How worth it is it really...........

[Taylormike]

To go through with 1/2 acre food plot?  I'm doing one this spring which will be my first.  It will be a little over 1/2 acre.  I usually hear people reaping the benefits but just talked to someone who said they didn't have good luck.  I didn't get into with this person. I doubt they had soil tested, limed, fertilized and etc. 

 

Please let me know your positive and negatives.  I'm trying to prepare myself as much as possible.

[BowmanMike]

I don't have any personal experience with food plots but a friend set up two small ones next to a property that I get to hunt and he had some nice deer frequent his plots, I saw quite a few tracks heading to his plots.

I would imagine it depends on how much quality food is available in your area in general. Where I am in 4F there is not that much farming close by. I am in the hills and here even a small food plot seems to attract deer. If you were in the Finger Lakes region it would surely be a different story.

[Taylormike]

My friend has one, he saw 53 deer in 3 days two days ago. Crazy, I don't see 53 in 3 three years.

[BowmanMike]

Phew, that's a bunch of deer. I saw 15 to 20 does this afternoon, most ever in one sitting.No bucks though, don't know where they are hiding.

[Taylormike]

I read that on your post.  That's great!  Sounds like a great spot.  Was an incredibly weird rut if you ask me.  Weather was just too warm, I think deer were completely nocturnal.

[G-Man]

The only problem you may have with a half acre plot is the deer may eat it to bare gr round before the season

[Taylormike]

Gman I have no choice as that's as big as I can feasibly go right now. I will take a chance and see if it's produces.

[ATbuckhunter]

If you plant something like clover or something that can handle pressure well, you should have something that draws in deer. You could also try planting nothing for a couple seasons and just letting natural forbs grow...Its cheap and also a huge draw to deer as well.

[Five Seasons]

I put in like an 1/8 acre clover plot surrounded by old apples. Trimmed the apple trees and got some sun back in the area by dropping a few maples (bonus firewood) and had hundreds of pics of deer and turkey coming in to feed on clover and apples.

It's important to note the surrounding area was heavily pressured and this was a good little sanctuary, but with a little work it got much better. The surrounding area also cut corn early. I'd say avoid plots if you have large competing food sources

[Liquorrobb]

I have had tremendous success with 1/4 acre brassicas food plots. The deer don't touch them until the temp falls and the leaves become more palatable but when they start they stay for a couple weeks.

Good luck!

[G-Man]

I have had tremendous success with 1/4 acre brassicas food plots. The deer don't touch them until the temp falls and the leaves become more palatable but when they start they stay for a couple weeks.

Good luck!

I've had good luck as well but this year they were down to stems by Oct 1, a lot depends on your deer pop and available other food sources

[Taylormike]

My property is only used as a thoroughfare.  They strictly cross through.  However, if they aren't crossing through I have absolutely nothing to draw them.  My property is mostly white pine and Spruce trees.  I do however have a good stand of mature Beech trees.  Other than that nothing really, I've watched numerous doe eating the fallen leaves on the trees last year and this year.  I even cut open the stomachs on every harvest my Brother and I get, all green grass or something of that nature.  I don't know where they are eating unless they are picking from a small field or two.  There are some mature farm fields but they are almost 2 or 3 miles away.  I have to much traffic for them to be eating solely from that source.

[VT Outfitter]

For me, food plots are always worth it. At some point in the year, deer and other game will visit your plot. Sometimes when we put a new food plot in that has never been planted in that spot, the activity can be slow for the first season. Seems like it takes time for wildlife to develop a routine to involve the new plot. By the second season the traffic always increases. There is a risk of over grazing before season starts when you plant small plots. We have a few 1/2 acre plots that we plant a spring mix in the spring. By the end of summer the plot is chewed right down. So we re plow the dirt and plant a fall/winter mix. There are products available like plot saver available. I have heard of some guys fencing off food plots to only allow the deer access to a portion of the food at one time. If you only have a few plots I suppose that's possible, but if you have a lot of plots fencing would be a ton of work. Best I could suggest is to plant a size plot to match the resident deer herd size or a plot that is specifically placed for a hunting spot to pause a buck for a shot. To sum up my opinion, any food plot work is better than no food plot. Any way I can improve my hunting properties is a great feeling of accomplishment, even if we don't shoot a deer directly on the food plot, it is still habitat improvement. Good hunting!

[Taylormike]

Plus outfitter. What else better then putting in a plot during the off season.

[VT Outfitter]

Plus outfitter. What else better then putting in a plot during the off season.

Off season?...........There is no off season..........there is only the next season and I love it! In this case your speaking of springtime food plot planting season which is right before turkey season and after spring catfishing season.