Plots in the Spring are great, but the truth is December and January are the months you really can help your deer the most. Post-rut health is one of the main events of the year on my farms.

Recovery is simple… give them high quality food. Body weight is the easiest way to judge how your deer are doing post-rut. One of the best things that I’ve implemented is feeding alfalfa bales starting in December. Alfalfa bales offer high protein content and are a lot better for the deer than feeding corn. When you get bales, the more leaves, the better. If you use small square bales, cut the twine and separate the bale. Large round bales require a little more attention. Best thing I’ve found to do is to cut into the bale with a chainsaw and peel it back like an onion. The deer will use the bale more, and later in the winter this is also a great way to get sheds because they will start raking the bales to get to the middle.

THE DEER NEED TO RECOVER AND THE FASTER YOU CAN HELP THEM DO THAT, THE BETTER.