Criteria for Food
Agricultural crops available to deer
10 10-30% in agricultural crops
8 30-50% in agricultural crops
6 Less than 10% or greater than 60% in agricultural crops
4 No agricultural crops
Availability of winter crop residue
10 No fall tillage, residue undisturbed or seeded to winter wheat
4 Chisel plowing once in fall
2 Crop residue grazed or bailed
0 Fall plowing or discing with no cover crop
Pasture, hay fields or green browse composition
10 Alfalfa, clover and other legumes dominate fields
6 Alfalfa, clover and other legumes comprise at least 1/3 field
4 Field is primarily grass
Pasture, hay field or green browse management
10 Annual haying in June, fertilization in September
6 Moderate grazing pressure or haying pressure
2 Heavy grazing or haying pressure
Availability of winter browse
10 30-50% brush and old field cover types with a variety of tree, shrub and herbaceous species
6 10-30% of area in brush and old field cover types, edge feathering common
4 Less than 10% of area in brush and old fields, edge feathering present
2 Less than 10% of area in brush and old fields, no edge feathering
Availability of fall mast
10 Oaks are dominant tree species with both red and white oak groups
6 Oaks are dominant tree species with either red or white oak group forming more than 75% of trees
4 Oaks are present but form less than 10% of trees
Criteria for Cover and Habitat
Extent of winter escape cover
10 30% of area consists of brush, old fields or cedar thickets
6 20% of area consists of brush, old fields or cedar thickets
2 10% of area consists of brush, old fields or cedar thickets
Extent of fawning habitat
10 Brushy areas and old fields scattered throughout area
6 Brushy areas and old fields present in large blocks
4 Brushy areas and old fields not present
Edge configuration and extent of border
10 Irregular border and edge feathering greater than 50%
8 Straight border and edge feathering 25-50%
4 Irregular border no edge feathering
2 Straight border no edge feathering
Crop field of food plot size
10 Average field size between 1 and 5 acres
8 Average field size between 5 and 10 acres
6 Average field size between 10 and 20 acres
4 Average field size greater than 20 acres
Number of habitat type changes
Use an aerial photo or walk transects to determine how often the habitat type changes. Take one transect on a line that runs north to south and another that runs east to west at the widest points and count the number of habitat changes.
10 Habitat type changes more than 10 times
6 Habitat type changes more than 5 times
2 Habitat type changes more than 2 times
