Plants every mule deer hunter should know

[Bull_n_heat]

A good example of the "saw" pattern on the serviceberry bush. Picture taken this fall.
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Not sure what a lot of this is, but it makes good bedding areas in the late summer (you can see the beds if you look hard). Surrounded by cheat grass and balsam root and provides a good edge cover in the draws. Have acres of it in the bigger draws on our land and the grouse love it. Usually has a few small aspen stands coming up in it as well as Thimble Berries, Choke Cherries, Mulberries, etc. Not sure if anything there is good deer browse though? Also, how do you go about getting rid of the cheat grass?
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I don't think I know that one with any certainty (as seen with other posts!), but I might guess alder (if there is any water around) or some type of chokecherry or hawthorn? I'd have to get a good look at the leaves.

For ridding yourself of cheatgrass, I would talk to someone at the county's Weed and Pest or other land management office (maybe Conservation district). They should be able to tell you if cheatgrass management is something they do locally. I would guess they would given how relatively intact everything else seems to look.

 

[Bull_n_heat]

Great thread! Thanks for posting! I have been inadvertently taking photos of apparently deer food on my property without even realizing it thru the years!
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I have always called this stuff mahogany, don't know if that's right - seems to provide great cover/bedding and browse. It is usually in full leaf during the "general" and early seasons making deer almost impossible to spot:

Once the leaves come off, it makes critters a little more susceptible....and maybe when leaves come off it shifts where/what/how they have to go to browse/eat - ?? :

Great photos! I can't quite tell what that shrub is with certainty, but I think it's mostly some type of maple. I could tell you the deer are using it! Give one of those apps a try and let us know if you think you can confirm. Where 'bouts is this?

Great mix of wildflowers too. I see some lupine, Arrowleaf balsamroot, paintbrush, and I think phlox among the bunch. A venerable smorgasbord!

 

[Alpine4x4]

I don't think I know that one with any certainty (as seen with other posts!), but I might guess alder (if there is any water around) or some type of chokecherry or hawthorn? I'd have to get a good look at the leaves.

For ridding yourself of cheatgrass, I would talk to someone at the county's Weed and Pest or other land management office (maybe Conservation district). They should be able to tell you if cheatgrass management is something they do locally. I would guess they would given how relatively intact everything else seems to look.

No surface water, but all the draws clearly have water as evidence by the greenery well into August as well as the presence of the Aspens. Our lower property has a creek and is rife with nettles and aspens. Once the snow melts and we leaf up I'll be up there with the app trying to ID stuff. Its extremely thick and the bears love it.

We do have a local noxious weed board. I plan on getting in touch with the Mule Deer Foundation as well to try and improve our habitat. We have an old burn on the back few acres which has that broken colorful mix of vegetation that the deer love in the late fall. We only have 40 acres, but its in an area with year round deer as well as a migration corridor that sees some wintering and lots of rutting activity. The more we can do to offset our encroachment the better.