Food plot

C

crumper

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Location
Next door to the Shwa
The group I hunt with are mulling over ideas to attract and keep deer on the property before and during hunting season. We are located in central Ontario and considering creating food plots. As we are not farmers is there a seed we can broadcast late winter early spring that will grow after snow is gone. We are also considering bring in a yard of triple mix and spreading it out in areas 3-4 inches deep and adding seed in mid summer. For non farmers what is the most fool proof way to get the deer and keep the deer on the property. Water is readily available and the property is heavily treed (hardwood) with a few open areas.
Thanks
Don
 
The ones around here really like the to eat the tops off the carrots and beets .
I would put down some alfalfa and white clover , hardy, grow fasts, and will grow back every year, makes a good grazing patch

throw out a salt block too.
 
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Our farm garden gets hit hard by the local Mule population every year. In order of preference, we have seen them eat year after year garden peas get hit first and will get eaten down to the ground, beet & turnip tops & ordinary lettuce is second in preference for them. After they have eaten most of the above they will hit the pumpkins and various squash plants...They even eat the squash themselves frequently...they will attack one squash one night, eat half of it but never go back to that one, they will start a new one the next night.

One thing, contrary to Peacemaker, they will not touch our carrot tops at all...ever.
 
crumper said:
The group I hunt with are mulling over ideas to attract and keep deer on the property before and during hunting season. We are located in central Ontario and considering creating food plots. As we are not farmers is there a seed we can broadcast late winter early spring that will grow after snow is gone. We are also considering bring in a yard of triple mix and spreading it out in areas 3-4 inches deep and adding seed in mid summer. For non farmers what is the most fool proof way to get the deer and keep the deer on the property. Water is readily available and the property is heavily treed (hardwood) with a few open areas.
Thanks
Don
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Rack stacker has some good products

walk n seed
https://www.rackstacker.ca/rack-stacker-inc-walk-n-toss-25-lb.html

Field Edge
https://www.rackstacker.ca/rack-stacker-inc-rack-stacker-field-edge-1lb.html

You can also plant white dutch clover which provides nitrogen to the ground, a much needed nutrient for plants and soil. deer love eating it and you only have to reseed every 4 - 5 years as it tends to reseed its self when cut with the lawn mower. works well in either full sun or some shade, can also with stand drought so if youre not up at camp very often in the summer dont worry too much about watering Great stuff.

https://innisfilcreekhoney.com/products/white-dutch-clover-seed

White Clover is a low growing, nitrogen-fixing perennial used in pastures, lawns, and deer plots. White Clover is used in high traffic areas to minimize soil compaction and can easily replace your excisting lawn. Once established, it grows rapidly and spreads via above-ground stems or stolons. White Clover works well when frost seeded into existing pastures in the spring. Grows 3 to 6 inches in height.

White clover likes to be mowed making it great in your lawn. Once mowed it will quickly produce more white flowers. Honey Bees and other pollinators love white clover and the honey it produces is some of the clearest and whites honey you will see.

Planting Instructions

1 lb / 454 g Package

Suggested seeding density is 8 lbs per acre

You can over-seed already planted areas using a grass seed planter or fertilizer spreader without tilling and create a mixed planting.
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We usually plant turnip. the deer don't touch the greens until after a good frost, then the turnips are dug p after. Shade tolerant and not too much work. I've also planted a triticale field pea mixture that farmers use for cattle forage. I find the packaged food plot seeds very expensive and not that great for hardwoods type of hunting areas.
 
Spray a piece with round up. Once everything is dead either rototill or disc and cultivate. Then harrow the plot or drag a heavy log behind a quad to smooth it out and firm up the soil. Broadcast your seed and drag a log to cover the seed.
 
crumper said:
Is there much benefit/gain from tossing some white clover seeds on the ground this November or should it be saved til spring when I planned on putting seed down as well.
Thanks
Don
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We planted ours in the spring. Came up thick and full. Not sure if planting in the fall would have helped much. Cut at least once over the summer.

We also plant turnips. They nibble on the tops but dont really touch them until the fall. The following spring the moose love the mushy turnips. I wonder if they ferment and they get a little drunk from it? Also a fall rye that the deer really hammer in December.

Heres some pics from mid November last year. You can see the food plot strip in the field. The 2nd pic is of the dug up turnips the deer were after once the snow came down.

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This is the clover patch we planted in its 2nd year (pic taken early June). It came up beautifully this year. We cut it once and it now sits at probably 6-8" in height and the deer have been really keying in on it since fall hit.

ME2LM00l.jpg
 
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crumper said:
What has been the gain in deer numbers once the food plot has been established?
Thanks
Don
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I have no idea. Winter plays too much of a part on a year to year basis. 3 of the last 4 have been awful, and deer were low.

What they do to increase success I cannot quantify. It makes us feel good though, providing deer with a nutrient rich food source that doesn't require daily maintenance like corn or other bait. If it helps a couple extra deer or moose make it through a hard winter it's worth our time and effort.

It does seem to hold deer in our area within a year, but seems to get reset over winter. Would they leave without it? I can't say.
 
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