When you buy a property to make into a deer paradise, you need native grass. But why? What does it do? This blog will tell you the reasons you need native grasses to improve all properties. 

What does native grass attract?

So what does the grass attract? Native grasses are great cover for big bucks, doe that are fawning, turkeys, rabbits, quail, pheasants, and songbirds like goldfinches, sparrows, wrens, cardinals, nuthatches, and swallows.  

Why do deer like native grass?

Deer of all kinds, big and small, like native grass for a multitude of reasons.

In cold winter months, native grass is warmer than other bedding areas because the thick walls reflect the body heat of the deer keeping it warmer.

In the spring months, when doe are having fawns, native grass is one of the best covers for them. The thick grass provides great cover for fawns that are vulnerable to predators.

Big bucks like the cover that the grass provides because of how thick the grass gets. Native grass can get so thick that it is hard to walk through. The grass can get 6 feet tall and super thick making it so loud that deer will hear any predators from a couple hundred yards away.

What native grass does for small game and game birds? 

Rabbits are very low on the food chain, so they like to stay in very hidden areas. When the grass becomes thick enough, the grass hides them better than other areas, like forests. Not only do the rabbits like to hide in the grass, but they also like to feed on the young shoots of grass. Rabbits will also make nests with the grass bundles that collect on the ground.

When the grass is tall, it provides great cover for game birds like pheasant, quail, and prairie chicken. The grass also attracts a ton of bugs that game birds love to eat. In the harsh winter months, the grass seeds are one of the best sources of carbs which help the birds through the winter.

What grass should i plant?

There are plenty of native grasses you can plant for wildlife. My favorite grasses are Indian grass, switchgrass, gamma grass, little bluestem, and big bluestem. I have found these to be the favorites of the animals I listed. You should be able to get a mix of seeds locally or online. I would recommend getting a mix of all 6 grass seeds and more. You can also contact your wildlife biologist to see what they recommend.

Cons to native grass.

The only real con to native grass is that it can take a long time to get big and thick. It can take almost 15 years for the grass to reach the ideal cover. It can take 5 years for anything to even start to sprout. But as long as you have good soil, it should come up in 1-3 years; and You should get animals moving in 6 months to a year after your grass is established.

I hope you plant some native grass on your land. You will see your wildlife population grow, and have a better ecosystem. Native grass will make your property into the big buck heaven allowing you to tag more mature bucks.