Deer Hunting- Food Plot?
I was thinking about planting a small food plot at one of the places I hunt. The area is in a little funnel about 200 yards away from a field. There is a creek right next to it. The open area itself is about 50 yards by about 80 yards.
I was just wondering what yall think would be the best stuff to plant. It gets an average amount of sunlight. Climate is moderate as it is in Virginia.
“Hunting is mean. How would you like to be shot and killed, just for a sport? Think about it ! ! !
And I am just speaking for my beliefs, and I don’t think people should hunt. That is all.”
-Animal Lover
Animal Lover,
You are entiteled to your own opinion. But I would like you to know that all most all hunters do not hunt for sport. I personally hunt for food and to keep the deer population healthy. It also keeps me healthy as deer do not have all the chemicals in them like cows. I prefer to look after myself than have someone else provide for me.
There are a number of propriatary mixes designed specifically for feed plots. They are available from many of the sporting goods stores such as Cabela’s and Bass Pro. You can make your own mix by mixing rye grass, clover, alfalfa, soy beans, oats, etc. Deer like all of these things and a mix gives them some variety. Also you can make a salt lick by burying a salt block in the ground about 6 inches below the surface. Mix some ice cream salt in the covering soil and they will go wild for it. You can also hang a block of salt in a tree by putting it into an onion sack. The rain will wash salt off the block and deposit it onto the ground below. Deer love salt and will find it in either case.
There are many commercial food plot varieties you can purchase from just about any farm supply store or hunting outfitting stores. I do not know the name of the variety, but I believe the person I know purchased it at Cabelas or Gander Mountain.
The mix I am referring to had clover, rye, alfalfa, oats and turnips and other tubers. It was crazy to see the field late fall as they had literally rooted up every buried morsel by the end of deer season. He shot 6 deer (filling party tags) over that plot last year and some were huge. 3 buck at the same time. You would have thought it a feeding frenzy instead of the rut.
I will let you know if I can find the name of the mix, but I would think the turnip seed would set it apart from most of the others. Good luck.
Hunting is mean. How would you like to be shot and killed, just for a sport? Think about it ! ! !
And I am just speaking for my beliefs, and I don’t think people should hunt. That is all.
I read up on this a little and came to the conclusion that you need to check out the surrounding area to see what the deer have to eat. Then determine what you can plant that will be hardy where you want to plant it and then pick the one that is least in the area. Deer need all kinds of different nutrients and they are telling me to plant something that they do not have access to. For example if you have allot of corn around you, you shouldn’t plant corn. Also you can take a soil sample in to get tested. If your food plot is the only one in the area that provides what the deer need where do you think they will be.?.? I read this in a Deer and Deer Hunting Magazine.
we do our plots mostly in turnips now and find the deer use them all through the seasons.
we do plant a few nutritional plantings but find the deer eat the turnip plots to the ground.At last count we have 11 small turnip plots and 3 nutrional mix plots and from camera footage find the most activity in the turnips!