Food Plots Costs of a food plot

[Snowwolfe]

8 acres next to me is up for sale. Depending on the price and someone else having first dibs on buying, we might buy it. Land is all cleared and grass. It borders our property which is all hardwoods and plenty of acorn bearing oaks. I own a tractor but would need to buy attachments. My knowledge of planting is ZERO but plenty of nice neighbors would help me out. Current owner has a few cows in it now.
I know this is a hard question to answer, but what would be a rough guess per acre to plant food plots on it for whitetails? Would just like a rough estimate of costs such as lime, fertilizer, seeds, etc.

 

[TNJones4530]

I've always read approx $200-300 an acre, prob about $300.. some good articles out there that will get you an idea. If you can get a truck on the land to dump ag lime you'll save $$. If the big trucks can't get onto the land then you might be stuck with pelletized lime which is more expensive.

 

[MickThompson]

Lime and fertilizer will be what gets you. Seed will usually run $50-$70/acre.

 

[Snowwolfe]

Thanks. I can drive a truck on the land plus own a truck, trailers, and FEL on my tractor. Just don't want to bite off more than I can chew if the price is right to purchase.

 

[Thelonegoose]

Food plots can be relatively affordable. I have some that cost less than $100/ac. It all depends on what you want to put in them and the conditions of the soil. I would say the average is about $200/ac.

 

[hillbillyfab]

I'd definitely be looking to purchase if it attached to my place in anyway. I'm always looking to expand my hunting ground here at home.

 

[backyardtndeer]

Depends on what you plant and on the current condition of the soil. Soybeans can do well on mediocre soil. Up until last year we have always had good results with rural king gly resistant soybeans. They were $25 per 50 lb bag.

 

[Snowwolfe]

I'd definitely be looking to purchase if it attached to my place in anyway. I'm always looking to expand my hunting ground here at home.

Absolutely we want the land. Depends on price and if the first offer falls thru. The owners are selling because the house has rotted away due to neglect and termites. So the building is actually a liability because it needs torn down and disposed of. We should find out within 2 weeks if the first offer is a go. If it isn't, I know how much an acre the land sold for 2 lots up from me earlier this year and I am not willing to pay much more than that.
I'll update this if anything changes. But at least feel comfortable knowing the food plot wouldn't cost an arm and a leg

 

[JCDEERMAN]

A lot of variables. For liming and fertilizer...ag lime -$30/ton - 2 tons/acre...that's $480 and you're good for a few years. For fertilizer, do a soil test and call the local co-ops in your area and get prices for what you need. We did ours for less than $140/acre for fertilizer...all depends on the quality of the soil. Our fall seed blends are less than $35/acre. So that all adds up to less than $250/acre. Once you get your ph right, it's basically $35/acre every fall for plots + herbicide costs

 

[RobDooley]

I have a lease in Hickman County. My single largest expense for food plot is paying the farmer to disc it up to bug dust each September. Lime, fertilizer, seed, soil test, etc...not a great expense for acre food plot. Good luck and have fun.

 

[JCDEERMAN]

I have a lease in Hickman County. My single largest expense for food plot is paying the farmer to disc it up to bug dust each September. Lime, fertilizer, seed, soil test, etc...not a great expense for acre food plot. Good luck and have fun.

What part of Hickman?

 

[PossumSlayer]

Absolutely we want the land. Depends on price and if the first offer falls thru. The owners are selling because the house has rotted away due to neglect and termites. So the building is actually a liability because it needs torn down and disposed of. We should find out within 2 weeks if the first offer is a go. If it isn't, I know how much an acre the land sold for 2 lots up from me earlier this year and I am not willing to pay much more than that.
I'll update this if anything changes. But at least feel comfortable knowing the food plot wouldn't cost an arm and a leg

Volunteer fire department may be tickled to get rid of that old house for you.

 

[Antler Daddy]

I would look into putting some of it into CRP income production.

Watch some Jeff Sturgis small land videos on how best to direct deer onto property and away from road.

 

[RobDooley]

What part of Hickman?

Centerville/Nunnelly

 

[JCDEERMAN]

Centerville/Nunnelly

Cool. We are right SW of Centerville.

Snowwolfe, another thought: you don't have to plant all 8 acres every year. If you want to minimize costs the first couple years, just let 1/2 or more of it grow up in CRP and strategically plant the areas you can easily access and exit without spooking deer. Just keep it mowed 1-2 times a year to promote natural growth and you will have cover there at the same time.

 

[GOODWIN]

I wouldn't let foodplot cost detour me from buying adjoining land. Let it grow up into bedding cover to give you that edge in the hardwoods. Mow strips in it every other year. Sounds ideal

 

[Omega]

I would get it and see if a farmer wants to lease it to plant beans, corn or other crop. 8 acres might be small to them, but there are uses for it, maybe one of those example places that companies use to demonstrate their fertilizer/chem to area farmers.

 

[DoubleRidge]

Cool. We are right SW of Centerville.

Snowwolfe, another thought: you don't have to plant all 8 acres every year. If you want to minimize costs the first couple years, just let 1/2 or more of it grow up in CRP and strategically plant the areas you can easily access and exit without spooking deer. Just keep it mowed 1-2 times a year to promote natural growth and you will have cover there at the same time.

Totally agree with this approach....food plots are nice....but natural growth also has some advantages....great suggestion.

 

[DoubleRidge]

I wouldn't let foodplot cost detour me from buying adjoining land. Let it grow up into bedding cover to give you that edge in the hardwoods. Mow strips in it every other year. Sounds ideal

While we do plant several different food plots on the farm....we have several acres that are managed like mentioned above....we let it grow up into blackberry briar, honey suckle, etc.... Then we bush hog strips annually to promote new growth.....deer use the strips to travel (edge) and they hammer the new growth.....we normally bush hog strips in late summer to allow enough time for new growth to develop before fall.

 

[DeerCamp]

8 acres next to me is up for sale. Depending on the price and someone else having first dibs on buying, we might buy it. Land is all cleared and grass. It borders our property which is all hardwoods and plenty of acorn bearing oaks. I own a tractor but would need to buy attachments. My knowledge of planting is ZERO but plenty of nice neighbors would help me out. Current owner has a few cows in it now.
I know this is a hard question to answer, but what would be a rough guess per acre to plant food plots on it for whitetails? Would just like a rough estimate of costs such as lime, fertilizer, seeds, etc.

Really depends on what equipment you already have, what you want to plant, and the condition of the soil.

Best case- use the mulching method = spray the field ($20), spread fertilizer on decent soil ($50), moderate lime ($40), plant something cost efficient like Cereal Rye or Winter Wheat ($20 for a 50lb bag)

You're looking at $130 per acre.

Other case- Corn would probably = Spray the field ($40), drill planting (?), $200 roundup ready corn (3 acres), $400 fertilizer, $300 Lime.

You're looking at $1,000 for 3 acres (minimum) depending on what equipment you have

Whatever you do, do not skip lime and fertilizer - it will make or break the plot - also look into the mulching method, no need to disc!

And lastly - do not get something like "throw and grow" - it's 90% tetraploid rye grass (not the same as cereal rye), isn't very attractive to deer and is hard to kill later on.