thoughts for 2017

DFisher

Eight Pointer
Next year if I do any deer management, it will be from a bag marked "corn." Planted 3 smallish crops, adding up to an acre, this year including all the usual suggestions, and drew very few deer, and the ones that did come showed up only at night. From October to today, only 2 deer showed up in the daylight. I spent probably $100 on seed, and countless hours on the tractor turning and preparing and planting, and developed a nice crop that grew to 12-18" tall. For nothing! I hate baiting, but $100 will buy me enough corn for the season on my limited space, and will be a lot less time and energy. I am getting too old to put forth a lot of effort for no return. At least I can say I tried. Oh well, let's see if the turkeys like it!
 

tra_cline

Ten Pointer
Contributor
Your response of For no return, I assume you referring to no killing a deer off the plot? If you only had a 1ac food plot and it grew to 18" I am assuming you are in a lower deer density area? Do you think the deer found a better/more desirable food source? Or are they bedding off your property and not getting there till after dark? What did you plant, I have found that most food plots are most desirable when they are short and growing versus mature plants? Our place seen very little food plot activity since the acorns were so heavy this year but now they look like tracked up mud pits. It does sound like you put in a lot of sweat and hard work into it, hope whichever way you go on your set up in "17" sends you a goodun!
 

jug

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
I can tell you from about 20 years experience of planting foodplots. You almost always still need to use corn with your fall green foodplot. Unless you have standing soybeans the deer will need some food that provides adequate nourishment when the temps drop to 30. Acorns and a green salad plot or corn brings them everytime. A green plot alone will not do you much good.
I can tell you that foodplots work though. Just ask the guys down at our dog club. My brother and I put in a small foodplot strip down at the dog club and the first year we didn't see a lot of deer but this year we killed our biggest buck and jumped the most deer off that plot. We got more pics off that plot this year than last. Foodplots take time. They are not a one hit wonder.
 

jug

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
I would try planting rye , wheat and crimson clover next year and put your corn out. You will see deer I guarantee. Deer like a variety. Be sure to lime.
 

para4514

Eight Pointer
Contributor
Not sure of any details about your property, but is food the limiting factor? Do you have good cover? I look forward to improving some areas on my tracts by cutting maples, sweetgums and elms to promote some thickets over the next few months.
 

DFisher

Eight Pointer
Yes, I meant no killing of deer in the plot, or near the plot, and very few camera sightings. My property is covered with acorns, but once they are gone, which appears to be about the time I start hunting, the deer leave too. I have a couple nice bedding areas, but don't see much around them, seems access is in the other direction. I killed a young buck and a doe this year, quarter mile or so from the plots, but they did not seem to care about the plots themselves.

My desire to have the plots was that I really don't think much of piling up corn. I know it is legal, but just doesn't feel right to me, and no disrespect to those that do it. We had plots when I was younger, and they drew deer, in Va, where you could not bait, although those around us did. The plan was to have plots instead of corn. If I still need to do corn, I will not take the time and money to do the plots.

My plots this year were (1) Pennington Rackmaster Carolina Complete (small grains, legumes and brassicas), (1) Biologic Green Patch Plus (transitional grains, brassicas and clovers) and (1) winter wheat. I wanted to try the variety and see what they liked most. Sign says they liked the Pennington most.

Perhaps they need to see the plots year after year to get used to them, but they see corn for the first time and hit it within days. I love to hunt and stock the freezer, but the effort and money just did not pay off. If I can kill 2 each year by spending time in the woods without the plots, it just seems to make sense. I don't mind the effort and money if it pays off, but for me, it just did not.
 

Weekender

Twelve Pointer
When does your season start?

Plant some cowpeas two weeks before your season if on the eastern zone with a September opener. Deer cannot resist them when they're small and tender. You won't need corn. If the chutes arent ripped out during browsing, the leaves will grow back on young pea plants.

Do your other two plots in clover. Even if you simply use an annual and broadcast them. Crimson clover will grow about anywhere with very little costly prep. Throw the seed, mow the plot, and the thatch will protect the seed and hold in moisture, and do so as close as possible to rain.
 
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DFisher

Eight Pointer
"My season" started November 5, 2016, black powder in Stokes County. Too late for many crops. By then I have generally had a frost or two.
 

jug

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
You going to need corn if your neighbors are putting out corn. Green plots alone wont be enough unless you have 3 to 4 acre field that you can plant in wheat rye and crimson clover. A big green field will draw the deer in without the need of corn. A small 1 to 2acre plot could but not consistently like the larger field. Anything smaller than a acre might be futile without corn.
 

DFisher

Eight Pointer
I understand. The two I killed this year had been eating corn, either at my neighbor's pile, or across the road where the farmer grows 10 acres and cuts right before season. Either way, and as I said, if I plant crops, and still have to put out corn, I will not plant crops.
 

tra_cline

Ten Pointer
Contributor
I think you just answered your own question… If the 2 you killed had a belly full of corn and you know they are going to corn and you aren't seeing them in your green then problem solved for you right now. $100.00 spent on golden acorns and a lot less sweat equity in it for you.
 

sky hawk

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
I use both. Corn in the pines, where there is no food whatsoever, and food plots on the adjacent cover. I don't use both in the same spot. That negates some of the benefits of food plots such as not putting scent down while corning and keeping it discreet for those deer who only visit corn at night due to pressure. There is no doubt that corn is a bigger draw as far as attraction, but there is something about food plots that bucks like to come check them out and scrape around the edges.

Food plots have benefits other than just a kill plot. The nutrition they provide is drawn out over at least half the year. It conditions deer to stay on or near your property, IMO. Corn is a great "flash-in-the-pan", but I think food plots have a lot of intangibles.

I also have come to hate the seed mixes marketed to hunters, and I've tried quite a few over the years. Last year I had a beautiful Pennington plot that hardly got touched. Right next to it was bulk oats and crimson clover that got hammered.
 

ncnat

Ten Pointer
I use both. Corn in the pines, where there is no food whatsoever, and food plots on the adjacent cover. I don't use both in the same spot. That negates some of the benefits of food plots such as not putting scent down while corning and keeping it discreet for those deer who only visit corn at night due to pressure. There is no doubt that corn is a bigger draw as far as attraction, but there is something about food plots that bucks like to come check them out and scrape around the edges.

Food plots have benefits other than just a kill plot. The nutrition they provide is drawn out over at least half the year. It conditions deer to stay on or near your property, IMO. Corn is a great "flash-in-the-pan", but I think food plots have a lot of intangibles.

I also have come to hate the seed mixes marketed to hunters, and I've tried quite a few over the years. Last year I had a beautiful Pennington plot that hardly got touched. Right next to it was bulk oats and crimson clover that got hammered.

What Pennington Mix did you use? I used Pennington Feeding Frenzy and Deer Greens mixed on some late plantings and the deer have eat them to the ground. My personal mix was also eat down to about nothing.
 

lasttombstone

Kinder, Gentler LTS
Just to reiterate what has already been said...... there are more benefits to a food plot than just to kill deer. If that is your only purpose for planting, move on. Small game, turkeys songbirds....... many others benefit from food plots and you are doing your property a favor to spend some time planting. Think Wildlife Benefits as opposed to killing deer and you will be doing yourself a big favor in the overall scheme of things. And don't waste your money on name brand seed mixes. Go buy seeds that you prove to grow well in your own situation and plant accordingly. I never fired a shot this year. Very few deer were present on my place for whatever reason. There is no one reason that results in low numbers. It is usually a combination of things at a particular time. I will be back at it as soon as I can, prepping and planting because I enjoy the work and appreciate the overall benefits of my labors.
 

ncnat

Ten Pointer
Just to reiterate what has already been said...... there are more benefits to a food plot than just to kill deer. If that is your only purpose for planting, move on. Small game, turkeys songbirds....... many others benefit from food plots and you are doing your property a favor to spend some time planting. Think Wildlife Benefits as opposed to killing deer and you will be doing yourself a big favor in the overall scheme of things. And don't waste your money on name brand seed mixes. Go buy seeds that you prove to grow well in your own situation and plant accordingly. I never fired a shot this year. Very few deer were present on my place for whatever reason. There is no one reason that results in low numbers. It is usually a combination of things at a particular time. I will be back at it as soon as I can, prepping and planting because I enjoy the work and appreciate the overall benefits of my labors.

Food plots do have an effect on all wildlife. I have seen more cardinals using my food plots all winter than ever before, also had a lot of squirrels in the food plots this year.
 
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sky hawk

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
What Pennington Mix did you use? I used Pennington Feeding Frenzy and Deer Greens mixed on some late plantings and the deer have eat them to the ground. My personal mix was also eat down to about nothing.

I went back and looked, and I was mistaken. It was Whitetail Institute Imperial No-Plow. But it was used on a well prepared plot. I chose that one because it was a mix of a lot of the seeds I normally like to plant: cereal grains, annual clover, and brassicas. Unfortunately, I think the marketing and the content were two different things, as it seems to be mostly rye. I spent some time in there in early March and the No-Plow was beautiful knee high "grass", and the oats and clover I planted had been browsed down to the ground. Night and day. I've used most of the major brands over the last 10-15 years, but that's the last time. I get my own seed by the 50 lb. bag now.
 
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