Food plots vs Hunting plots

[SplitG2]

So food plots hold deer on property????????I always thought it was cover/habitat.  You can have 50 acres of ideal food but if you don't have the proper cover you will not hold deer on your land.  Many of you seem to fall for the marketing of these commercial deer seed companies that if you plant their 1/4 acre seed you will have more deer on your land and monster bucks.  Sorry, it doesn't work that way.  A small plot less than an acre in the big picture will do nothing for attracting nor nutrition.  Food plots are just on application to help manage the deer on my property, more goes into it.  Sorry guys!

[nyantler]

The better question on this topic might be... would you have planted that food plot if you didn't hunt deer?.. and if the answer is NO.. (which I believe would be in most cases).. then it is a hunting plot... I always thought it funny that the fellas that turn their noses at QDM ( or at least the AR part of QDM)... seem to have adopted the food plot portion of the program just fine...

[SplitG2]

I don't think that's the right question but yes I plant my foodplots for deer and other critters.  However, the trees and shrubs I plant is to create better habitat, which has benefits for the whitetail.  So basically everything I do on my place has a benefit to deer and yes I hunt them.  The question should be..Do you plant hunting plots or Nutritional plots?  I don't care what you all might say but there is a difference between the two.

[Four Season Whitetail's]

I dont think there is a difference.If you plant a plot for the deer,Then you did just that.They will get the benifit of the plot.The bottom line is will you kill that deer on that plot.Put the plots in and do not hunt over them and they are not hunting plots.Put the plots in and hunt over them they are hunting plots.Either way deer will gain from your work because you will never take every deer that hits that plot!!!

[nyantler]

My point was that if they didn't hunt.. almost none of the people planting food plots would have even considered the plantings... the plots may now be helping the "critters" and deer... but that isn't really the reason they were really planted.. they were planted for hunting and because of hunting... honestly.. did most hunters even know what brassica was 20 years ago?.. absolutely not.. I do think that planting winter browse is a much better

[SplitG2]

Yes, Joe I wouldn't plant food plots if I didn't hunt.  I also don't plant kill(hunting) plots.  My plots are all Nutritional plots.  I want to creat the best property around me! 

[G-Man]

My first plots and habitat improvement were for ruffed grouse and turkey, deer were secondary. so i would say yes for myself. and i plant plots as a part of a bigger management plan. Although i think a lot of people start as an attracant for deer those that stick to it usually move into a larger management plan wether formal or informal...

[gjs4]

Food plots are for people who want "their local" population of deer to benefit within a small aspect of habitat...

Shot plots are for those who want to educte "their deer" that theyre being hunted

[nyantler]

Yes, Joe I wouldn't plant food plots if I didn't hunt.  I also don't plant kill(hunting) plots.  My plots are all Nutritional plots.  I want to creat the best property around me!

To attract deer I would think... just because they are nutritional for the deer doesn't mean they aren't an attractant as well..I know that saying that the plots help feed the deer makes everyone feel good about hunting the land they plant ... I'm just saying that they are planted because of hunting so I would consider them hunting plots...

[erussell]

Well one thing I can tell you is it's really bad for the tree's around my hunting plots. The bucks rubbed the crap out of them this yr. As far as nutrition go's I think they did pretty well getting fat  off my plot.

Agree it's better not to directly hunt a plot but I usually hunt within seeing distance incase something shows up before dark so I can see whats on it. This yr I was kicking myself a few times for not hunting right on the plot with several bucks in the 130's showing up. Took every ounce of willpower not to set right on the plots after that. I tried to work the outside 100 yrds trying to intercept a cruising buck but just couldn't connect this yr. Can't wait till this yr need to make some adjustment's to the plot though. I think more oats and rye and less brassicas in the hunting plots.

[SplitG2]

Yes, Joe I wouldn't plant food plots if I didn't hunt.  I also don't plant kill(hunting) plots.  My plots are all Nutritional plots.  I want to creat the best property around me!

To attract deer I would think... just because they are nutritional for the deer doesn't mean they aren't an attractant as well..I know that saying that the plots help feed the deer makes everyone feel good about hunting the land they plant ... I'm just saying that they are planted because of hunting so I would consider them hunting plots...

Joe, you can call it what you want but for someone who understands the industry and been involved with it, there is a difference.  Don't want to argue but it's a fact.

[G-Man]

Another new post poped up about how the deer wiped out a guys plot before the season has even started, so for those who think a food plot is baiting how is that true when the food is gone before the season started?Its not like a feeder where you can just fill it back up!! i guess they just got the nutrition out of it and moved on... yes the intention of his plot was as an attractant for hunting , so it would be a hunting plot, vs the large field where deer can enter and exit multiple spots and not be coverd by a few stands. A feed or nutritional plot..

[hb270deermanager]

I have a rule I use forget all that bait crap I have perrenial

food plots for yr round use then in the fall I plant annuals

good for drawing in your game later in the yr.usually winter

oats,brassalias,and yes planting soybeans later will bring

great hunting plot in late oct and nov.I also plant a annual

called no plow by whitetail institute in early nov what a fall

hunting plot it produces.