Does soil quality affect deer size

[yoderjac]

Good points Jack, we’re definitely missing the boat entirely if we jump strait to the food plot conversation. I’d be interested to know what percentage of landowners overall (not this forum) spend any time or give any thought to “managing” deer outside food plots and corn feeders. I’d guess that number would be shockingly low.


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Yes, I would guess there are few who have both the interest and scale to do deer management. I, myself, am on the ratty edge for scale. While I'm not convinced we are having a measureable impact on the herd, the biologist that manages our DMAP seems to think we are. I'm sure we have impacted the sex and age structure to some degree. There is not enough harvest data to have statistical significance when it comes to antler size or body weight, so it comes down to judgment.

I'm willing to trust his judgment in this because I'm shifting focus to a longer-term more sustainable approach over time. The timber management practices are income generators and not a drain. Food plot cost has been declining as my soils are becoming more healthy with reduced tillage and free nutrient cycling is replacing fertilizer costs. Costs are moving more toward permaculture for fruit producing trees. Our open land percentage is pretty good right now. I'm now letting some fields go to weeds for a number of years before rotating them back to food plots. This is allowing me to plant less but retain the open spaces with edge.

Thanks,

Jack

 

[Catscratch]

Haven't had time to listen to the podcast but I'm very exited to! I have read this thread though and some things come to mind:

Brix levels can be changed. This is measurable.

I know for a fact through growing oak trees that there can be iron deficiencies in leafs. I don't believe that all plants of the same species have the exact same mineral and nutrition content. It's well documented the signs of certain deficiencies and how to treat them through soil amendments. So while nutritional planes of calories, carbs, proteins, and lipids may be similar from plant to plant of the same species... that does not mean they are all identical in every aspect.

Native plant communities are not mono-cultures and many plants in these communities have an affect on each other. Example; grasses grow well in the presence of healthy legumes (nitrogen fixers if inoculants are present in the soil/plant). Many plants contain elements that control parasites in cervids, thus reducing stresses. Walnuts prevent growth of other trees and shrubs around them. The list goes on and on, the point being that diversity is present and that interactions are frequent. Different plants offer different minerals, carbs, proteins, lipids, and calories. Time of year is important; hedge leafs are an outstanding source of protein for cattle once grass has dried down and stored proteins in their roots. This is due to low tannin levels and high palatability in hedge leafs. Good soils grow lots of plant species and a lot of biomass... deficient soils don't. There is an area near where I live that has a large amount of salts in the soil. There are plants there that otherwise only grow in coastal regions. These plants offer different contents than other local plant communities, it's directly related to soil, and it provide different elements to that population's diet. A deer's size might be dependent on nutrition technically, but ultimately that food is a function of soil.