If you are new, I'd suggest you step back and watch some "Ray the soil guy" videos. Start with infiltration, it is short. Then read through the Crimson n Camo T&M thread. It is long but he shows how folks can apply the min-till/no-till techniques to small equipment. When we till, we burn OM and destroy the natural soil tilth and nutrient cycling ability. That is one reason traditional tillage techniques require high inputs. It took my soil quite a few years to recover from tillage abuse of my early years, but I'm now using no fertilizer at all.
The next thing to consider is the difference between commercial farming and food plots. With commercial farming, there is a financial component. Commercial farmers need high yield on a per acre basis to make a profit and fertilizer can be a factor in that equation. Next, farmers remove much of the nutrition when they harvest, another reason they need to replenish it with commercial fertilizer. With food plots we don't harvest, the only nutrients extracted is what animals eat, and the redeposit much of it back through droppings. Finally, because farmers harvest, they generally have to plant monocultures to match harvest equipment. Food plotters can chose a wise mix of complementary crops like legumes and grasses/grains. These crops are supportive of each other nutritionally as well as deer.
You see from some of the videos that even commercial farmers with large equipment can significantly reduce inputs with no-till techniques and the use of cover crops. With the advantages deer managers have, it is possible to completely eliminate it.
Fertilizer recommendations are generally intended for farmers. Except for very specialized tests, they don't test for N. That means the recommendations are based only on the needs of crops and don't account for the N content of your soil. The best they do is ask for previous crop and if it was a legume provide some N credits.
This forum has a lot of good information on min-till/no-till techniques and soil health. I spent a number of years doing more harm than good to my soil. One more consideration. When you eliminate fertilizer, you eliminate a lot of cost and save time. These resources can be applied to planting more acreage at lower density as well as other habitat improvements depending on your specific situation.
Thanks,
Jack