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Food plot benefits

hickslawns

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Reading about the outfitters and "earning" deer in the Stan Potts thread got me thinking. My buddy and I started to develop a property he bought right about a year ago. Jesse's comments about sweat equity and being happy got me thinking. Combine these things with a few articles I have read in magazines lately, and here is another thread idea.

What are your goals in food plots? How much do you think they help you? How much does it benefit the deer and their antlers/overall health?

Here are my thoughts. Keep in mind, I have done some small food plots the last couple years (less than 1/2 acre), but this year we went all out.

My thoughts:
1. The overall health of the deer herd is going to benefit. I think there is plenty of browse available, and I know there are plenty of crops available the majority of the growing season in my area. However, once the crops come off, this is where we will benefit. I don't think it will happen so much in the form of antlers, but in the recovery time after the rut and into the next spring. I believe by having additional food sources carrying forward into the winter, the next spring we will see a shorter recovery time. My hopes are to see the deer "fatten up" quicker next spring versus just getting by with what is available in a normal winter. This should help not only the fawns in their first winter, but the pregnant does, and the bucks after the rut. I think it could take a few years to truly see antler quality increase (if it ever does), but by giving them this jump start going into spring it will help the bucks in all age classes be able to work on their antler development just a little bit sooner.

2. Late season attractant. Holding power if you will. We are hoping to see the deer simply flock onto the property in the late season. Will it happen? I don't know, but that is a goal. Hopefully it helps with shed hunting as well, but that will just be a bonus. Not all properties have what it takes to "hold deer", but we are hoping it pulls in some deer we might not have seen otherwise.

3. Goals for us are twofold. The plots in the ground this year were simply efforts to get something in the ground. This property hadn't been worked in decades. Tons of work was needed just to be able to plant anything. Once cleared and dirt turned, we HAD to get something in the ground or it would just go back to weeds. Goals of improving the land for hunting AND prepping it for future agricultural uses were our motivation. It is a hunting property first, but if you can get your property to pay you back while making it a better hunting property, then all the better!

I am curious what some of you guys will have to say on this subject. Obviously, the overall health of the herd is going to bring long term antler benefits. There is also a genetic factor involved as well though. There is also a need for water and cover in there. I feel it is the entire package and not just a food plot or two which create this environment for better antlers. Without cover, water, food, and low hunting pressure, it is going to be a waste of time. There are so many factors involved to create the perfect storm, I don't think it is a reality on most properties. Without a large enough property (or surrounding properties with common goals) it is not going to happen.

What reasons do you guys plant them? What benefits are you looking for and what benefits have you already seen? Do you feel your goals are realistic or are you simply hoping to achieve the desired effects? Is it something you enjoy like a getaway for you? Or is it something you feel is necessary to make things happen? Just curious.
 

Gern186

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NW Ohio Tundra
I like your way of thinking Phil.....you are right on IMO when it comes to helping get the deer through the rough part of winter......that's mostly why my uncle and I have done it in the past.....Keep in mind this is beneficial for all wildlife, not just deer. The way I look at it there is plenty of food available for these farmland deer during the peak of the hunting season. But come January through March there isn't a lot to get the animals through....that's where your hard work and money come into play. Sure it will also hold more wildlife than the neighbor's bare 80 acres, and it will also pull deer in from 2 miles away or more. This will benefit you in future years because those deer that are pulled into your plot will be more willing to visit your place year round. Also, shed hunting possibilities are greater when you have a concentrated food source.
 

DJK Frank 16

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Hardin County
I've never put in any plots, but my uncle and grandpa are starting to dabble in them a little bit, so anxious to see the answers to this one as well.
 

hickslawns

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those deer that are pulled into your plot will be more willing to visit your place year round.

Keep in mind this is beneficial for all wildlife, not just deer

here is plenty of food available for these farmland deer during the peak of the hunting season. But come January through March there isn't a lot to get the animals through....that's where your hard work and money come into play.

That is pretty much it right there. I do not think it is realistic to believe it will turn a 130" deer into a B&C deer next year. Food plot is just another piece of the puzzle, not a miracle worker. Hoping it helps the shed hunting. Would love to start seeing some more turkeys over there as well. Not a turkey hunter, but I enjoy seeing them start to increase in numbers around here. I got my first turkey pictures on a farm 1-2miles down the road just last week. First I had captured a turkey on camera at that farm. Would be great to see them make their way to my buddy's property and also to see some other wildlife benefit from it. Watched a pair of grey fox on this property last year. We don't see many greys around here. It was a highlight right up there with arrowing the buck I tagged last year.
 

jagermeister

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I put in food plots simply for the reason to help keep more deer on the property I hunt, for longer periods of time. Obviously the goal is to increase my odds of killing deer... any deer. The enjoyment I get out of it watching it grow and seeing the wildlife benefit from it is just a bonus.
 

