Food Plot Poll

[PotashRLS]

I thought a poll would be fun to see what percentage of people out there utilize food plots to create better deer habitat and hunting. Has anyone ever looked into hiring someone to evaluate their property for its maximum habitat potential? No food plot bashing please:)

[bfletch7441]

I'll put in a few every year, but have had limited success. I'm not even sure it does the deer any good, but I enjoy doing it so I'll continue.

Ben

[toddyboman]

we plan food plots every year.....

are they a success every year.....ummm close but probably not every year.

But you also have to define success.....

And my definitions seems to change each year.

[wtnhunt]

While we have had some success with plots and been utilizing them for several years now, I guess you could call us dabblers too. We do get some results, but really not the type of results that you could say we are getting "much success", otherwise I would have chosen option 1.

[Tominator]

I dabble. The plantings are a success, but as far as drawing deer, I don't know. Mixed results or bordering on failure. There's so much food around for deer in my neighborhood, it's tough to draw them in, especially based on the fact that I only have 3 acres.

[toddyboman]

it's tough to draw them in, especially based on the fact that I only have 3 acres.

Surely you draw them in probably at night......you just can't HOLD them.

[MUDRUNNER]

I voted myself as a dabbler.Last year was my first planting food plots.My plots were a succes,but I'm still trying to figure out what the deer prefer in my area.I'm surrounded by corn and beans,so like Ben,I haven't really seen a big differance,but I enjoy it.

As far as hiring someone to evaluate the property I don't see it happening for me.My hunting spots and wallet are both pretty small, and with a little research I think I can accomplish my goals.If I had a lot of property and money wasn't an issue it might be different.

[toddyboman]

Has anyone ever looked into hiring someone to evaluate their property for its maximum habitat potential?

Nope....Can contact our conservation department and they will come to your land and help you assess the property and what you should do to help your land

Oh and they do all this for FREE :D:D

[Ravin R10 man]

plant plots every year..deer are eating them right down to the dirt..on a larger scale , since I farm also..the deer hit our fields hard too..trefoil or corn,,they are in there..results?..have you seen my "wall"?

[Tominator]

Surely you draw them in probably at night......you just can't HOLD them.

True. But you can't hunt at night.

[RackBlaster]

I am a food plot junky. Between here in Illinois and Wisconsin i have about 15 acres of food plots. All of which no longer have stands on them. I placed my stands on trails to and from the plots to take the pressure of of the plots. I mainly have food plots to help with the health of the deer and get those bucks to there full potential. Some plots i have don't have stands anywhere near them but are close to where their bedding areas are and i know they will utilize them. Personally my food plot success is seeing and knowing the deer are using them and not just basing success solely on whether i harvested a deer because of them, but those are my own personal goals.

[Guest coydog316]

Without my supplementing my deer hunting with food plots, I don't think I would have had the success this past ten years! Habitat management is what I love to do! Any way I can increase my odds....well, I will!

[Guest yoders_hideaway]

Without my supplementing my deer hunting with food plots, I don't think I would have had the success this past ten years! Habitat management is what I love to do! Any way I can increase my odds....well, I will!

coydog316 anyway to increase your odds leaves me to believe you could possibly use a light and rifle if need be!

[slughunter]

I Plant a few small plots. I dont really feel that they do anything for the deer since we have giant farm feilds in the area that they spent all their time in. But I really do enjoy all the work that is involved, monitoring them, and seeing the results. It gives me a nice feeling of accomplishment...

-shane

[Born2Hunt]

OMG! I live ,eat, and dream food plots. I am thinking of them 24/7-365. Do they draw deer? YES! Do we shoot deer ? YES! I think my favorite part is planting and maintaining them with my father.

[dogdoc]

OMG! I live ,eat, and dream food plots. I am thinking of them 24/7-365. Do they draw deer? YES! Do we shoot deer ? YES! I think my favorite part is planting and maintaining them with my father.

you sound like me--I'm constantly thinking of areas to plant new plots. My dad doesn't hunt but he's out there all the time helping me plant my plots. We have a good time together and when I kill a deer he's the first one I call to help me.

[rhine16]

I picked the top one. I absolutely love working plots. Is definitely my favorite out of season hunting activity.

Successful? Well yeah. Since i've been the main guy of our plots, i'd say some have not grown well; however, that was because i didnt adequately fertalize on into the season. Money problem

As far as successful for deer, we dont neccessarily harvest deer in all of em, but they all attract deer.

[sskybnd]

last year my food plot was a bust, not that it didnt grow, it was a pretty green carpet, i planted it around sept 15, spent over 100.00 in seed and with in a week of it coming up it was ate to the bare ground, i was so shocked i called the whitetail inst and being i had been dealing with them told them what had happened and they said i had to many deer eating it to just replant again and to establish new food plots.

[zippyswamp]

Let's see, well yes I use food plots, there the best thing one could do for their deer herd. It's the one thing that we can do to help with the over all weights and antler mass of the deer, not to mention what good it does for the doe and her milk production.

We are thinking about food plots from the time they go into the ground till we do it all over again the next year.

We have raised the antler mass on our bucks, and for sure the body weights. When we can harvest

3 1/2 year olds that average 190 to 225 pounds, and a 2 1/2 that was 190 pounds, something is "working" we never thought about deer in that weight class before we started the food plots back in 1996. And we started with the best on the market, the Whitetail Institute clover.

And now all these years later, after trying others seeds as test plots, we are still with the Institute seed. We are now planting No-Plow, Alfa Rack Plus, Winter Greens, Secret Spot and Pure Attraction, with great results of the deer utilizing them.

We tried the feed mill seeds with mixed results, more toward the poorer end, it's cattle seed, nothing more, it wasn't made to feed deer. I know already what some are going to say, the deer eat in my cattle fields all the time, sure they will, but are they getting all the nutrition they could be getting from a quality seed made for whitetails? No!

Is the cost higher for seeds made for whitetails? Yes! And it's worth it.

[scotman]

When I was younger I planted food plots. The first I heard of food plots was through a Deer and Deer Hunting magazine about Quality Deer Management. It really made an impression on me at that young age and I read everything I could on it. The whole philosophy of QDM helps manage the health of our herds and gave me a chance to make a difference. So its more of a give and take relationship. I think it has made me not only a better hunter but a better person. So yes I have dabbled and plan on practicing some QDM this year. I still have alot to learn about QDM but Im headed in the right direction I think.

edit btw dogdoc everytime I scroll past one your replies I think I have a bug on my monitor screen lol

[WHISKEYSWAMP]

A buddy and I dabble a little on his property but need to learn a lot more... we're heading to the Ohio Deer & Turkey expo to attend one of their seminars.