Mathews Inc.
Who did it first?
Whitetail Deer
Contributors to this thread:
JSW 02-Apr-24
Charlie Rehor 02-Apr-24
RonP 02-Apr-24
Dale06 02-Apr-24
Saphead 02-Apr-24
t-roy 02-Apr-24
BUCKeye 02-Apr-24
Blood 02-Apr-24
drycreek 02-Apr-24
FORESTBOWS 02-Apr-24
KsRancher 03-Apr-24
Bow Crazy 03-Apr-24
Schmitty78 03-Apr-24
JSW 08-Apr-24
From: JSW
02-Apr-24
I bought my first piece of land in 1982. It was pastureland and trees so I fenced around a timbered corner for better hunting. I cleared out a spot that I planted to mile the first year, not knowing what else the deer would like. It worked out very well.

Is there anyone on here who started food plots before 1982?

02-Apr-24
1984. Bought land that had an old apple orchard on about three acres of the 40. Trimmed the apples trees and drove fertilizer stakes in the ground around them. I thought I was pretty cool.

From: RonP
02-Apr-24
probably some farmer at the turn of the last century, maybe sooner.

From: Dale06
02-Apr-24
2010 for me, but my plots are mostly for pheasants. However, deer use them some.

From: Saphead
02-Apr-24
Nope 1991 for me

From: t-roy
02-Apr-24
Not till I moved back home to Iowa in ‘97. First 2 plots were about a half acre each clover plots. Up to about 17-18 acres in about 12 different plots, ranging from a quarter acre to 4 acres, and a variety of crops from clover, alfalfa, small burnett, chicory, various brassicas, cereal grains, winter peas, corn and soybeans. Also have planted a variety of apple, pear, crabapple and chestnut trees. Bowhunting is my biggest passion, but working on my plots and TSI projects on my land, is a close second.

From: BUCKeye
02-Apr-24
Early 90s I planted some corn and beans in a heavily wooded funnel. Fully shaded canopy and no fertilizer. Thought the food and extra cover would really pull them in...

A couple of the beans actually grew and produced 2 or 3 pods.

From: Blood
02-Apr-24
Haha. In 1987 my friend and I rototilled a strip about 30 yards long and 15 feet wide. We planted it with corn hoping it would pull deer right up to the house. The corn grew about 3 feet tall and looked like a Charlie Brown Xmas tree food plot. We were 15-16 years old at the time. Didn’t know we were making a “food plot”…. Just that deer might like corn.

From: drycreek
02-Apr-24

drycreek's embedded Photo
drycreek's embedded Photo
I guess it was in the mid eighties when I started planting wheat in the fall in a plot or two. Now I plant six plots on one lease, two at home and one on another lease. Spring plots and fall plots.

02-Apr-24
I was 8 is 1982

From: KsRancher
03-Apr-24
^^Lol. I was 4yrs away from being born

From: Bow Crazy
03-Apr-24
Mine was sometime around 1990, not sure. I will have to check my notes. We were in a CRP plan that allowed a food plot even back then. I planted corn mostly, it did okay, always weedy. After 2001 I got involved in a test program with the NWTF to test chufa in the north, Wisconsin. It grew good, weedy too of course. I dug some up for the turkeys to find. I really couldn't tell if they were eating it or what was. I just have put a trail camera on it. BC

From: Schmitty78
03-Apr-24
Got me beat! I was only 4 in 82’ though:). Planted my first plots in 1998. Used a walk behind rear tine tiller that my dad had for his garden. Started with two 1/4-1/2 acre little clover plots. I have about as much fun food plotting as I do actually hunting these days!

From: JSW
08-Apr-24
After I planted the milo plot in 82, my neighbor who was also my old Sunday school teacher walked through the property. She told her husband she thought I was growing marijuana. I still laugh when I think about her reaction.

I think they were even more concerned about my sanity when I told them it was for the deer.

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