Boone

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Good input all aound. I guess I have two main reasons for planting plots that more or less have been stated above: the plantings benefit deer as well as other wildlife, and personal satisfaction. I love being outdoors and have always liked growing things and challenges. Learning what works and what doesn't; the science, e.g pH, N P K levels, and growing conditions; as well as the luck or items out of our control like rainfall and temps; is all part of the fun. Our deer usually look like crap at the end of winter and to see my plots green up quick in the spring makes me glad I can help them out at that time of year. It is a great feeling when you see your plot when you are getting sprouts a few weeks after planting, when you get pictures of deer and turkeys foraging in the plot, when you can sit in a stand during the season and see all of the deer pouring into the plot, when you or a buddy or family member arrows a deer going to or coming from the plot that you created. That's what it's all about for me.
 

JD Boyd

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Urbana
I don't wanna make it sound like I don't think what you have done is a bad thing at all....but my good friend has been a biologic rep for at least 10 years now and he has told me a few things about it...

He has put numerous food plots in and he has come to this conclusion. Its a waste of time and money in mostly agricultural areas. I've wanted to do it many times and he talks me out of it everytime. They try to say that by all of the stuff added in to help grow bigger racks and help them to survive in the winter if you look back most of the record whitetails were from many years past. Around here there is so much corn and beans on the ground if you plant a food plot its like us finding a crumb off the floor at a ponderosa steakhouse. They are not starving... All this bs on tv commercials is just that,BS!!! I just talked to him about this and he says down south it is good but here I might as well go burn my money in a fire...
 

Gern186

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I don't wanna make it sound like I don't think what you have done is a bad thing at all....but my good friend has been a biologic rep for at least 10 years now and he has told me a few things about it...

He has put numerous food plots in and he has come to this conclusion. Its a waste of time and money in mostly agricultural areas. I've wanted to do it many times and he talks me out of it everytime. They try to say that by all of the stuff added in to help grow bigger racks and help them to survive in the winter if you look back most of the record whitetails were from many years past. Around here there is so much corn and beans on the ground if you plant a food plot its like us finding a crumb off the floor at a ponderosa steakhouse. They are not starving... All this bs on tv commercials is just that,BS!!! I just talked to him about this and he says down south it is good but here I might as well go burn my money in a fire...

What about having 6-10 acres of standing corn and leaving it year round? I can tell you from experience that deer flock to it like flies on shit.....especially when there is deep snow. Also, come early spring, say around march and early april, those deer are living right in the standing corn because it's the only thick cover around and the food is right there for them to munch on.
 

JD Boyd

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What about having 6-10 acres of standing corn and leaving it year round? I can tell you from experience that deer flock to it like flies on shit.....especially when there is deep snow. Also, come early spring, say around march and early april, those deer are living right in the standing corn because it's the only thick cover around and the food is right there for them to munch on.

That's what he says to do... He planted a pretty good size plot of eagle beans to see how they do. They look good so far...
 

JD Boyd

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Add to what I mentioned before... He says a lot of people get caught up by watching the tv guys in there food plots. Well you gotta think about how much money they offer the big time tv hunters. That's really the only reason they do it is for the endorsement $$$$
 

bowhunter1023

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What reasons do you guys plant them? What benefits are you looking for and what benefits have you already seen? Do you feel your goals are realistic or are you simply hoping to achieve the desired effects? Is it something you enjoy like a getaway for you? Or is it something you feel is necessary to make things happen? Just curious.
I started planting food plots about six years ago and it quickly become something I truly enjoy, so much so, it has become a passion all its own since then. My first food plot was done with a rake, a no-till seed blend, and plenty of sweat equity. That plot was less than 1,000 square feet in size, but the pride I felt seeing bare dirt turn to lush green far out weighed the diminutive size of the plot itself. Since that first plot, I’ve planted several smaller hunting plots ranging in size from a couple thousand square feet, to a couple larger plots closing in on ¼ to ½ acre in size. The majority of my plots have been planted using weedeaters, rakes, and discs pulled behind my four-wheeler. Only twice in the past have I been able to use a tractor to prepare my plots, so I’ve learned the importance of hard work and sweat equity when it comes to offering my deer herd more than just the “usual old groceries”. For me, food plotting is more about busting my ass to turn nothing into something lush and attractive to the deer I’ll be hunting, than it is about actually killing deer on or around them. Simply put, there are few things more satisfying than turning nothing into something via hard work and food plots embody that philosophy.

When I first started planting food plots, I was under the impression it would drastically change my hunting. I mean, it does that for everyone on TV, why would it not do the same for me?!? I’ve come to find that food plots are not a guarantee for killing deer, nor will they drastically increase your odds of killing deer. However, I have spent enough time in and around my plots to watch deer enjoy the fruits of my labor and that is enough reason to keep me working hard to provide them with a variety of food they would not otherwise have access to. My goals each season are simply to grow the best food plots I can grow and let the rest of the pieces fall where they may. That goal will get a huge boost next year with the addition of a 54hp tractor capable of turning dirt like never before. Starting next spring, the goal will be the same, but I’ll be able to plant more plots, bigger plots, and more variety for our deer herd. The underlying goal will be to increase the attractiveness of our property and possibly as a side effect, increase the opportunities we have to harvest deer each season. I have no doubt that larger plots with more variety will make our farm a far more attractive destination for deer looking to fill their stomachs. As it today, we have nothing to offer in a year of subpar acorn production other than natural browse and the food I provide.

