The fall months see an increase in vehicle collisions with wildlife and especially deer. As we near the deer breeding season or "rut" the risk greatly increases. The "rut" peaks around mid to late November and can run well into December. Deer at this time of the year are less cautious and more unpredictable as their instincts for breeding takes over their behavior.

 Here are some suggestions to help you avoid colliding with a deer or other wildlife.

 1. Be extra cautious while traveling in the late afternoon through the early evening hours and in the hours just before sunrise. Deer are active throughout the night but seem to be more active during these times.

  2. Slow down and be prepared to suddenly stop in areas where deer might be present.

 3. If you see a deer on the side of the road, slow down and be ready to stop suddenly. Deer can be unpredictable! They can jump out in front of your car just as quick as they can jump across the ditch and disappear into the woods. Many a car or truck has been struck in the side from deer jumping into them at the last second so head-on collisions aren't always the norm.

 4. And since we brought up head-on collisions, if one is eminent, hit your brakes and go ahead and hit the deer. It is usually better to hit the deer rather than swerve and try to avoid it. You could possibly flip your car in the ditch, hit a utility pole, hit another car head-on or worse yet, a pedestrian.

  5. Always be aware deer may be present throughout wooded areas, crop fields, and areas with dense vegetation.

  6. If another car is behind you and you see a deer, tap your brakes to help alert the other motorist to the presence of the deer. If the deer is on the road, try flashing your lights and/or honking your horn to encourage the animal to move.

  7. Most states have seat belt laws in effect so buckle up. Remember that it takes three seconds to buckle up, but dead is forever.

  Although deer were mentioned in the above suggestions, they can apply to all wildlife; rabbits, raccoons, opossums, squirrels, etc.

  Avoid harming local wildlife while protecting your vehicle and yourself; slow down, be especially cautious while driving at night, and stay alert! After all, safety is no accident.

  The past two years I’ve been sharing my efforts at planting some food plots for deer on our property in southern Illinois and decided to share my experiences once again this fall. I’ve gone back to original title of ‘You Plotting On Me?’ because it’s catchier than ‘Farming For Wildlife’ so enjoy.

  This is the fourth year planting the Permanent Stand (PS) and Quad Pod (QP) plots and the third for the Ground Blind (GB) plot.

  As in years past I had the soil tested in early August on the PS and GB plots but opted out of testing the QP plot. The QP plot tested out real good last year as it required no lime and very little fertilizer and potash. Which seems kind of weird to me as this plot is just a clearing on top of a hill surrounded by trees and had never been “farmed” in the past like the other two plots. We’ll see if my hunch pays off.

  My efforts two years ago once again paid off as the PS and GB plots required no lime again which saved me time and money. I’m not sure how long a field can sustain its ph before needing to be adjusted. Guess we’ll see next year.

  I ended up needing six (40 lb.) bags of 12-12-12 fertilizer, 2 for the PS plot, 3 for the GB plot and 1 for the QP plot. Each field needed potash, thirteen (4 lb.) bags in all. Six for the PS plot, 6 for the GB plot and 1 on the QP plot. And since I went with a different seed blend on the PS plot this year it required 6 (4 lb.) bags of phosphate.

  I had sprayed the plots in early August with herbicide and was hoping they’d be ready to plant over the Labor Day weekend. They were ready to go but we had a lot of rain Friday and Saturday and it pushed putting seed in the ground until Monday on the PS and QP plots and the following Wednesday for the GB plot. Turns out the rain was a blessing as it put a lot of moisture in the ground giving the seeds a jump start and there’s been very little rain since that time.

PS Plot With Barrier Installed

  Like I mentioned earlier, I went with a different seed blend this year on the PS plot. The past three years I had planted Bio Logic Green Patch but switched to their New Zealand Full Draw seed for something new. Since it contains more clover than the Green Patch and is the reason for the phosphate and less fertilizer. Remember that clover doesn’t need nitrogen.

  The past two years I planted Bio Logic Maximum on the GB plot and decided to switch to the Green Patch seed this time. You know, rotate the crop so to speak.

GB Plot Planted

  I went with something new this year on the QP plot too. Instead of planting Shot Plot like in years past I went with Green Machine by Domain Outdoor LLC out of Wisconsin. It contains “A highly attractive cold season mixture of winter rye, oats, winter peas and brassicas”. I’m anxious to see how it comes out.

QP Plot Sprouting

 Like last year, I threw in some Bio Logic Deer Radish seed in each plot. They came up really good last year and stayed green well into December. Fact is I watched a small six point buck munch on the radish tops the first weekend of December while trying to fill my muzzleloader tag. I figured it wouldn’t hurt to plant them again.

Deer Radish In Early December 2021

 Once again I installed the Plot Protector System around the PS and GB plots. I sprayed it with a product called Deer Stopper. I’m hoping it works better this year. Last year the jug fell over in the back of my truck and leaked out about half of it. I think I lost a better part of one of the key ingredients because it didn’t seem to faze the deer much. I’ll let you know how it works this year.

  In upcoming issues I’ll let you know how things go as the season progresses. Until then I’m praying for more rain.