Many folks think food plots are too expensive, or that they don’t have enough land for food plots to be a viable hunting strategy for their property—this just isn’t true. Food plots can be scaled to suit any property however, defining the goal of the plot and how it fits within your overall property make-up is key.

In the video below, and the next one or two to come in the series, I’ll walk you through how I plan and implement an effective hunting plot on a budget. The scenario is this; the property is new, I have limited intel of the property and surrounding area, and I live 3 plus hours from the property. Since I lack historical information about how deer use this property, I’m not willing to make a big investment in money or time creating a large perennial destination food source/food plot. My plan is to make a smaller kill/micro plot with annual forage that will work with my perceived understanding of current deer movement, increasing my odds of a shot opportunity in this location this fall. I’ll be using nothing more than a weedeater, herbicide spray canister, hand spreader, walk behind rototiller, a garden rake, Whitetail Institute of North America Bow stand or Pure Attraction seed, and a little lime and fertilizer. I chose these two seed options as they are most attractive and provide food specifically during the hunting months.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4x0gykWrSso

In total I’m planting somewhere between a quarter to a half acre plot and it’ll cost me about $150 to create this plot since we have a tiller, spreader, sprayer etc. I suggest borrowing some of the items below if possible. However the  estimate  cost to purchase or rent the tools needed are as follows:

—Weedeater: Borrow this if you don’t already have one

—Garden rake: Borrow this is you don’t already have one

—Seed: $30-50 (depending on the product)

—Lime and Fertilizer: $50

—Herbicide: $40 (I used RoundUp but you could get a non branded cheaper glyphosate in bulk at a co-op)

—Hand spreader: $15-$30

—Herbicide sprayer: $15

—Rototiller Rental and Gas: $60 (full day rental)

Total plot cost: $245

With a few dollars and a little sweat, you can plan and create a food plot that can work for you. So, grab the tools you have and get started on creating opportunities for the fall!

Food plot season is finally here! Spring signals two things for hunters—turkey season and the push toward next deer season.  I’ve done my scouting of a few pieces of public land, and two new private parcels where food plots are an option. In total, this year I’ll likely be planting food plots on 3 properties; this includes our farm which is 240 acres, 50 acres behind my in-law’s house, and a new 56 acre property my dad recently purchased. Each property has its own unique set of circumstances, so before beginning planting, I have to answer a few baseline questions.
1. What is the my overall objective for the food plot(s)?
2. What crops are already in play (spring/summer or fall/winter crops) and what is missing?
3. How much time do I have to maintain what I plant?
Of course a soil test is needed to make sure I’m choosing the correct forage. With that said, here’s how I plan to manage each:

Assessing The Farm

The farm is 240 acres, of which approximately 30 acres is tillable. We have a 5 acre plot of Whitetail Institute Perennial Clover that is going into its third year. Last year we planted an additional 2 acres of Whitetail Institute PowerPlant, which is great summer forage, with an overseed of tubers for late season food.  These two plots are on opposite ends of the farm and have historically been utilized by two separate groups of deer. The remainder of the tillable land is leased to a neighboring farmer and is typically sewn with corn, with a few acres kept for hay. Between our food plots and the farmer’s crop, we had a pretty good food plot system working. That said, crop rotation is a must and re-evaluation of our food plot strategy is required. This year the farmer will be rotating the corn out and replacing approximately 20 acres with alfalfa for the next 6 years. With this change we’ll have an overabundance of spring and summer food with limited late fall and winter food. Obviously, it’s time to switch things up. 

The Farm Plan

In all truthfulness, the farm’s food plots needed to be diversified, and now is the perfect time to revise our food plot strategy. With the introduction of 20 acres of alfalfa, the all important spring green up period for deer to rebound from the harsh winter months will be covered, along with summer food. The plan, therefore, is to add more fall and late season food for attraction during hunting season and provide more winter food (I’ve scouted the browse the past two winters and it’s been hit pretty hard which points to a lack of winter food on the property). What I also need to consider is the time required to implement and maintain the new plots. With potentially two additional properties to maintain this year, I’m opting for an annual forage. Yes, there is yearly work required to establish annual food plots, but I don’t have time to commit to spraying and mowing additional perennial plots a few times a year, so an annual for me is more manageable.

