Food plots

[88man]

what is the size of the plots? Are you in an ag area

 

[Rstefano89]

what is the size of the plots? Are you in an ag area

It really varies. i want to plant some smaller plots on land i hunt in VA. I also want to plant on a farm i lease in PA. In PA we have several small 1-2 acre fields in the woods and also have some larger hayfields 50-75 Acres.

 

[Ian Ketterman]

what is the size of the plots? Are you in an ag area

Mine is about half an acre, and yeah lol my county is one of the more ag centered counties in the state I'd assume.

 

[Billy Goat]

I'm confused. Are you looking for something to plant for spring early summer grazing? Or looking for something to establish in early spring that is a perennial that you will just maintain.

In my experience a half acre deer will consume pretty much everything before it matures if it's that great of a food source.

 

[Rstefano89]

Looking for something to provide nutrition throughout the summer and then attract in hunting season.

 

[Ian Ketterman]

I'm confused. Are you looking for something to plant for spring early summer grazing? Or looking for something to establish in early spring that is a perennial that you will just maintain.

In my experience a half acre deer will consume pretty much everything before it matures if it's that great of a food source.

The former. I am surrounded by Orchards and other crops they browse, so if I could have them in their enough to eat it all I'd be thrilled to be honest.

 

[Billy Goat]

The former. I am surrounded by Orchards and other crops they browse, so if I could have them in their enough to eat it all I'd be thrilled to be honest.

You said earlier I believe that the main "grass" on the place is clover. Clover is not a grass however I'm guessing what your saying is the primary forage on the property is native clovers?

If this is the case I would work to provide them with some grass for forage later in the year. Might not be for this little plot, but as much as I don't like fescue it can be good forage in early winter. See if you can find an area to establish some novel endophyte fescue. After a frost this can be a good food source as it holds nutrients and protein fairly well through the winter.

If you can I would consider modifying the woodline. Habitat attracts deer, not just food. If you could do some hinge-cutting it will improve the cover in the area. This will reduce predation and provide security.

If you are surrounded by crops and orchards it's going to be hard to pull them with stuff they already have. Alfalfa is probably about your best bet but honestly you are loosing a lot of nutrients to the trees. Ever walk a field along a wood edge? The forage is suppressed by trees, they have a strong root system in place that is pulling the moisture and nutrients plus the canopy soaking up the sunlight. This might or might not be an issue on your plot depending on site factors, slope, drainage, and direction.

In our area the number one thing that is going to bring deer in are white oaks. They can have a narrow window and aren't a sure thing every year, but checkout the woodlot and see if you can remove undesirable trees around some white oaks to help them out.

Any area that I do as a food plot now is a minimum of 2 acres. The deer simply destroy a smaller area before it can hardly develop. You might have lower herd numbers but only a handful of deer grazing every night would easily clear a half acre in short order, might not be a problem immediately but if the plot is successful it will be.

Try to look at the property as a whole and provide them with things they need throughout the year. It takes a lot more than kill plots to hold deer. Make them comfortable and manage the pressure. If the does have what they need they will stay, and ultimately that's what you need.

 

[Ian Ketterman]

You said earlier I believe that the main "grass" on the place is clover. Clover is not a grass however I'm guessing what your saying is the primary forage on the property is native clovers?

If this is the case I would work to provide them with some grass for forage later in the year. Might not be for this little plot, but as much as I don't like fescue it can be good forage in early winter. See if you can find an area to establish some novel endophyte fescue. After a frost this can be a good food source as it holds nutrients and protein fairly well through the winter.

If you can I would consider modifying the woodline. Habitat attracts deer, not just food. If you could do some hinge-cutting it will improve the cover in the area. This will reduce predation and provide security.

If you are surrounded by crops and orchards it's going to be hard to pull them with stuff they already have. Alfalfa is probably about your best bet but honestly you are loosing a lot of nutrients to the trees. Ever walk a field along a wood edge? The forage is suppressed by trees, they have a strong root system in place that is pulling the moisture and nutrients plus the canopy soaking up the sunlight. This might or might not be an issue on your plot depending on site factors, slope, drainage, and direction.

In our area the number one thing that is going to bring deer in are white oaks. They can have a narrow window and aren't a sure thing every year, but checkout the woodlot and see if you can remove undesirable trees around some white oaks to help them out.

