Perennials such as white clover, chicory, and alfalfa are great for nourishing deer and should be included in any whitetail habitat management program. But for sheer attraction for fall hunts, it’s hard to beat two types of annuals: brassicas and cereal grains—planted separately, mixed, or combined with annual clovers.
How do you grow a biologic hotspot?
For best results, clear the area to be planted of any vegetation, leaves, or debris to expose the soil. Hand rakes and leaf blowers work great for this. Once soil is clear, use a drag or rake to “rough up” the top 1/4 inch of soil giving the seed some textured soil to land in rather than hard packed dirt.
What time of year do you plant food plots for deer?
Late Summer Plantings are Ideal The end of July and early August is arguably the best time of the year to plant a food plot. Weeds will be dying, moisture will be on the increase and food plotting practitioners have plenty of months to prepare their next great food plot planting.
What is the best thing to plant for deer in Mississippi?
Planting cool season food plots with a mixture of cereal grains and clovers can provide deer with quality forage during times of nutritional stress. A cool season combination that does well in the south is a mixture of oats, wheat, crimson clover, and arrowleaf clover.
What is the best food plot for whitetail deer?
Corn. The other big Midwestern crop, corn, is a top pick for deer food plots. Standing corn during deer season is an absolute must if you have the acreage. If you’re not arguing that soybeans are the number one food plot species, you would probably be voting for corn.
What is the best late season food plot?
Food Plots It’s a dream scenario for most hunters: having one of the best late season deer food sources around. But it doesn’t have to be just corn or beans. Other good late season food plots include grains (e.g., wheat, oats, rye, etc.), turnips, radishes, and winter peas.
What is the best thing to plant for deer in the spring?
Choose Your Plants Cool-season legume perennials (plants that live over two years) like clover, alfalfa and chicory are good springtime options. Usually, clover will produce around two to four tons per acre. It’s easily digestible for deer and provides them with plenty of protein.
How late can you plant a deer food plot?
Anything after August 20th would be leaving it to chance. I should also note you don’t want to plant too early, either. If you plant too early, there’s a chance the plot will over mature and become unattractive.
Can you put too much seed on a food plot?
One very common mistake in planting food plots is using too much seed. In fact, even though some of you know this, you still do it. The only thing this theory will do is create overcrowded conditions where your crop is starved for nutrients, water or sunlight.
What plant attracts deer the most?
Food Plots Plants that typically attract deer include red clover, chicory, and orchard grass. Certain high-protein crops, such as peas, soybeans, turnips, alfalfa, sorghum, kale, or corn, are also attractants that the animals enjoy feeding on. Deer like the nutritious nuts that come from chestnuts and acorns as well.
What is the easiest food plot to grow for deer?
Radishes and rape are the Easiest Food Plot for Deer. Plant in late July through August. Spread the seed on a prepared bed and pack or simply spread into existing vegetation and spray glyph 2 quarts per acre to be your mulch.
What can I plant for deer in January?
Brassica blends such as Maximum, Deer Radish or Winter Bulbs & Sugar Beets, containing plants with staggered maturity and palatability dates are ideal for this task. After your cereal grains and clovers have been browsed down and covered in snow, brassicas are very attractive and highly preferred by whitetails.
Will deer eat clover in winter?
To attract and grow trophy deer, wildlife experts strongly recommend providing a productive, palatable and nutritious food source year round.
Which clover Do deer prefer?
Since those early days of food plot experimentation, crimson clover has become one of the most popular annual clovers planted for deer. It is highly preferred by deer as it is an easily digestible, nutritious cool season food plot crop that can withstand heavy, continuous grazing.
How much seed do I need for a 1 acre food plot?
Once planting begins, make sure the seeds are 1 to 1½ inches in depth. If broadcasting, do so at a rate of approximately 100 pounds per acre. If drilling, approximately 75 pounds per acre should do. If you broadcasted the seeds, use a cultipacker to pack the ground after seeding.
Is alfalfa good for whitetail deer?
Alfalfa for deer “food” plots Deer eat alfalfa, and the damage they cause might reduce yields significantly. In truth, alfalfa has been used as a forage for deer, especially during the summer months. It is a highly digestible fiber and contains a tremendous amount of fiber, making them palatable for deer.
Is alfalfa a good food plot for deer?
Alfalfa is an excellent spring, summer, and early fall food plot choice for white-tailed deer. Alfalfa is a cool-season perennial legume that contains 16% to 26% of highly digestible protein. Whitetail will flock to a well-established alfalfa field.
What grain do deer like best?
Deer feed mixes are usually a mix of alfalfa, oats, soybeans, molasses and several vitamins and minerals. This type of food is easiest for deer to digest, which is what makes it ideal for supplemental feeding.
What is the cheapest thing to feed deer?
An inexpensive way to feed deer is with corn. Deer love corn and many hunters rely on it for supplemental feeding. That being said, corn is not an excellent source of protein, which is essential for antler growth and the nursing of fawns.
Is corn bad for deer in the winter?
Corn doesn’t have as much fiber in it and has more carbohydrates. In the winter, the deer’s digestive system is slow and will absorb more necessary nutrients. Eating corn can mess with their digestive system and make it hard to absorb other foods. This will then dehydrate the deer and kill it.
What should you not feed deer?
Too Much Corn, Hay, or Alfalfa While small amounts are fine in moderation, feeding deer too much corn, hay, or other types of hay can actually have negative consequences for these beautiful and majestic animals.
How many deer will a 1 acre food plot support?
Both Fort Perry and Gary Schwarz’s El Tecomate support 3.5 deer per acre of food plot, but both programs intensively farm and include a supplemental “safety net.” A reasonable across-the-board rule of thumb with a bit of a cushion is, an acre of food plot will support about three deer.
What can you plant in early deer season?
- Clover/Chicory – planted in the prior fall, perennial clover and chicory plots are a good drought-resistant and browse-tolerant combination to attract deer.
- Brassicas/Turnips – depending on where you hunt, brassica and turnip seeds can be extremely attractive to deer.
What is the best food plot for antler growth?
Clovers and beans are easily the top two food plots that are going to promote healthy antler growth, but brassicas are another great option that can essentially be planted year round.
How late can you plant clover?
You may plant clear up to late summer/early fall at least 6 weeks before a heavy freeze. In the south where snow and freezing temperatures are rare, you may plant all through the winter.