I like the idea of a prairie with a few types of grasses ; switch grass, little blue stem, big blue stem and indian grass and some specific forbs that would provide food for the deer. Leave a fire lane around the outside of the prairie for burning and plant that with clover. A fire break does not always have to be disked earth, green space works also. The only drawback is that you will have to find a crew that will do the controlled burns on a 4-5 year interval. There may not be any in your area.
I am a prairie enthusiast so that is what I recommend prairie plantings. It is a long term commitment and takes time to get established. I did this exact thing to a 12 acre piece on my land 23 years ago. I am lucky in that I use the UW-Stevens Point fire crew to do my controlled burns. It is a group of college students who volunteer for this after school club. They assist the DNR on wild fire calls and do controlled burns throughout the state. Stevens Point is only 25 miles from my land. Their rates are reasonable, averaging about $200 per burn for the six burns they have done on my prairie.