What Food Plot is the best to plant ? What Food Plot should I plant in my area ?

These are questions that every hunter/land manager goes through when starting to manage their own piece of land. The plants that you choose to plant are based off of a few key factors.

• Do you hunt in Ag country ? Or do you hunt in the mountains ?
• Does your land have good soil ? ph ? Organic matter ?
• Is there places on your land that need cleared for a food plot ?
• Is there natural openings on your property that can be converted to a food plot ? But you don’t have the equipment ?
• What species of plants should I plant in my food plot ?
• Where should I plant a food plot ? On a ridge top ? In the low land ? Near a bedding area ?
• Do I plant food plots just for deer ? Or plant for all wildlife ?

These are questions that need to be answered when planting food plots and there are other questions that arise

What are the most common species that get planted in Food Plots ?

• White Clover, Red Clover, Crimson Clover
• Corn
• Soybeans
• Grain Sorghum
• Purple Top Turnip
• Radishes
• Rape
• Wheat
• Oats
• Winter Rye
• Chicory
• Alfalfa
• Sugar Beets

The clovers, chicory, and alfalfa are the perennial plants which means they grow back every spring. These plants need sprayed with selective herbicide, mowed, fertilized, and limed every few years to keep plants healthy and to have a productive food plot for deer, turkey, and other game and non-game species. Corn, Soybeans, and Grain Sorghum are all annuals which means they grow for one season and then die. These plants produce grain which help wildlife in the coldest months of the year and the most stressful which are December, January, February, and March. The grain produces carbohydrates, protein, and oils which keeps the body of the animals warm and healthy. Wheat, Oats, and Winter Rye also produce grain and lots of wildlife benefit from the grain that is produced especially turkeys. All three of these species can be planted in the late summer/ early fall for fall/winter food plots. The reason why is that they stay green throughout the winter which is a great food source for deer. Purple Top Turnip, Radishes, Sugar Beets, and Rape come from the family of plants that are called Brassicas. These four plants are high in protein and are digestible to deer, the bulbs and leaves that are produced from these plants are great food source for deer and rabbits and many other species of wildlife.