Have you heard the myth that to have good deer hunting, you need lots of trees? In the Great Plains, healthy deer populations are supported without trees. The misconception lies in the fact that most of the time people are looking for deer around trees and not out away from trees.
Back 100-200 years ago, you would have not seen many trees, if any, in grasslands. The prairie had some shrubs in wetter areas, which was important for some species. However, fire along with Bison, Elk, and Whitetail would have kept opportunistic woody species from invading.
Today, natural fire ignitions are suppressed and grazing regimes are different which enables woody plants to invade open spaces and occupy grasslands. These woody species are often species that do not enhance biodiversity and are not desirable browse for native wildlife.
Fawns survive best in knee-waist high grass, which unfortunately are limited to pocket prairies. Grassland loss is crucial as it increases predation and exposure to extreme environmental conditions. Increasing populations of opportunistic, undesirable trees in grasslands inevitably decrease fawn survival.
Deer need shelter, bedding cover and winter cover, all of which can be provided through tall grasses and shrubland habitats.
For more information, be sure to watch the video below for more information and check out the following resources for more details on woody encroachment in grasslands.
Reducing woody encroachment in grasslands: A guide for understanding risk and vulnerability
https://neinvasives.com/E-1054-WoodyEncroachment.pdf
Reducing woody encroachment in grasslands: A pocket guide for planning and design
Landscape Explorer
Rangeland Analysis Platform
Habitat First- Rangeland Management