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What is the best seed for a food plot?

smyrnagc

smyrnagc

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I am thinking ahead for next year and want to plant some food plots on some property and was wondering what is the best seed for planting to attract deer?

If possible, we would like something that is planted maybe in the spring and that will last deep into deer season. If not the spring then maybe late summer.

I am new to this and would like to hear from you guys that have already blazed this trail and are successful in bringing in deer to your property.

Thanks
 
If you are planting smaller plots, I would suggest planting white clover. There are several variations that work great. I mix ladino and durana. You plant them once and they will last a few years with proper fertilization and weed and grass control. You can also rotate crops. I have one plot that stays in clover and the others are rotated with corn and soybeans for the spring and summer and the oats and brassicas in the fall and winter. All of these variations work well at attracting deer. I try to plant plots close to thick bedding areas to increase chances of seeing older bucks during daylight. I also try and plant plots that will keep deer out of sight of neighboring properties. Good Luck.
 
I plant products from the Whitetail Institute. Yes, alot of guys just go to the coop and get their seed and I used to. That was until I planted it side by side. Their seed is already preinoculated and I have had good luck with all that I have tried. I am fond of their imperial clover. Side by side it definately had more grazing that regular ladino. If you just doing small plots then the cost isnt too bad but if you are doing food plots on a larger scale then maybe its not very cost effective. No I do not in any way work for them. Just really like their products. I really believe they have done their research when it comes to food plots. I have 3 of their clover plots that are going on 4 yrs old and are still going very strong.
 
The food plot plant most consistently eaten by deer for me has been Imperial Whitetail clover. And it stays green all through deer season too. But you do have to lime it like any legume or you won't get good results. I have a small plot of it on one end of the farm and it is included in the Whitetail Institutes "Alfa Rack" alfalfa/clover/chicory mix. I have 4 acres of AlfAa Rack which gets cut for hay also. I wouldn't recommend Alfa Rack for somebody who doesn't have hay equipment because it falls over on itself when it matures and quickly gets very "stemmy" and tough. It needs to be cut about every month. If you cut it and just leave it laying, it will mulch itself and quickly die out. I suppose you could get by if you plant very small patches that the deer can keep eaten down. If you can keep Alfa Rack cut so that you always have new growth coming on, deer love it and it has a very high protein content. As a former cattle farmer, I admit to having an alfalfa bias. :)

One strategy I tried this year for one of my food plots was to plant Pennington Seeds "Spring/Summer Deer Mix". It is a vine bean, vine pea, sunflower, sorghum mix that not only gives deer feed but because of it's height provides cover. I added corn to the mix for more variety. The only negative is that this all dies with the 1st frost. But it produces a huge amount of feed up to that time! In spite of the negative of this crop dying with cold weather, my strategy this year was to disk up a strip in the middle of the Spring/Summer deer mix AFTER frost had killed it and in that strip I planted a narrow(30ft x 100yds) strip of "No Plow". My reasoning was that the standing dead stuff would give deer some security while eating the No Plow, which would grow all Winter. I don't really hunt directly over that plot but still want deer to feel safe in it as much as possible.

Next year though I intend to use a mix of RoundUp Ready forage beans and RR corn. Reason being that I have a terrible weed problem in some of my food plots that need a couple years of clean farming to clear up.
 
One Whitetail Institute product that has yet to produce any good results for me is the brassica in Winter Greens and also in several of their other Winter season mixes. They grow great but the deer just won't eat them. This year they were eating them a little bit(for the 1st time) about October in the No Plow strip I mentioned above but then they suddenly stopped cold. The plants look tall and healthy with not a bite taken out of them after several hard frosts. Don't understand why other people see such good results and my deer won't touch them?
 
I'm an Imperial Whitetail fan as well, I use the Chicory Plus blend planted in early fall and top dressed with wheat, oats, and Austrailian winter peas. The other seeds work well at keeping weeds at bay until the clover has an opportunity to establish itself.
 
There is no "best" food plot seed. Much will depend on what other food sources are available in the area, what will grow in your food plot soils, and what plants the deer in your area prefer.

In essence, the "best" food plot plant will be different on different properties.
 
BSK said:
There is no "best" food plot seed. Much will depend on what other food sources are available in the area, what will grow in your food plot soils, and what plants the deer in your area prefer.

In essence, the "best" food plot plant will be different on different properties.
Click to expand...

I think this is true with the exception maybe of some of the biologic type plots that when they freeze and burst open it's basically sugar
 
Coach said:
BSK said:
There is no "best" food plot seed. Much will depend on what other food sources are available in the area, what will grow in your food plot soils, and what plants the deer in your area prefer.

In essence, the "best" food plot plant will be different on different properties.
Click to expand...

I think this is true with the exception maybe of some of the biologic type plots that when they freeze and burst open it's basically sugar
Click to expand...

I have seen loctions where deer won't touch brassicas at any time of year.
 
Thanks for the replies guys...Sorry to get back late but been hunting.

We will be planting these "micro plots" in middle Tennessee. The ground will be cleared and drug and we have access to plenty of top soil to add (top soil is like gold around here). We will be planting a couple 1/2 - 1 acre micro plots with the hope to attract deer and hopefully create some good hunting conditions for Fall 2013.

Sounds like clover might be the way to go...
 
Make sure you get your lime put down early if needed. That will be the key to a better food plot. Very common overlooked ingredient.
 
I've put out ladino and durana for a few years and had good results. I've also used WI imperial clover and I know it's more expensive but the deer burn it up and gives me by far the best crop. I also get lucky and get it for around half price so it's a win win for me. Other than that I'm leaving stands of corn next to clover. Deadly combo
 
You can beat your brains out all day long concocting this mix and that mix.blablabla..but imo.. nothing beats round up ready corn.. been there and done that..
 
I planted the extreme radish throw n grow in a spot i hunt alot and have hunted for years now, it took off quick and i made the mistake of not putting anything around it to keep deer off it until it got established well the deer wiped it out before it got mature the only thing left was the rye grass and it was so damaged it only grew about 5 inches tall from the soil.
 
I think you would do well to just experiment with different varieties of this and that and see what the deer in that area gravitate towards. Be prepared for them not to touch some of the stuff you plant. For example, I cannot make a deer eat rape or turnips on my place in SouthEast TN and cannot plant enough of it at a place I hunt in Dickson county. On the other hand, the deer at my place in SouthEast TN tore up my chicory from summer until just about 3 weeks ago. Go figure. It all varies.
 
I put in a plot in Sept, still looking good, but the deer really aren't hitting the turnips.

15 lbsVNS Wheat (Variety not Specified) (not feed wheat)
15 lbs forage oats
10 lbs austrian winter peas
5 lbs crimson clover
5 lbs ladino clover
1 lb 7 top turnips.

I think this is what I used. I plan on planting a summer plot this year, but am going to try a commercial mix, probably Whitetail institute Powerplant.
 
BlountArrow said:
I think you would do well to just experiment with different varieties of this and that and see what the deer in that area gravitate towards. Be prepared for them not to touch some of the stuff you plant.
Click to expand...

Very wise words BlountArrow. The answer to what is the "best" food plot blend can only be found for your plots by experimenting. What works for your neighbor may not work at all for you.
 

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