Excellent. One mind at a time. Winner is, wildlife and eco systems. Winter is brutal, let help the critters....

You should be teaching all the DNR agencies

Two years ago I set aside 1.75 acres for a switchgrass project. I sprayed the area all year and had things dead going into the winter. I frost seeded Cave-in-Rock in the Spring, applied Simazine before green-up and got a spraying of Round-up down before (switch) germination. I believe that is the formula you prescribe?? Well, it didn't produce as easily as you continually suggest. In my case, everything was ~30 inches tall last fall before I was able to get a neighbor in to mow it in hopes that things come back better this year. I'm not knocking that it can't work (and man I hope that it does!), but people should know that it can be more difficult than you lead to believe.

it's too bad I can't share pictures of what Jeff is talking about for diversity pockets. Jeff designed a plan for me. I'm in my 3rd year of implementation. This is the 1st time I've planted CIR SG. So, I've had success in some areas but not in others. As this year ends the 2nd full year of SG, I've just started to see animals bed. Bucks were sitting on the end of the SG and the diversity pockets all November. They move their does out of the woods. The does were on and off the food plots just 15 feet away all day. When one buck and doe moved off another would roll-in. Now, my SG plantings are in former farm soil. There is at least 70 - 80 years of seed from farm crops (largely grains, clover and hay grass). Using a grass specific herbicide to kill the grass allowed clovers, volunteer alfalfa and broadleafs to emerge. These became more attractive than the food plots once heavy frost moved in. Over time, I expect more redbrush, choke cherry, buckthorn, pine and aspen to start emerging. But I have incredibly heavy browse pressure from deer. I expect that this will take time. Take away for me: broadleaf has been mega important holding deer through the rut; diversity pockets take time; edge from SG and diversity pockets have changed the routes deer take -- plan accordingly!

I bought and sold many farms and I have had CRP contracts on them and it still baffles me how far behind it seems that the government mentality is when they are really trying to help Wildlife, yet as you eloquently explain, how much they are actually not helping it in the overall big picture of the CRP plans. I always strive to work with the Foresters and the government biologists to incorporate natural regen in a CRP plan for the wild life. Thanks

REALLY REALLY GREAT COMMENTS!!! I wish we had met 5 years ago. As you know we planted an entire 15 acre field in switch grass. It was a mistake and we have to live with it as it is enrolled in a 15 yr. program. As you said it would have been much better to have small open natural areas within the switch. It does stand and give cover all year, but no browse or pockets for deer to gather. We now have to work with our mistake, and with Jeff's assistance, try to improve other areas of the farm. A lesson learned, Jeff..please call when you can. Bob

Hi Jeff, great video as always. Wanted to share a project I am working on through the NRCS/CRP that may shed light on opportunity for both crp contract and high quality habitat. I have around 10 A that are bordering a creek in farm country of Northwest OH. This acreage is enrolled as “filter strips” and as you point out, the grass lays flat every winter. We are in the middle of our contract and the opportunity arose to perform “mid-contract management”. It allows practices such as discing, spraying, burning, inter-seeding or a combination. We have laid out a plan (which was approved) to chemically kill all existing vegetation, disk and cultipack the ground taking bare soil into this winter. As you know contracts generally require a mixed planting of Native warm season grasses, however, I was able to get it approved to plant a base of switchgrass by including “pollinator plots” and early successional growth pockets within the switchgrass as you describe in multiple of your videos. I wanted to share this so that your viewers who are already locked into contracts may be able to still achieve better habitat though the mid contract management options! I did have one question I am hoping you can answer. In following your suggestions we have completed the prep work this summer and fall, taking bare soil into winter. We plan to frost seed switchgrass in February with an Earthway hand spreader. We plan for 5-6 pounds per A for the bulk of the areas with a few spots of screening at 8-10 lbs/A. We are staking off the diversity pockets to avoid wasting SG seed. What setting on your Earthway spreader do you find works best when trying to achieve these seeding rates for both bedding and screening? Would you be able to explain the process you go though to ensure even coverage and rate of application? Thank you in advance and thank you for all of your content. Your channel and books have changed the way I view our farm and how I wish to change it for the better down the road! -Lakai

In texas we have one million total hunters..

