The woodlot should be fended to exclude livestock because livestock compete directly with deer for available understory forage. High quality food can be provided in one acre plots near good cover. Prepare a good seedbed in August. Fertilize and lime according to soil test. The wheat will die after the first year, but the legume should persist and furnish succulent browse for three to five years.
Evergreens are important to deer.
They provide valuable shelter, escape cover and food during winter. Conifer plantation of cedar and pine as small as 5 acres provide excellent shelter for deer once the trees are 10 to 15 feet high. Conifers continue to provide valuable cover until the lower, living branches are 15 to 20 feet off the ground and the understory becomes very open. Deer use water daily. Their water needs are partially supplied by succulent plants.