Written by: Kevin Owens

Edits by: Pierce Young

Improving wildlife habitat doesn’t begin with a chainsaw, fire, or seed drill—it begins with a plan. Many landowners jump straight into projects without clear priorities, and the result is wasted time, wasted money, and minimal ecological return. Whether your goal is better deer hunting, stronger turkey recruitment, more quail coveys, or healthier ecosystems overall, the most impactful work starts long before the first habitat practice hits the ground.

To get the most out of your land, focus on two things:

  1. Planning strategically
  2. Working with the seasons

Here’s how to do it.

Making A Plan

To work with a professional wildlife biologist for FREE on making your wildlife management plan visit

www.mdwfp.com/privatelands

Define Your Goals (Be Specific)

Every good habitat plan starts with clarity. “Better wildlife habitat” can mean entirely different things depending on your species priorities, landscape, and acreage.

Ask yourself:

  • Which species matter most? Deer, turkeys, quail, waterfowl?
  • What’s missing? Nesting cover, brood habitat, escape cover?
  • What’s realistic? Your plan must match your property size, habitat types, and budget.

The more specific the goal, the more efficient your plan—and the better your results.

Assess What You Already Have

Before changing anything, identify strengths and limitations on your property.

A good assessment includes:

  • Habitat types: Hardwood, pine, old fields, wetlands, pasture
  • Vegetation structure: Canopy closure, midstory density, herbaceous diversity
  • Limiting factors: low plant diversity, no brood cover, no disturbance regime
  • Access: Roads, firebreaks, water control structures

Using aerial imagery (Google Earth, OnX, Web Soil Survey) helps map and prioritize your work.

Set High-Impact Priorities

Some habitat practices offer massive ecological return—others provide very little for the cost.

High-Impact Practices
  • Timber thinning to allow sunlight to the ground
  • Prescribed fire to stimulate native vegetation
  • Early successional habitat management (old fields, open understories)
  • Invasive plant control
  • Moist-soil management for wetlands
Lower-Impact or Overrated Projects
  • Small, scattered food plots
  • Random “wildlife openings” without purpose
  • Overemphasis on feeders
  • Planting without fixing habitat first

Fix habitat first—everything else is supplemental.

Match the Practice to the Habitat

Hardwood Forests
  • Upland vs Bottomland regimes
  • Open the canopy with selective thinning
  • Apply prescribed fire where ecologically appropriate.
Pine Stands
  • Thin regularly to maintain sunlight penetration.
  • Burn every 2–3 years.
  • Promote native forbs, grasses, and shrubs.
Old Fields / Early Successional Habitat
  • Remove non-native plants.
  • Use disking, fire, or herbicide to maintain structure.
  • Provide fawning cover, brood habitat, and diverse forage.
  • Aim for a mix of grasses, forbs, and scattered shrubs.
Wetlands
  • Manage water levels for moist-soil plant production.
  • Retain structure for winter thermal cover and food.

Build a 4-Season Habitat Plan

Great habitat is built year-round. Each season supports a different function—and when you time your work to nature’s schedule, wildlife responds.

WINTER – Plan, Protect, and Provide

Winter sets the foundation for everything that follows.

Focus on:

  • Planning:
    • Assess habitat
    • Evaluate forage availability
    • Collect deer harvest data
    • Identify limiting factors
    • Map projects for spring and summer.
  • Providing winter resources:
    • Supplement cool-season grains and clover
    • Ensure adequate woody browse forage
    • Thick cover for bedding, loafing, and roost protection
  • Preparing for spring:
    • Schedule burns and timber work
    • Flag areas for thinning, firebreaks, or new plots

Winter is the perfect planning window—and solid planning multiplies your results.

SPRING – Plant and Prepare

Spring is the season of renewal and establishment. It’s when you set the stage for summer nutrition and early brood needs.

Focus on:

  • Warm-season food plots:
    • Iron clay peas
    • American jointvetch
    • Soybeans
    • Millet
  • Refreshing vegetation: Burn to stimulate fresh growth.
  • Invasive control: Attack privet, sericea, cogongrass, kudzu, and others before they take off.
  • Supporting ground-nesters: Maintain open brood habitat for turkeys and quail—sunlight + insects = recruitment.
  • Schedule timber harvest: If your timber needs to be thinned, this is a great time to schedule a forester

Spring work is high return on investment (ROI). It drives summer forage and early wildlife success.

SUMMER – Maintain and Monitor

Summer habitat is about stability and minimal disturbance.

Focus on:

  • Maintaining plots and ensuring steady water availability.
  • Limiting disturbance: Avoid unnecessary mowing or vehicle traffic—this is the most sensitive season for young wildlife.
  • Weed/invasive control as needed, without disrupting critical cover.
  • Monitoring wildlife use:
    • Track browse pressure in late-summer
    • Identify missing habitat elements
    • Watch for drought stress
  • Analyze: Evaluate harvest data to determine goals for upcoming new season
  • Preparing for Fall and Winter:
    • Repair equipment
    • Improve access trails
    • Mark areas needing winter timber or fire work

What you don’t do in summer is often as important as what you do.

FALL – Enhance and Prepare for Winter

Fall is the transition season—feeding needs rise, cover becomes scarce, and winter planning begins again.

Focus on:

  • Establish cool-season food plots:
    • Cereal Grains
    • Annual and Perennial Clovers
    • Brassicas
  • Disking strips to stimulate forbs and late-season insect production.
  • Timber Stand Improvements (TSI): this is a great time for non-commercial timber removal
    • chemical injection (hack-and-squirt)
    • stump cutting
    • hinge-cutting 

Fall work ensures wildlife enter winter with structure, forage, and security.

Track Progress and Adjust

Habitat is dynamic—your plan should be too.

Track:

  • Vegetation structure
  • Plant diversity
  • Wildlife use and behavior
  • Nesting/brood cover availability
  • Browse pressure and plot performance
  • Deer harvest information

Annual documentation—photos, notes, timelines—helps you see progress and refine your plan.

Don’t Wait — Planning Starts Today

Strong habitat isn't created by accident. It’s built through intentional, seasonally timed management that addresses limiting factors and supports wildlife throughout the year.

Whether you’re managing 20 acres or 2,000, the decisions you make now determine next year’s success.

 

For more wildlife management information visit

www.mdwfp.com/wildlife-management-info