Food Plots…The Future for New England

“If you build it, they will come.” – Field of Dreams

 By R.G. Bernier

Hunting deer has never been finer than it is today. Whitetail populations have literally exploded across America and with that proliferation has come some remarkable specimens. Although a few of these animals are the result of genetic superiority, in many instances, the deer was provided the time and all of the necessary ingredients to grow a worthy set of antlers.

With an abundant resource of deer to hunt, and many trophy specimens at the hunter’s disposal, it would seem the only obstacle in the way of killing a wall-hanger is choosing a hunting location. Well, nothing comes without a price tag attached. Growing big whitetails has become a lucrative business. In order to hunt the lands where these deer dwell, a four-digit sticker is usually attached that equates into lots of bucks – green ones. For many, the price to hunt for the caliber of animals routinely seen pictured on the cover of many hunting publications is financially out of reach.

Here in the Northeast, the picture becomes even bleaker. Hunting grounds continue to shrink at an alarming rate due to man’s encroachment. Housing developments now dot the landscape in areas once inhabited by whitetails. Many of these new landlords, not accustomed to hunting or in favor of the recreation, routinely post their property preventing hunters the opportunity to harvest any animals still living on what available habitat still exists.

Wildlife game departments, trained professionals who are hired to manage our natural resources, are mandated to regulate whitetail populations. Management plans, however, are often dictated by politics rather than biological facts. As these plans fluctuate, the quality and availability of individual herd densities remain in limbo.

Additionally, the one unknown element prevalent to the Northeastern whitetail each year is winter severity. In times of mild or moderate severity, the whitetail flourishes, but when an above-normal winter arises, it can be detrimental to a deer herd, especially to those animals residing on land offering little by way of nutrition and adequate wintering grounds. The negative impact for those deer that do survive after such an event equates into stunted antlers for the bucks and a drastic reduction in fawn propagation for the female of the species.

The question then becomes, what can the modern-day hunter do to improve his hunting lot in life and continue to find satisfaction in the sport he enjoys, while at the same time promote quality habitat and healthy deer?

Education

Historically, the New England hunter has been reluctant to change his/her way of thinking. The stubborn Yankee pride rears its ugly head with connotations reflective of the self-made ingenuity that got them to where they are today. The thinking goes a bit like this, “I’ve hunted deer this way all my life, and have done so on that parcel of land. I’ll be darned if someone is going to tell me different.” This mentality continues to perpetuate itself with the hunter wishfully thinking that somewhere out there is a buck walking around that can duplicate the very image that is idyllically dancing in his head, despite all of the evidence refuting such notions.

Although there are many still stubbornly clinging to the notion of fighting against an insurmountable wall of suppressors, in a number of instances attitudes are changing. Make no mistake about it, New Englanders still vehemently fight to access much of the land that has traditionally been open to hunting over the years, and rightfully so, but they have also begun to put their intellect to work as well. They are beginning to realize if they want quality deer and a place to pursue them, then there may not be a better deal than what can be created on their own back forty.

Slowly but surely, hunters in all kinds of professions are now adding farmer to their resume. In the process of this new-found venture, they are realizing that short-term food sources to hunt over in the fall, while it may provide shooting opportunities, are not the answer to the man seeking better quality in the animal that he hunts.

Industry Change

Much has changed within the hunting industry over the past two decades. Some of these changes have been monumental while others have quietly faded out of sight. One such idea that has gained immense popularity, and has now become the rage in many parts of New England, is food plots. The reason that this concept has been embraced above other ideas and theories is multiple. Planting food designed specifically for a deer benefits the animal; it draws the animal to your location, thus benefiting the hunter. The very act of building such an environment indulges one both intellectually (deer behaviorisms and nutritional requirements) and physically and provides an annual assessment in the deer’s health and antler size. This process turns an otherwise content deer hunter into a selective deer manager that only harvests those animals that have ripened to their fullest.

The Whitetail Institute of North America, the pioneer and undisputed leader in the deer nutrition industry, realized the value that food plots would have back in the mid-1980s when they first created their now famous Imperial Whitetail Clover. They also knew that just throwing some seed onto the ground was not the end-all to creating a whitetail utopia.

Outdoor communicator Charlie Alsheimer, who has created a top-notch food plot program on his 200-acre farm in New England, is fond of saying, “Nothing happens until it sells.” The Whitetail Institute, as its name reflects, is not about selling seed as much as it is in helping the consumer identify their specific needs and find the solution that maximizes the individual’s plot of ground to the fullest. But make no mistake, the Whitetail Institute is the reason food plots are what they are today.

To correctly build a deer factory on your property, many facets of a bigger plan have to be implemented. Sound management of natural habitat that includes logging and the promotion of natural food sources such as mast crop in the form of acorns, beechnuts and apples, as well as browse, become an important aspect in seeing out your endeavor. Proper pH levels have to be met in order for the product to grow, and identifying where the various feeder and hunting plots should be located so as to gain adequate sunlight is also critical.

Unlike a green field of winter wheat, a true food plot provides one or more highly nutritious delicacies that provide for the continual needs of the deer. Because of the commitment involved, planting food plots is not a short-term project, but a long-term investment that can pay off handsomely.

Choices

Deer hunting in the 21st century is much like going to the grocery store; you have several choices to select from, and ultimately, the decision is yours. It would seem to me that it is far more resourceful to grow quality deer on land that is your own, under a program that you have established and seen to its fruition, than to negatively continue to bellyache about poor hunting and how difficult it is to access land upon which to hunt. In order to facilitate this, one must be willing to embrace technology, trust in the product being used and be patient enough to see the results.

According to Alsheimer, “Some hunters still travel to faraway places to hunt big bucks, but more and more are opting to stay home and get involved in all aspects of whitetail hunting. Developing and managing your own land for quality deer can be tremendously satisfying, and because of this, QDM’s future looks bright.”

Offering testimony to that statement is Bill Mayo from Franklin, Vt., a town located along the Canadian border. Four years ago Bill began planting food plots with Imperial Whitetail Clover, enrolled in a tree-harvesting program, pruned the wild apple trees that existed and planted hundreds of cultivated ones on his 250-acre property. He also immediately initiated a policy of refraining from shooting any bucks younger than 3 1/2 years of age.

When the program started, the average buck on his property was a 1 1/2-year-old spike, where now the average male walking the land is an 8-point 2 1/2-year-old. The average yearly cost Mayo shells out for maintaining this aggressive QDM program is between $1,200 and $1,500—quite a discrepancy when compared to a one-week hunt elsewhere at an average cost of $3,500 - $5,000 for the same quality of animal. 

Conclusion

Indeed, while it is still possible to tramp countless miles in pursuit of whitetails here in the Northeast, with each successive season those opportunities become less than certain.