Food plot recommendations
Whitetail Deer
A hunting buddy would like to put in a couple food plots for deer here in west michigan. His 40 acres has a large hay field and about 1/3 rolling hardwoods. There are numerous large crop fields surrounding his; corn, alfalfa, and beans. A property next door has several Apple trees. The property to the east is 40+ acres of rolling hardwoods with several potholes of water. Question is what is best to plant to draw and maintain increased draw to the property. There is a ~5 acre sanctuary that is quit thick and used as bedding by some deer. Any help help is much appreciated. We are looking to start next year.
There are those on here with much more experience than me but given your situation I would probably go with cereal grains and clover. Clover won't do anything till next spring but the wheat/rye/oats should attract them after the beans turn brown. Work on your sanctuary if you can. With all the food around you probably need to focus on cover. If you can bump your food up against the cover and set it up where you can get to your stand undetected you could have a real nice set. And don't over hunt it. Hunt when your cameras tell you a big one is around and when the weather and wind is right. MikeTN
Well Blackbear I would plant a good chunk of corn or sougrum if you are trying to create more bedding area to help keep the deer on the property. Then if the hay field or any other preferred food source that is in the area is pulling the deer to far away from your place then plant some of them as well. Other then that plant variety's of forage and figure out what the deer prefer. Being from a farm in Alpena Michigan it is sure hard to beat Alfalfa/ Clover fields and Soybeans for a year around food source. And standing corn sure holds deer, more importantly it will get them through the winter in great shape.
I would build a water source near your sanctuary, so the bucks don't have to leave your property to get a drink.
I would also establish a year round (or at least 3 season) plot of Clovers and chicory near the sanctuary as well.
Any ground that hasnt been worked before, i highly recommend a soil test. Why? Because everything you plant has an effective pH range where it will grow. It makes little sense planting anything that won't grow or that won't grow well. Number 2 reason for soil test, anything you grow that is on ground with low pH and especially low organic matter, you won't have as palatable of forages. This is one reason why some people complain about normally palatable forages not being consummed on their land.
So, first time planting, with or without a soil test i recommend thinking ahead to next year and the year after. I want people to plant a soil builder mix. I recommending planting a blend of annual clovers, peas, oats and buckwheat. This fixates nitrogen, this gives one organic matter, this also gives one highly palatable forages that deer will eat. It also is economic and highly likely to grow with success on just about any ground you put it on.
looking further ahead, plant things in strips. If you go the corn and soybean route, plant 1/3 corn, 1/3 soybeans and 1/3 of perennial clovers. Then flip flop the corn and soybeans every year so maximize the nitrogen and reduce plant diseases.
