Food Plot Objectives

[Early]

It would appear that those who plant food plots, do so to increase the rack size of whitetail bucks shot in/over or close to said plots so as to acquire bragging rights to a big buck.  That said, I would ask,  "Anyone here plant food plots just to benefit wildlife...whitetails, in particular...who does not, nor does not allow, hunting over the food plots?  I would really like to hear from food plotters who have no interest in shooting bucks that use their plots.  Anyone??

[growalot]

I'll respond not as a justification but because I have stated many times why I plant...it started out to Smooth the land..then went on to get deer to frequent the middle of my land due to being nearly shot..a few times..and because it encourages multiple fawns....which I enjoy seeing

 

I have never shot  a buck near my plots..though I have taken doe...I do like hunting turkey near them and even in them...but have only two times over the years...I hunt other animals over the plots....and have never seen a single buck I've shot before I shot it

 

Edited due to kindle changing the words......

Edited August 3, 2013 by growalot

[Paula]

I believe food plots are also used to put weight on a deer and for meat hunters that is a good thing

[jjb4900]

I think a lot of people better the habitat on their land for a far bigger picture than just for killing deer or other wildlife........if I can make an assumption, growalot seems to be one of these people. Due to the layout of our land, we are unable to grow any food plots, but have planted bushes and trees that produce shelter and food for all types of wildlife, but are really nothing that would draw animals in for any type of an effective hunting environment.

Edited August 4, 2013 by jjb4900

[growalot]

Your right...by the way.....I have never had a rack/head mounted....as far as bragging...I''ll brag of shot placement...but as with last years buck...I said " I just happen to be in the right place..at his wrong time"

I just like the challenge of growing things....

[Doc]

I'll bet there is a lot of "farmer-wannabe" attraction to food plotting. It is a very satisfying activity to spend some time on the tractor, creating something that wasn't there before. I have opened up quite a few acres over the years, particularly when I was a youngster working on the family farm. What a feeling of accomplishment. It was great to see a crop growing on land that was previously brush. I'll bet a lot of food-plotters get that same feeling of satisfaction at a job well done.

[Early]

Many good replies here....Thank you....Keep up your good work.

[thphm]

As Doc said, I'll bet food plotters get the same feeling of satisfaction as a job well done. X2 on that.

Looking out the window right now, threw the trees around 150 yards out back there are a few deer feeding in one of the clearings.

[SplitG2]

It would appear that those who plant food plots, do so to increase the rack size of whitetail bucks shot in/over or close to said plots so as to acquire bragging rights to a big buck.  That said, I would ask,  "Anyone here plant food plots just to benefit wildlife...whitetails, in particular...who does not, nor does not allow, hunting over the food plots?  I would really like to hear from food plotters who have no interest in shooting bucks that use their plots.  Anyone??

 

thats a blanket statement.....are there people who plant for that one reason? sure....there are also people who are in to habitat managment and food plots are part of the equation.

[First-light]

I look forward to seeing what this "City boy" can grow. My area 8P is one giant food plot, they get all the groceries they need. 

The satisfaction of seeing the deer using the plot and occasionally shooting one in a plot is what I'm after. Let them all benefit from what i plant. I do feel working a food plot takes too much valuable time but the rewards out-weigh it. 

[growalot]

Firstlight...with all that corn around you ...you'd have to have a plot just to see a deer...and whats up with the no second DMP for even residents???...Wind turbines chase all the deer away?...LOL

[josephmrtn]

It would appear that those who plant food plots, do so to increase the rack size of whitetail bucks shot in/over or close to said plots so as to acquire bragging rights to a big buck.  That said, I would ask,  "Anyone here plant food plots just to benefit wildlife...whitetails, in particular...who does not, nor does not allow, hunting over the food plots?  I would really like to hear from food plotters who have no interest in shooting bucks that use their plots.  Anyone??

I try to help them by leaving extra corn/soybean unharvested along the edge of the field... i have not got into plotting very much (yet )

 

I think a lot of people better the habitat on their land for a far bigger picture than just for killing deer or other wildlife........if I can make an assumption, growalot seems to be one of these people. Due to the layout of our land, we are unable to grow any food plots, but have planted bushes and trees that produce shelter and food for all types of wildlife, but are really nothing that would draw animals in for any type of an effective hunting environment.

+1

[First-light]

Firstlight...with all that corn around you ...you'd have to have a plot just to see a deer...and whats up with the no second DMP for even residents???...Wind turbines chase all the deer away?...LOL

From what I hear they are blowing them into Livingston and Allegany counties!!!!! 2nd year in a row for no second permits. We did not shoot any doe last year. We saw some but not like in the past. Maybe all the Bears and yotes are eating the fawns!!! lol

[WesternNY]

From what I hear they are blowing them into Livingston and Allegany counties!!!!! 2nd year in a row for no second permits. We did not shoot any doe last year. We saw some but not like in the past. Maybe all the Bears and yotes are eating the fawns!!! lol

 

It is more serious of an issue in some parts of the country

 

"Several studies have reported that fawn recruitment rates have dropped from a historic average of 0.9 to 1.2 fawns recruited per doe to 0.4 to 0.5 or less. This equates to a decrease of more than 50 percent in deer herd productivity and certainly has important implications for harvest management, particularly doe-harvest goals."

