# Anybody put out food plots for deer and other wildlife?



## Guest (Mar 28, 2007)

Since the grass is really greening up and starting to grow, I was wondering if now would be a good time to till up a plot and do some planting?

I'm thinking of going to the co-op and buying a bag of clover, a bag of bird seeds for variety. Mix it all together and broadcast it in a newly tilled plott. Also put out a mineral salt block nearby. 

Watch it over the summer and see what happens.


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## keljonma (Dec 27, 2006)

We haven't done that for the deer, but have for the wild birds. We threw down a bag of wild bird seed in the spring. We ended up mostly with wheat, milo, white proso millet, red millet, sunflowers in a small plot. We left it up all winter. The birds seemed to enjoy it. I saw in the latest Shumway's catalog that they have a mix just for wildlife.


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## hillsidedigger (Sep 19, 2006)

I have surrounded my yard and gardens with bushes for wildlife food and plant many rows of sunflowers, soybeans, oats, barley, wheat, millet, milo and field corn for wildlife. The open areas are about covered with clover as well and great beds of 'greens' are available all winter for the critters.

Deer, rabbits, turkeys, '*****, squ'lls and various birds are welcome.


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## moonwolf (Sep 20, 2004)

I can't afford buying extra clover, or cover seed for wildlife specifically, though I do manage woodlot and some field areas to attract fall deer. Seems they come around 'uninvited' during the green season with the mixed field red clover, trefoil and grass growth that already is there. 
For the wood cut areas I like to make small openings of about 1/2 acre within the tree areas and most of the branches are left that have tender fodder and buds to browse. The openings invite undergrowth of grasses and clover that I don't have to seed, along with some bushes which attract deer, grouse, and hare mostly. The bear seem attracted back in the open beaver meadow, where they are more 'welcome'. 
There are gobs of nesting areas for things like cranes that come in spring, and the geese on the beaver mounds. Wood ducks occupy holes in poplars that are made by woodpeckers near the beaver pond shorelines. Puddle ducks hang out in the outflow of the beaver pond and heavily aldered creeks above and below. The mixed bag forest behind that holds the small group of wolves that have plenty of wildlife to munch on for their needs without disturbing domestic stock further by the highway or house. The occasional moose way back there ambles along and feeds off an overgrowth of new poplar and alder shoots in any cutover areas of firewood trees harvested there.


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## PinkBat (Jul 15, 2006)

We've had turnips for deer. They ate some of the greens but weren't all that crazy about it. This spring we are trying clover. We always have a feeder with corn, which they really enjoy.

If you plant things like bird seeds, don't do it too close to the house and yard. We planted some far from the house and observed a gazillions of rats going in and out of the plot. Fat rats!!!


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## big rockpile (Feb 24, 2003)

I put out a couple plots but didn't have equipment to maintain it.So gave up and started planting more Pines.

big rockpile


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## bgak47 (Sep 4, 2003)

r.h. in okla. said:


> Since the grass is really greening up and starting to grow, I was wondering if now would be a good time to till up a plot and do some planting?
> 
> I'm thinking of going to the co-op and buying a bag of clover, a bag of bird seeds for variety. Mix it all together and broadcast it in a newly tilled plott. Also put out a mineral salt block nearby.
> 
> Watch it over the summer and see what happens.


 You might want to try several kinds of beans R.H. They grow well without much tending & wildlife really like them.


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## vicker (Jul 11, 2003)

Try field peas, if you can get them. They do right well in poor soil, and are drought tolerant. I have had great luck with them. The deer love them and, if they make it to the fruit stage, it is great food for turkey and other game birds. You might also try buckwheat. Same as above, but harder to get to the fruit stage. Once the deer find it they eat it up.


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## Guest (Mar 30, 2007)

Well I went around today and bought several different varieties of seeds. A 50 pound sack of clover, 20 pound sack of mixed bird seeds, and a 2 pound sack of turnip greens. Somewhere here around the house I have some extra mustard greens, green peas, and sweet corn that I can mix with also. 

I have about 3 small area's that I would like to try some food plotts. Can't wait to see what happens. One thing I hadn't thought about is should I fertilize the area's first?


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## DaleK (Sep 23, 2004)

We put out about 900 acres of alfalfa, corn, soybeans, barley, winter wheat, peas and oats.
Ohhh you meant intentionally for the deer and wildlife? Nope we'd like to be able to get enough hunters to keep them under control but they're overrunning the countryside.


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## bgak47 (Sep 4, 2003)

DaleK said:


> We put out about 900 acres of alfalfa, corn, soybeans, barley, winter wheat, peas and oats.
> Ohhh you meant intentionally for the deer and wildlife? Nope we'd like to be able to get enough hunters to keep them under control but they're overrunning the countryside.


 Where are you? I'm sure that you could get a few hunters to help you out DaleK.


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## jross (Sep 3, 2006)

First and foremost, do a soil test and adjust the soil ph to whatever you are planting. We had to lime at 4 tons per acre and our Biologic Fall perrenial( year round), birdsfoot trefoil( dies at first hard frost), and Full draw ( which I will not plant again) is doing well considering the amount of browsing that goes on around here. With all we have planted, after a tree is felled, the buds are nipped off almost overnight.


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## OkieDavid (Jan 15, 2007)

I plant both fall plots (really not food plots as much as killing fields) and spring/summer plots. If you are after an attractant during hunting season-go with fall plots but if you are serious about antler development and overall herd health you need to focus on spring/summer when they are gowing antler, building up fat reserves, and good milk production for the fawns. About any legume ( pod type fruit like beans, peas) is an excellent choice for high protein. Additional mineral supplements help also in the form of mineral blocks etc.. I strongly encourage a soil test and ammendments as needed for spring/summer plots. If you just want a killing field during hunting season- disk it up, throw out some winter wheat/annual rye and try to sit very still......................

David


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## Guest (Apr 2, 2007)

Not really a killing plot. My intentions is to keep the deer attracted to this side of the big woodlot. Especially in the fall. Whenever they hang out on the otherside of the big woodlot which is on someone elses property they are poached illegaly almost on a daily basis. It won't even be gun season and you will hear high powered rifles shooting. Two times I have jumped deer on our side of the fence and they would run over toward their property and they would start shooting. It would still be a week or two before rifle season begins. 

So my intentions is to keep them attracted to this side as much as possible.


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