Integrating Deer and Cattle Management in the Post Oak Savannah by David W. Rideout, Wildlife Biologist, Texas Parks and Wildlife

1. Do not try to carry more cattle arrowleaf clover and ryegrass to than the land can support over the benefit cattle and deer. long term. Graze native pastures on a rotating basis wherever 5. Minimize use of herbicides in possible, resting pastures for at pastures. Mowing or spot treat- 9. Control feral (wild) hogs by least as long they are grazed. ment of undesirable weeds with shooting or trapping whenever Consider using stocker operation 2-4D (1 pt./acre) is preferred over possible. Winter months are most from March through August broadcast spraying. effective to control these direct instead of continuous cow/calf competitors of deer. operation. 6. In May, plant 1-5% of acreage in summer supplemental food plots 10. Do not try to carry more deer 2. Fence off or exclude wooded areas fenced-off/excluded from cattle. Plots than the land can support over the from cattle wherever possible from should be long and narrow, and at long term. Generally, one deer/ mid August through February, least five acres due to usually heavy 10 acres in bottomland and one especially bottomlands to prevent use by deer. Bottomland plots, not deer/25 acres in upland is the competition with deer for browse. subjected to standing water, are recommended carrying capacity in Include in fenced-off areas, one or more productive. A combination of the Post Oak Savannah, depending more acres of native pasture to iron and clay cowpeas, alyce clover on cattle stocking rates. Higher provide protected fawn nursery or soybeans will provide 20% populations can be maintained areas, preventing cattle distur- protein from June through Septem- under intensive habitat and bance and keeping fawns out of ber. Lime and fertilize as soil tests population management. For sight of predators. recommend. quality bucks, harvest no more than 20% of total antlered bucks, 1 3. Prescribe burn, from October 7. In October, plant 1-5% of acreage allowing bucks to reach 4 /2 years through February or until green-up in winter supplemental food plots, of age or more to develop heavy begins, the undergrowth of 15-20% fenced-off/excluded from cattle. beamed antlers with a wide of upland woods. Burn each tract Plots should be 1-10 acres, long spread. For maximum use, harvest about every 5-6 years to promote and narrow, and limed and no more than 50% of bucks each new vegetative growth. Do not fertilized as soil tests recommend. year. Develop buck and antlerless burn bottomland hardwoods. A combination of oats, elbon rye, deer harvest quotas by observing Prescribe burn about one-third of and ryegrass plus plots with yuchi vegetation use and from results of native pastures/openings every arrowleaf clover and ryegrass will August and September spotlight year during late summer, burning provide 15-20% protein from and daytime deer counts, not by each site about every three years November through May. the number of hunters hunting the to control woody growth and property! encourage new growth of grasses, 8. To permit mobility of deer, the weeds, and wildflowers. Keep open bottom wire of fences should be at **Combine adjoining landowner tracts area burns under 40 acres. least 18 inches from the ground to develop a Landowner Wildlife and top and second wire should be Management Association. A minimum 4. Overseed existing coastal bermuda at least 12 inches apart. All hog of 3,500 acres is usually required to and native pastures with yuchi wire should be removed. begin effective deer management. Some Important White-tailed Deer Food Plants in the Post Oak Savannah (Provide leaves, stems, buds, fruit, and/or soft/hard mast.)

TREES smooth sumac ragweeds hackberry fragrant sumac woolly-white sassafras flameleaf sumac vetches farkleberry coralberry erect dayflower hawthorn plums bur clover red maple sweet clovers persimmon VINES wood sorrel dogwoods greenbriers brown-eyed Susan box elder rattan-vine smartweeds Hercules-club Carolina jessamine wine-cup live oak honeysuckles lespedezas white oak post oak grade beggar-ticks red oak muscadine grape partridge pea post oak mustang grape sensitive brier water oak Virginia creeper willow oak blackberries CULTIVATED CROPS bluejack oak dewberries (Summer) blackjack oak poison oak/ivy forage cowpeas yaupon wild beans alyce clover possum-haw joint vetch cedar elm FORBS soybeans winged elm (Weeds/Wildflowers) (Winter) Osage orange spiderwort elbon rye bumelia sunflowers oats tick clovers wheat SHRUBS cutleaf primrose yuchi arrowleaf clover American beautyberry chickweed ryegrass American elderberry three-seeded mercury Austrian winterpeas

NOTE: The degree of use by deer of different plant species often varies in different localities, depending on the amount of deer and livestock present, soil types, new growth versus old growth, and the availability of other plants.

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© 1999 Texas Parks and Wildlife PWD LF W7000-0237 (10/99) In accordance with Texas Depository Law, this publication is available at the Texas State Publications Clearinghouse and/or Texas Depository Libraries.