When it comes to food plots, always remember the 6 Ps: Proper Planning Prevents Poor Plot Performance. There’s still a little time before planting, but you can never start the planning process too soon, so let’s get started.
The first step is deciding where to plant, which will depend on several things. Food plots should be located where optimal soil, sunlight and nutrient conditions occur. This usually means well-drained loamy soil in more exposed areas. Avoid low areas where cold air can be trapped and wetter soils make tilling and planting difficult and may retard plant growth. Obviously, it’s easier to start with open ground but if that’s lacking, you’ll have to cut and clear.
Plan a Hunting Strategy
Food plots are an effective way to attract and feed deer and other wildlife but they’ll be even more effective if you consider how they might work in concert with other land features. For example, a plot located closer to bedding cover might encourage more and more frequent deer use. A small, hunting plot between bedding and larger feeding plots might act as a staging area for deer earlier in the evening, and later in the morning. Planting soft mast species or doing hinge cuts along the edge of an herbaceous plots increases attractiveness and provides nearby security cover.
Deciding what to plant is also part of the planning process. Fall plots are most often intended to attract deer during the hunting season so your best option is to plant fast-growing annuals that will reach peak growth and nutrition in the fall. This might include things like clover, brassicas, turnips and beets. Planting a blend rather than a monoculture is also a good idea as different plant varieties might do better or worse depending on climatic variations. Once you decide, do a soil test and the results will guide you on what soil treatment might be needed.
Hunting or Food Plot?
As they’re primarily hunting rather than feeding plots, size and shape should also be considered. Feeding plots are typically larger and designed for agricultural efficiency. Hunting plots can be smaller and more irregular in shape. In fact, irregular shapes can be used to the hunter’s advantage. An hourglass shape creates a bottleneck where deer will pass within close range of the forest edge. Points and heads jutting into the plot also provide more potential shot opportunities. As they’re often smaller and require less work and equipment, hunting plots can be built in more remote areas, where deer might be more inclined to move during daylight.
Timing is Critical
Once you know the where and the what, it’s time to decide when to plant, and this will vary with climate. A general rule-of-thumb is to plant 30-45 days before the local average date for the first frost. In many areas that will be around the end of July or early August but again, it varies with location. Sufficient moisture is also a factor. Plant too early and there might not be enough rain; too late and there will be less plant growth.
If the site does need prep work you should also plan that now. Cutting, clearing and stumping can be done anytime. If you plan to apply herbicide, the recommended prescription is to mow, wait about 2 weeks for robust growth, then apply herbicide. The latter step should be done roughly 2 weeks before planting. Make your plan, mark your calendar and make sure you have all the seed, fertilizer and equipment you need. It won’t be long before planting season is upon us.