Starting a small food plot

[rabbithunter]

I’d like to start a small food plot on the property I hunt. I’m located in Orange County. The property is about 40 acres. The middle of the property is thick swamp and the rest is surrounded by hardwoods with oak & few pine trees. There’s an old small abandon horse pasture with tall grass growing in it right now. The deer tend to hangout in it and around it a lot. I’m thinking about mowing the grass down and tilling the pasture and planting a food plot in it. I was wondering what you guys recommend planting to keep the deer in the area during hunting season. Early season the deer are everywhere but once middle or late November the deer start disappearing. I’m thinking the deer are traveling across the street to the cornfields once late season hits, so I want to plant something that will keep them in the area. This is the first time I ever did a food plot so any advice or tips will help. I wanna know what would be best to plant. Since I don’t live on the property I hunt I’d like to maybe start out with something that’s not to hard to maintain but works really well. I’ll attach a photo of the property and outline the horse pasture so you guys have an idea of what the layout looks like. Thanks in advance for the help! Yellow outline is the pasture. Red outline is the swampy area and rest of property is hardwoods

[land 1]

fall planting of brassicas

[Robhuntandfish]

exact same thing i am doing for the exact same reasons.  I am planting in late july an area of a whitetail mix with brassicas, clover etc. and an area of radishes next to it.  The radish will be farther out thinking for gun season as they get better after a frost and the mix closer for bow.  On advice from a lot of folks on here and some up close in person with @Lomaxat his slice of whitetail heaven! 

[Swamp_bucks]

Im not an expert but a big question is where are they bedding?  They might be bedding in that horse pasture and are leaving because when the grass dies off and isn't as tall and thick they dont feel as safe and that's why they move off.  If you mow it you might change it for the worse if it's the only bedding available.  

[Lomax]

Sometimes you find these in your food plots once all the snow has melted Just found this one riding on my four wheeler through my field

[Lomax]

Just found the other side on the other side of my field good night for a ride on the four wheeler.  

[Berniez]

There is always the question of what to plant and what’s best. I’ve been planting plots for 20 ++years and here is my 2 cents.

In any area deer have a local preference for certain foods. So what gets hit in 1 place gets overlooked in another.  A big factor is what the surrounding area has for feed.  If you are in an agricultural area go with crops.  If in big woods they’ll eat anything green and easy to reach.  

Twenty years ago I planted soybeans which was NEVER grown in that area.  They did NOT touch them the first year, began eating them the second and have hammered them ever since. Any field I plant beans in if less than 2 acres is a waste of time. They eat the plants not waiting for beans to form. I still plant about 10 acres of beans and by March 15^th they are completely stripped.….but the deer hammer them all thru the season and beyond.

I’ve tried brassicas/kale/turnips for a few years and in my area, I find them useless.  I planted the same field ½ in soybeans and the other ½ in turnips/rape/kale.  Both grew. Attached is the field in Late DECEMBER. If you look at tracks you can see they walked across the “greens” and pawed their way to get into the soybeans.

To me that’s a pretty definitive test.  So plant what they want and you will have deer. Don’t just read how “great” the miracle food is and expect a bonanza…you have to find what they like in your area.   I like beans, corn, clover, oats and cereal rye.

I’ve switched to a Kasco No till eco drill so my old equipment is obsolete. If you or anybody else wants a cheap JD 4 row bean corn sorghum planter that works (sans hydraulic cylinder) but no fertilizer bins or an old seed drill (Set for oats/rye give me a shout )  I just want it off the property because its taking up room in the barn and my Eco-drill plants it all.  IN any case good luck and keep planting

[stubborn1VT]

Brassicas are worth trying IMO.  In some places it takes time for them to use them, but I have seen them work more times than not.  They aren't difficult to plant and they aren't expensive.  Not many people have the option of doing soybeans, especially 10 acres.  A blend of brassicas, top-dressed with winter rye or wheat should do the trick.  Throw in a little clover seed, then frost seed in the spring and you should be in business.  If the area is big enough, I would split it in in half.  I plant clover for early season and brassicas for late season.  Good luck with whatever you choose.  Hope you enjoy the process.  It's a satisfying feeling to take deer off a plot you worked hard on.  

[Just Lucky]

I frost seed clover in the early spring when snow first melts. Easy to clean out weeds then too. I will mow it in early July,  and once in late August, broadcast winter rye, drive over it with sxs and that is about it.

The following spring and Late August I do the same thing. 

The plots I have done like that are self sustaining for me then except mowing one time late July, or early August. 

[suburbanfarmer]

wish you were closer, I would have taken the old seed drill from your place. Appreciate the offer.