What to Plant in Food Plots
Deer hunters know the surest way to bag a deer is to persuade the deer to come to where the hunter is instead of spending long days tracking them down. Planting food crops specifically for deer accomplishes two important goals: The deer are guaranteed a reliable source of food, which encourages them to remain in the local area, and the hunter knows that he will have the opportunity to bring home well-fed, healthy game. Does this Spark an idea?
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Considerations
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Deer like much of the same fruit and vegetables that humans do. Because of their active lifestyle they require high-carbohydrate and protein foods. During the fall, the deer need to put on as much fat as possible to help see them through the winter. During the spring, they need to regain much of the fat and muscle they lost from the previous few months. Having a deer plot that gives them seasonal food the year around is important.
Four-Season Planting
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A good approach would be winter wheat or rye for a quick spring treat. These high-carb grains grow fast and are ready to eat in the first days of increased warmth and sun. Deer love clover and the high-protein diet during late spring and early summer gives them good nutrition. Alfalfa and soybeans are a good mid-summer to late-autumn crops that grows well. Sorghum and other summer grain are ready for the deer in the fall, and corn takes them through the late fall and winter.
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Soybeans
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Soybeans are the all-around perfect food for deer and one they will eat down to the ground if they are given an opportunity. Soy has about 40 percent protein and are easily digestible. It takes about 34 lbs. of soy seed for a 1 acre plot. It is best to plant 25 percent of the soy first, and then every two weeks plant another 25 percent. This enables the deer to feed from it for a longer time.
Other Treats
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Other browsing feed can be planted in and around the soybeans to keep the deer from eating all the soy at once. Good crops are forage sorghum, sunflowers, corn, alyceclover, yellow sweetclover, hairy or bigflower vetch, cowpeas, oats and wheat. Long-term planning includes putting fruit trees and vines around the edges of the food plot. Deer consider persimmons, apples, pears, grapes, raspberries and other fruit to be like candy, and will gladly stay near a valued source of fallen fruit.
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References
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