Very informative and practical. I just found your channel this year. I've been hunting my entire life, but have learned as much this season from you as I've perhaps learned the rest of my years of hunting. Thank you!

Realizing this myself after purchasing a parcel in SE Wisconsin this year.. had 5 acres in CREP..while the $250/acre is a nice tax chunk reduction, the knee high grasses aren't doing a darn thing for deer herd. Good message here.

I am so thankful that I have found your channel and website. I've ordered all of your books and am in the process of reading now. I just completed the Deer Steward I course through QDMA and they advocate only successional growth and to avoid food plots altogether... It's quite confusing. I recently purchased 20 acres in Ashtabula County, OH which is currently all forest with a nice creek from side to side. I'm excited to build a plan for whitetail, but the more I read or view, the more confused I become. I've sent a request via your website for info on a site visit. Hope to hear from you soon. Keep up the great work and thanks again for the invaluable information!

Yep, totally agree with you on this one. Although I am far enough South where it can withstand the winters I still prefer natural regen in a lot of areas even with so-called invasive species that thick regenerative cover provides a year-round cover for all kinds of Critters. Thanks

I feel like I'm taking an online college course. I felt like I already knew everything about whitetails. Look forward to your video's.

You are speaking directly to me. Luckily my native grass CRP ended this year. Gonna be busy following your ideas in 2020

Great video Jeff! A good stand of CRP with big bluestem and little bluestem takes years...perhaps 20 to 30 years. The CRP on my hunting parcel is over 30 years old and is inundated with plum thickets and other brushy cover. It holds a multi of wildlife throughout the year and is burned about once every 3 years. The grass is over shoulder high on the deer and they can easily browse without being seen. It is not uncommon to count 8 to 12 deer of both sexes in the CRP every morning as the bedding areas are between 100 to 300 yards away. Once again, CRP grasses take many years to develop into good cover.👍🏻

Another great video Jeff! And so true. I've witnessed it first hand. I get paid 142 dollars an acre for the native grass plantings on my farm. The switch grass strips seem to work just as you say and so does the shrub and tree planting areas. The native grass, blue stem etc, I could do without. Can't wait for this contract to be up so I can change the program to what it needs to be. Happy holidays Jeff!

Perfect timing for this video Jeff. Just got a new property in Southwest Wisconsin (Richland cty) and we'll be taking a cornfield out of production to convert into a more diverse habitat.

Thanks for being truthful and honest with your y.tube channel. I love your deer habitat and hunting tips.Have a great day.

Very enjoyable and well stated Jeff. Fantastically enlightening.

I have been planting only Cave in Rock Switch Grass for the past 5 years on my 22 area NJ parcel. I primarily use it in small pockets where I have Autumn Olive plantings adjacent to it. I have seen a noticeable increase in the number of cottontail rabbits and turkeys now using it for cover and nesting opportunities. I also use it in rows to help provide screening between my food plots. However, I do love MxG as a screen along my road frontage as it gives me the height that Cave in Rock does not have. Thanks for another informative video Sir.

Good video and I typically agree and learn alot from your videos. Although I agree without a doubt that switchgrass is awesome deer habitat, on the topic of CRP I would slightly disagree with a couple of your points based on experience. First, CRP rates for new sign up are nearly double the $100/acre that you mentioned. I have about 9% of my Southern Michigan acreage enrolled in CRP and the rates are almost $200/acre, plus you get reimbursed 50-90% of the cost to establish. So in reality with corn at $3.80/bushel, you can actually net more per acre from CRP then from spending an ungodly amount of hours growing crops...pretty financially attractive. So the financial aspect of CRP is nothing to sneeze at when you can enroll a small percentage of your property and pay the taxes for the entire parcel. And I don't need the money, but I take satisfaction in having nesting cover for pheasants, and the does love dropping their fawns in it (I had at least 5 fawns in 16 acres of CRP this summer). Also I agree with you during the winter months CRP native grass plantings can appear pretty sparse, but if only a portion of the property is enrolled, like in my situation of 9%, you can compensate for this substandard winter cover on the remaining unenrolled portion of the property. I'm in a very heavily hunted area and we bow killed two mature bucks this fall (4.5 and 5.5 years old) that were using the CRP field as their daily hangout and we caught them by hunting the edges. One was in early October when the field was still pretty lush, but the other was mid-November just before gun season, with snow already on the ground. So I agree with you that CRP native grasses definitely do not provide the cover that switchgrass does, but at the same time you cannot totally discount CRP native grasses (if planted to the proper thickness) as deer cover, at least until the snow gets knee deep. Also I just wanted to point out that the financial metrics of CRP have never been more attractive, especially relative to planting row crops. So for these reasons, it can have a small beneficial role in the overall habitat plan. However I am going to take your sage advice and convert several acres of old unenrolled CRP, and try my luck at switchgrass this year using the info in your videos. It would be especially useful is if the USDA would incorporate switchgrass plantings into their CRP program...then we could have the best of both worlds by getting paid for planting the best cover.

