Food plot %


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We have a one acre clover/chickory plot and another 1/4 acre of the same mix. Also have a plot of a mix that comes from the 4 h that is an annual that is about 1/6 of an acre. Usually will plant another 1/4 to 1/2 acre or so of beans and then a fall mini plot, but did not get them in this year. Total plots for us are close to 2 acres on a 60 acre property.

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Yeah, I've read the same thing, and I sure don't doubt it would be great to have, but we fall waaaaay short. We probably have less than 20 acres planted on 1500 acres of land. I'm sure the percentage is dependant on what your browse consists of as well. Big timber is going to need more plots than the thick stuff to supplement I'd imagine.

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In your four acres, are you planting mostly fall attractants or summer forage?

Both. I currently don't have a perennial plot as I disced it under last year due to weeds. This year I planted 2 acres in Eagle Soybeans. The deer ate on the green forage all summer and now they are eating the bean pods. I watched two bucks yesterday spend a good 30 minutes in the soybeans eating the pods.

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I have about 7-10% of my land in food plots. Nearly all of those are year round plots. I also have about 30% in a sanctuary. I also do a lot of supplemental feeding, and I stress the word supplemental. I'm not using it as bait before someone starts tearing into me.

Here in TN, we don't have the volume of big deer that some other states do, but my buck volume and average size is much higher than the surrounding land since I've implemented a program. They could be growing more from the extra food or the big boys could just be moving in from surrounding land. It doesn't really matter because either way, I get to kill more and better bucks.

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  • 2 weeks later...
If you have 400 acres, you dont need a food plot. Walk the property and find the spot with the most droppings, hunt there. droppings are more important than scrapes and rubs. Because thats the food source area they prefer.

I plant plots to hold deer and help them grow more than hunt deer. Half of the ones I plant are intentionally never even hunted at all. Now, is this making a gigantic impact, probably not, but I believe in putting back in to the wildlife.

Planting a food plot doesn't necessarily reflect your values on woodsmanship.

The food source area they prefer around here changes constantly. If the deer are hitting the beans, I hunt the beans, white oak acorns, I hunt them, etc.

Another place I hunt is nearly 400 acres of 20 year old clearcut in the middle of several square miles of old clearcut. If you couldn't make openings and food plots in there, it would be nearly impossible to hunt.

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