Food plot: deer

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  • Bboarder

    Me Myself & I
    Mar 7, 2010
    1,200
    Reisterstown
    I've never planted a deer food plot before, what does the crowd believe in?

    Minerals?

    Actual food source for woods/field edges?

    Do you till or just spread on surface?

    For what I'm trying to achieve; pulling and keeping deer in an area, and better antlers; if that's actually real.
     

    ohen cepel

    Ultimate Member
    Feb 2, 2011
    4,509
    Where they send me.
    I like turnips as they will often keep coming back for a few years. That is usually part of the feed plot mix you can buy. I look at what is in the mix and then go buy garden seeds of that instead, much cheaper. Plus, having turnips around isn't a bad thing.

    Depends a lot on how much land you have and how far you're trying to pull the deer.

    A mineral block can't hurt either. I can't say it makes a difference but not a lot of $$ to put out there and may help pull them in a bit more.

    Anything I plant they eat. ANYTHING, so not sure a feed plot is needed so much as you wanting it to survive.

    Will have to do some ground prep depending on what you plant. Turnips help to break the ground up with is a plus. Doesn't take a lot but you can't just throw stuff in a field of grass and it take. The makers selling that "no prep" stuff I don't trust.
     

    730waters

    Active Member
    Apr 20, 2013
    102
    Rising Sun, Md
    the 1st thing to do is have your soil tested for nutrients. Ad lime and minerals to get the balanced out for what you are going to plant. If you have access to a tractor and tiller that is the way to go. I usually till the dirt 3 or 4 times to get a nice and fluffy before I turn in the minerals needed. I plant several types of clover and a few other buck forage plants. The turnips are good for the later part of the season. The correct fertilizer mixer with calcium means everything to a successful plot. Do your reading and research food plots on You tube to give you a few ideas.
     

    Bboarder

    Me Myself & I
    Mar 7, 2010
    1,200
    Reisterstown
    the 1st thing to do is have your soil tested for nutrients. Ad lime and minerals to get the balanced out for what you are going to plant. If you have access to a tractor and tiller that is the way to go. I usually till the dirt 3 or 4 times to get a nice and fluffy before I turn in the minerals needed. I plant several types of clover and a few other buck forage plants. The turnips are good for the later part of the season. The correct fertilizer mixer with calcium means everything to a successful plot. Do your reading and research food plots on You tube to give you a few ideas.

    we're a farm, our fields are leases but southern states tests the fields every year for the farmer and then comes and lays down whatever necessary.

    I'm trying to slow down deer moving through sections heading towards crop fields to feed which is a bitch. I've considered just going the mineral route for better nutrients and hopefully keeping them in my area.
     

    rseymorejr

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Feb 28, 2011
    26,009
    Harford County
    Someone I knew in Alabama would always plant Honeysuckle in the woods where he hunted. He'd make a box out of chicken wire to keep the deer from eating it all the way to the roots. Out in the open he'd plant corn, beans and Red Top clover (and a few other things I can't remember)
     

    730waters

    Active Member
    Apr 20, 2013
    102
    Rising Sun, Md
    All of the alternatives plots that we have planted have been a snack spot to and from the main feeding areas. We tilled and planted several different plots the last few years which equals about 8 total acres. We want them to get used to stopping and snacking on them on the way to the main food source. When the crops are cut the deer will utilize your snacking area as their primary food source during the hunting season. We put mineral blocks out all year round to help with their health. We add extra deer feed in late spring, early summer for when the fawns are born to help the does and fawns with better nutrition. What ever you plant just work towards having the crop around after the fields have been harvested. In the summer I put out minerals to help with the rack development. Deer will eventually get used to your crops and minerals and will come from other areas knowing that the nutrition is there.

