded feeding areas such isolated food plots or feeders that receive little attention. Areas that have had little to no hunting pressure are prime late season hunting hot spots.
2. Hunt the Moon – You’ve heard this one before, but late season can be more important than ever for timing the moon phases. Deer naturally become more nocturnal during the winter in part because of the energy benefits they receive by resting during the day when it’s a bit warmer and moving around to feed at night when it’s colder. However, during the dark of the moon or several nights with heavy cloud cover, deer will much more active in the mornings.
3. Hunt the Weather – Time your hunting with not only the moon, but with cold weather and cold fronts. In the southern U.S., this can be the most important thing a hunter can do in late season. Although winter temperatures can be relatively mild by northern standards, a good cold front can drop the nightly low temperatures into the teens and keep the daily high temperatures below freezing for several days. This cold weather requires high energy consumption by smaller-bodied southern deer — and they get hungry! Time your cold weather with the moon, and the chances of catching that hungry mature buck moving around, especially during the morning, increase significantly.
4. Go Untraditional – If you have set blinds, stands, or areas that you or others typically hunt in your area, get away from them! Deer pattern people as much or more than people pattern deer. Going untraditional may mean hunting between hunting blinds or areas where hunters are normally set up. Find un-hunted upland travel corridors as well as wooded creeks and bottomlands deer love. Mature whitetail bucks know the weak spots in your “normal” game plan. They can walk across a property without being spotted, even if it means going across a wide open field where he knows you are not. Also, consider hunting untraditional areas at untraditional times, especially during a full moon. During a full moon, deer move more during mid-day, and if you are in the “wrong” place at the “wrong” time, you might just surprise ole big boy!
So there you have it. These four late season hunting tips have worked for me in the past over and over again. I’ve bagged many whitetail deer in places that no one ever thought to hunt at times when others were back at camp eating lunch. Of course, these hunting tips aren’t going to work every time, but I wouldn’t bet against them during a few days of late season hunting.