With that said, I’ll continue to maintain the 5 acre clover field, but till strips into it planting roughly half of the plot in Whitetail Institute’s Pure Attraction—this way our largest plot provides food for every season, and as deer move across it they’ll encounter each food variety.  The additional 2 acre plot will also be planted in Pure Attraction as this plot is an area I hunt during the late season. Pure Attraction includes oats, wheat, peas and a variety of brassicas including turnips. This combination provides the diversity of forage I’m looking for and is attractive to deer during hunting season along with increasing the late winter food source. I’ll also be planting a micro plot of Whitetail Institute’s BowStand in an old log yard. The plot will be approximately 5 yards wide by 15 yards long. BowStand is made to use in hard to reach areas where planting conditions may be less than ideal or equipment access is limited. I’ve used BowStand in this log yard with success in the past. During the rut, bucks frequently pass through this pinch point on their way to the clover field. This small plot is intended to have them pause long enough for a shot opportunity.

Assessing The In-Law’s 50 Acres

This property is comprised of a steep ridges and a  flat area which was an old log yard 10 plus years ago that sits just above a creek bottom. I hunted this property one time last year and had an encounter with a shooter 8 pt. My father-in-law hunted it a few days during the rut and saw 3 shooters, one that was mount worthy. The property sit’s just outside the town I grew up in, which would still be considered rural by most standards.  That said, this property is not in a heavy agricultural area so any food plots I plant will be the only game in town so to speak. I’ve also located 2 known buck beds on ridge behind the log yard and I’ve watched deer behind the house filter through the brush behind the house into the log yard while drinking my morning coffee. The log yard seems like it could be a good early season ambush spot.

The In-Law’s 50 Acre Plan

I’m hesitant to plant anything on the main ridge as the buck beds I’ve scouted are at the top third of the ridge and I don’t want to risk disturbing any patterns these bucks are accustom to. I also don’t want to plant a plot near the creek bottom for fear of getting too close to the neighbors. After I did a bit of scouting, I noticed a portion of log yard was overgrown and surrounded by brush and small pine trees with a well worn trail running through the center. The surrounding trees and brush give the area a sense of seclusion and safety while the path leads to an area of regenerative growth where I have already selected a few trees for stand placements. The total size of the plot will likely be a quarter of an acre. The plan is really to use this location as an early season ambush opportunity.  There is next to zero pressure on this parcel, so the goal will be to get one of the shooters to frequent this plot early in the season and go in for a strategic strike! In this plot, I’ll again use Pure Attraction as I’m looking for a low maintenance option that will be attractive during hunting season and will provide a variety of forage. The lack of pressure and the addition of a secluded food plot, lead me to be cautiously optimistic about the potential of this property.

Assessing Dad’s 56 Acres

Although my dad only recently picked up this property, I have had a chance to walk the property twice with my dad. Also, being that my uncle was the previous owner, we were able to get a little intel on the property from him. That being said, I’m taking a bit of a shot in the dark this year with planting a food plot on this land. My uncle has previously planted two very small plots with clover, something similar in size to micro plots. The property is in farm country, but the neighboring farms have placed their fields into the CREP program (Conservation Reserver Enhancement Program).

Dad’s 56 Acre Plan

At this point, you’re probably picking up on the theme that I have limited time for maintenance, but I do want to start somewhere with this property. This year I’ll plant a half acre of Pure Attraction on this property in an overgrown field near a fence row. The plan is to snake the plot along the timber edge to hopefully pull deer close enough to the timber to place a stand for a shot opportunity. This location makes sense from what I could gather during my scout, and the movement my uncle had seen the past few years. Truthfully, this year is all about observing and learning more about this property, and then hopefully being able to dial in a more strategic plan for the following years.