    We do this on 3 different farms and I do it on the property that I live on. I have does that come to my property to give birth to their fawns knowing that there is good food and nutrition for them to recover and the fawns have something extra to eat. this has been going on for over 7 years now. All winter long I had 9 - 12 does and yearlings living on my property
     

    GSuders

    Active Member
    Dec 13, 2017
    148
    Keymar
    I've never had much luck with food plots. I never had much area to work with, just old logging roads and small clearings. I would rake them and try the throw and grow stuff, but it never really took off. I mainly just put out a salt block on a stump close to my stand (20-25 yards) and will dump corn there occasionally. I hunt alot of wide open farm land so deer have plenty to eat and don't both my sites as they would if it was a big wood block.
     

    Bboarder

    Me Myself & I
    Mar 7, 2010
    1,200
    Reisterstown
    ive taken to laying out mineral plots close to good shooting zones.

    I think my best chance is to slow them or steer them to/at the minerals on their way to the crop fields
     

    KRC

    Active Member
    Sep 30, 2018
    615
    Cecil County MD
    Consider a mineral block (from SS). Deer are in our yard year round just for the mineral lick. Also, clover is a good deer attractant. Some clovers are annual and some are considered invasive. Ladino (white) clover is a perennial and fairly hardy. Spreading whole corn (SS) is good for getting their initial interest in an area.
     

    fscwi

    Ultimate Member
    Feb 21, 2012
    1,537
    I like turnips as they will often keep coming back for a few years. That is usually part of the feed plot mix you can buy. I look at what is in the mix and then go buy garden seeds of that instead, much cheaper. Plus, having turnips around isn't a bad thing.

    Depends a lot on how much land you have and how far you're trying to pull the deer.

    A mineral block can't hurt either. I can't say it makes a difference but not a lot of $$ to put out there and may help pull them in a bit more.

    Anything I plant they eat. ANYTHING, so not sure a feed plot is needed so much as you wanting it to survive.

    Will have to do some ground prep depending on what you plant. Turnips help to break the ground up with is a plus. Doesn't take a lot but you can't just throw stuff in a field of grass and it take. The makers selling that "no prep" stuff I don't trust.

    Turnips are good, they will eat the green tops early then later when it gets cold the turnip itself gets sweeter and they will dig at those and eat them down from the top. Also get good results with planting radishes, get a lot of activity on the trailcam set by the radish plot. I don't know how effective honeysuckle is but I hate the stuff. Its an invasive species and some of the area around my woods is infested and overrun with the stuff. I've spent many hours cutting and spraying it trying to keep it from overtaking my woods.
     

    Derwood

    Ultimate Member
    Jun 2, 2011
    1,075
    DC area
    I've gotten similar advice from friends so far: consider clover and turnips; put out mineral blocks; corn works too. What about if the area is heavily wooded?

    I've got a 7 acre property that is wooded with a mature canopy, small creek and minimal underbrush. Nice woods...and there is a healthy population of deer, but there isn't much food or heavy cover for them on the property itself. I'm considering taking down a few trees to open up an area for a food plot, stacking the wood/brush between trees to create some cover, and putting out minerals.

    Is that advisable? There are good mature trees and some thinner/leaning junky ones so I can prioritize keeping the big ones. Putting out corn isn't an option unfortunately. I'm hoping to get something going this year and don't have any heavy equipment other than a chain saw and a lawn tractor.
     

    outrider58

    Eats Bacon Raw
    MDS Supporter
    Jul 29, 2014
    49,815
    I've gotten similar advice from friends so far: consider clover and turnips; put out mineral blocks; corn works too. What about if the area is heavily wooded?

    I've got a 7 acre property that is wooded with a mature canopy, small creek and minimal underbrush. Nice woods...and there is a healthy population of deer, but there isn't much food or heavy cover for them on the property itself. I'm considering taking down a few trees to open up an area for a food plot, stacking the wood/brush between trees to create some cover, and putting out minerals.

    Is that advisable? There are good mature trees and some thinner/leaning junky ones so I can prioritize keeping the big ones. Putting out corn isn't an option unfortunately. I'm hoping to get something going this year and don't have any heavy equipment other than a chain saw and a lawn tractor.

