farm country food plots
 

I have 150 acres in farm country. My property is 30 acres crp, 7 acres tillable, 30 acres of grass/weeds just planted for habitat w/ the rest being a mixture of very rough pasture-mostly trees w/ a creek that goes dry on a regular basis. I have 4 food plots currently but have had little success seeing deer over them. I do hold a fair number of deer, but would like to suck them away from the surrounding properties. I do get a large number of deer in late in the winter as it is a great yarding area. Any thoughts on what a guy might do to improve the habitat?

RE: farm country food plots
 

My land is in farm country with fields that have lots of alf/clover for the deer as well as the farmers grow grains and rape. That was a problem for me as well until I planted high proien plots. Once I did turnips, chicory and birdsfoot trefoil and rape that I dont cut,I found the deer spending more time on my place. They would still go to the big fields just before dark and come back first light in the morning and spend most of the day near my plots. I made one 5 acre and on 3 acre and found it to be plenty. the rest of the 160 acres is woods and cut lines. I leave 80 acres of itwhere no one can go, as a safe area for the deer. I have 4 quarters and each quarter is done the same way. On a good day you will see 40 wts on a plot plus moose and elk.

RE: farm country food plots
 

If you have a lot of crop land close by it is going to be hard to compete with it, unless it is all cotton or something.

RE: farm country food plots
 

I live in west central Illinois and I have to compete with the best farmers in the world. When I first came here it was hard to convince most that food plots can draw deer off the crops they have been eating for hundreds of years. After the first year of putting food plots on my farm and seeing the draw I had many have started to put in plots of their own and they are farmers themselves. High protien plots is one spot to start ypu may look at other nutrient they are looking for like phosphorous. On top of that you have to be a better farmer than your neighbors, so do you soil samples, lime and fertilize, and focus the rest of the land to better it to deer habbitat

RE: farm country food plots
 

I'm not sure what your property's limiting factor is by your description. It sounds like your cover is in good shape as that is usually the best attractant in a lot of 'farm country', especially in our region. The condition of that cover may be part of the problem, but considering that they yard-up on the property, it may just be a function of them creating social space as the habitats on surrounding properties allows it. About how many deer per day do you see during the seasons vs. from about now until green-up?

RE: farm country food plots
 

A couple of ideas. Offer them something that they aren't getting on the farm land. Like clover. Or offer them the same thing they get at the neighbors but put it in a secluded place that they will feel secure in.