50' x 50' Food Plot.What Would You Plant ?

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GunNutz
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Looking at planting a 50 x 50 food plot where I bow and muzzle loader hunt.What are you guys planting that works keeping the deer feeding and in the area ? I've never done a plot before and with some many products out there these days I don't know what works best.
Thanks !
 
I was going to say lettuce and cucumbers and tomatoes then I realized you were talking about feeding deer.
 
we bought a bag of supposedly awesome stuff that deer love and it grows for 5 yrs before having to redo it from Cabela's! Not exactly sure what happened, could have been a number of things. Anyway, it may have sat here in the bag for a yr, because we didn't have the land properly prept for the late fall planting, so it sat in the house over winter, spring came, it was wet, couldn't get the land tilled nicely for early spring planting, finally got it in the ground very late spring, soil wasn't to my liking, still a little too clumpy, but the boys planted anyway. It didn't turn out! ? Too clumpy, sun burnt the seeds, birds ate the seeds, seeds were too old, who knows! Too bad, it was a 2 acre plot! Oh well, maybe next yr we'll try again!
 
What is highly desirable by deer, but not available generally where you hunt? I have lots of oaks for acorns a few apple trees and there is lots of clover around. ( If you are in an area with little clover that would be my choice as well ). If you can't give them something that isn't normally on the menu that they would like, I suggest something that gives cover as well as taste like cedar or other brush or coniferous types.
 
I wish I still had the bag from Cabela's, I could have read off what it said, maybe google deer feed at Cabela's, maybe it will pop up! Supposed to be irresistible to deer and they keep coming back for more! They did have a variety of deer plot seed, though!
 
Deerdr plants a mix of chicory, clover, beets and turnips. That way he has greens at varying times and turnip and beets for them to paw up later when the greens fade. I am sure if you PM'd him he would help you with planting timing and seed sources.
 
Start with a soil test , always . No use planting produce that deer love that won't grow in your soil . I used to soil test every year at the University of Guelth but now have it done by the Whitetail Institute . On only 50'x50' i'd be more inclined to put up a feeder . I have 6 feeders and 10 acres of plots on 160 acres . You can do everything perfectly from clearing to cultivating to ph balancing (liming) to sewing and planting to fertilizing to mowing to grass , broadleaf and insect control ... and if it doesn't rain , or it rains too much or if it's unseasonaly hot or unseasonaly cold , you're hooped . I buy locally 'Trail Mix' which is 8 different grains and seeds and blend it with cracked corn and it never fails from my feeders . Of the 60 strains of clover you can bring whitetails in with two , Imperial Whitetail Institute and Alsike but you won't hold them on 50'x50' . You have to think in pounds , actually tons of forage per acre to bring them in and only 'maybe' hold them as your crops will offer them only a few varied nutrients of the many they require . There are no shortcuts and no easy ways to food plot in spite of what anyone says on topics like throw and grow seeds and using a garden rake with the best being , you don't need any soil test or any clover will do . Over 20 years of food plotting I've made every mistake there is , mostly by trying to do things the easy way in the early years . Two excellent resources are , first , QDMA , join the forums , quality deer management association . Guys who farm the smallest of plots to guys who plot hundreds of acres , in some cases thousands . Second , the only youtube channel worth anything is Don Mealey . He's abrasive but he isn't trying to sell you anything . The other youtube channels on food plotting are either trying to sell you something or they are guys just trying it out but don't know what they are doing . You can do it on a smaller scale than Don but it's the info he gives . Spot on accurate with no bs . He's a food plot contractor and builds food plots from Texas to Alberta on private land for a living .
 
Thanks Guys ! I have sole permission on the property and have done well in the past for the muzzle season and got my first archery deer after 35 yrs of trying last fall on this place.I just thought if I could up the odds a little I would.I've just been hunting out of an old stand using apples.I have a week off in a week and just thought if I worked the ground and planted something like clover or alfalfa it might help just a little as I can get the seeds free.It's an old hay field that's run out and needs replanting but the about 4 runs coming out of the corner I hunt.Helping the odds a little can't hurt imho
 
Im in the process of learning the hard way. Tried to take a few shortcuts and I lost alot of money in the process. I planted too early, didn't test my soil, rushed to get more seed in without proper plowing etc. , in the end I should have taken my time and done it right.
I have noticed that they go nuts for the carrots and other veggies left in the ground by farmers after things start to freeze.
 
I like to flip between alfalfa and clover,but you need the sun for the alalfa. The alfalfa will usually stick around for two to three years and clover at least two therefore you don't have to plant every year.
 
atr said:
Start with a soil test , always . No use planting produce that deer love that won't grow in your soil . I used to soil test every year at the University of Guelth but now have it done by the Whitetail Institute . On only 50'x50' i'd be more inclined to put up a feeder . I have 6 feeders and 10 acres of plots on 160 acres . You can do everything perfectly from clearing to cultivating to ph balancing (liming) to sewing and planting to fertilizing to mowing to grass , broadleaf and insect control ... and if it doesn't rain , or it rains too much or if it's unseasonaly hot or unseasonaly cold , you're hooped . I buy locally 'Trail Mix' which is 8 different grains and seeds and blend it with cracked corn and it never fails from my feeders . Of the 60 strains of clover you can bring whitetails in with two , Imperial Whitetail Institute and Alsike but you won't hold them on 50'x50' . You have to think in pounds , actually tons of forage per acre to bring them in and only 'maybe' hold them as your crops will offer them only a few varied nutrients of the many they require . There are no shortcuts and no easy ways to food plot in spite of what anyone says on topics like throw and grow seeds and using a garden rake with the best being , you don't need any soil test or any clover will do . Over 20 years of food plotting I've made every mistake there is , mostly by trying to do things the easy way in the early years . Two excellent resources are , first , QDMA , join the forums , quality deer management association . Guys who farm the smallest of plots to guys who plot hundreds of acres , in some cases thousands . Second , the only youtube channel worth anything is Don Mealey . He's abrasive but he isn't trying to sell you anything . The other youtube channels on food plotting are either trying to sell you something or they are guys just trying it out but don't know what they are doing . You can do it on a smaller scale than Don but it's the info he gives . Spot on accurate with no bs . He's a food plot contractor and builds food plots from Texas to Alberta on private land for a living .
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Thanks for mentioning those resources!
 
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