mikej92280

I hunt a 600 acre farm 300 field and 300 wooded. There is corn and soybeans grown on the farm.Being the caretaker Ive gotten permission from the landowner to plant food plots in the woods, and along old roadways. All I need to know is would it be worth it for me to plant a food plot around my stand location? Total I have access to about two acres that would get plenty of sunlight.
Should I even bother due to the fact that all that corn and soybean is planted?
Or is it a good idea for after the crops have been harvested?If so, what could I plant that would work best for me? I know that the soil must be checked first but just some examples.I was thinking either clover or alfalfa.I live in new jersey if it matters. Thanks.

greg-dude

Are you seeking a kill plot or some sort of plot that will help the deer when food is critically low? If it is a kill plot, what time of the season---Oct, Dec?

I think it would be worth it. The deer will be drawn into the crops, but will hit the foodplot during the growing season and may hit it hard after the crops are out.

For a kill plot, a legume or cereal grain may work well especially earlier in the year. Some type of brassica may work well in your area as well.

Clover is easier to take care of then alfalfa. Both are good. However, you may want to consider some sort of food sorce that the deer may utilize in late winter.

I don't know your area, the food sources within it or even the farming practices, so this will be a call that you need to make. Legumes may not be available for late winter when food shortage may occur. By that time the crops are harvested and the fields may even be turned under providing little food for wildlife. A brassica plot or even a corn plot may be better at that time of year especially if you have snow accumulations.

mikej92280

I guess you could call it a kill plot. Im just looking to keep the deer on the side of the horsefarm that I hunt. I also want to plant something good for their antlers as well. I'll be hunting it sept thru dec. I want to have it planted as soon as possible.

greg-dude

I think I would try clover or a cereal grain like oats/wheat/rye. Either will continue to draw deer in the fall and into the winter. Cereal grains will be the easiest to grow. Legumes will last the longest and has the least amount of time input over a 3-5 year time span. Heavy snow may limit some use of either. Good luck.

PS. To keep deer using plots during daylight hours, you may want to consider hunting the trails that lead into the plots, then the plots themself. Later in the season, when limited hunting time exist, hunt the plot.

lunchbucket

Yes I would plant the plot. If you do much shooting the animals will turn to the night for eating.

PILOT

Mike sounds like you have quite a few different places to plant. I would start out by experimenting with different seeds to see what the deer prefer in your area. I like to plant a perrenial like a clover/chicory mix to get them started on a plot in the spring and into fall. Then right next to it I plant a mix of buck forage oats and wheat. You may also throw in some brassicas into the mix to seen how the deer hit them later into the year. Brassica can be planted at a rate of 4-8#/acre, but works great as a nurse crop with the clover mix at around 2# /acre. Planted in the spring the brassica with the rignt soil can be knee high and provide high protein feed to the deer above the snow, if and only if you can get the deer to eat it. It seems that in some areas the deer decimate the stuff and in other areas they hardly touch it. Just be sure to do a soil test first to check soil fertility and PH level. Good luck!

Russ otten

This year I planted a half acre of Austrian winter Peas. fenced them in until they had a good start. The deer first almost wiped out my 4 clover plots, then after a couple of good frosts, switched over to the Peas. I plan on keeping Peas in one plot as the deer will wait until later in the season to feed there.

Russ