Growing Deer Habitat in Open Land

Cody from Minnesota asks,

I live in heavily ag area, roughly 95% row crops. I'm looking into buying a piece of property that is basically all grass and is permanent easement (it's what I can afford). The parcel is around 90 acres, in the middle of the section surrounded by gentle sloping ag fields. There is not much other cover around with the nearest river corridor about 1.5mi away with any significant tree cover. The parcel does offer flexibility to plant shrubs, trees and food plots. I could leave a few acres of standing crops, which does not happen around here. I know it won't hold more than a dozen deer, but I'm wondering your thoughts on if it sounds worth it. I'm considering asking the landowner if he will lease it to me for one year and see what it's like and make an offer if it seems it is worth it.

Bill responds,

Topic: Growing Deer Habitat in Open Land:

Cody,

I think leasing it before you buy it is a great idea, in this case.  You have some challenges with this property, but if you can buy it cheap enough, it would still work. Of course, the biggest challenge is just getting enough permanent cover on the place to make it a viable hunting area.  If you can do that, it will hold way more than a dozen deer given the surroundings. It could hold at least three dozen, for sure.  

It takes about ten years to really start to see the benefit of planting habitat.  I have done it several times and there is no short-cut. People are tempted to think that switchgrass is the short-cut answer, and it will definitely hold some deer, but it is not technically permanent habitat, in my book. You have to manage it intensely and eventually it will just play out and you have to reseed.  Also, I have planted several hundred acres of it over the years and the deer never really used it a bunch. Though, I must admit, there was plenty of permanent habitat (trees) nearby that they did bed in. In a setting with limited trees, the deer would likely use switchgrass more.

If it was my project, I would plant trees (mostly oaks with a few cedars – depending on soil type) and non-invasive shrubs (ideally something like plum and crabapple) in irregular shapes with maybe a bit of switchgrass here and there for diversity.  I would also plant a few apple trees scattered around in pairs to give it more diversity and attraction in the future. Ten years hence, it will start to look like real deer hunting ground, but in the short-term, it will have limited attraction (depending on what kind of cover is there already).  

Again, if it was me, I would only buy it if I could get it really cheap and only if there is already some deer usage.  I would then accept the fact that there is a ten-year period when it will be developing until it might be really good hunting.  You have to be very patient for this one to work. My fear is that you will grow impatient and discouraged along the way if the hunting is not good.  But, again, if you can buy it cheap enough it may still be a good investment that you can resell when you find something better.  Also, be sure to really understand the easement regulations before you jump into this.  That is a big deal.  Those are just my thoughts.  Good luck. (3/24/21)