Grassy openings for deer / turkey

[Mackie889]

Hi everyone. I have a property that is 190 acres and consists of:

25% crop land (3 different fields)
50% is volunteer pine regrowth (from a clear cutting about 20 years ago)
15% is hardwood stands
10% wet / swamp areas

To generate some revenue and to improve the bedding areas of my property, I am going to be thinning some pine timber in certain areas of my property and clearcutting other areas and replanting those in pine. I was wondering if it would be beneficial for deer and turkeys to incorporate some grass / clover openings (1/4-1/2 acre) in certain areas of the clear cut and thinned areas. For deer, my plan is to stay out of the wooded areas of my property (bedding area) and only hunt a planted corner in each of the crop fields. These areas would consist of standing corn about 1/2 acre in size, with a 1/2 acre food plot between the corn and wood line. Would the deer / turkey benefit from the grass / clover openings created within the wooded areas? I don’t have many deer on my property ... that is why I am going to stay out of the woods except to mow roads and the grass / clover areas mentioned earlier. I have planted all interior roads in durana clover. Also, is there anything else I could do to increase the deer numbers on my land? Thanks for reading this long post and any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

 

[lampern]

Clover? Yes

Grass? No

Unless you are talking about cereal grains like oats and rye

 

[Powerline]

For deer, turkeys and quail it would be overwhelming beneficial to be focused on forbes not grass at all. Growing season prescribed fire will promote forbes in thinned timber stands. Sun light on the ground is key!

 

[gawildlife]

Bahia grass good, sod grasses not so much.

 

[Mackie889]

For deer, turkeys and quail it would be overwhelming beneficial to be focused on forbes not grass at all. Growing season prescribed fire will promote forbes in thinned timber stands. Sun light on the ground is key!

Thanks! That is part of my plan when doing the thinning / clearcutting. Create roads that will serve as fire breaks and rotate areas to be burned each year.

 

[Mackie889]

Clover? Yes

Grass? No

Unless you are talking about cereal grains like oats and rye

Thanks for the reply, I already have over a mile of roads planted in Durana clover and will plant the new roads (after thinning / clearcutting) as well. My question was more about “wildlife openings” in general. I always see turkeys out in a pasture after a rain, and deer are edge creatures, so I thought openings of grass / clover might create even more edge cover and be a positive thing? I am in Deep South Ga and freezes are rare (most native forage available year round), I have farm crops that they feed on, the clover roads, and will have standing corn and additional food plots for them as well. I guess, I’m trying to make the wooded portions of my property more attractive to deer / turkeys. Thanks again for the reply!

 

[lampern]

Avoid sod grasses as said such as fescue, blue and orchard grasses

 

[Mackie889]

Avoid sod grasses as said such as fescue, blue and orchard grasses

Understand, thanks. I’d go with a type of Bahia grass, I guess) if I even make the openings. I haven’t heard anyone say that they were a good idea.

 

[lampern]

They are a good idea.

Diversity of habitat is good

 

[DocBar]

You could always plant shorter varieties of NWSG with some forbs/wildflowers mixed in. Great food and cover for quail and turkeys and the deer will benefit too. Just get it on a 2-3 year burn rotation.

 

[Mackie889]

You could always plant shorter varieties of NWSG with some forbs/wildflowers mixed in. Great food and cover for quail and turkeys and the deer will benefit too. Just get it on a 2-3 year burn rotation.

sounds like a great idea. Can you recommend varieties / where to purchase. I know Adam’s Briscoe seed has some, but it looks like the shortest one gets 2-3’ tall, but maybe that is without the rotational burning? I was going to section my property into about 6 different areas, burning 2 sections each year in a rotation. Thanks very much for the idea!

 

[DocBar]

Little bluestem and sideoats grama would be good options for shorter grasses. Scale back the seeding on the grass a bit and bump up the forbs and you’ll have good feeding/loafing areas. My place is sandy and the grasses never get as tall and thick as you see in internet pictures.

If you’re lacking cover you could do a few areas in the taller species (big bluestem, switchgrass) to get some variety.

But you have a great idea. Scattered openings, even in thinned pines, have great wildlife benefits.

And Turner Seed in Texas is great to work with.

 

[Gut_Pile]

There are 100 things that you could have in these openings that would be better than bahia grass for wildlife.

 

[Mackie889]

Little bluestem and sideoats grama would be good options for shorter grasses. Scale back the seeding on the grass a bit and bump up the forbs and you’ll have good feeding/loafing areas. My place is sandy and the grasses never get as tall and thick as you see in internet pictures.

If you’re lacking cover you could do a few areas in the taller species (big bluestem, switchgrass) to get some variety.

But you have a great idea. Scattered openings, even in thinned pines, have great wildlife benefits.

And Turner Seed in Texas is great to work with.

Awesome info ... thanks so much for the reply! I’ll definitely plant the openings in native grasses. I’ve looked at a few YouTube videos and am excited about the clumping nature (if not too thick) provides great escape cover for turkey poults, quail, and rabbits. I like the idea also of even more diversity with areas within the openings with the taller bluestem. What would you consider as “forbs?” Would that be stuff like clovers, chickory, etc?

 

[Mackie889]

There are 100 things that you could have in these openings that would be better than bahia grass for wildlife.

I see that now, thanks!

 

[Mackie889]

Little bluestem and sideoats grama would be good options for shorter grasses. Scale back the seeding on the grass a bit and bump up the forbs and you’ll have good feeding/loafing areas. My place is sandy and the grasses never get as tall and thick as you see in internet pictures.

If you’re lacking cover you could do a few areas in the taller species (big bluestem, switchgrass) to get some variety.

But you have a great idea. Scattered openings, even in thinned pines, have great wildlife benefits.

And Turner Seed in Texas is great to work with.

Found this quail mix at Hancock seed: think this would be good? It’s got some grasses and wildflowers

 

[DocBar]

Forbs are pretty much anything that’s not a grass and not woody. That mix you posted looks pretty good. And once you cut and start burning you should get a good flush of natives - broom sedge, beggar lice, partridge pea, etc. so keep that in mind.

 

[Mackie889]

Forbs are pretty much anything that’s not a grass and not woody. That mix you posted looks pretty good. And once you cut and start burning you should get a good flush of natives - broom sedge, beggar lice, partridge pea, etc. so keep that in mind.

Great ... thanks so much for all the info. I really appreciate it!