These last few videos have been gold. Thanks Jeff. I have a few questions though: 1: what would you say the perfect ratio of timber to switch grass to food plots on any given property is? 2: you have talked quite a bit recently about brambles and conifers and switch grass. We are working on that, but what is the best way to plant brambles and red osier? Specifically what would your spacing be within switchgrass for brambles and conifers and would you plant them in Bare root or seeds? Do they need stratification? do you need to spray around them if they are in switch grass or just let them go? Thanks again Jeff!

Do you know of anyone who makes content like yours but for the South? I love your stuff, I just find myself sitting through you hammering home things that ae really important, but not for me/ us

Thanks for Info, applying a mix of insight from you and you have skipped me a lot of trial and error. Much appreciated

By far my favorite source about whitetails!! No paid for bs from big company's. Thank you for sharing all of your hard work.. sure has helped me understand things a lot more and look at things in a different way while hunting and setting up my sites! Cheers🍻 from northern ontario canada and a merry kiss moose to all🎅

Spot on. USDA paid me to plant grass blend just like you stated. Terrible results. Will replant.

Well I applied your temperature drop plan with minimizing pressure and targeting that date for my target buck and I had partial success. I got an 11 pointer but not THEE 11 pointer. My target is a 7.5 year old - the one I got was a smaller but respectable 4.5 year old - not too shabby

Great video! I am going to put in some switch grass to border some of my food plots based on your frost seeding method discussed in this video and others you have on your channel. I spoke to Josh Client today and he is planning on putting some in as well in accordance with the plan you designed for him. Your content is great and I tell everyone i know to check your videos out.

Hi would like to know if I can hing cut sweet gum trees

Outstanding ! Great informative video.

Great video as always Jeff !

The thing to keep in mind when comparing different states and hunting pressure is this: Let's take Iowa vs Michigan, Iowa has about 2 million total acres of timber cover. Michigan has 19 million! That's almost 10 times the amount of cover. Shouldn't that amount of cover and habitat support a greater number of hunters?

I had a terrible season. My lease in Sumpter Township MI has been terrible so far. Haven't seen a deer since Nov 16th two does wife passed on them. Extended archery season until Jan 31st. Urban deer area. Stinks. Looking hard for new lease. Oh. IN. IL maybe Southern Mi. I've picked up some knowledge watching your videos thanks Jeff

You are so right sir makes sense not just words thanks sir

I always love watching this channel soooo much information to make hunters more successful love the content man wish I could do half of what’s on here but unfortunately I need a new property to hunt

Real good info thanks Jeff!

I watch all your videos and read all your blogs. Im struggling to come up with habitat plan. My property is narrow and irregular shape. Im just indecisive, second guessing, etc. I dont want to make mistake and cost more money then it should or something that cant be corrected for years.

What about pampas grasses?

Jeff, rut is about to start in my area of the country. Only thing is weather isn't going to be great. It's actually warming up, some heavy rain showers expected some days, etc. So this leads me to this question and maybe a good video for you to do. If the rut is happening around your place, are you good to hunt anytime regardless of the weather? I usually try and pick the best weather days to hunt per your advice. Thanks, John

Hi Jeff thinking of introducing switch grass for screening purposes need to hide my boxblind better how wide& long do I need to go never get tired of your informative video stay warm say hello to Diane for us

I planted 2 acres of a mixture of Cave in Rock, Shelter, and Forestburg switchgrass in MN. It grew wonderful in its second growing season, and I was excited for the winter cover. After the first substantial snow, the switch is completely flat while the adjacent acres of big and little blue and a variety of forbs is still standing. Very disappointed in the performance of switchgrass. Seems the highly diverse stand with big and little blue is the better way to go?

