Understanding the Importance of Food Plot Screening
The crisp morning air hums with anticipation. The sun, a barely-there blush on the horizon, promises a beautiful day. You’ve poured your heart and soul into your food plots, meticulously planting, fertilizing, and waiting. Yet, every hunting season, the deer vanish. They’re there, you *know* it, but they seem to melt into the surrounding woods before you can even catch a glimpse. Sound familiar? The culprit might be a lack of cover, a gaping hole in your wildlife habitat strategy. Food plot screening, an often-overlooked yet critical aspect of land management, is the key to unlocking the full potential of your food plots and transforming your hunting grounds into a wildlife haven.
Wildlife Behavior: Deciphering Their Needs
To understand why food plot screening is so effective, you must delve into the behavioral patterns of wildlife. Deer, for example, are hardwired to seek out cover and protection. They rely on their keen senses, particularly their sense of smell and hearing, to detect potential threats. If a food plot is exposed, it leaves them vulnerable to those threats. Consequently, they may avoid it altogether.
Deer and other game animals have daily routines that are directly related to perceived security. They tend to move between bedding areas, feeding areas, and water sources, and they often do so with cover as a primary consideration. They need a way to move through the landscape feeling safe. The right screening can help them find routes and make them more willing to venture into your food plots.
Lack of cover can lead to:
Reduced Daytime Activity: Deer and other game animals often become primarily nocturnal in areas with minimal cover, especially during hunting season.
Wildlife Abandoning the Area: The lack of cover can cause the animals to move to areas where they feel safer.
Increased Stress Levels: Being constantly vigilant against predators or human disturbance can cause stress, impacting the overall health of the wildlife.
Impact on Harvest Success: The best laid plans of habitat improvements are often destroyed because of the lack of a security blanket.
Screening Methods: A Practical Guide
There are several effective methods for creating food plot screening, each with its own set of advantages and disadvantages. The best approach is often a combination of techniques, tailored to your specific site conditions and goals.
Natural Screening: Working with What You’ve Got
The most cost-effective and often simplest approach is to utilize existing natural features. This may include:
Enhancing Existing Vegetation: This involves hinge-cutting trees, which means partially cutting them to bend them over and create low-level screening. Selective thinning of overgrown areas can also open up sunlight to stimulate cover growth.
Utilizing Brush Piles and Timbered Edges: Carefully positioned brush piles can provide immediate cover. Natural edges of timber can be maintained or planted with shrubs.
Preserving and Maintaining Native Vegetation: Avoid the temptation to clear everything to the ground. Protect any existing brush, thickets, and other natural cover. This will provide immediate benefits and long-term habitat.
Planting Annuals for Quick Cover
Annual plants offer a rapid solution to screening needs. They grow quickly, providing cover within a matter of weeks.
Examples of Annuals: Sorghum, corn, and sunflowers are popular choices. These plants grow tall and provide dense, visual barriers.
Pros and Cons: Annuals are relatively inexpensive and easy to plant. The major drawback is that they only provide cover for a single growing season.
Tips for Planting and Maintenance: Prepare the soil properly, ensuring adequate sunlight and drainage. Plant at the appropriate time of year. Maintenance primarily consists of weed control.
Planting Perennials for Long-Term Cover
Perennial plants require a greater initial investment, but they offer a long-term solution. They provide cover year after year, reducing the need for constant replanting.
Examples of Perennials: Switchgrass, miscanthus, and Egyptian wheat are excellent choices. Conifers, such as Norway spruce and white pines, are also effective, offering evergreen screening that lasts throughout the year.
Pros and Cons: Perennials offer a lasting solution, minimizing the work needed each year. However, establishment can take time, and costs are typically higher.
Planting and Establishment Best Practices: Proper soil preparation is key. Consider the amount of sunlight and drainage. Space the plants appropriately to allow for growth. Regular watering and fertilization are important.
Hybrid Approaches: The Best of Both Worlds
A combined approach can maximize the benefits. This involves using both annuals and perennials.
How to Combine: Plant annuals to provide quick, immediate cover while the perennials are establishing.
Staggering Planting: Consider staggering the planting times of annuals to ensure a continuous supply of cover throughout the growing season. This can also ensure the plot is ready for deer season.
Artificial Screening: Built for Protection
Fencing and other manufactured materials can be a solution when other options are unavailable.
Fencing and Barriers: These are installed around the plot to create a physical barrier to human or animal intrusion.
Pros and Cons: Artificial methods can be very effective. However, these methods are generally more expensive.
Things to consider: Consider the cost, the aesthetics and the impact to the property.
Species-Specific Considerations
The ideal food plot screening strategy may vary depending on the species you wish to attract.
Screening for Deer: Prioritize height, density, and plant selection to maximize visual cover. The screening should be high enough to obscure sightlines, and dense enough to discourage animals from crossing it.
Screening for Turkeys and Small Game: These animals appreciate a slightly different habitat. Focus on lower-growing screening plants or shrubby species that offer both cover and food resources.
Maintenance and Management for Long-Term Success
Regardless of the screening methods you choose, ongoing maintenance is essential.
Weed Control: Weeds can compete with screening plants for nutrients and sunlight. Chemical or mechanical methods are necessary.
Fertilization and Soil Health: Healthy soil is the foundation for healthy plants. Regular soil tests and fertilization are crucial for optimal growth.
Mowing and Pruning: Manage the height and density of the screening plants through strategic mowing or pruning.
Dealing with Pests and Diseases: Inspect plants regularly for signs of pests or diseases and take appropriate action.
Long-Term Planning and Replanting: Screenings are not permanent. Plan for regular maintenance and eventual replanting of the plots.
Conclusion: Creating a Sanctuary
Food plot screening is more than just a visual barrier; it is an investment in the long-term health and success of your property. By prioritizing the comfort and security of wildlife, you can transform your hunting grounds into a thriving habitat, increasing your chances of encounters. Start implementing screening on your own property. Observe your property, strategize, and take action. It will make all the difference.
