Food Sources for Your Staple Game Species

When looking at food sources to plant and manage for the staple  game species on your property it's important to know their feeding habits. The vast majority of game species will be either grazers, browsers or opportunistic omnivores.

Grazers are animals like bison or elk that mainly eat a diet of grass and forbs. Some are more strict like bison eating almost all grass whereas elk will tend to eat some woody browse plants as well. When creating a property geared mostly towards a grazing species you'll want to have a higher proportion of grass and forbs as opposed to woody species. This can be done by planting native grass and meadow mixes with species known to be highly palatable to the species you're managing for, as well as species that's adapted to your specific climate. There are many species of grasses and forbs that are unpalatable to wildlife so make sure to do your research to find the right mix of species. I would also always advise you have a high diversity seed mix. Some will naturally do better than others on your specific site so by planting a large variety you'll be ensuring that at least some will do well and self propagate. This type of habitat is usually considered an early successional habitat, which means that it has the potential to transition to more of a brushfield or forest if there are a source of woody plant seeds nearby. In order to manage this properly you may need to mow, clear brush or burn this habitat every so often to keep it in the grass/forb stage. But if managed properly this type of habitat could become a mecca for grazing game species.

The next type of game are browsers. These are species like deer, moose and beaver that mainly feed on the leaves, stems, buds and bark of woody plants. These will generally be broadleaf plants as opposed to conifers and will usually want to be kept short enough so that they can be reached by game. On most sites this will mean planting mainly shrubs and small trees with highly palatable foliage. Again do your research and figure out the best species for the game in your area and figure out which plants will self propagate on your site. Also remember to plant a large variety of species to add diversity to the ecosystem. With this habitat type the main concern will be keeping the new growth within reach of game. This can be done by one, selecting species that are naturally shorter and tend to sprout from the roots and two by every so often cutting back branches or trunks that have grown too high also known as coppicing. Burning might also be a good strategy after so many years but this will depend a lot on the specific plant species you are growing as well as your overall management strategy for the property. This type of habitat will likely be the main focus for most properties due to deer being the best species to manage for in most areas in America.

The last type of game we'll be looking at are generalist omnivores. These game species usually will have a very variable diet, but will tend to focus on calorie dense foods such as nuts, fruits and tubers. Some examples of game animals that fit this category are bears, pigs and turkeys. With these species you'll definitely want to do your research and figure out their preferred foods, but we still can look at some general rules that will apply to most omnivores. The most calorie dense wild plant foods available will generally be nuts also referred to as hard mast. Species such as walnuts, pecans, chestnuts hazelnuts and oaks are all great examples. These tend to be trees or shrubs and depending on the species could be a very productive food source for many wildlife species. The main downside for nut bearing plants is that it is a highly seasonal food source generally lasting only for a few months in the fall. This could be good because it will attract game during a time when hunting seasons are open, however it will generally need to be supplemented with other species that are available at other times of the year. Like nuts, fruits, or soft mast, tend to be a pretty high calorie food source. There are a huge variety of fruit bearing plant species ranging from tiny forbs like strawberries, to massive cherry trees and everything in between. Blackberries, grapes, rose hips, pawpaws, apples, plums, prickly pears and persimmons are all great examples of possible fruit species for your property.  Like nuts individual fruit species tend to have a narrow window of availability, but unlike nuts this could range throughout the year. The worst time of year for fruits is generally spring time but even then there are some fruits like rose hips that are able to persist all winter and into spring. I personally have noticed black bears in early spring gorging themselves on the last remaining rose hips and depositing their seeds around my property. So I would say fruits are a must have for most properties especially when focusing on game with omnivore type feeding habits. However I will also note that even browsers and grazers will commonly relish these food sources if available. The last food source I'll focus on are tubers. While for most game species these will not be a food source there are a few that are able to dig such as pigs and bears that can make use of it. Some tubers that might attract game are groundnuts, jerusalem artichokes, camas, wild onions, nutsedge, biscuitroot and cattails. So since omnivores will usually have a very varied diet you can attract them by planting a large variety of species that will attract them year round as well as attract other game species that are usually foliage eaters. And one last thing to point out is that many of the foods you'll plant for omnivores are also great people food and can be foraged for just like the game will do on your property.