Ok Jeff, I think here you are prescribing switchgrass for more open areas. What about in timber areas where limited sunlight exists. Where you get those 25 to 50 foot in diameter pockets where sun can get in, what's good ideas to plant in those locations?

Land owners are getting more like $300 acre here in Minnesota to plant grass

Great stuff.! Can you do a video on cedar where I hunt in the midwest its alot of cedar patches. I own a 40 that is half cedars would be interested to see what you recommend for habitat improvements.

Great advice! What would you recommend for Maryland, on the side of South Mountain range? South -SW facing, mainly tall skinny hardwood and nut-dropping trees. Steep (hard to walk it is so steep). Some of the neighbors are corn & soybean and switch to winter rye. It looks like my property is just being used for bed down and pass through. Easy doe shooting every year as I can see a group of them walk from East to West, and every night come off the ridge behind me going West to East (the Ridge is where the AT is). Was thinking of starting an acre or two of brassicas just to add diversity to the area.

I hear a lot of talk about 5 acre fields or 10 acre fields. In central WV, most of our areas are wooded. What are you thoughts on a handful of 1/2 acre or 1/4 acre native grass fields? Is there a point where it's too small of an area for the intended purpose of the native grass plot to succeed?

Jeff Great stuff! But how do we properly maintain the switchgrass? Many of us can't burn.

Hey Jeff, could you do a video on what you redcommend to deal with ticks? In PA they are a huge issue with lime disease. We've been struggling with using tick spray or not because of how strong it smells but you don't seem to take any thought for them. It's a constant battle and I usually have to wash all of my gear after every sit to get rid of them even if I use spray. Thanks.

Hi Jeff! Thanks so much for these videos! They have been extremely helpful! I do have one question for you... I have a big ditch that goes through the middle of my property separating ag field and woods. I was hoping to put a good plot on a part of my (now former) ag field and adding grass/woodybrowse . Do you think deer will cross that ditch on a regular basis or Is that going to really deter the deer from coming to my plot (the ditch goes down 15 ft and is 75 feet across with a shallow stream flowing though it) thanks again!

Jeff. Great segment. Because of your advice I am a big fan of switchgrass and have had success. For a wall or screen do you have any thoughts on Miscanthus ? Will it hold up under heavy snow?

Jeff, saw your vid on this a year ago. I have a 7 acre native grass planting . this spring I burned it, then after it greened up I sprayed it , then let it green up again, and sprayed it again. I then redrilled in Cave n rock switch grass from Northwoods. It came in relatively well but the Big blue stem also came back strong. I am in sw wi and the heavy snow we had in November just pounded everything (including my brassica from Northwoods) down to the ground. Do you think the 2nd yr growth will take over or do I need to start over and spray for longer periods of time to insure the Bluegrass is dead? I did not renew my crp program a few years back o Im free to do whatever I want. Thanks I appreciate all your advice

If you live in big hard woods and clear for food plots and bedding should you clear little extra so get good sunlight to plant some switch grass or should you just hinge cut??

Hi Jeff. Did you happen to be soaked from rain as you looked at that MN property with 20 acres of flat CRP grass? Laurie and I had a chuckle thinking about walking the property with you and enjoying all your recommendations even if the weather conditions were not so great. Troy

Thanks for info! I live in western ky if I planted switchgrass for a frost seeding when will I need to do that and how many pounds per acre?

What are your thoughts on small game hunting after deer season? If these areas hold small game can you have both a great whitetail/small game parcel with our ruining one for the sake of the other? I also love to waterfowl hunt, would you develop pond systems as far away on a corner of the property from your developed deer habitat?

