Below is a monthly publication produced by the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission. AGFC picks a topic and produces a monthly article pertaining to that topic. This month the topic is corn versus habitat management.
How's Your Habitat?
Corn feeders vs. real habitat improvements-
By James Foster, AGFC Private Lands Biologist, Northeast Region
Do corn feeders allow me to see and kill more deer, bigger deer? Are there any negative effects of corn feeders on wildlife? Are corn feeders more beneficial than food plots? Is there a cost benefit of corn feeders over food plots? These are just some of the questions biologists are asked when talking to landowners concerning whether or not they should use corn feeders, food plots, work on their habitat or a combination.
Do corn feeders allow me to see and kill more deer, bigger deer? You decide. Research from South Carolina shows the vast majority of feeder visits by deer were at night. Check your own trail camera pictures and see if this is what you find. Another part of this study was to see if hunter effort and success was greater in baited or non-baited locations. The result was that it took 3.37 man-days for each harvested deer in baited locations and 1.16 man-days for each deer in non-baited locations.
Are there any negative effects of corn feeders on wildlife? It can be answered with a simple yes. Feeding has been known to increase disease transmission (parvo, canine distemper, bovine tuberculosis and mange). Corn has been known to harbor toxins and encourage their growth (E. coli, salmonella and aflatoxin). Congregating of animals at feeders can cause damage to surrounding vegetation. Also there can be an increase in predation of fawns along turkey and quail nest near feeders.
Are corn feeders more beneficial than food plots? Deer need a minimum of 16 percent protein for optimum growth (bone, muscle, milk production and antler development) and is critical to healthy deer populations. Food plots can provide from 16 to 30 percent protein, where corn only provides an average of 8 percent protein.
Is there a cost benefit of corn feeders versus food plots? It takes 4 tons of deer corn to provide the same protein as a 1-acre food plot. In 2013, an average 1-acre food plot cost $125 to establish and if properly established can produce as much as 2,000 to 10,000 pounds of food and greater than 640 pounds of crude protein. One ton of feed from a food plot costs $63 and a ton of deer corn cost $300. Plus, you don't have to fill up feeders constantly, replace batteries and make repairs with food plots.
What about managing your existing forest and field habitat to provide food sources? Thinning an unmanaged forest and conducting prescribed burning can produce tons of food per acre while at the same time, providing fawning, bedding and escape cover for deer and nesting habitat for turkey. Have abandoned old fields and pastures? These can be managed through prescribed burning to produce abundant food and cover – increasing availability of native foods (that don't require the expense of disking, lime or fertilizer) and creates bugging areas for turkey, critical for young turkeys. Prescribed burning of thinned forest or field systems can provide up to 2-4 years of food production and cover over significant acres versus planting a few acres of food plots every year.
If you feel there is a need to utilize feeders in your deer hunting program then there are some simple do's and do not's when you feed.
First the do's. Spread feed over large areas, move feeding sites periodically, a minimum of every year; disperse bait in small amounts, place mineral licks and liquid attractant on stumps or logs that can be removed if necessary. Check aflatoxin rates – if greater than 20 parts per billion, don't use. Avoid the use of supplemental feed during nesting and brood-rearing periods (May-August).
Now the do not's. Do not pile feed on the ground or consistently use one spot/stump for baiting or mineral licks. Do not allow feed to stand in water. If using feeding troughs, cover the trough and drill holes in the bottom of the trough to allow drainage. Realize by the use of troughs you offer free range feeding by raccoons, feral hogs and other animals that can pose problems to deer and wildlife. Do not use feed that is molded, has fungus or is discolored and do not use feed near areas prone to increase people-animal conflicts (near roads or houses) or people-people conflicts (near property boundary lines).
One simple fact to remember. You get your biggest bang for your time and money in food production and wildlife cover by managing your existing habitat. Food plots should only be a small part of your overall wildlife management plan.
It's not too late to plant fall food plots. All of September and early October plots can be planted.
