Food Plots


Posted by: Norman Sines on 26 February 08

Today we hear a lot about food plots, especially if you’re involved in hunting. If you’re just getting involved in hunting food plots I hope you will find what I have to say interesting and informative. But you should realize from the start that this is just a brief outline about food plots and more extensive knowledge can be obtained by reading some of the books recommended at the end of my writing.

I’d like to start by telling you how I got involved. I have been a whitetail deer hunter in the state of Maryland for more than 40 years. When the craze for hunting food plots took off, a few years ago I found myself naturally very interested in seeing if I could enhance my hunting experience by attracting and harboring larger bucks. Little did I realize at the time that I would get so much more than that from the experience. Food plots have become my newest hobby. I have found in a way for me to become more directly connected to the outdoors and wildlife on a more regular basis. Simply said it brings me closer to nature. I hope in this reading you too will sow the seed that blossoms into a relationship that brings you closer to nature.

Let us begin.

Your first consideration about food plots should be your goals and costs. I put these two together because they go hand in hand. Your goal must be realistic to be realized, therefore you must consider the amount of money and time you are willing to put into this endeavor.

A good idea might be to write down your goal and cost on a piece of paper. It can be very general to start with. But most important write it down. Now put it where you are sure to see it everyday. Taped to the bathroom mirror, the refrigerator, etc. Leave a pen nearby so each day when you read it you can adjust what you have written until you feel it is as specific as it needs to be.

Now here are some of the considerations to take into account when thinking about your goals.

Reasons for creating food plots:

Consider the kinds of food plots:

Part of assessing the time you are willing to put into this endeavor will determine which of two directions you will choose.

First if you don’t have a lot of time I recommend you spend some time reading the back of seed bags at your sporting goods store and choose a reputable name brand that promises minimal preparations for planting. I have tried several of these products and have found them to produce well.

Second if you have more time and money to spend go the whole gambit. Start with a soil test. Next lime and fertilize according to you soil test results. Use proper tillage. Plant seeds in accordance with bag instructions. Like wise do proper maintenance after plants have grown. If this sounds a bit general, it is. There are many different possibilities of plants you might decide to try it would be too much to cover in this quick overview. I would however like to stress the importance of a soil test and the use of lime to create the proper Ph in the soil before planting. Proper soil ph has so much to do with good plant growth.

While there are hundreds of potential plants you may plant in a wildlife food plot I would like to recommend that you try at least one of the name brand seed mixes on the market that consists of clover and chickory. It has been my experience that clover is a high attractant of many different species of wildlife especially deer. Chickory does well during drought conditions and deer love it.

Lastly don’t be discouraged that your first attempt at planting does not do as well as you hope. There is a learning curve with anything you try for the first time. You will greatly enhance your chances of producing a good crop for deer and other wildlife, by doing a lot of reading about soil ph, fertilizer, and specific planting and maintenance practices about your chosen plants.

Food plots can give you a closer involvement with nature. Wildlife Food plots can be therapeutic. True stress relievers, and down right healthy just in the manual labor part. If your fortunate to have family members or friends interested in food plots this time spent working together can be extremely rewarding.

I hope that soon you’ll be enjoying the views that my wife and I enjoy on a morning walk past a 1 acre food plot of clover and seeing over a hundred gold finch flush from the healthy growth for perhaps a hundred or so dove, or a rabbit or groundhog. Or maybe you’ll feel as I did this last season a little disappointed that I didn’t connect with that big buck that I hunted all season. But my hopes were lifted when the morning after hunting season was over I got a picture of that 160 class buck standing in my one acre food plot. I call that a picture of a food plot success.

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