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The Tale of a QDM Club by Dave Edwards
Own Your Own by Virgil Peritts
What Is TSI? by Matt Ross, QDMA
Native vs. Non-Native by Gabriel Karns, M. Colter Chitwood, Chris Moorman, and Dr. Chris DePerno
Oaks For Bucks by Chris Moorman
Deer Season: A Time For Kids by Stephanie Mallory
The Need For Minerals by Brian Murphy, QDMA
Perlitz Ranch Hosts Youth Camp by Kelly Haydel
Timing the Rut With Fawns by Gabriel Karns, M. Colter Chitwood
Ecological Reasons For Hunting by Dr. R. Larry Marchinton and Dr. Karl V. Miller
What percentage of a buck's antler development potential comes from the doe's genes? by Realtree Whitetail Team
Where were the bucks? by Team Realtree
Growths on Deer? by Team Realtree
How Many Teats? by Team Realtree
Why No Oaks? by Team Realtree
Special thanks to:
Quality Deer
Management Association
Reader Questions
Attraction Without Plots
Question: I have a small piece of property (100 acres) that I lease in Southeast Alabama. I do not have many open spaces to plant large food plots to attract and hold deer. What are some other ways to hold and attract deer to my property?
Answer: One of the best ways to attract and hold deer is to create good cover. Deer need food and cover, and cover is arguably more important during the hunting season when deer have been pressured (because deer can feed at night during the safety of darkness).
Work with a forester to develop a forest management plan for your property. This plan will be developed around your goals and can emphasize wildlife management as the primary goal. Timber management and timber stand improvements (TSI; such as hinge cuts, etc.) can dramatically improve the quality of your forested area for deer habitat and future timber stand investments.
If the owner of your lease doesn't want any large-scale timber management conducted on the property, you can likely convince him/her to allow you to conduct TSIs as it will improve the monetary value of the land while simultaneously providing food (browse) and cover for deer. The majority of a deer's diet grows from the ground up to about five feet above the ground. TSI projects can place a tremendous amount of food within this foraging zone and create ideal habitat for deer.
Kip Adams