Every species of animal will have its own specific nutritional requirements and feeding habits, but many plant species are able to feed a large variety of animals. That's one thing you'll notice when designing a property for wild game is that many of the best plant species will have multiple uses. Not only will they be able to feed multiple game species , but they can also act as great cover as well. And many even have the potential to be great human food sources. So do your research.  Figure out what the game animals in your area like to eat and then you'll be able to really start designing your optimal wild game property.

Choosing the right property

If you don't already have a property to manage then the first step to creating your hunting paradise is to obtain a property. Finding and purchasing the right property can be a daunting task. For most of us cost will be a major contributing factor on choosing a property. I would recommend getting the most amount of acres you can with a bare minimum of 5 acres. Depending on the wild game in your area though a larger property could be necessary. For example if you're buying property in an arid area with little vegetation then you will definitely want more than 5 acres. These habitats will generally support fewer game animals per square mile but on the upside they will likely be much cheaper than a property in a wetter region. And with the right management techniques you can increase the soil moisture in these drier areas and grow plants that would usually need a wetter climate. But if available i would try to find land in an area that would support trees just because it will be easier.

Ideally you'd want to find an area with a diversity of large game animals to hunt that way the land could support more calories per acre of wild game meat. Having property within the range of whitetail deer or blacktail deer is usually a great idea because these species can generally live in high densities, especially whitetails, and between the both of them cover most of the country. If there are neither of these species present then there would likely be mule deer, but these species generally do not live in high densities, but a management strategy could be adopted for them if necessary it just wouldn't be ideal. Other game species that it would be good to have within your area are black bears, turkey moose, feral pigs, elk and pronghorn.  The more species available the better. Some general areas with high game diversity include the Northeast, the upper midwest, the appalachians, the deep south, the rocky mountains (especially the northern rockies) and the west coast. I chose to move to the Northern Rockies because there are good populations of Whitetails, Mule deer, Elk, Black bears and Turkeys. There are even a few moose although they are generally not very common. You will have your own personal criteria when choosing a property, but choosing one within the range of at least of a few different species will definitely help you add to the potential calories per acre of your property.

If you're like I was when looking for a property then cost will definitely be a major issue. Some factors that make a property less expensive are being far from major cities, being poor farm land, having steep or rugged terrain and having an extreme climate. So in general a steep dry mountainside in the desert in the middle of nowhere would likely be the cheapest type of property you can find. This type would not be the best solution for the purpose of creating wild game habitat, but it wouldn't be impossible to do. It would just take a lot more work. Some of the factors like being far from population centers and being rugged terrain would not be a downside for our purposes and could even make the property a better choice. Being poor farmland is a potential negative, especially in drier climates, but wouldn't matter as much in wetter ones. And having an extreme climate is a mixed bag depending on how extreme we are talking. Very dry land is definitely something I would discourage unless you're really up for a challenge. Being really hot shouldn't be too big of an issue as long as it's somewhat wet. And being very cold is generally not an issue unless it's so cold trees won't grow like in tundra type areas or high mountain peaks.

In differing climates you will be planting different species of wildlife forage so keep that in mind when choosing a property. Factors such as your hardiness zone your annual precipitation and your seasonal precipitation patterns will all affect the plant species you choose. You're looking for species that will be hardy to your climate, enough so that they will be able to thrive and reproduce naturally. Generally speaking the wetter and warmer the location the more options you'll have for plant species.

One last important thing to look at when buying a property for wild game is water. I would say some kind of water source would be a requirement and if it doesn't have one on it already you would have to create one. This is even more crucial in drier areas. In arid regions if there is no water source than it would be nearly impossible to keep and hold game on your property. In wetter areas water would be less important because if there isn't a source on your property there is likely one nearby that the local wildlife are using, however I would still say it is a very good idea to have one on your property so that game have everything they need in one place, food, cover and water.

