I hear of people making their own deer feed/bait or attractants that work really well. I read that one guy buys rice bran from the farm store for real cheap and the deer tear it apart. Any other ideas on cheap ideas that work really well?

Buy your food plot seed from the same place, your local CO-OP, you can get wheat, oats, turnip, winter rye, soy bean, and more. they will cost you a fraction of the cost of what pre-mixed bags do at a sporting goods store, and work just as well if not better.