Any area that I do as a food plot now is a minimum of 2 acres. The deer simply destroy a smaller area before it can hardly develop. You might have lower herd numbers but only a handful of deer grazing every night would easily clear a half acre in short order, might not be a problem immediately but if the plot is successful it will be.

Try to look at the property as a whole and provide them with things they need throughout the year. It takes a lot more than kill plots to hold deer. Make them comfortable and manage the pressure. If the does have what they need they will stay, and ultimately that's what you need.

We've started hinge cutting. We are getting a good crop in my ''kill plot'', and I have a couple does that bed out there on my property 90% of the time I'd say. I don't have the privilege to plant 2 total acres unfortunately. We have some fescue on parts we let a neighbor cut for hay, but the majority of the ''primary foliage'' is clover. We have a variety of nut bearing tree's and shrubs which I know attract them as well as prime bedding areas.

We hardly spend time out there while the neighbors are constantly out and about. You are right, trying to pull them from the surroundings is a bit of a challenge but that's the fun of it. I have 3 mineral holes they absolutely hammer and a bedding area under mature pines. Unfortunately it is mostly does and immature bucks the last few years who are passing through every night. Trying to keep larger bucks after September has been the last box I want checked.

 

[Lvthntitall]

I agree with Billy Goat, I think really working on your cover is probably key. It sounds like they have what they need during the summer elsewhere and I am not sure you can come up with something to compete with that during the summer. If you have the cover that makes them feel safe when all the neighbors are putting pressure on them and they can slip out and eat clover or say turnips later on in the year on your property. You will end up holding the deer during deer season.

 

[Ian Ketterman]

I agree with Billy Goat, I think really working on your cover is probably key. It sounds like they have what they need during the summer elsewhere and I am not sure you can come up with something to compete with that during the summer. If you have the cover that makes them feel safe when all the neighbors are putting pressure on them and they can slip out and eat clover or say turnips later on in the year on your property. You will end up holding the deer during deer season.

I understand. Which I've had a lot of luck later into the season, but I think another member's question is being confused with mine. I'm wanting spring/early summer foliage ideas other than clover's. I'm holding a lot of deer past November into January. Just looking for more ideas for spring.

 

[Billy Goat]

I understand. Which I've had a lot of luck later into the season, but I think another member's question is being confused with mine. I'm wanting spring/early summer foliage ideas other than clover's. I'm holding a lot of deer past November into January. Just looking for more ideas for spring.

Your answer to that is going to be beans for the summer. Buckwheat as suggested before can be good as well but with large crop fields around you simply aren't going to be able to compete unless you offer other things as well.

In planting brassicas in the fall I mix in wheat or oats. This gives a bit of a cover crop after the brassicas are grazed down and will produce seed in early summer for things like turkey and quail.

Don't discount the value of browse. Deer will all the time walk past a foodplot to eat the buds on young saplings. Continue your hinge-cutting, that will have a great benefit. Clover really is an excellent forage option in the summer. You might try some medium red or some of the hybrid whites as they produce better than the natives. I don't think it's worth the cost of alfalfa other than it holds through the fall better than clovers.

 

[Ian Ketterman]

Your answer to that is going to be beans for the summer. Buckwheat as suggested before can be good as well but with large crop fields around you simply aren't going to be able to compete unless you offer other things as well.

In planting brassicas in the fall I mix in wheat or oats. This gives a bit of a cover crop after the brassicas are grazed down and will produce seed in early summer for things like turkey and quail.

Don't discount the value of browse. Deer will all the time walk past a foodplot to eat the buds on young saplings. Continue your hinge-cutting, that will have a great benefit. Clover really is an excellent forage option in the summer. You might try some medium red or some of the hybrid whites as they produce better than the natives. I don't think it's worth the cost of alfalfa other than it holds through the fall better than clovers.

I've had great luck growing winter wheat and I saw a dozen quail dickering about down in the garden last season. First time I've seen quail with my own eyes out there in at least a decade. Adding food for turkey is a great idea, I see 2-3 come through on occasion but there is an entire 30+ flock a quarter mile down the gravel I'd love to have roosting out there. I will try and get the beans added a bit sooner this year. Have you added anything with them other than buckwheat?

