How to Create a Thriving Habitat for Deer and Upland Birds

Many landowners want to create thriving habitats for wildlife. Both hunters and conservationists want increased populations of deer and upland birds. Healthy, biodiverse ecological environments are shrinking with urban sprawl.

Preserving and restoring natural areas has become a high priority. This article discusses the type of native plants that help create wildlife habitats from a native plant nursery.

Understanding the Needs of Deer and Upland Birds

If you want to increase deer and upland bird populations on your land, you need to understand their needs.  Deer populations need diverse vegetation for food, shelter, and protection. Upland birds prefer open grasslands. For example, they like a mix of tall grasses and wildflowers for nesting and foraging.

 Acorns are a key component of the diets of nearly all wildlife, including deer, waterfowl and upland game birds. Swamp white oak acorns are preferred by White-Tailed Deer over other acorns of other oak species–even white oak or northern white oak.  

Bucks’ Unlimited Oak is the oak that you should plant in front of your deer stand or around your food plot to attract wildlife.

Permaplot® & Bucks Unlimited Oak 

Permaplot® is a collection of native trees and shrubs. Their hard and soft mast mimics a deer’s preferred diet. In fact, its acorns are a magnet for deer, waterfowl, and upland birds. It provides quality food for a variety of wildlife throughout the year.  

One of the featured trees is the ‘Bucks Unlimited Oak’. This native selection yields twice the mast production of other oaks.

The native species of Permaplot® help support healthy soil. This allows for the proper balance of insects, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals. 

Unlike an annual food plot, there’s no annual planting expense. Permaplot® is a one-time planting solution that makes your land a ‘nature’s keeper’. Permaplot® and you… natural partners supporting wildlife, one tree at a time. 

Grow Your Own Quail Covey Headquarters 

Good quail habitat starts with incorporating the right blend of native plants. The mix of grasses, forbs, and shrubs create food and habitat to support a healthy population. 

Coveys – or small flocks of quail – need adequate food and protection to survive. Covey habitat can be man-made or created by improving or managing vegetation on your site. The goal is to allow a progression of short, herbaceous plants and short to tall woody plants. Dense cover with a canopy height of about three feet creates an ideal environment. It’s crucial to achieve the right proportion of both size and density of the vegetation.

Native Plants for Your Project

Below is a list of grasses, forbs, and woody shrubs to consider adding to your landscape.

Grasses

• Little Bluestem
• Indian Grass
• Tall Nutgrass
• Sideoats Grama 

Forbs 

• Illinois Bundleflower
• Leadplant
• Gray-headed coneflower
• Roundhead Lespedeza
• Showy Ticklover 

Woody Shrubs 

• Blackberry
• Gray Dogwood
• False Indigo
• American Plum
• Serviceberry

It’s important to remember that your project needs initial maintenance. But they will only need minimal attention after the plants have become established.

Native Plant Nursery That Supports Health Habitats 

Creating a thriving habitat for deer and upland birds is rewarding. By embracing native plants, you attract wildlife of all types to your land. It also contributes to the health of your local ecosystem.