Food Plots Food plot size, shape, and location

[hbg1]

Gonna thin 300 acres of pines and open up some areas for new plots. Any advice will be appreciated.

 

[Bell3wv]

I've always felt deer and turkey feel more comfortable in narrow plots.

 

[hbg1]

I've always felt deer and turkey feel more comfortable in narrow plots.

I've read that as well.

 

[yellalinehunter]

Set plots out like a turkey foot. Add some fruit trees and some oaks out for additional draw

 

[Boll Weevil]

While critters might feel more comfy in narrow plots, depending on N-S-E-W orientation sunlight may be a concern to think thru. It's an older video but listen to the first few minutes here. Also if you use loading decks they'll really need to be cleaned up and maybe ripped to relieve compaction from running 80k lb trucks and skidders over em for weeks and weeks (or months). It'll be like concrete.

 

[PickettSFHunter]

I want mine easy to take care of with a tractor. Long and narrow is easy. Regular shapes are easy. Irregular can get harder with more passes over the same ground. I don't really get to consider any of that though because for me, it's just where is there alittle bit of flat ground it is best if you can scout out the best soil ahead of time, unless it's all just the same.

 

[hbg1]

While critters might feel more comfy in narrow plots, depending on N-S-E-W orientation sunlight may be a concern to think thru. It's an older video but listen to the first few minutes here. Also if you use loading decks they'll really need to be cleaned up and maybe ripped to relieve compaction from running 80k lb trucks and skidders over em for weeks and weeks (or months). It'll be like concrete.

View attachment 260740

That video is awesome, thanks for sharing. I've tried using loading docks with little success. The compacted debris is just hard to overcome. I even hired a dozer to come in and try to clear the debris.

 

[megalomaniac]

Stay away from rectangle or square if possible.

I like a 45 to 90 deg turn in the plot so bucks can't walk to 5y of the edge of the plot, see everything from one spot, then sneak out without having never come in

 

[Ski]

Good valid points by everybody so far. If you have the option I like longer narrower plots pointing east & west with nothing blocking the southern exposure. That'll get you sunlight from dawn til dusk.

You can use some type of tall sorghum to give internal dimension and seclusion. Doesn't have to be 8ft tall Egyptian wheat that blocks sun to parts of the plot. It only has to be 3ft-4ft to block deer vision but not block sunlight.

 

[deerhunter10]

We have all kinds of shapes and sizes. As we like most we fit in food the best we can where we can. But our most productive foodplots far as seeing big deer and having them walk the entire food plots. We have one set up like an hour glass but we leave it grown up around it, but up in the air you can see everything. And where it pinches down is a great bow spot. The other spot that has been good for us is a turkeys foot style leaving the non food plot grown up.

Regardless we have good success with all of our plots because we have them tucked into absolute thick stuff. And leave out food plot ground to let the fields surrounding the foodplots grow up (we bushhog in late January early February) and let everything else grow up.

The biggest thing as mentioned above is the mature deer you need to try to block their view the best you can, easier said then done a lot of times.