Food Plots: Key Considerations and Choices for Successful Planting | DEER DIRT EP. 06

[@courtofficermcilvaine7928]

What about using winter rye or wheat? Enjoyed your presentation.

[@bill-winke]

Those are good options too. I would lump them with the greens category since they don't generally make grain during the summer and fall. They just don't produce as much tonnage of forage per acre as the brassicas. Good question.

[@Inglewood510]

What is good to plant when there is corn, soybeans and alfalfa field around you?

[@bill-winke]

You have to keep in mind that most food plots are only useful during the early season and late. During the rut, most decent strategies will work. So if you are trying to focus on early season, then it needs to be something that deer look for in October. Clover is a decent option, but also brassica blends that have more than just turnips. Deer will hit some of the varieties in the blend before the first hard frost and others after. The main thing early is having food tucked into places close to bedding areas so the deer will use them in daylight. Where they are located is probably more important than what you plant in them. For late season, realize that the farm fields will be mostly gone by then and maybe even the waste grain eaten. So, almost any corn or soybean plot will pull them at that time. Also, the brassica blends will work late season too, but are not as attractive, in my experience, as corn or beans. Other options may be more affordable, such as winter/fall rye. Those are just some quick thoughts. Good luck.

[@Inglewood510]

Thank you

[@thebadboo4875]

Some say where summer browse and forbs are sufficient, summer food plots are not necessary and pull in too many does and fawns thus driving bucks away. Say no to doe factories. Many mixes for fall are good, properly distributing them to get the movement you want for your hidey hole kill plots. Corn is hardest on the soil and is chemically dependant. Hardy oats, winter wheat, and cereal rye are great fall foods to help deer prepare for winter. Some lasting till spring green up when the clover can take over. For summer use old fields management for forbs. In the end, it still remains all about the browse. The huge expense of food plotting may be better spent in TSI, for better natural browse and bedding cover. For hunting, and bigger bucks, practise kill plotting more and summer food plotting less. If you don't have enough dèer in a square mile that's a different story. Your thoughts?

[@bill-winke]

There is a lot in this to debate so I am not sure I can do it justice, but if you have the food, you will generally have the deer so that means you will have to shoot a few more does than someone without the food in order to keep things in balance. That's normal. As far as browse replacing summer food, I think it is a great concept, but browse can be removed fairly easily if it is abused for a few years and then it will be gone for a long long time. In other words, if you just assume you can get by on browse alone during the summer you will soon deplete your browse (at least the stuff deer really like) and that is a long-term problem. I would rather err on the side of having too much summer food (much it will also be useful in the fall too) than trying to get by without summer food plots. I do agree that TSI will improve browse. I have also learned the hard way that you have to burn too, or you may just get a bunch of fast growing invasive weeds/brush and not preferred browse. The fire will kill back the invasives and make room for something better to come in. Again, I don't want to depend 100% on browse. I think that is a dangerous if you end up with a growing deer herd. Most of my summer plots are kill plots too - clover or brassicas. So, I don't really have a distinction there. Good insight.

[@critterjon4061]

Can someone explain to me how installing a food plot is different form baiting

[@kurtpearson2793]

First 😂