Food Plot advice, please?

CAP · Feb 25, 2011

I am new to the food plot side of hunting and need some advice. I plan on working up a spot about 1.5 acres that I expect a ton of grazing pressure. Any suggestions on what I should plant? My plan is to plant in March sometime for a summer plot and come back in August or Sept. with something else (winter wheat, turnips)?

My plan as of now is maybe on the outside (around the edge of the plot) put Imperial clover/chickory mix and the rest Imperial PowerPlant (Sorghum, Sunflowers, climbing beans and peas).

Any Ideas?

Football Hunter · Feb 25, 2011

Get a soils test,do what it says.I like clover,deer like clover,pretty easy to keep up with.1.5 acres,with a "ton of graze pressure",might lead to real dissapointment with beans.That small of an area could get wiped out.

CAP · Feb 25, 2011

I have been thinking about all clover, but a lot of what I read says "variety". Is variety overrated?

Football Hunter · Feb 25, 2011

No,not overrated at all ,you could do half your plot in annual,half in perrinial clovers,or a strip of sunflowers down the middle or whatever.Ive just seen many people disappointed in beans,cause the deer just eat up a small plot.

As I always recomend,go on QDMA website,and order the foodplot book.Really good investment.

MickThompson · Feb 25, 2011

March is way too early for a spring planting. There are two problems with March-the first is the real possibility of a freeze killing it. The second- the only thing green on the landscape will be your plot. The plot is also most suceptible to being grazed out when the seedlings are establishing, so you would concentrate browse pressure at the most sensitive time. For a summer plot, I would wait until at least the middle of April, preferably May or even early June. By then the native browse (which makes up most of a deer's diet) has established.

As for what to plant, I would suggest planting half of the field in a mix of cowpeas and sunflowers or buckwheat. Cowpeas are not as susceptible to early pressure as soybeans but still produce a high volume of high quality forage.

The other half I would plant with a mix of wheat and crimson clover. Plant this in September.

By leaving not planting the entire field in the fall, you will still have forage available during the late summer nutritional stress period. Or you could pland the whole field to a summer plot and then turn half under for your fall planting. If your goal (in addition to attracting deer) is providing nutrition, you don't want to "clear the table."