    Do deer bed on your property?
    If I was to 'open up' an area, I would forego the food plot and instead work on natural regrowth like rosa multiflora and such. It will provide winter brouse as well as good bedding cover. I'd rather have the deer going to and coming from another feeding source. That way, you'll be able to place yourself between food and cover where you can enter and exit with as little disturbance as possible.
     

    Derwood

    Ultimate Member
    Jun 2, 2011
    1,075
    DC area
    Do deer bed on your property?
    If I was to 'open up' an area, I would forego the food plot and instead work on natural regrowth like rosa multiflora and such. It will provide winter brouse as well as good bedding cover. I'd rather have the deer going to and coming from another feeding source. That way, you'll be able to place yourself between food and cover where you can enter and exit with as little disturbance as possible.

    Yes, they bed either on my property (sometimes I bump them picking up the newspaper in the morning) or just off of it on my neighbor's. I've got one neighbor next to me and then the next property over has been vacant for several years, so I think a lot of them bed down on the vacant parcel because I often see them moving out of that area. That's why I was thinking food might be good to consistently lure them over to me.
     

    fscwi

    Ultimate Member
    Feb 21, 2012
    1,537
    If you’re thinking about cutting trees, do some YouTube researching on hinge cutting.
     

    Derwood

    Ultimate Member
    Jun 2, 2011
    1,075
    DC area
    If you’re thinking about cutting trees, do some YouTube researching on hinge cutting.

    Good idea and thanks for the tip. I had never heard this term but actually was starting to do this yesterday because it seemed like a good idea. My area is full of mature ash trees with younger hardwoods like hornby and beach trying to make it to the canopy. I hinge cut a few of the 3-6 inch diameter trees that have unfavorable characteristics like double trunks, big leans, etc to start to build more cover along side of 5-10 foot paths. I'm using the existing game paths to cut a little more clear space with the idea that those paths can keep being used by the deer and can start to grow some browse or food I plant over time.

    I'm cutting paths around the perimeter alongside my neighbor's fence on one side and a creek on the other, and a third path down the middle of the woods. I'm hoping to be able to get some light down on the forest floor this way to encourage some natural browse growth. I just ordered a soil test kit to see if I need to do anything before trying to plant some food. Most likely the soil is poor/acidic and so I'll probably work on trimming and soil improvement this month, and then plant some stuff for fall/winter growth next month...or just wait until next year. It's a long term project.

    The area is loaded with deer so I just need to find ways to keep them coming through my area when hunting season starts. There aren't any crops around -- it's the beautiful outer suburbs -- and there is practically no hunting pressure. So this shouldn't be rocket science but I still want to do what I can to manage the woods for deer.
     

    GSuders

    Active Member
    Dec 13, 2017
    148
    Keymar
    Could try and make some cover for them and then setup a feeder. I personally don't like hunting directly over feed but instead use trails leading to it.
     

    outrider58

    Eats Bacon Raw
    MDS Supporter
    Jul 29, 2014
    49,815
    Thanks. This is my plan for this year. Let's see how it works!

    Here in MoCo, you know how it is. Lots of small pieces of land to hunt. You can easily burn them out fast if you don't know the limitations each plot holds. You can make them a little better, but in the end, they all have limitations. These are not generally places you can hunt aggressively. If they're eating where they're sleeping, they won't move much. That's not what you want. You want to hunt them between x and z. Hunt in the y.
     

    Doco Overboard

    Ultimate Member
    Slash/cut nearly the very small trees through now with a small machete the way of the prevailing wind without them falling over right away.
    As the they become fell(ed) over naturally, they will sucker out like crazy and make good bedding if you understand core area for bucks in between doe/family unit trails.
    + browse that they wont be able to turn down because it's not bitter.
    Leave them does for the pro's or for your buddies property when he has you over to do some game taking.
    They're the ones who condition/teach the immature breeders out there now to keep coming through when the sniffings going on.
    They're licking salt like crazy at this moment.
     

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