deerhunter1224

I hunt this alfalfa field which could be considered a food plot. As I have seen on deer videos the guys that hunt over food plots seem to have a high number of deer in their food plots. I get a few deer in my alfalfa field, but not the number of deer you see on the videos. I believe most those hunting videos the deer are farm raised any way. Other types of food plots I hunt over are corn and bean fields. Still dont see the number of deer they see. Whats your opinion on food plots?

timbercruiser

I have had over 20 deer in a one acre plot several times. May have something to do with the deer density in the area and the quality foods available to the deer. I think they work, we plant about 50 every year.

SpringHillFarms

I have lots of food plots planted around my farm and know they are great for many reasons. First, they provide a great food source during the winter months for a wide variety of wildlife. As a result, the carrying capacity for game on my farm, including deer, is substantially higher than an unmananged property. Secondly, from a hunting perspective, food plots dramatically increase your chances of seeing deer during the time that you'll be hunting. Even though the bulk of the traffic there will be after dark, you'll still see lots of deer during the early morning and right before dark.
The bulk of the activity in daylight hours in a food plot will be from does. But the bucks will show up, too--especially during rut.
I plant various things in my food plots depending upon the time of year. During the summer I have iron clay peas planted as a high protien food source. I also grow corn then in adjacent patches. In September I harrow under the peas and split the patches between crimson clover and oats or wheat. During the season, starting in early November after the green in the woods is gone, about every 10 days I mow strips in the corn. This keeps a fresh supply of corn on the ground. I'll have all of the corn mowed by the last week of the season in early January. I then harrow under the corn patches in late January so that the corn will be gone by late February as we near the time to start the whole process over again.
Food plots are indeed great. The quail and turkeys love them, as do so many other species. I'll see 6-10 deer almost every time I hunt and as many as 20-30 on some days. The abundance of deer is a function of not just having food for wildlife during the season, but also a function of maintaining a large and healthy deer herd Jan-Dec, year after year.

SCHL44

I own a farm surrounded by other farms that all have alfalfa, soy beans and corn. Even though I have all these feed sourses I still plant a food plot. The key thing is location. Mine is in a very secluded spot with heavy cover just a few bounds away. I have much success hunting close to this food plot even though its surrounded with other feed. Also after the crops are harvested where do you think the rest of the deer that were useing the other food sources go?

deerhunter1224

Dont get me wrong this alfalfa that I hunted this past season had a small number of deer. One day when I wasnt hunting had five does out there eating go figure. Yes if it werent there they would probably not be there. Each time that I was hunting they werent there or just maybe deer where I live are smarter than other deer in other states.

strut

Food plots are a great deer magnet, but around here in the Ozarks when the acorns go to falling the food-plots are not used much at all, when we have a year of few acorns the plots are full of deer.

James B

Mine work great early in the season. I have 45 acres of Alfalfa and it is right on the flat above the river breaks. Its the first food source they find when they come out to eat. If we get a hard freeze early though then its not as effective. They do however cross my 80 acre farm to get to the next bunch of fields. We bought the little spread from my wifes dad when he sold his ranch. We wanted to always have a place to go hunt. I will never regret that purchase. The taxes are pretty low on it and we always will have a place to go hunt or retire.

JimboHunter1

Food plots seem to be most useful/advantageous when the other, more natural food sources are gone. I've been wanting to plant food plots for 2 years now, and the real advantage to food plots, in my opinon, exitst either when either the primary food sources are either exhausted or inconvenient for the herd. (The wet springs/summers have kept me from planting them, but I realize now that I should plan them, even if it's later than desired). Where I hunt, the primary food sources are acorns and corn- both of which are basically depleted by the end of November. After that, the deer could really use a steady intake of the necessary nutrients. I've always thought that food plots would allow them to mainain their health and give them a head start, both body-wise and antler-wise, for the upcoming seasons...

Trapper_Hunter

I plant Buck Wheat, Sunflowers, Soybeans, Cane, Sweet corn, and I put corn out for them. Working so far. 2 Big bucks have been in there and bunch of does. One REAL big bodied doe.