 

[Meridian90]

If you are holding good in the late season and there is a lot of agriculture around you, there is a good chance you already have what you need food wise. Lots of agriculture around you means they probably have plenty of spring and summer nutrition.

Not that you can't supplement, but if this small plot is going to be designed as an attractant, you may want to ignore it for plotting purposes in the spring/summer and focus on making it super attractive in the fall when you seem to have good bedding and cover for fall season.

One option is to get an exclusion cage (I'm not a huge fan but they do work) and keep the soil prepped for soy. Plant the soy and keep it closed off while it grows. Wait for the pods to get brown and start dropping. Once the soy in the ag around you gets harvested, you can pull the exclusion cage and generally they will mow it down within a couple of days, but you will have the best attractant around for that time, assuming there is cover and bedding around.

 

[Ian Ketterman]

If you are holding good in the late season and there is a lot of agriculture around you, there is a good chance you already have what you need food wise. Lots of agriculture around you means they probably have plenty of spring and summer nutrition.

Not that you can't supplement, but if this small plot is going to be designed as an attractant, you may want to ignore it for plotting purposes in the spring/summer and focus on making it super attractive in the fall when you seem to have good bedding and cover for fall season.

One option is to get an exclusion cage (I'm not a huge fan but they do work) and keep the soil prepped for soy. Plant the soy and keep it closed off while it grows. Wait for the pods to get brown and start dropping. Once the soy in the ag around you gets harvested, you can pull the exclusion cage and generally they will mow it down within a couple of days, but you will have the best attractant around for that time, assuming there is cover and bedding around.

They did not seem to really get after the soy this year. I left a 180'x20' strip along the edge of my plot and they didn't seem to really care for it. Based on my cameras I had them come into the mineral hole then just browse around a minute before leaving.

 

[Quin]

I don't do anything in the spring anymore and just plant turnips or another brassica in late summer as an attractant for the fall. As someone else mentioned, the deer are likely getting plenty of nutrition from nearby corn, bean, and alfalfa fields.

I probably had the best luck with buckwheat, it grew great and the deer loved it, but honestly, I never noticed the spring/summer plot making a difference in body/antler size or keeping the animals on the property later in the year. That said, it was still pretty cool to put a trail cam on the plot all summer and see the fawns grow up and antlers grow out.

 

[Ian Ketterman]

I don't do anything in the spring anymore and just plant turnips or another brassica in late summer as an attractant for the fall. As someone else mentioned, the deer are likely getting plenty of nutrition from nearby corn, bean, and alfalfa fields.

I probably had the best luck with buckwheat, it grew great and the deer loved it, but honestly, I never noticed the spring/summer plot making a difference in body/antler size or keeping the animals on the property later in the year. That said, it was still pretty cool to put a trail cam on the plot all summer and see the fawns grow up and antlers grow out.

Yeah, I may be planting more foliage for pollinators and turkey/quail with some generic deer stuff.

 

[Meridian90]

Yeah, I may be planting more foliage for pollinators and turkey/quail with some generic deer stuff.

If so, buckwheat is really hard to beat. Fast growing, great cover.

 

[Billy Goat]

If your planting beans I wouldn't mix anything with it. Your doing that for a late season food source and the more competition it has the less it will produce.

I'd plant buckwheat as an interim before you plant your brassicas. It will mature in about 45 days, so you will want to bush hog it about a month and a half in. It will reseed itself and come back, apparently can get aggressive in some areas but I haven't had issues with it. Lots of times it is growing in my turnips until a frost hits. Then it's dead as a doornail. But gives the deer something to eat on while the turnips are starting out. Also good bird food.

 

[wesfromky]

You might check out whitetail habitat solutions on youtube - tons of videos on habitat improvement.

Whitetail Habitat Solutions

Enjoy whitetail practices that have been used and proven thru the highest levels of possible experience. These strategies are based on the original concepts ...

www.youtube.com

 

[NICKRBOCKER9]

I'm a clover guy. I like to have a decent sized plot of good, quality clover. If you're in an ag area, it seems to fill in the times when the crops around you aren't ready for the deer. Ive never had any luck with turnips or brassicas. They just don't seem to hit them consistently.