Would be great for bison

So, I have a 20 acre feild I'm going to Convert. I need to spider web switch grass through it and have these pockets. I have a couple really wet spot I'm going to put red osier in. What would you recommend in the other pockets? I cant plant trees Just pure food? The extreme edges I have some autumn olive I'm going to do some work with but any recommendations on the interior pockets that arnt trees would be appreciated

I live in Northern Kentucky. What's your thoughts on CRP natural growth? I use to plant fall food plots oats and it's done well thru winter but of coarse it stays low until spring so I've let it grow into natural growth but I can't see a good difference in deer browse. I also have a new video out and invite you and your viewers to check it out. My daughter's takes a beautiful Kentucky buck in this video. Thx and Love your videos.

Would using buckwheat (or any other smother/cover crop) be an option to plant in the spring to suppress weeds than no-till the switchgrass right into the mature buckwheat?

Is switch appropriate for screening a driveway to a year round home or would you recommend something more along the lines of egyptian wheat for such an application?

Jeff, It appears that you have the native grass that you're advising against around some of your food plots. For me, I hunt this type of grass in October and November and am usually tagged out before snowfall. Can you explain what you have around the food plot where your wife shot her muzzleloader deer .

Jeff, I am thinking of circling a food plot with Giant Miscanthus. Do you approve of that ??? Have you planted any?

What do you recommend for wolf country ? Any specific info you could point me to ?

Great stuff as always jeff, been following u for about a year now and boy have I learned alot. I've had one of my best seasons this year so far all thanks to u. Always look forward to your videos.

Great video! I'm located south east of wichita ks. I was wondering what your thoughts were on coyote pressure on deer. I have a thick 12 acre CRP field with a couple coyote dens on it. Does this push deer off? Should I hunt or trap the coyotes or let them be. I do have 3 does on the ag field common to it every night. Also, do you have an email contact I can write to?

Yesterday I had a young man come out to my land from the Tennessee department of Forestry to help put a forestry plan together for wildlife and wildlife habitat. After about an hour of so as we where walking the property the young man ask me how I knew so much about wildlife habitat improvements and it did not seem as if I need him there at all. LOL Well at this point I told him that I needed to summit a plain to the state for tax purposes and he was the man who was going to right up the plain for the state. ( using my tax dollars wisely ) Also at the same time I got the great honer of introducing him to the man Jeff Sturgis and your KZfaq channel. Long story short. When we got back up to the house I pulled up your channel for a little preview. The young man was very impressed ( as he should be) and together we have now put a plain together that will not only cut my taxes but and most important help the wildlife that I so passionately pursue. Thank you Sir for all the awesome information you so willing provide and as always keep it coming and I keep soaking it up. :)

Jeff, now that i know what i know from watching your videos i need to abandon an interior food plot. half acre in size. any suggestions as to what to plant? thinking switchgrass and a few spruces.

"The true test for your latest wildlife and deer habitat cover planting is this: If it is laying flat for several months at a time, it is an epic failure." The purpose of a diverse prairie planting is not winter deer cover. It's fawning cover, wildflowers, pollinator habitat, turkey bugging grounds, nesting habitat, water quality, erosion control, nutrient runoff, soil health, removing that area from ag production, etc. A pure stand of switch is not going to accomplish those other objectives as well. Same thing with the wetland scrapes in the federal programs, it's not a fish pond or a water hole, they're for herps and ducks seasonally, flood control, infiltration, etc. There is no federal program that is going to pay you to create deer habitat for the sake of creating deer habitat. The closest you can get is a food plot enhancement in CRP and those are a huge pain in the ass. If a cost-shared practice creates deer habitat as a side benefit great, but that's not why it's an option in the programs. Reagan said the nine most terrifying words in the English language are "I'm from the government and I'm here to help." If you're thinking about doing something like this with deer in mind, cool, but go in knowing that's not why the programs exist. Landowners have to realize what they are signing up for and how that fits in with the rest of their property objectives. The same goes for the MFL program, logging cuts, tree plantings, etc. Unfortunately, particularly in the FSA administered programs like CRP and CREP, the program techs often have no natural resource background and they end up box checking. This can get you in a real bind with a 10-15 year contract. The federal programs are great tools to fund habitat work in certain cases, but you have to understand how they work and what you are doing with the programs. You also have to understand the tax implications of moving a field from ag to recreational landuse, (15x ish the tax rate in my counties).