Food Plot Success?
 

I have an area I hunt about a quarter acre opening In thick woods with little food around. There are many deer moving through this opening all the time. This spring I wanted to plant some soybeans to give a little more nutrition to the deer. I was wondering if I plant it will it scare away the deer? Because I plant to archery hunt over it

With it being small and surrounded by woods I think planting something there would give mature deer a nice little spot to feed and feel secure. I was thinking about planting a plot myself around where I hunt but I believe I am going to go with white clover since it will last about 4 years and stay green through most of deer season.

It will not scare the deer, but a 1/4 acre will be decimated just about as soon as it comes up...

Try something like a mix of winter wheat and ladino clover...

X2 for the white clover. It will last you 3 to 5 years and keeps growing throughout the season. I would rule out the soybeans, especially in something that size. They may destroy it but you can also put out one of those plot savers on half of it and then remove it a week before the season and you will be golden.

As mentioned.....if You don't plant a large area the soybeans will be eaten down in a very short time,and usually when they are just up a few inches when young and tender.We planted some of the new Durana Clover that is more tolerant to drought and it grows really well and competes with grass and weeds better....I planted several small plots in the Big a Timber /Woods and on a few logging road areas and it did really well and would recommend that type of Clover!If You can plow and disc the ground the Durana Clover will do even better,where we planted the Clover in the woods we cleaned up several areas with hand rakes then came back in with a small ATV disc and a 4-Wheeler and broke up the ground fairly well then we spread granulated lime and the Clover and it did really well.

I planted 2 small Plots of the Pennington Durana Clover on our Farm and it keeps getting thicker and greener while taking over the grasses and weeds where I had trouble all the years before of keeping out weeds and growing different types of seed!

I would like to plant a few small food plots throughout our property. Anybody have suggestions on what to plant? (in Michigan)

You might check out your local feed stores... We have one that sells a wildlife mix specific to the region. The mix contains five different clovers, and three different grasses.

Depends on where you are in Michigan. There are a lot of soil types (or should I say sand/soil types) in Michigan. White Clover is usually a good choice but doing a little search on the internet and checking with local stores should help you figure out what will grow the best and be the most productive.

Wheat mixed with clover and winter peas has done good for me in the south. Depending on what time of the year your planting u may wana try soybeans of clover. I always wounded what planting peanuts bc you know deer eat the fire out of them

As already mentioned, a 1/4 acre of soybeans will be decimated almost immediately. Truth ... last year the guys hunt with planted approximately 12 acres of Eagle Seed forage soybeans. The germination was great. At about 6"-8" high, looked like a lawn mower camr thoug field. Not a simgle plant ever got ove8" or so, and by July the entire field was barren of any signs of soy beans.

I would suggest you forget planting the 1/4 acre for the summer. Instead set up a feeder. Keep the 1/4 acre mowed. This fall, till and try a mix.

Sounds like the spot is heavily shaded. If this is the case, nothing much of any variety of food plot crop will grow well. Test the soil and correct the pH to about neutral (7.0). Maybe plant the whole plot in turnips and clover just for the winter crop???