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How to select best location for a food plot?

hickslawns

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Just curious what some of you guys feel is the best placement for a food plot?

Obviously, different areas of the state will have plots with different needs. In areas devoid of agriculture, I am not sure it would matter a lot. I don't know. I live in agriculture country.

The Drury brothers talk a lot about planting to the tree. Give the deer a destination. I have been reading and thinking a lot about this.

The largest areas we had in plots last year will be farmed agriculturally this year. Outside of the farm equipment intrusions, we will attempt to only hunt the edges this season for the most part and minimize traffic in the core of the property. We plan on planting along the edges of fence rows or wood lines. This will mean roughly 15-20yds wide bordering the perimeters of agricultural fields. We also plan on planting some destination plots closer to the edges of the property. The goal is to allow them to feed along the security of a fence row or edge of a woods towards the property lines and easy access/low impact stand sights

Every year is a learning experience for us. We are far from experts and have multiple goals with the properties we hunt.

With some of my background, maybe you will have some experiences to share.

Do you plant destination plots only?

Do you plant only to locations with low impact access?

Do you try to keep food plots to the edges?

Are you attempting to draw in deer, or just hold your deer longer?

Do you plant with late season or early season hunting in mind? Not every property allows for plantings which offer year round benefits. Sometimes I think we are forced to choose.

I realize the property size and location might also determine your plots. Have any of you had success getting the deer to stop by your buffet on their way to a destination field? Some properties are just pass through areas rather than destination areas. I am curious if food plots in such areas might help to draw deer in and alter their course a bit on the way to their destination food sources?


I think a lot of the focus is put into "What should I plant?" when maybe "Why?" I should plant here or there, or "How I think this food plot will be used?" might be better questions than "what food" we are offering.

If nothing else, maybe this will make for some interesting food plot theory discussion.
 
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jagermeister

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Ohio
"Planting to the tree" makes a lot of sense. But from what I've seen, the number one determining factor for food plot effectiveness is seclusion. The more secluded and "hidden" a plot is, the more likely the deer will visit it during daylight hours.
 

Rutin

Senior Member
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Ina Duck Blind
Ive only got a few plots and really I'm just learning about this myself. I try to keep my plots as secluded as possible where they cant be seen unless your right on top of them. I mainly try to put them as close to bedding areas as I can without getting TOO close and allowing myself to get the best access I can with multiple winds. Most of these plots are what I would consider my killing plots and some of the other plots are just food sources when nothing else is around. Theres not a HUGE number of deer in my area so I try to plant around my doe bedding bc I get alot of travelers during the rut and a food source I believe will maybe keep them around a day or two extra for a chance to kill.
 

hickslawns

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Seclusion? Why didn't I think of that? hahah Great point JB!

Wind/prevailing winds? Another great point Rutin!

In my "The 65 Project" post, I am going to put a small plot in simply in efforts to help guide the deer along my side of the woods. There is a field at the rear of my property surrounded on two sides by timber and one side by a heavy fence row. The open side does not face a road or any houses. Basically, it is an L shaped field that wraps around my woods. They generally cross the field and head north. Sometimes they cross on the west side of the field, sometimes the middle, sometimes the east side of the field (along my woods). My thinking is if I can help direct their decision on which path to choose, maybe I increase my odds. Prevailing winds out of the west give me pretty unlimited tree options. I won't hunt anything but a west wind or SW wind here. They almost always come from the south or the west.

On the other properties, strips have been used for the same reasoning. Rather than watching the deer randomly wander across fields wherever they choose, the strips of plots seem to help assist them in making their decision of which path to take. Like I said, I am fairly new to this. I don't have years of tinkering with different designs or layouts as some guys have. I am fortunate to hunt with a good friend. He is in a good position to be able to "play" more than I can financially. I am happy to be his farm hand/grunt/laborer. I am glad to help him keep an eye on the places as "Sheriff". lmao
 

bowhunter1023

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Appalachia
Do you plant destination plots only?