I fully expect my food plotting to begin impacting my hunting in the near future as a result of being able to offer more than I have in the past. My plots are strategically placed offering the deer a food source in areas they feel safe during daylight hours. Each plot next year will offer food, security and most importantly for me, shot opportunities. The Drury brothers coined the phrase “planting to a tree” and it something I have done in the past. I have four trees picked out for next season that will overlook what I anticipate being 2+ acres worth of food plots. As I begin to expand my plots and refine my planting techniques, I expect to see results in the form of increased deer sightings and shot opportunities. However, I do not expect to turn subpar deer in to B&C contenders, nor do I expect my plots to deliver mature bucks to me year in and year out. I do expect those plots to increase the health of my deer herd and increase the attractiveness of our farm. Those two factors alone, combined with my love of taking nothing and making something, are all the reason I need to continue food plotting. There is very little that it more fulfilling than spending several hours busting your ass in the dog days of summer carving out a plot, then returning for that first hunt in the fall and seeing a lush green food source staring back at you. It is what drives me to plant plots and it will continue to do so in the future…
 
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Gern186

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Add to what I mentioned before... He says a lot of people get caught up by watching the tv guys in there food plots. Well you gotta think about how much money they offer the big time tv hunters. That's really the only reason they do it is for the endorsement $$$$

Well shit! I need to cancel my Cabela's order then......I just ordered 3 bags of fall food plots to plant in a very thick woods along some logging trails.

Actually in this type of scenario I think a buck will be willing to stop during shooting hours and get a bite of fresh greens.
 

Darron

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Dayton, Ohio
I would not even try to plant food plots in an area that is heavy ag. Corn out draws everything. Having said that, on my property the closest corn or bean field is probably pushing 8-10 miles away.

I plant a total of probably 3 acres every year on 114 acres. Most of my plots are anywhere from 1/4-3/4 acre in size. Am I going to see a significant increase in antler size by planting 3 acres of food plots? IMO no. I mostly plant fall plots with the one goal of drawing deer to my property for me to harvest. The only exception is when I frost seed clover in March and that is to provide feed in the spring and fall.

Plus, IMO it's fun...........but it can get $$$$. I couldn't afford to do food plots on a large scale.
 

Milo

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big food plotter here...i honestly think the turkeys benefit more from it than any other animal. the seed, bugs and cover that it provides a turkey flock is huge and will keep them around all year. deer not so much but we sure find a lot of sheds in the spring in ours. you will NEVER out compete a mature white oak...been there done that. about the only consistant seed i have seen work that i feel is worth the investment (not corn or beans) is forage oats. i do like a clover plot especially in south east ohio because i can get 5 years out of it and redevelop a topsoil biomass layer in the clay soils there. it truly i ALL about cover...deer will eat rocks if thats all they have where they feel safe. (exaggeration but you get the point)
 

hickslawns

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What about having 6-10 acres of standing corn and leaving it year round?
This is part of the long term plans on this property.

I would not even try to plant food plots in an area that is heavy ag. Corn out draws everything.
Darron I agree to a certain extent. Corn is where it is at right now in our area. However, the corn WILL come off. The beans WILL come off. At that point, even in heavy ag areas, I think we can benefit from food plots. Might not matter until Nov-Dec-Jan-Feb, but that is a good 3+ months of benefit during the season.

but we sure find a lot of sheds in the spring in ours.
Thank you Milo. I never knew something you said would make my penis tingle.:pickle:rotflmao I was hoping this would make shed hunting this property a bit easier.

it truly i ALL about cover...deer will eat rocks if thats all they have where they feel safe.
I won't argue this at all either. Like I first stated, I think it is a piece of the puzzle, but it is a small piece. I think we will benefit from them, but they are not miracle workers. Takes the whole combination to make it happen. 50acres of food plots without a tree or any cover around isn't going to make you the next whitetail celebrity.

Simply put, there are few things more satisfying than turning nothing into something via hard work and food plots embody that philosophy.
So true with many aspects of life Jesse. I know I feel a lot better waxing my truck than if I paid someone to do it.

food plots are not a guarantee for killing deer,
Pretty much the same thing as trail cameras. Fun to play with, but don't make anything a "guaranteed thing".

I do not expect to turn subpar deer in to B&C contenders, nor do I expect my plots to deliver mature bucks to me year in and year out.
I agree with this as well. I just don't think that is reality. I am not sure it is even possible. Might help keep them healthier or get them fattened up after a hard winter, possibly even help them sustain a harsh winter, but I don't think it is going to turn a 120" deer into a booner. Still need the genetics and they need the time to get to this level. Not sure some areas have this potential given hunting pressure, poor soil, and such.


Thanks for the replies gentlemen! Keep them coming! I think this is an awesome response so far. I hope to keep reading and expand my knowledge with the information you are giving up. The more I can learn and the more I can read about different theories, strategies, and viewpoints, the better off I'll be. Might even save me some hardship, mistakes, or money.