Food Plots Food Plot Shapes

[Mike Belt]

I know many times that the shape of the food plot is sort of pre-determined especially when planting an already existing field but if you have the capability to shape that planting when putting it in how many create a planting with curves and bends rather than the typical square or rectangle shaped plot? I've almost never been afforded that opportunity but I think I'd prefer an odd shaped planting taking advantage of potential low crossing spots or natural funnels directing the deer across those plots. It seems to me that deer prefer those smaller plots or the parts of plots found in curves or bends where they can't be seen from longer distances affording them a little more security.

 

[chebuck]

This is my alfalfa plot. from my deer stand it is 75yds to edge of plot. You can see where I put an electric fence up over part of it.

 

[Boll Weevil]

Interesting this question should pop up...we've been working a project like this all summer. At 16 acres it's a bit bigger than most openings to serve specifically as a food plot, but since it will be row-cropped I guess you could look at it as a larger destination-type food source. Even though it's tucked WAY back in the timber and surrounded by thick cover, I was skeptical that deer (especially mature bucks) would wander into such a large opening much during daylight hours.

The main field connects 3 draws so instead of just pushing out the opening that would have been basically oval, I pushed out 3 fingers off the field that extend back into the timber. My thought is that creating smaller areas closer to escape that may see a little more use and could serve as staging areas in the evening before deer head out to the main field. The entire field has a 15ft border of Durana clover, while at the end of each finger that chow widens to as much as 75ft. It looks like an elongated amoeba.

I see behavior exactly as you describe on our other food sources so that knowledge went into planning for this new opening. In "wavy-edged narrow fingers" that come off the field, deer will absolutely pound beans and won't hesitate to cross in broad daylight whereas they wouldn't dare try it in the larger opening.

 

[Deer Assassin]

just have to think like a paranoid schizophrenic

i think weird shapes are good they provide hidee hole pockets of safety for deer

 

[Jmed]

The past couple of years we have made tall visual barriers on the perimeter of our food plots with egyptian wheat and corn, could also use sorghum. Tnat way a buck has to step into the food plot when looking for does durring the rut. I read an article recently about how one guy made his plots curvy so a buck had to actually walk the length of the food plot when looking for does.

I guess the key is having a plot where a deer has to actually step into the plot to check it and at the same time, being able to position a stand that you can see the entire plot out of...

 

[Mike Belt]

When I hunted Ms the land was 1000's of acres of continuous pine plantings. Hardwood pockets were hard to come by but wherever they were found and provided they had acorns, they sucked the deer out of those pines. I always wanted to put a food plot in the middle of a pine planting with spokes running from the center outward and place a tower stand at the center point. Never got the opportunity. The only problem I could see was that near the edges of the pines nothing would grow because of the shade and the pine needles.