The Ups and Downs of Food Plots

Every time you turn on a hunting tv show or read a whitetail article, the topic always seems to involve food plots. There are many companies out there that tout their seed concoctions as the best. Plant it and they will come, seems to be the motto. Food plots do work, under the right conditions and situations. Food plots are also a huge waste of time and money, if not done right or put in the wrong place.

Picking the Place

Food plots basically serve two purposes. The first thing is a place to feed deer high quality forage. Secondly, a place to kill deer.

If your main purpose is to feed deer, then you want to plant a larger plot in soil, that will produce multiple tons of forage. Putting these “feed” plots in areas that are frequented by deer, obviously makes the most sense. I'm not quite as concerned about security cover in these types of situations as I am with kill plots. It is still a good idea to keep them away from roads and poachers. A feed plots sole purpose is to allow deer to pack on pounds. I expect mostly night time feeding patterns because chances are, the larger size plot doesn't allow me to tuck it away like a kill plot. You're still gonna want to know what's feeding there. No big deal, hang a couple trail cameras around the perimeter and see who is visiting.

Kill plots need to be set up with plenty of cover around them so deer feel safe enough to come to them during daylight hours. Predominate wind direction, as well as thermals, also need to be taken into consideration. Entry and exit routes are very important. The greatest located food plot in the world does you no good if the deer see you coming or leaving.

Kill plots should be set in preferred fall foods. Turnips, sugar beets, oats and wheat are fall favorites. Spring food plots, meant to pack on pounds, generally consist of alfalfa and clovers. If you do not live in an agricultural area, corn and soybeans are also fall favorites.

When it's worth it

Having food plots on your hunting acreage, is not the cure all solution for killing deer. When is it worth it? It's worth planting food plots when you have the money to do it, the time to take care of them and the deer that you want to kill actually exist.

Assuming you have the money, What about the time? To properly plant a food plot you should spray and kill all existing vegetation, work the ground till you have a good seedbed and then plant. This procedure will take a couple days to complete, depending on the size of plot and equipment being used. After your plot is established, you will need to mow and/or spray them. Fall plots generally take less time because you will usually be planting an annual type of plant, such as turnips or soybeans. But you can also plant clover and alfalfa plots during the same time frame. The good thing with clover and alfalfa plots is that once you have them established, they will last for years. You will still have to maintain them (spray/mow/fertilize), but the big chunk of the cost has already been dealt with.

When it's not

First and foremost, if you do not have the money to put in a food plot, don't put in a food plot. If you are an outfitter and it's your business, then by all means, find a way. But, for the average guy it just doesn't make sense. Food plots will help you kill deer and sometimes make it easier. You do not need them to kill deer; just like you don't need high price optics, bow, gun or boots. Yes, these things are nice and do help, but it's not the end of the world if you can't afford them. This article is not meant to be about money. I just get sick and tired of reading how you “have to have” this and that or that and this to hunt.

Back to food plots

In my opinion it's a waste of time to have plots if you hunt in agriculture rich areas that provide little to no cover. All the food is right there. They don't need any more. You are better off learning to hunt the crops that the farmers plant. Learn what crop rotation does to deer patterns and so forth. Let someone else do the planting, you just make it work for you.

I would not plant food plots if you're not gonna be able to hunt them effectively. What's the point? Wide open fields, bad winds and accessibility are all things to take into consideration. Don't force things to work when they're not meant to work.

Don't forget the deer. I, for one, tried for years to grow bigger deer by planting food plots and lacing the ground with minerals. It was a rather stupid idea. The food was already here, our farms just lacked the cover to allow them to grow up. My point is simple, if your area does not produce the size of bucks you are looking for, chances are, food plots will not improve your odds. Sure, they can add a few inches of bone but the problem either lies in bucks not reaching maturity or piss poor genetics. Why waste the time and money?

Conclusion

Overall, I think food plots are a good accessory to your hunting strategy, as long as time and money allow for them. Again, they are not a cure all or a fix all to your hunting problems. They are like a supplement. Supplements don't usually fix problems, they are just an aide in the solution.

If you are new to food plots or growing stuff from dirt, keep your plots small and work your way up. Reading material is all over the place for planting and growing food plots. Inform yourself and figure out what works best for you and your area. If this is not something you want to tackle on your own, hire a local farmer to give you a hand. They have the equipment and know how.