Food Plots Establishing new plots?

[logang]

Say you have a 200 acre blank canvas to establish food plots on, how would you do it? The property is all wooded and it is flat enough that 3/4 of it could be cleared to field. The timber was cut down to 14 inches in 2015, so it is grown up briars and saplings. There is a wet weather pond that I am going to clean out and expand to about 1.5 acres in size, i am going to clear a few acres around it and plant a few dozen apple and pear trees. There is a bluff line that runs the entire south line of the property.
Is there a preferred plot size? Would the deer would prefer multiple 2 to 3 acre plots seperated by larger wood patches, or just a few 10 acre plots? I like plots laid in strips vs. Square or circular, though I wouldn't think the shape could make much difference. If i made the long strips would it matter if they were oriented north to south, or east to west, or place them according to favorable winds?
I'm just spitballing ideas right now but I am going to haul a dozen to the property this week or next and start cleaning roads out and work on the pond. So any and all ideas would be appreciated.

 

[bloodtrailing]

I would create one large food plot with a couple of smaller food plots headed to it. A large plot gives more options on what you can effectively plant. Not sure your deer density. A lot of good YouTube content on design. Don't overlook soil prep, PH.

 

[nate17]

There are probably some "farmers" on here that can offer good advice on growing nice food plots. I'm more of the hunter type and less of the farmer type, but I have tinkered a little and a couple thoughts come to mind.

I would consider access factor in location and size. Being able to get in and out undected may be just as important as everything you have mentioned.

I don't know if you bow, rifle hunt or all of the above but design your plots so that you already know how you're going to access it. Where you're going to hunt. What wind you're going to need. That way when the conditions are right and you have a deer you'd like to kill daylighting, you can move in and take all the guess work out of it. Some history or knowledge of where deer are likely to bed would help.

Depending on deer density, some small plots can get wiped out quickly. Even before you get the chance to hunt them.

Just my two cents, but a few "few" acre plots would be more than sufficient for the way I would want to hunt them on a 200 acre property. There's a lot of value in having cover as well.

I would consider laying them out in a way that you could hunt them if you wanted or preserve them by hunting a travel corridor in between and catching bucks moving from one plot to the next to scent check for does.

As far as the pond goes. Unless you just want a larger pond. You're probably better from a deer hunting perspective with smaller water sources. A couple small woods ponds or mud hole scenario near your food plot location might offer the most value.

 

[MickThompson]

Sounds like you need to talk to a habitat biologist or consultant. Plots are part of it but not all of the equation and it's hard to design a property without at least seeing it on a map

 

[Ski]

I prefer multiple smaller plots to one or two big ones, each with its own respective bedding thicket but all connected with trails like a string of pearls. This gives each family group of does and fawns their own place, which forces bucks to visit each spot rather than simply walking through downwind of your property. They have to stay awhile. Along the trails is where you put mineral sites, water holes, etc. Bucks have to visit each spot individually, which takes time.

If you have only one or two big plots and bedding areas then doe groups are forced to live together, constantly vying for dominance. And when rut hits a buck can pass through a 200 acre property in minutes because there's only a couple spots to check.

So from a hunting standpoint you can fit a lot more deer and hold deer longer if everything is separated. Plus you can hunt the trails without ever blowing out a plot or bedding area, which let's you hunt a whole lot more often. And rather than just a couple stand sites you'll have many and can hunt any wind.

That's how I approach it. Not necessarily the traditional way and doesn't allow for giant picturesque plots, but it works very well, especially for bow hunting. Im a bow hunter primarily. But what works for bow hunting works for gun, but not necessarily the other way.

 

[logang]

I think i am leaning towards multiple 2 to 3 acre plots, maybe one 5 to 10 acre patch in the middle to plant in corn that could be bushhogged down late december, early January. The pond will be as big as I can get it, so it can be stocked for fishing. There is a creek through one hollow and a couple of wet weather holes that will be cleaned out for water. I'm not to worried about cover for several more years, I've seen rabbits bounce off some of the walls of briars on this place. It is also bordered on three side by old clear cut and the south side drops into a mature hardwood gulf.

 

[Ski]

I think i am leaning towards multiple 2 to 3 acre plots, maybe one 5 to 10 acre patch in the middle to plant in corn that could be bushhogged down late december, early January. The pond will be as big as I can get it, so it can be stocked for fishing. There is a creek through one hollow and a couple of wet weather holes that will be cleaned out for water. I'm not to worried about cover for several more years, I've seen rabbits bounce off some of the walls of briars on this place. It is also bordered on three side by old clear cut and the south side drops into a mature hardwood gulf.

Whatever you do be sure it connects and makes sense, not just random. You're going to enjoy the process. It's fun.

 

[redblood]

Remember- cover trumps food

 

[megalomaniac]

If you are really struggling with design... its worth consulting a wildlife biologist for the initial plan...

That being said, my big picture goal would to have a single large destination plot (5ac minimum) with 3 small staging plots (3/4 acre) 150y away from the large plot. One of the most important factors in plot locations (other than good soil) is your entry and exit from the smaller kill plots. You can really do some damage accessing the plots if you are spooking multiple deer on the way in or out of those kill plots. Leave the big plot unhunted except for shooter bucks so deer can feel safe feeding in them all night long

 

[logang]

Remember- cover trumps food

I'm not sure that would be the case here, cover is plentiful in all directions, but there is not a green field within a two miles of this property.