 

Taken from  http://www.qdma.com/articles/three-ways-to-track-fawn-recruitment

 

At the National Convention in July some data reflected a rate as low as 0.20 fawns recruited per doe.  That is down right scary.

It of course all depends on your specific deer numbers.

[NFA-ADK]

 I would love to have my own land with spare room for plots!  Depending on the size of the land/plot and assorted choices to plant and the local area habitat would dictate weather it would be kill plots or not.  Just growing something from ground has it's own satisfaction but the rewards of local game are evident and growing them is a part of the greater picture, that satisfaction is immeasurable.  Those who do this get to reap the rewards of the local game involved. 

 

Personally I would try to have the best wintering habitat a whitetail could possibly have, this would benefit all game in the area.  I can not say I would not hunt my plots but in an ideal hunting land I would have habitat situated for escape and bedding areas that I would not tread on.  (No tree stands would be allowed on my plots.)  If the land is well taken care of with benefiting animals I see no reason why all those hours spent working the fields should not have some time spent enjoying them while hunting...  The few deer taken are more than made up for with the benefits the animals receive from the land. 

 

While the deer in NYS belong to the state of NY, the people are the real shepherds of the heard.  Food plots big or small, kill or no-kill all benefit the animals we love to watch, grow and hunt.  Hope yours is thriving!!! 

[tj1187]

I agree with Doc. Total enjoyment yo see something grow where there was just a jungle of garbage plants that did not benefit any wildlife what so ever. My wife calls me a farmer with out a farm.

[G-Man]

I started plotting for grouse and turkey, deer just show up big fuzzy rats they are. Habitat and enjoyment are the two main reasons I do it.

[Paula]

I started plotting for grouse and turkey, deer just show up big fuzzy rats they are. Habitat and enjoyment are the two main reasons I do it.

Never thought of them as rats seems funny, but when you think about it I guess they are

[WesternNY]

Planting a plot and thinking you are going to grow big antlers and harvest big bucks is wrong, most of us get this.

 

TV doesn't help when you see mid-west properties and 20 to 30 deer pile into the plot.

 

Planting a plot, planting trees, shrubs, releasing apple trees, doing aggressive tree cutting to create cover all benefits wildlife.

 

Every plot planted weather if it is hunted or not benefits wildlife.  By far more wildlife reap the benefits than get harvested.  Hunt a plot 2 or 3 times, especially harvest an animal and plot use goes nocturnal very quickly.

 

Most consistently successful hunters who harvest mature bucks hunt low impact, with strict adherence to wind direction, stand access and understand how deer use the land.  They also hunt within 100 too 200 yards from known bedding areas and don't hunt the same stand more than 3 times.  Some will wait all season for the right conditions to hunt a known area that contains a mature buck.

Edited August 4, 2013 by WesternNY

[Cabin Fever]

I've not only planted foodplots for wildlife, but have also dug a pond (at the time was the only one in the surrounding area around that I knew of for the critters to get a drink), and planted several dozen sawtooth oaks and Chinese chestnuts (don't know of any other oaks in ~1sq mile), and done habitat improvement. A lot of work and $$$$!! I feel it's my way of giving something back, rather than some guys that just "take"...

[Early]

"Jungle of garbage plants"....Hmmm, that's an interesting term.  Those "garbage plants" were most likely put their by the MASTER GARDENER.  To think that you can do better makes me wonder where else you choose to play God......??   Please do remember that multi-flora rose, common buckthorn, purple loosestrife and other such plants came to us through similar good intentions.

[Paula]

You are just plain weird

I think sometimes you are just bored and want reactions for you odd sense of humor

Edited August 4, 2013 by Paula

[G-Man]

The food plots that you see out west are there because once the crops are harvested it is literally a desert..no food at all.... lots of cottonwoods planted out there to draw deer into the open. Cant really compare nys with iowa/kansas/missouri.  large ag fields and tiny woodlots not many hunters per acre either.. besides food doesnt make big antlers, need age for that or there would be 140in yearlings running all over the place..  food can help reach full potential but age is the much bigger factor... And yes deer are rats eat any and everything... insects, frogs , fish included.

[landtracdeerhunter]

It would appear that those who plant food plots, do so to increase the rack size of whitetail bucks shot in/over or close to said plots so as to acquire bragging rights to a big buck.  That said, I would ask,  "Anyone here plant food plots just to benefit wildlife...whitetails, in particular...who does not, nor does not allow, hunting over the food plots?  I would really like to hear from food plotters who have no interest in shooting bucks that use their plots.  Anyone??

 

All of Agriculture is food plotting, in one way or another, isn't it?  People hunt over 10' X 10' pacels or 500 acres.

What's the difference killing a buck over either?

[Early]

Uh, Oh...Paula....are you engaging in name-calling? No problem...I think you are weird, too! You obviously cannot entertain any lines of thought that are not your own.