Final Thoughts

Planning and planting food plots is one of my favorite deer work projects. The most important part in my opinion is to start with a goal in mind, and build your plan to achieve that goal. Don’t be afraid to ask questions along the way and make the necessary adjustments based on your time and other needs. When my father-in-law and I first started planting plots we had a lot of questions. We’d talk to local farmers, our local co-op and had Whitetail Institute on speed dial! We’re proof that anyone can build effective food plots with a little planning. So get outside, get your hands in the dirt, and start planting and planning for next year’s moment of truth from the stand.

Weekly Harvest

Happy Friday all!

Hope everyone had a nice Memorial Day weekend. I got to spend a lot of time on the farm and finished up planting the remaining food plots. I did get to get after a few birds and took my 7 year-old-daughter on her first hunt…she even used the call and had a bird respond! She was pretty excited even though we had no shot opportunities. My buddy, on the other hand, took a nice PA gobbler. So on the whole we ended the season on a good note.

Lots of family activity this weekend. But before the fun begins I’ll leave you with the week’s best deer related stories from around the world whitetail web—enjoy!

Fawns Can Tell A Story: Good way to get a better idea of when the rut will hit in your area.

Bobcat Climbs Hunter’s Tree Stand: I’d prefer to avoid anything climbing the tree I’m in.

It’s Time To Get Moving On Mineral Sites For Deer: It’s not too late to get your mineral stations out.

Clover—The Magic Bean Of Food Plots?: I don’t know that it’s magic, but my clover plot looks awesome this year!

Science Behind The Need (Or Not) For Deer Minerals: What is the real reason for deer mineral use? Just in this Weekly Harvest alone we have two articles on slightly opposite sides of the fence when it comes to deer mineral usage.

 

I thought this frost seeding video tip may be a little late to share as we approach mid-April. As fate would have it, snow showers and sleet were in this weekends forecast.

Frost seeding clover is nearly a bullet proof tactic to help your food plot get a jump start on the early growing season. A few weeks ago we frost seeded our clover plot with the hopes that it continues to come in thick, and hopefully the  fill in a few of the spots the deer hit hard this past year too.

If frost seeding is something you’re interested in, check out the video below from the guys at Deer & Deer Hunting for great tips for frost seeding success.

Just the thought of food plots gets me excited for the upcoming spring planting season. Often times deer hunters focus their food plots on plants that will yield great summer and fall forage, and give little thought to winter nutrition. After all, the great summer food plots is where we get all those velvet buck pictures. While these types of food plots are great, don’t forget about the importance of providing adequate food during the harsh winter months for your deer herd. Deer spend the late winter months and early spring replenishing their bodies following the rut and the scarce food resources of winter. It stands to reason the sooner deer rebuild their bodies, the sooner bucks can put energy and nutrition toward growing antlers, and the better equipped does will be for birthing and providing sustenance to their fawns.

 Many of my own plots are focused on summer and fall forage with a few small plots dedicated to winter food. This year I will take a step toward remedying this deficiency by dedicating more acreage to a winter food source. In an effort to keep cost down, I’ve also taken to the timber with a chainsaw to put food on the ground in the form of hinge cutting. At the same time the hinge cutting has opened the forest canopy to allow sunlight to hit the ground in an effort to allow the forest to regenerate creating natural winter browse in the future.

 If you’re interested in learning more about providing your deer herd nutrition through the winter, check out the video below from the guys at Deer and Deer Hunting.

Winter is a great time to begin planning your spring property updates that will positively impact next year’s deer hunting season. Food plots are often a great way to move toward achieving your habitat and whitetail hunting goals. Today’s video tip shares an approach for implementing successful food plots without using big equipment or breaking the bank.

 Implementing a food plot on your property doesn’t guarantee that you’ll now be growing booners on your property. However, a well planned and strategically located food plot can absolutely enhance your odds of growing and holding better deer. If you’re interested in how to create food plots without big equipment and on a budget, I highly recommend watching the video below.