By John Frank Deese
People generally want to do the right thing. At least that’s what my grandfather says. I stop by his house and have a cup of coffee with him every morning before work. I walk in the front door and the coffee is always ready, and he is normally waiting in the kitchen. We usually sit and talk about various topics for a few minutes before I make my daily route to the Whitetail Institute office in Pintlala, AL.
Listening to this man has got to be as close to time travel as you can get. His name is John Lewis Deese, and he was one of eight brothers and sisters who struggled for survival in rural Montgomery County, Ala. I remember him saying, “As a child I never hesitated when supper was ready, because I might go to bed hungry.” Needless to say, times were tough back then, and a man learned things the hard way. I crave his advice on all of life’s issues because he’s been there. He says that there’s an exception to every rule, but most people are good at heart. People generally want to do the right thing no matter what crusade they are involved in. However, one needs to have a full understanding of the issue at hand before they take action. Everything we do affects others in some way, good or bad.
I think this advice can be applied to whitetail deer enthusiasts as well. Land managers who aim to improve the health of their local whitetail deer population through the use of a supplemental feeding program may find this old man’s advice useful. Sure, we all have good intentions. We all want our property teaming with fat healthy deer, so we should start filling the deer feeders, right? Wrong. Everyone’s situation is different. The worst thing someone can do is blindly enter the game of supplemental feeding and stick a deer feeder in the middle of their property without being fully aware of the effects if might have on everything around it. We need to step back and get a clear understanding of the steps you should take before even considering a supplemental feeding program.
So where should you start? Begin by checking your state game laws. Many states have outlawed supplemental feeding because it is believed to enhance the spread of certain diseases. It is illegal in some states to hunt over supplemental feed, but it is legal in other states. Keep in mind that many things must be done before supplemental feeding is put on the agenda. For the sake of this article, let’s assume that some form of supplemental feeding is legal in your state.
First, you should begin with food plots. The most effective and cost-friendly nutritional tool available is a high-quality perennial food plot such as Imperial Whitetail Clover. If properly managed, a perennial food plot can deliver nutrient-rich food to whitetails for several years. A responsible whitetail manager will have his property littered with plots of clover, chicory, brassicas and other nutrient-rich forages. Starting a supplemental feeding program without established perennial food plots could be compared to a bodybuilder skipping his workout routine and simply drinking protein shakes. It just doesn’t make sense. Again, developing high-quality perennial food plots should be your first goal in growing bigger bucks.
Second, improve what you already have. Enhance the natural food sources that exist on your property by fertilizing and eliminating unwanted competing vegetation. For example, locate and identify all of your mast-producing trees, and choose around 10 percent of the most favored species such as white oak, persimmon and post oak. Remove all small, woody vegetation from the drip line of each tree, and apply a slow release fertilizer in these areas. These fertilizers can be purchased at your local co-op or tree nursery.
Removing saplings and small trees from the drip line of your tree allows it to receive full benefit from the fertilizer being applied. Through time, this will result in higher mast crop yield, or simply put, more food for your deer. Adequate harvest of does is another crucial step you should accomplish before even considering supplemental feed. If your property is already above its whitetail carrying capacity, deer feeders will magnify this problem. Side effects of severely overpopulated whitetail deer include overbrowsing of native vegetation, increased risk of disease transmission, lower birth weight of fawns and declining overall health of the deer population. I am in no way implying that supplemental feeding is a bad idea, but I believe that it should only be practiced by responsible and informed people who understand the potential side effects (positive or negative) on the local deer population. You are the one who will determine if the result is beneficial or detrimental.
An agreement with your surrounding landowners is another thing you should try to establish before implementing a supplemental feeding program. More often than not, this has proven to be the most difficult task mentioned thus far to accomplish because everyone has their own idea about how things should be done. Arm yourself with knowledge about your goals so that you can persuade your neighbors with accurate information on the issue at hand. You don’t have to try to sell them on the supplemental feeding issue, just convince them to plant perennial food plots and implement a proper doe harvest. Try to reach an agreement on your goals by explaining how much more can be gained through teamwork. A whitetail’s home range can be quite large, ranging anywhere from a couple of hundred acres to several thousand. The deer you are managing for will reap the benefits of a good understanding between you and your neighbors.
I think the landowner should only consider supplemental feeding after perennial food plots have been established, native vegetation enhanced, proper buck-to-doe ratio has been achieved and some form of long-term agreement has been made between you and your surrounding landowners. Many readers may be asking, "What's the big deal?" Here are just a few reasons.
First, I consider myself extremely lucky to live in this great country and have the freedom to manage our wildlife in almost any way I please. I believe it is my responsibility to do the best I can to ensure the health of our natural resources. I believe supplemental feeding to be an extremely complex issue, and after all, anyone can simply pour feed into a trough and walk away.
Second, when you pour feed into a feeder, you are micro-managing the food source that is so-relied on by animals you are managing for. Some people try to argue that food plots do the same thing, but that is not the case. Even though Imperial Whitetail Clover is considered by many to be the most preferred deer forage in the world, it simply is not the same as pouring food into a pile. Food plots have a natural aspect. Supplemental feeding might be a more borderline issue and it should be, especially if people are not responsible for their actions as land managers. That is why I believe it is the manager’s responsibility to enhance the natural food sources and perennial food plots on your property to the highest level possible before supplemental feeding.
Third, responsible whitetail managers should want to accomplish these goals before supplemental feeding simply because it is good management practice. Good advice is priceless. That is why I try to follow my grandfather’s advice about so many things. He has learned through trial and error, and if we are smart, we will take advice from these people so that we can avoid the same mistakes. Many things in life require people to learn through trial and error. Managing whitetails is not one of them. The mistakes have already been made; all we have to do is pick up where they left off. Incidentally, my grandfather turned 70 in February. And I wish this year to be his best.
