How to Start Food Plots in Wisconsin

A food plot will bring deer to you.

Whether or not you hunt, having deer visit your land is a treat. Planting and maintaining a food plot -- a small area of crops that deer enjoy eating -- is an excellent way of attracting these animals and keeping them healthy. Although more work than laying out bait, food plots last longer and blend better with the environment. To start a food plot, all you need to is a little bit of spare space, some time to do your research, and a few days' work.

Things You'll Need

• 1/4 acre of land
• Perennial and annual seeds
• Completed soil analysis
• Plow or disc tiller
• Roller

Instructions

Choosing Your Plot and Your Plants

1. Size and locate your plot. Food plots should ideally be at lease one-quarter acre and receive three to four hours of sun per day.

2. Send soil samples out for analysis. The University of Wisconsin has a soil analysis lab at the West Madison Agricultural Research Station that can test your soil for acidity and nutrient levels. To get a reliable soil sample, dig up random samples in a zigzag pattern across the plot from a depth of 6 to 8 inches. Mix them together and send approximately 1 lb. for analysis.

3. Plant to what USDA plant hardiness zone your land is in. Wisconsin ranges from 3a to 5b. A map of hardiness zones is available from the U.S. National Arboretum.

4. Buy your seeds. Most food plots are planted with a mix of beans, grains and forage plants. Clover is especially good for deer, as it provides protein that helps with antler growth. Keep the results of your soil analysis handy when you go to your seed supplier.

5. Till the soil. Break it up to a depth of a foot with a plow or disc. On smaller plots this can be done using hand tools.

6. Add fertilizer to the soil. Also add lime if your soil test showed it to be too acidic.

7. Smooth the plot bed with a heavy roller. Your roller can be a barrel full of water pulled behind a tractor or truck.

8. Cast your seeds. Throw them by hand evenly around the plot area, then roll them over with the roller.

Tips & Warnings

• Starting a plot in the fall should bring a few deer, but bigger benefits will accrue the following year, when deer can feed on the plot from birth and get to know the spot.

• Tilling fertilizer into the soil each year will help the plants stay healthy. Choose plants from your local area exclusively, as they will be best suited for the climate and conditions.

• It is also possible to lay out a small plot in a forest clearing using only hand tools.

• Avoid use of chemical pesticides or treatments on your plot, especially if you want to eat any of the deer that feed there.

References

• Ohio State University Fact Sheet: Establishing Wildlife Food Plots
• University of Wisconsin: Soil Analysis Lab Location
• U.S. National Arboretum: Plant Hardiness Zone Map