Pros and Cons of Switchgrass for Deer Habitat

Carey from Missouri asks,



Happy 2022 Bill! I’m a long time Midwest Whitetail/Winke follower and truly love reading your articles on improving deer habitat. I’ve taken your advice and jumped into a “forced savings account” and I am currently in the process of realizing a life long goal/dream of purchasing my very first hunting property. Now that this dream is actually coming to fruition my wheels are spinning with habitat ideas for this new piece of ground. My “farm” consists of 80 acres with a 50/50 split of tillable ground and timber. In addition to food plots I’m also kicking around the idea of adding some additional diversity by setting aside some of the tillable acres for CRP or switchgrass plantings. After reading as many of your habitat articles as possible I get the impression you’re only a fan of CRP if it incorporates some type of tree plantings as well. If my assumptions are accurate what are your feelings regarding multiple small switchgrass plantings and do you have a personal favorite type of switchgrass to plant? It seems like most people favor Cave in Rock or Shawnee switchgrass. Thanks again for all that you do, you’ve personally inspired myself and many others to take the leap. Take care.




Bill responds,


Topic: Pros and Cons of Switchgrass for Deer Habitat:

Switchgrass for Deer Habitat

I have planted hundreds of acres of switchgrass over the years and I have never seen the deer use it for much more than pass-through cover and occasionally summer bedding. But, that has been in areas with lots of permanent (timber) habitat nearby. In the absence of any other cover, switchgrass is better than nothing and it does establish much faster that wooded cover.

Carey,

Thanks so much for your support.  I really appreciate you finding me here. I have planted a lot of switchgrass in CRP at various times and I never felt that the deer really lived in those areas. It is better cover than brome grass, but not nearly as good as timber and brush.

For that reason, I always went for the “Trees in CRP” programs whenever possible.  At that time it was a 15 year contract. That way, if the CRP contract could not be renewed, I would have the option of keeping the habitat (which by then would be tall enough that the deer would be living in it) or I could brush hog those small saplings and farm it.  I never had a contract come up that wasn’t renewed, so I never had to make that decision.

In the places on my farm where the deer lived in CRP it was because there were areas of brush there, or low spots that contained small saplings.  As I already stated, I have planted a lot of switchgrass and never saw the deer really use it for much more than pass-through cover.

You can definitely plant the switchgrass (in which case I would probably go with the Cave In Rock – that’s what I planted because it stands up to snow well).  I am not trying to tell you not to, but I would try to tap into a trees in CRP program if available. You can also plant switchgrass in pockets, as you stated, and trees in other pockets (if the trees program still exists).

In summary, switchgrass is not my first choice for deer habitat, but it is way, way better than brome grass.  Good luck. (1/27/22)

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