Food Plot Advice

WNCTracker

Eight Pointer
I'm looking to start my first food plot on the SC coast and would like to know what people's favorite choice is. The location is pretty good since it's adjacent to an overgrown field but has some oak trees around so it is not full sun. Would clover be a good choice or is it too hot on the coast for that to grow well? Thanks
 

Deerherder

Ten Pointer
A mix of Durana white clover & a red or crimson clover ought to do well. Add some turnips & wheat in the fall for an awesome all season food plot. The clover, especially the white clover will look kinda sickly in midsummer’s heat, but generally bounces back well.
 

41magnum

Twelve Pointer
Best advice I can give is to INVEST $20 into the Southern Food Plot Manual.
It sure helped us!
 

SamCo89

Twelve Pointer
Contributor
By no means am I an expert- but something’s I’ve learned the last few years:

Do a soil test 1st ASAP . Will tell you what you have to work with, what amendments you need & an idea of what you can plant & what may be a waste of time.

You don’t need a tractor & a disc. From what you described it sounds like you’re planning a “kill plot”, so you could even do it with a rake,a hand sprayer & a chest spreader depending on the area size.

I use an atv with sprayer,spreader & an old antique drag harrow. The big thing I’ve had to learn, & can be a little “controversial “, is that you don’t have to have a perfect weed free garden like plot.

I think over the years with a big majority of hunters being farmers or having a farm background, along with what you see on TV, it’s propitiated this idea of a “perfect” plot. Deer are browsers, not grazers. Whatever you plant, is going to be a small portion of their diet, so don’t stress.

Generally my planting goes like this- around Aug/sept I’m spraying the spring planting/grass if we didn’t plant. Depending on rain, I’ll come back 2/3 weeks & spread my abruzzi rye/wheat / brassicas mix. Now that varies, if it’s looking a bit dry, I’ll just spread the grains, let them get sprouted & come back & top dress the brassicas.

For me, nothing beats ryegrain in a new plot. Or a rye /wheat mix. The weed control with the rye, if you can get it thick, will be amazing. Check out Lab Lab for a spring planting, a lot of guys are having success with it in poor soil & southern summer temps.

83ed57313081ba85d637b49079adf4b6.jpg


c75058748808022e9941fdd070a602ba.jpg


d2989c5f71f9b7dad834affecbd364be.jpg


Same area, 3yrs apart. Last shot was taken 3 weeks ago, rye/wheat didn’t get as thick as I wanted, but we just expanded this with a mulcher last summer.

Check out

Land & legacy

Growing Deer TV

Habitat-talk

Deer hunter forum

Wealth of info for planting ideas & techniques. Land & legacy have a very unique thought process on native vegetation vs food plots, definitely check out their podcasts.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
 

WMJ

Button Buck
Good information. My buddy has a new property and we're looking to do some plotting. What have your found that worked from a sowing standpoint. For sure clover for both deer and turkey, soybeans would be nice, but we're not going to have more than a ATV to work with. How did your work proof out and what did you plant? Just the rye/wheat?
 

georgeeebuck

Ten Pointer
Good information. My buddy has a new property and we're looking to do some plotting. What have your found that worked from a sowing standpoint. For sure clover for both deer and turkey, soybeans would be nice, but we're not going to have more than a ATV to work with. How did your work proof out and what did you plant? Just the rye/wheat?
I see in one of your other post that you may be dealing with 28 acres . You may not want to go with soybeans unless you can plant at least 5 plus acres . If deer numbers are average or higher they will eat them up as soon as they sprout out of the ground. They are usually a waste of time and money in smaller plots. With limited land and equipment I would go with buckwheat and crimson clover in the warm weather and ladino clover planted under cereal grain in the fall. The grain foliage would be good to hunt over in the fall/winter and a mother cover for a semi permanent clover plot hopefully for years.
 
  • Like
Reactions: WMJ

Southern

Ten Pointer
I see in one of your other post that you may be dealing with 28 acres . You may not want to go with soybeans unless you can plant at least 5 plus acres . If deer numbers are average or higher they will eat them up as soon as they sprout out of the ground. They are usually a waste of time and money in smaller plots. With limited land and equipment I would go with buckwheat and crimson clover in the warm weather and ladino clover planted under cereal grain in the fall. The grain foliage would be good to hunt over in the fall/winter and a mother cover for a semi permanent clover plot hopefully for years.
I agree with the above and would possibly go one step further. Depending on where you are, soils and moisture I would also consider skipping the spring/summer plot all together. Most spring plots either 1) are eaten in a matter of days and/or 2) fail due to drought and heat. It takes alot of work to get a spring/summer plot to make enough to be beneficial. I do like buckwheat, it's easy and cheap but very quick to maturity but does re generate somewhat. If you are starting out you may want to spend that money and time getting plots super ready for fall planting, that is the money shot.
 

WMJ

Button Buck
I see in one of your other post that you may be dealing with 28 acres . You may not want to go with soybeans unless you can plant at least 5 plus acres . If deer numbers are average or higher they will eat them up as soon as they sprout out of the ground. They are usually a waste of time and money in smaller plots. With limited land and equipment I would go with buckwheat and crimson clover in the warm weather and ladino clover planted under cereal grain in the fall. The grain foliage would be good to hunt over in the fall/winter and a mother cover for a semi permanent clover plot hopefully for years.
Yeah, soybeans are only if there is suitable amounts of field. We might might look at a sharecropping thing if feasible, thanks for advice. The property does abut some forest land, so we really need to scope it out once the closing goes through this week.
 

WMJ

Button Buck
I agree with the above and would possibly go one step further. Depending on where you are, soils and moisture I would also consider skipping the spring/summer plot all together. Most spring plots either 1) are eaten in a matter of days and/or 2) fail due to drought and heat. It takes alot of work to get a spring/summer plot to make enough to be beneficial. I do like buckwheat, it's easy and cheap but very quick to maturity but does re generate somewhat. If you are starting out you may want to spend that money and time getting plots super ready for fall planting, that is the money shot.
Yeah, this spring/summer might be more for us to plan and strategize for the fall hunt and maximize that while keeping an eye on long term potential, thanks!
 

Moose

Administrator
Staff member
Contributor
Plant a blend and I'd use cow peas that will withstand browsing a lot better than soybeans.
 
  • Like
Reactions: WMJ

Eric Revo

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
Use the spring and summer to kill the areas you plan to plant. Kill it at least twice, three times is better.
That helps with the seed bank that's waiting to jump up when you disturbed the soil. You can also go ahead and plan to lime most places around here, it can be done before you even till it and takes months for full effect.
If you plan on permanent plots like clover my advice is to reserve a bit for annual plots as well, even if half the plot is one or the other. Deer love fresh, tender wheat, oats and rye as well as annuals like soy beans or other legumes and brassicas.
 
  • Like
Reactions: WMJ

WMJ

Button Buck
Use the spring and summer to kill the areas you plan to plant. Kill it at least twice, three times is better.
That helps with the seed bank that's waiting to jump up when you disturbed the soil. You can also go ahead and plan to lime most places around here, it can be done before you even till it and takes months for full effect.
If you plan on permanent plots like clover my advice is to reserve a bit for annual plots as well, even if half the plot is one or the other. Deer love fresh, tender wheat, oats and rye as well as annuals like soy beans or other legumes and brassicas.
I like the idea of a mixed bag and overlays, we'll have to work that in. Thanks.
 

Moose

Administrator
Staff member
Contributor
The book mentioned earlier is a good one. I also watch this you tube channel Growing Deer and learn a lot.

 
  • Like
Reactions: WMJ
Top