March deer habitat work
March deer habitat projects
March is a big month for deer managers. Our post season scouting is complete aside from some shed hunting. March is your last chance to get some bulk lime trucked in before road restrictions kick on in the northern states. It is also your last chance to get the ag lime spread before the ground thaws. The winter months are the best time to do bulk ag lime, and if you miss this window be sure to use pel lime when you plant to tide you over till next year. Our small grains supply should be depleted by now or close to it. If you have a lot of corn or beans left, you can scale back on the acreage next year. Exact formulas require you know the date your grains were last available.
March is a good time to get out and walk your whole perimeter as well. Bring a hammer, nails, and permanent marker to freshen up those no trespassing signs, and get one more look at where deer are entering and leaving your piece. Examine where they are coming and going and we can help you figure out why they are leaving. Always helpful long term info for future projects to keep deer on your land.
Identify who owns those stands right on the property lines, and we suggest a friendly chat with those facing your land. Let them know you would like to see the stands 30 or 50 yards off the line as a friendly cushion, and if they can respect that they have an open phone line so you can help them find deer. If they insist on sitting the line, let them know they will be allowed on your land for no reason any time of year, and prosecute with a zero tolerance policy. Sometimes the only way to curb trespass is to prosecute one guy who quickly spreads the word. If you bought land to make friends, skip this plan. If you bought it to grow deer, you have to let everybody know.
The ground is frozen in most of the midwest, and it’s still a good time of year to bring equipment across wet areas for winter discing, timber harvest, habitat projects. It’s a lot to keep track of, and our P&Y members get emails reminding them to stay on track. A valuable tool. This months P&Y video tip is comprehensive overview on they wheres and whys of mineral stations. Mineral demand ramps up this time of year, and even if your deer do not require the help, the salt in the station is an attractant that helps sweeten the social attractiveness of your property. One more place for those bucks to visit during the rut.
For those of you who have established a solid working property plan, the in depth articles and calendar based videos in the Booner package illustrate the proper way to execute and realize your dreams of a high quality, and highly huntable property. We have identified 9 unique projects for the month of March, all geared toward optimizing your whitetail herds needs. TSI puts browse on the ground is our big hitter right now. When you know how to gauge woody browse activity by the deer, you know which year they need help with extra browse, and our Booner package covers the topic in detail. It’s free food when they need it.
Welcome to the new year, and a new set of expectations for your property. Whether you own and lease, one thing is consistent. Everybody needs a solid working plan to realize those goals. We are here to help, and ready to start.
Winter scouting (Dec, Jan, Feb, March, April)
March deer habitat projects
Ag lime, mineral stations, land posting.
