Food for Wildlife?

[GardenGeisha]

A friend was wanting to plant Russian Sage on his son's farm in Utah. It's high country. He thought it would look pretty blooming and then provide winter food for the deer and elk (leaves). But I researched it and found out that deer don't like to eat it.

So can anyone think of another similar plant with aesthetic value that deer & elk would like to eat in the winter?

 

[digitS']

I once lost a field of oats to an early snow storm. The elk sure liked coming down for that all winter.

I bet they would have been just as happy with millet. There are some ornamental varieties . . .

Here is Colorado State talking about: Preventing Deer Damage (click). Scroll down to the list of plants, "Often browsed." There's quite a list of flowers & shrubs.

Steve

 

[journey11]

I find it hard to think of one they *won't* eat around here!

Most of the things that they purportedly won't eat, they still do.

Not very ornamental, but we are planting a field of turnips near our deer stand. They think that turnips are candy! They also like the wild morning glories that tend to take over my garden as the fall approaches. That works well for me though...something that I am glad they will eat.

 

[GardenGeisha]

Thanks for the good info, you two!

 

[Jared77]

Out here I know clovers pretty popular. You could also google "food plots" that encourage the number and quality of deer for ideas. They will list suggested plants/seeds then go from there. Lot of the cover crops are deer magnets. I know a few people that plant carving/jack-o-lantern sized pumpkins too. They start the seeds and let them do their thing. Whatever grows is what grows and the deer have pumpkins to eat as the season wears on. Pumpkins are aggressive and even the smaller underdeveloped ones the deer around here like. Wouldn't take long to plant a whole packet. Id follow the directions but I wouldn't thin them. Id just let them grow.

Another thing people here do are plant sugar beets for a late season/winter food for them. Deer will find and eat most root veggies especially if they are not planted real deep and are easier to find. Turnips as Journey suggested would be a good choice too. Id try a mix of them and check them throughout the winter and even into spring to see what they like.

One problem with root veggies is they may not eat all of them at one sitting. Deer like to browse so they may nibble on one, then move to another, and another. That's why they are so destructive. So if you have problems with chronic wasting disease, bovine TB, or other saliva/mucus born pathogens your increasing the risk of exposure. 1 infected deer grazes, and leaves infected saliva/mucus, then healthy deer graze on the same plants and now its been exposed.

I'd also contact your Fish/Game, DNR, or Ag dept to see what the rules are about food plots in your area.

 

[baymule]

Peas. Purple hull peas, black eyed peas, peas, peas, peas. Deer go nuts for them.

 

[hoodat]

I'm presuming this is dry ground, in which case sages are probably the best forage for wild game. The Basin big sagebrush has quite a few animals and birds that feed on it and some cannot exist anywhere else.
Here is a good article on the best sages for browse.

http://plants.usda.gov/plantguide/pdf/pg_artrt.pdf

 

[GardenGeisha]

I love all these great planting ideas! Thanks, everybody!