I would if I had one the amount of ground necessary for a plot sizable enough to be labeled a “destination” plot and two, if I was not actively competing against a few hundred acres of corn and beans within a ½ - 1 mile area of our farm. There will be a day and time where I plant a “destination” sized plot, but that is going to be a few years in the making and we have the perfect spot for it…

Do you plant only to locations with low impact access?

Yes. But it is something that happens by default given the locations I have to plant. With having a variety of ways to access our farm, I am able to easily get around the areas I plant…

Do you try to keep food plots to the edges?

Yes. But again, this is somewhat by default thanks to the areas I plant being located next to thick brush or timbered hillsides…

Are you attempting to draw in deer, or just hold your deer longer?

I think these are essentially one in the same. Obviously I want to draw deer to my plots, as we all do considering it makes for some great shooting. However I also plant so it gives deer another food source or two on our farm that makes it that much harder to leave to go elsewhere. I know they will leave eventually, but maybe I can keep them there longer on the one day I’m perched over the plot and it will all pay off…

Do you plant with late season or early season hunting in mind?

Both. I plant a variety which gives me options from the first weekend, to the last…


To expand on the "planting to a tree" idea, this is something I have done in the past and it makes a world of sense. However I think it can be done even better with access to serious equipment. I have one plot in mind that would be perfect if I could only get 5-6 hours of dozer work done in the area. This is cost prohibitive to some degree and not something I can justify right now. But when I am able to foot the bill for the work, I have a tree in mind that is an absolutely perfect treestand tree for a north wind and situating a 1/4 acre plot right in front of it should make it even better. This small plot is located on a thick hardwood ridge surrounded by red and white oaks, with substantial bedding just to the east. It is a no-brainer spot, but not something that I can just snap my fingers and make happen...
 

hickslawns

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Ohio
Awesome info Jesse! thanks for sharing. I really think this is the type of info we can share with each other and benefit from it. Why to plant certain areas, and where to plant might be more critical than what is planted in many instances.

For us, we have tons of agriculture. It is pretty darn tough to compete with hundreds or thousands of acres of corn, beans, and wheat. What we can offer (in our area) is early season and late season plots in my opinion. Even with these offerings, I am not sure the benefit is a large benefit. I guarantee you the late season plots were not horribly enticing last year given the fact we did not have a harsh winter. Next winter could be completely different though.
 

cotty16

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Supporting Member
Do you plant destination plots only?
I'm on a pretty small area of land compared to many others on here. The acerage is sizeable, but plantable acerage is minimal. So, I plant where there is availability.

Do you plant only to locations with low impact access?
Unfortunately, the areas I plant are also high traffic of the landwoner. They walk, jog, etc... and most of the time it takes them past my locations. I wish I had secluded areas to plant, but they just aren't there. The rest of the property is woods and is on a pretty good slope down into two seperate hollows.

Do you try to keep food plots to the edges?
My plots are surrounded by woods for the most part.

Are you attempting to draw in deer, or just hold your deer longer?
I guess a little bit of both, but holding deer is my nuber one goal.

Do you plant with late season or early season hunting in mind? Not every property allows for plantings which offer year round benefits. Sometimes I think we are forced to choose.
I plant a variety ion each spot to accomodate for early and late season. At least I try to do that. A row of this and a row of that adds variety.
 

cotty16

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Supporting Member
I just got back from checking on the plots I put in about 3 weeks ago. The upper plot is a high traffic area of the landowner, but it's a spot to plant. I'd say the upper plot is just to hold deer and it is a nocturnal site. In this plot is rape, chicory, and oats.

The lower plot is more for attracting deer and is a little more secluded. It has oats, chiocory, and turnips. They're coming along OK. I addeed more tunips today to the lower site. The uphill side didn't get as much planted the last trip because we ran out of seed. So we added sometoday with rain expected tomorrow.

Here is the upper plot: (yes, I know... there's weeds in the foreground)
ImageUploadedByTapatalk1338483050.398092.jpg

Here is the lower plot:
ImageUploadedByTapatalk1338483076.579030.jpg
 
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