As far as the food and cover on the property you're looking at purchasing it would be a bonus if there already existed a good amount of species that were prime habitat, but this is not necessary. Most of you will be planting much of your own choices of food and cover species which will take some work but expecting a property to have everything on it you already want is a bit much to ask for.  But this is why I'm writing this blog. I want to help you manage your land by taking a heavy handed approach at creating great wild game habitat that once established could feed your family for generations.

Creating the optimal wild food property

When we’re looking at creating a property that can produce a high amount of wild calories per acre, we’re mainly focusing on wild meat production. This is because I believe when it comes to wild food, meat is king. It is pretty clear that most hunter gatherers in temperate and boreal regions subsisted largely on wild meat sources. There just isn’t many wild plants that will grow naturally without human intervention and also be able to provide a high calorie per acre return as a staple food source. There are a few and usually these plant species also make amazing food sources for wildlife as well, so we’ll end up talking about them anyways, but for the most part this blog will focus on a wild meat based system. A byproduct of focusing on creating optimal wild game habitat is that many of the food plants we plant for wildlife are also highly palatable for people as well. Alternatively, I believe, if we focused mainly on edible plants for humans then we would not be making the most optimal habitat for wild game.

Okay, so let’s say you’ve just bought your property.  The first step in deciding how to manage it for wild game is to determine what species are located in your area.  When looking at creating a property with a high calorie per acre for meat we will want to focus on larger game species that are able to live in high densities. Some animals like rabbits are able to live in pretty high densities, but rabbits are also pretty small so I would generally not recommend focusing on them as a staple food source. Other game species are pretty large such as black bears, but generally they live in pretty low densities so they would make a poor species to focus on as well. Animals that are both large and live at fairly high densities, such as white-tailed deer are the types we will mainly focus on because they have the potential to exist at the highest calories per acre. Other animals that could fall into this category are feral pigs, moose, elk and even beaver under the right conditions. However, in most areas of the U.S. white-tailed deer will be the best species to focus on.

Once you’ve figured out the best game species in your area to focus on it’s time to determine what would constitute the most optimal habitat. For example, for deer, the best habitat would include excellent food, cover and water sources. Whitetails are mainly browsers meaning they eat the leaves, stems, buds and fruit of woody plants. Deer also eat grasses, forbs, nuts and fruit as well as agricultural crops. Whitetails also require dense heavy cover to escape predators and feel safe. One great thing about managing for deer is that the cover can sometimes double as food. This will help to increase the carrying capacity of the land because the deer will not have to travel as far to meet all of their needs. Some plant species that can provide both dense cover and food are wild roses, brambles and hazelnut shrubs. For deer I would say that plants that double as food and cover should provide the bulk of the the habitat. Interspersed through the dense brush, however should be planted fruit and nut trees such as apples, pears, oaks, chestnuts and other mast producing species. These trees should generally be few and far between because while they provide a valuable food source for part of the year, they also cast shade and will prevent other plants from growing at the level where deer can reach them. Lastly for food I would keep small patches of ground open and planted with nutritious forbs and grass species such as clover. These areas would not be very large and they would keep the deer well hidden between the thicker brush areas while providing nutritious forage. Most game species need a diversity of plants species to feed on and by providing many different food sources we can create excellent habitat.

If an area was planted like this and with species that were able to self regenerate in that specific climate then this type of habitat could potentially last for hundreds of years without hardly any human intervention. The only thing that would be needed to maintain it would be some disturbances every once in awhile with either fire or brush clearing, so that it would not succeed into a closed forest ecosystem. Once established the habitat would be largely self sustaining and would likely hold very high deer densities and could provide practically free venison for perpetuity.  And what is great for deer would likely be great for many other species such as turkeys and black bears. And better yet one would also be able to forage for many of the fruit and nut species. For most vegetables, however, a small fenced in garden would likely still be a better choice.

This is the basic idea for my wild food systems. While my example mostly focused on white-tailed deer, there are many other species that this system could be designed for. One just has to do their research and figure out what the game species in their area require.