Five Tips for Planting Food Plots for Whitetail Deer

This sounds easy enough, but you wouldn’t believe how many people skip one step or another when planting a food plot. I will be the first to admit I’m guilty of trying to cut corners, but after a few failed attempts at a food plot, it has taught me better. The first time I tried to plant a clover plot, I did everything perfectly: sprayed my plot to kill everything off, broadcast the seed at the rate recommended by the company, worked it in as the bag instructed, and even timed it to see lots of chances of rain in the upcoming forecast. To say I was excited was an understatement. I even hung a trail camera over the plot just to see how it was growing.

 As the weeks passed, my clover plot looked weak at best. It looked nothing like the pictures on the bag or what you see on hunting shows. At first, I thought I was ripped off, but after a little research, I learned I forgot one important step: to adjust my soil PH. The following year, I spread lime, and that solved my whole problem. The moral of the story doesn’t cut corners and expect perfect results. 

This sounds like a no-brainer, but believe it or not, there are several people who fail to do this simple task. The label will tell you lots of valuable information that you need to know when planting said plot. One of the most important things I look for in a label is quality seed. Some companies will market their food plots as some sort of blend or mix of, say, clover and some sort of cereal grain. Without reading the label, you may fail to see that it is only 40 percent clover and cereal grain, and the rest is a fast-growing filler seed with no real benefits to the health of your local whitetail. Also, when reading the label, pay close attention to planting dates and soil prep. Those 2 little things can make or break a food plot’s success. 

When planting food plots for whitetail deer, there are 2 main goals. Provide nutritional value to your local herd and have a great place to hunt over in the fall. To accomplish the latter of the 2 goals, your deer herd must be comfortable feeding in your plot during shooting hours. There are a few different ways to keep your deer comfortable in the plot. One of the easiest is to plant some sort of screen around your plot. There are several different varieties of screens; with a quick Google search, I’m sure you can find some. But why plant the screen, you might ask? It serves 2 main purposes. The first is that it allows you to access your stand or blind without bumping deer on your entry and exit. This is a big deal, especially in the late season when every little move you make can clear a field full of whitetail in a hurry. The second goes hand in hand with the first, but this time, it works in the deer’s favor. It allows the deer to feel secure when feeding. With a wall planted around most of the perimeter it gives the deer a sense of security. It makes them feel as if they can’t be ambushed; therefore, they let their guard down a little bit while feeding. 

This is another one of those no-brainers. What seems like common sense, especially to a deer hunter, but some people still struggle with over-pressuring hunting spots. Nothing makes deer change their travel patterns faster than human pressure. With that said, stay out of your food plots till it’s time to hunt, and even at that, pick the best days possible. Suppose keeping an eye on your plot is something you want to do; invest in a few good cell cameras. They will not only allow you to know what deer are frequenting the area but also let you keep an eye on your food plot progression status.