food plots

[shadgutter]

just leased 180 acres of woods. bean and corn feilds near by, but i am hunten thick woods. went back almost 1 mile in woods and cut down an acre or a little more. getten good light in, anybody have suggestions what to plant?

[steveg442]

if you can scratch up the ground, i would plant winter wheat in a couple of weeks.

[LureheadEd]

If it'll grow there, I'd use 7 Top tunips and Rape Turnips, throw in some clover... I've had food plots here in Ga. for 8 or so years, started with the turnips 2 yrs. ago. The 7 Tops keeps putting out after the deer graze 'em, not like purple tops that might not recover . The rape seems to come in just a bit later, and they really prefer the 7 tops, so the rape actually gets up a bit bigger leaves. And the rape "sweetens" after the first frost, so they are drawn to it better... I've never seen any thing like the way they eat these... And if you can beat 'em to it, you can put on a pot full of greens every Friday night for the weekend hunt !!!! MMMMmmmm gooood....

[Grimpuppy]

What time of year do you plan on hunting? If hunting in winter, corn is the best supply of needed energy to get them through the winter. If hunting in the fall, than maybe alfalfa or clover. Deer love soybeans. So as long as there are beans growing close they will probably out draw whatever you plant. One thing you might really consider is where is the closest water source? It may be better to set up a watering hole rather than a food plot if there are already crops nearby.

[wildlife]

Since it is late in the season I would look at 2 different options.

If you are planning to do some work to the food plot next year I would plant some Crimson Clover and Austrian Winter Peas. The reason is that in addition to providing a good food source for the deer this fall and winter it will help ammend the soil. The plants will help put some nitrogen into the soil and when plowed under in the spring it will add valuable organic matter to the soil.

Option 2 is to plant an annual mix like turnips and rape. I like these plants: Appin Forage Turnip, Bonar Forage Rape, Rangi Forage Brassica, & Pasja Hybrid Forage Brassica. They are designed for increased forage production and withstand grazing pressure.

Before you plant or ammend the soil make sure to get a soil sample and get a soil test done so you know what is needed for lime and fertilizer in the spring.

I would recommend that you try option 2 as it will have more drawing power than the clover and winter peas. You will be competing with those other crops and I think the high protein forage in option 2 may have an edge over those crops, especially after the frost hits and the snow comes.

Just my $.02

Good Luck!

[Blue Duck]

Can't go wrong with clover.

[katfish ken]

What time of year do you plan on hunting? If hunting in winter, corn is the best supply of needed energy to get them through the winter. If hunting in the fall, than maybe alfalfa or clover. Deer love soybeans. So as long as there are beans growing close they will probably out draw whatever you plant. One thing you might really consider is where is the closest water source? It may be better to set up a watering hole rather than a food plot if there are already crops nearby.
The watering hole might be the best option if there are crops all around you. I put in a small pond 3 or 4 yrs. back and it made a world of difference since the creek that runs through my place goes dry on a regular bases.

[Team Tripple Fish]

rye man it will grow anywhere and seen deer cover it up down here

[Trevor1]

just leased 180 acres of woods. bean and corn feilds near by, but i am hunten thick woods. went back almost 1 mile in woods and cut down an acre or a little more. getten good light in, anybody have suggestions what to plant?

If there's bean and cornfields nearby I would think that the hardwoods you're in should be a prime spot for the deer especially early morning and evening hunting. I'm suprised that you were allowed to cut down all those trees on leased land.

[lance]

Once the soybeans are brown deer will hardly eat them in my experience . There are lots of variables water, mast production, when mast falls in your area. Time of season you plan to hunt . winter wheat, clover rye brasscia turnips are all good options . Make sure you consider wind direction getting in and outta there . my half a cent !:wink:

[hunter]

Buck Forage Oats has been the plot of choice of mine, I have done turnips, rape and clover. For a fall plot Buck Forage has produced the most deer in the the last three years than any of the others. Planting is best in the last week of September.

[hunter]

The first picture is the plot 2 weeks old, the second is 8 days later you can see its is thickening up, and the last is about 5 weeks old with good browse.

[Katmandeux]

I just bought 100# of fertilizer.................................






...........................................$49!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:crazy:

[kennylee]

Its too late this year, but take it from a hardwoods hunter, I have a few 1/4 acre food plots with buck oats, wheat, clover, and winter peas, and they get worked over real good, but don't over look the natural food supply in your area, acorns!

This is a tip an archery buddy of mine passed on to me, in the spring when your planting your spring plots, or turkey hunting, take some 12-12-12 or 10-10-10 and a leaf rake, rake and spread fertilizer around the mature oaks by your stand sites.

Use the outter branches as your guide and circle the tree, this is where the feeder roots are at.

In the fall when your hunting or before the season, take the rake back to these trees and rake the ground under them clean, you now have a deer and turkey magnet right by your stand.

I've had years when the only trees in the woods that had acorns were the ones I fertilized.

[Katmandeux]

Good idea, Kenny.

I live in the woods, and have noticed that the oak trees in my yard almost always produce huge mast crops. I don't fertilize or water, just mow...I think the reduced competition for water and nutrients makes the difference.

[jason berry]

Got to love them buck oats.

[catfisherman369]

Cabela's Ultimate Forage - Alfalfa, Chicory, Carrots and Turnip Blend works great we use it in a half acre .
also being this late you could just use some C'mere Deer Natural Deer Attractant
or some BioLogic does wonders

Balance is the Key
Ideally, you will be able to plant a variety of foods that deer prefer at different times of the year so that there is always something attractive on their plate. In a perfect world, each spring will provide a leftover bounty of high-carbohydrate grain and an early green-up of winter wheat or rye. As spring advances the deer will quickly shift to your high protein clover plots. During the heat of summer they will be hammering your soybeans and alfalfa. In early fall sorghum seed heads will be the tastiest thing around, as deer shift out of the beans and into the grains. Then, in late fall and winter they’ll flock to the high carbohydrate content of your corn plots to fuel their furnaces.

[Katmandeux]

Just got back from checking my food plot. The hogs got in there and ate all of the seed before it even sprouted.:sad2:

That's about $50 and half a day's work down the tubes.:angry: