How to Plant a Food Plot in Michigan for Deer

White-tailed deer are overpopulated over large areas of Michigan.

Adding a food plot to your property is an inexpensive way to improve the quality of the hunting on your land in two important ways. First, white-tailed deer are overpopulated over large areas of Michigan, resulting in a shortage of food and poor nutrition. By providing a supplement of healthy food, you improve the quality of the deer in your immediate area. Second, deer become accustomed to visiting the plot, making them easier to shoot.

Things You'll Need

• Soil sampling kit
• Lime
• Fertilizer
• Cultivating implement
• ATV or small tractor

Instructions

1. Choose a site for the food plot that is near both heavy vegetation and a water source, if possible. Positioning the plot parallel to a habitat area with suitable cover will also help attract deer. Decide on the size and shape of the plot. Smaller plots are often more effective at attracting deer because the animals feel less exposed.

2. If the site is covered with woody vegetation, you may need to use a brush hog to clear the plot. If there is a dense canopy of leaves directly over the site, it may be necessary to trim back trees or branches so that the newly seeded plot receives enough light to thrive.

3. Contact your county Michigan State University Extension office for a soil sampling kit. Collect several soil samples from the location where you will plant the food plot and send them to the soil-testing lab at MSU or to another reliable soil lab. The results of the soil test will include recommendations for the amount of liming and fertilization your soil requires. Over-application of fertilizers can pollute water resources, damage plants and waste money.

4. Prepare the soil by dragging a small cultivating implement behind an ATV or small tractor. Plow the soil to a depth of 3 to 4 inches. Broadcast seeds by hand or with a spreader. If you're just getting started with food plots, try seeding annuals such as rye, oats and wheat. Annuals are easier for beginners to grow and provide a fast reward. Perennials, such as clovers, are more sensitive to soil chemistry, but they are less expensive because they do not need to be replanted every year.

Tips & Warnings

• The ban on baiting and feeding deer currently in place in the Lower Peninsula does not apply to food plots (reference 2).

• Place a small wire enclosure within your plot to evaluate the growth of the crops. The enclosure excludes deer and provides a means of comparison to allow you to determine how heavily your plot is being browsed.

• It is illegal to plant food plots on public land.

• Even on a plot on private property, deer may only be hunted during the proper season by those with a Michigan hunting license.

• According to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Environment, providing deer with supplemental food may facilitate the spread of diseases such as chronic wasting disease by concentrating deer in one location. Supplemental feeding also helps to support the chronic overpopulation of deer in Michigan, which can result in damage to natural areas.

References

• Michigan State University Extension Bulletin E498: Sampling Soils for Fertilizer and Lime Recommendations
• Frequently Asked Questions: Lower Peninsula Bait and Feed Ban
• Michigan DNRE: DNR and USFS Reminder: Planting Food Plots on Public Land is Illegal
• Michigan DNRE: Feeding Wildlife Often Does More Harm Than Good
• Landowner's Guide: Grain Plot Planting