Deer Ecology 101

[dustoffer]

On the deer's choice of leaves, I was hunting in Georgia, in a river bottom and there were several maple trees around. The deer would stand under/around the trees, and when one of the bright orange leaves drifted down, the deer walked over and ate it. Obvious preference for them.

[BrandonA]

My ex-Inlaws would chain the pastures every few years. They a had a big heavy pipe with a anchor chain attached . Anchor chain like the big ships use. You couldn't hardly lift a link or two. Weighed a ton . Any ways we would drag that threw the brush breaking everything. The new growth was phenomenal and the deer thrived on the new growth.

[Poncho]

My ex-Inlaws would chain the pastures every few years. They a had a big heavy pipe with a anchor chain attached . Anchor chain like the big ships use. You couldn't hardly lift a link or two. Weighed a ton . Any ways we would drag that threw the brush breaking everything. The new growth was phenomenal and the deer thrived on the new growth.

I've seen this done with an anchor chain attached to a dozer on each end. The two dozers would be about 100yards apart and just take off parallel to each other. Pretty impressive

[BrandonA]

I've seen this done with an anchor chain attached to a dozer on each end. The two dozers would be about 100yards apart and just take off parallel to each other. Pretty impressive

Yep it's pretty impressive. I plan to build one for our ranch.

[Hawkpuppy 1]

Chaining is very effective, just not selective. It's a great tool used mostly in South Texas for the choked up bee brush, mesquite and the like to clear out thick places to get more diversity. I personally like fire better :-)

[Top Of Texas]

My ex-Inlaws would chain the pastures every few years. They a had a big heavy pipe with a anchor chain attached . Anchor chain like the big ships use. You couldn't hardly lift a link or two. Weighed a ton . Any ways we would drag that threw the brush breaking everything. The new growth was phenomenal and the deer thrived on the new growth.

Chaining can be a positive mgt practice if performed on the appropriate species of plant, that is, the quality browse that will sprout. This is a poor practoce on areas with large amounts of vigorous re-sprouters of low forage quality (i.e. mesquite, redberry juniper, huisache).

[deer farmer]

Chaining is very effective, just not selective. It's a great tool used mostly in South Texas for the choked up bee brush, mesquite and the like to clear out thick places to get more diversity. I personally like fire better :-)

Fires in E Texas can get out of hand pretty quick. I did two and after the last one I won't do it again. I had lots of people helping but when the wind came up unexpectedly we had to double our efforts to keep it under control. Whoo!
I like the chain dragging idea or maybe a light disking might help to disturb the soils and get some forbs and or weeds going. Deer like new weed sprouts.

[BrokenJ]

Chaining is very effective, just not selective. It's a great tool used mostly in South Texas for the choked up bee brush, mesquite and the like to clear out thick places to get more diversity. I personally like fire better :-)

Fire to kill mesquite?
We run fire in south Texas to kill the 3 foot and under mesquites but anything bigger your just making it mad. And that's if you have a fuel load big enough to carry a flame. Dozer, or ipt is what we tend to lean towards in thick mesquite when we manage.

[Hawkpuppy 1]

Yes, fire on mesquite under 3' works pretty good. Most of my fires have been in more cedar/range conditions and they work very well.

[Top Of Texas]

It will exacerbate the problem if you remove the top (chain, disc, push, burn, sheer) invasive, low palatable re-sprouting brush, including, but not limited to, mesquite, huisache, red berry juniper, salt cedar, russian olive, McCartney rose. These plants require grubbing (get root) or chemical.

[ttubudd]

Tag

[montyjackson]

Thanks for this great and informational reviews and comments . This topic always takes my attention .

[FLASH_OUTDOORS]

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[bukkskin]

Jhouse,

Wow, that is weird. But seems like some others say hackberry is good for deer. From what I always read and observed they didn't use it. Live and learn I guess

[Pedernal]

"common woody browse plants utilized by whitetail deer in south texas" by Taylor, Hererra, and Rutledge

"Range plants of north central rexas" by Ricky Lenix

"Common rangeland plants of the Texas Panhandle" Natural resources conservation service

Those are the actual books I know of off the top of my head.

TPWD has some brief, value based guides in PDF format for several of the eco-regions (not all). Just google search "tpwd common browse plants utilized by whitetail deer". You'll get more info than you might care to read.

Thank you for the information. I will be reading up!