I have an opportunity (if I want) to plant something on a piece of land that's 8 acres. The land is currently an old scrub swail lot. It's kind of a secluded area that totally encompasses about 60 acres made up of mostly thickets and another 8 acre lot.
My question is if I wanted to cut, plow, and plant the area would it have a substantial enough effect to warrant the work and money involved. As of now, the total area I'm talking about holds some deer, but nothing earth shattering. Would planting this little chunk of land draw deer substantially from surrounding areas?? Thanks for the input. Hope I posted this in the right place.

Yes, however, they may not use it too much this year but once they discover it (as long as there are deer in the area) they will use it and often (depending upon what you pland though) I say do it and see what happens. It's not as hard nor expensive as what some say and if you have the resources and time what can it hurt? TGK

If there are thickets all around, then they are close by and should visit our food plots frequently. Be sure to plant enough, so they don't over browse it. How much depends on the quantity of deer.

ty for the input. I was planning on planting the entire 8 acres. This is a tough area to explain as far as the deer herd goes. It's an extension of sorts of my main hunting land. There are A LOT of deer in the general vicinity, but this particular area doesn't seem to get frequented too much. It's one of those that seem to be a night time pass by place. The problem with the other land is of couse it is closer to bordering properties. I do have good succes, by I'd like to have them closer to home if you know what I mean. What foods would you recomend to plant.

I'd go with a corn and soybean split. Here in Illinois the deer live in our cornfields until the time it is picked.

If you leave it standing they will continue to use it throughout the winter. The corn provides good carbs and the beans provide good protein through the summer and winter months.

Sounds like you have adequate habitat so you likely have more deer than you are aware of. The plots will take a beating I'm sure.

Good luck!

What you can plant and have success with depends a lot on what part of the country you are in. Clovers, iron clay peas, soybeans, corn, alflafa etc for the summer time and cereal grain grasses, rape etc for the fall and winter. With that much area I would definitely plant a variety for the deer herd. Be sure to soil test.

If you plant it they will come. Bordering hunters may come also. If you don't want neighbors placing stands by your hard work make sure you place it in a good spot.

I planted a food plot in clover in less than an acre and after 5 years I have seen more bucks these last two years then I have in 20 years of hunting.

Here is three plantings that will last longer when the fall temps. drop. A White Clover (I use Ladino) holds up to foraging better than red, but red grows taller. and the White survives better when the temp drops.
Rye grass will also withstand colder temps, and will usually come back in the spring.
Austrian Winter peas are quite hardy in the cold. they need to be protected when they first sprout, as the deer will pull them out by the roots. The best method I have found is to put a string fence around them with white plastic shopping bags tied to the string every 5 feet or so. Electric fence stakes will work well as the bags work best if they are about 3-4 feet off the ground. Don't know why they won't cross this fence unless the white bags give off a strange light in the night when they feed. My plot has stood up to 5° temps without any signs of freezing. I take down the fence about 1 week before deer season starts.

Russ

Getting a good food plot depends on a soil sample! You can plant anything you want, but if the soil is wrong nothing will grow. I learned this the hard way, and now I won't do anything without a soil sample. These are about 10 dollars, and you take some dirt from three different spots on the same food plot to get an average...

If you want to see how hard the deer and other animals are hitting it. Put up a piece of 4 foot high fence in a five foot circle dead center of the food plot. This will let you see how hard its getting hit!

I have four food plots which are an acre each, this year I have two in soybeans and one in corn and one ladino clover... Next year, two corn and one soybeans and one clover...

Good luck, it will be worth your efforts...

You have 8 acres to plant? That is a very large area and would give a great increase to the available nutrition in the area...