Minnesota deer hunters have learned throughout the years to be leery of regulation changes that are the product of the state Legislature. 

This year was no different. 

When the legislative session’s dust settled this spring, a new law had been approved – OK’d by both the House and Senate and the bill signed by Gov. Tim Walz – that will allow anyone and everyone to use crossbows to kill deer during the entirety of the state’s archery season, beginning this year. 

For both casual and ardent Capitol observers, the rule change came as a surprise – out-of-the-blue legislation that will no doubt have its supporters and its detractors. Will it affect deer harvest? Will it affect the state’s deer herd? Officials with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources say it’s up to them to make that determination as best they can, with somewhat limited tools at their disposal. 

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I get the question a lot of times, when building a new food plot for someone, where should I put the deer stands? What I generally say is, “Let's wait to see how and where the deer will be coming to the plot first.”  Basically we have just changed the landscape and the deer will also change their travel patterns because of this.  It doesn't take long and you will be able to find a good location for your stand.

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What makes winter rye a good choice for food plots is that it will grow just about anywhere, even from poorer soil that might range from dry to wet, poorly drained soil.

Winter rye is not to be confused with rye grass. Rye grass is a perennial grass that I have never found to be on top of the deer’s choice of something good to eat.

Winter rye is the hardiest of all cereal grains. Compared to other cereal grains, rye grows faster, requires little or even no fertilizer, but, of course, some fertilizer is always advised. Rye also produces a lot of tons-per-acre of good palatable food for deer that is as high as 20% protein well into the winter and comes up early in the spring to give the deer the first good food of the year.

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More and more of the so called “experts” on food plots are pushing (trying to sell) these magical liquid calcium and liquid fertilizers as the answer to all the fertility needs of your food plots.

Liquid calcium/lime and liquid fertilizers are getting to be the mainstay in the vast marketplace of less than reputable soil fertility amendments.

Let's take a look at what's really in these and what you are really getting when you use them.

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By Denny and Brent Lemler

It started a few years ago on a fishing trip to Lake Winnipeg for those green-back walleyes with Scott Lane. We go back many years with Scott, hunting or fishing trips out West and Canada, hunting elk, mule deer, whitetail deer, moose and turkeys. 

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