Small Food Plots

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Grizzly Johnson

Grizzly Johnson

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Ok guys, I just got a little place to hunt but it's mostly thick woods with a few thin places. My question is, what would be the best thing to plant using an atv sized disc and hand seeder? I plan on trimming the brush down (anything smaller than my arm). I'm just not sure what would grow under a summer canopy of leaves.
 
For hunting season, the easiest thing to grow is cereal grains.

I'm not sure such tiny plots would be much help in summer.
 
Guess I should just stick with minerals in this type of spot huh? Trophy Rocks and I have found some "homemade" mineral mixtures on the internet to try....
 
Oh, I wouldn't write off small hunting season plots. They can be very useful as attractants. But unless you can turn AT LEAST 1% of your property into highly productive year-round plots, don't expect to be able to improve herd health.

However, small hunting-season plots can certainly alter deer travel patterns (i.e. attract deer to a given location) for awhile (until the food source is completely eaten away that season)
 
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BSK said:
Oh, I wouldn't write off small hunting season plots. They can be very useful as attractants. But unless you can turn AT LEAST 1% of your property into highly productive year-round plots, don't expect to be able to improve herd health.
Click to expand...

So i have 75 acres on my lease with an easy 200 acres around it but i do not have access to this. There are hunters on the surrounding prop but not a lot of pressure. So using your figure how big of a food plot will i need in order to try to improve my deer herd?
 
2.75 acres. And that's just the amount needed to see measurable differences. The more food plot acreage the better (within reason).
 
BSK said:
2.75 acres. And that's just the amount needed to see measurable differences. The more food plot acreage the better (within reason).
Click to expand...

I prob have close to that that is easily plantable... now it is a open field with direct sunlight all day, what do you recommend on planting? I will have a full year to do the work so if it is planting something different in the spring then summer then fall planting it is possible.
 
What ever is best to plant, be sure to have cover paremeters
around the plot. I think a 30 or 40 yard "grow up" area around
the plot would be good. This makes the deer more secure and it
also serves as a staging area.

I think mature bucks hate a open food plot during shooting hours,
but they might love them at night.
 
I would stick to fall food plots to get them thru the winter and use as attractants. This is especially helpful in the jan-mar period when all other browse is at its lowest and the acorns have rotted or been eaten. Wheat is especially effective in our area.
 
Remember,.. on smaller properties for a nutritional food plot program you will need the deer to feel safe coming to the plot.If they don't feel safe,.. they will not eat in it. Sometimes its better to have multiple plots instead of 1 big plot.

For any plot, nutritional or attractant, the shape of it and size will alter your success. Ask yourself,. if you were a deer would you feel safe walking into a football field to feed or a funnel plot made 50 ft wide X 800 ft long??
 

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