While native vegetation management has a much greater potential to increase total deer forage production than do food plantings, plantings may be important seasonally to meet specific nutritional needs. Planting summer forages may be equally important as planting cool-season forages, since antler growth, fawn production, and initial rearing take place during this period. Therefore, both bucks and does face special nutritional demands.
Seasonal comparisons indicate that deer consume the greatest amount of food in late summer.
We know that deer utilization of plantings declines from highest consumption in March to the lowest in early June. Utilization increases in late June, peaks in August, then declines slowly through September. Equipment needs and access points, soil quality and fertilization or liming requirements, size and distribution of plots, seedbed preparation, and choice of planting materials should all be considered and planned carefully. Planting locations should be approved by the landowner. Designate enough planting sites 2 to 3 acres in size to plant 1-2 percent of the managed area.