new to Food Plots...any suggestions?

[irishjigger]

My brother in law is looking to try a food plot next year, and I am fairly new to it and was hoping for some help. What would be the easiest or the best to plant for first timers? Does the size of the area determine what you plant? It's not a huge piece of property ~ 15 acres and the open spot is about 1.5 of it. Any help would be appreciated...thanks

[irishjigger]

Sorry guess I could have posted this in the whitetail habitat section Any help is still greatly appreciated!!

[Backwoods-Savage]

Irish, you can use either this or the other forum.

I used to go to the other forum a lot and gave lots of advice. Sadly, after being away from MS for quite some time, that forum has deteriorated a lot. What really gets me upset the most is all the spraying. Roundup is the number 1 spray and yes, it has been said it is the safest spray there is and no side effects.

It just makes me cringe when I read about all these guys using the spray and really don't know what they are doing. Before farmers bought the spray, they all had to be somewhat eductated about the use of the spray. Not so with average Joe! Anyway, you can do a lot of food plot work without using roundup. There is a time to use it but not like it has been advised.

For a first food plot I am assuming you want to plant next spring. You can take a soil sample to find out what is best for the ground. For example, especially if you have some sand, you will probably want to put some lime on. But how much? A soil test will give you that answer.

For a first crop, I always recommend either rye or buckwheat. Most food plots are on ground that was not farmed. Therefore, buckwheat is a good choice as it will help build up the ground and the deer and turkeys absolutely love it.

The bad part of buckwheat is that it can not tolerate frost. That means to plant late, which works out great for lots of folks. We plant ours in early June. It matures fast so by early to mid-August we then work that into the ground.

It is followed with a 50/50 blend of Buck Forage Oats (or similar type)/rye. The deer love it too. The bad part is that it is not much of a late season crop. If you want a late season crop then some turnips, rape, brassica's are in order. 1.5 acres is a good size for a food plot and you could plant a good variety to see what works best for your situation.

If you do late season hunting, then plant 50% into the buckwheat-rye-oats for the early season and the rest for late season hunting.

Good luck.

[Falk]

You would be wise to get a copy of Ed Spin's book.

[Anderson]

Irish, I agree with Backwoods. There is a lot of Roundup recommended for food plots. Sometimes too much IMO. It's cheap compared to other herbicides, readily available and it works in a lot but not all food plot situations. It gives food plotters the ability to kill weeds without the need for tillage equipment. Spraying Roundup once or twice in the early fall and frost seeding clover in the spring may be one of the easiest food plots to start and maintain. It's not a cure all and I seldom use it in my plots, but I've got access to tillage equipment.

I also agree with Backwoods other suggestion of getting a soil test. It lets you know what you have to work with.

Picking up Ed's book "Ultimate Deer Food Plots" is also a very good suggestion. It's a very good and easy read for the novice food plotter.

Tim

[irishjigger]

Thanks a bunch guys! I will definatly get a soil test and see what we have. Being so new to this it seems quite interesting with so many different combos out there!! I hope to do this in the spring so I am trying to get my ducks in a row and be ready to go when the time is right. Thanks a ton and I will keep you updated with the results!

[Backwoods-Savage]

Good luck to you and I hope the food plot is successful.

[Luv2hunteup]

The best advice that I can give you is to buy Ed's food plot book. Spend the winter reading it and formulating a plan.

www.deerattraction.com

Another great book is "Grow 'Em Right" by Neil and Craig Dougherty. This book covers food plots but not in detail as Ed's book does. It is a great resource for setting up a property for hunting along with food plots.

Be advised; food plotting and property management can be addicting.

[6inchtrack]

Just plant some of that corn seed that you just throw out on the ground...
If you plant it, they will come.


.

[wadevb1]

I am fortunate enough to have access to good equipment and land. I planted five plots this year from the elaborate to the simple. I have always found my deer enjoy a small plot of WW and Buck Forage Oats with a little clover and winter peas tossed in. Cheap and easy with good results. The deer can browse it hard but it will continue to thrive.