Corn
Corn is a great crop to plant as a food plot. It gives the deer a place to hide (which could limit deer sightings), gives deer plenty to eat, and can help hold deer. Corn is a great crop to plant if you are bowhunting or black powder in the later season. Leave the corn stand all fall, then drive your truck through the field and knock it down; deer are scavengers and like to eat off the ground, plus you will be able to see the deer better. The downside to corn is that if you are in an area with many agricultural fields, especially corn, there is no point in planting it in your plot, unless you are hunting in the late season.
Corn field |
With the invention of Bt and triple stack corn hybrids, pest control is pretty much a non-issue in corn. The only pest that really needs to be controlled are weeds. One pass of Round-up (make sure you plant Round-Up Ready corn) before canopy will ensure a clean stand of corn. A four-wheeler and sprayer works great for food plots.
Four-wheeler sprayer |
Legumes (Alfalfa, Clover, Soybeans)
Alfalfa |
Soybeans |
The optimal planting time for alfalfa and soybeans are in the April - June timeframe. Soybeans later in the spring and alfalfa earlier. Clover, on the other hand, should be frost seeded in March. Frost seeding is the best way to get a great stand. Frost seeding allows clover to germinate and grow before other weeds do, which eliminates competition. Seeding beans, clover, or alfalfa can be used with either a drill/culti-packer type tool, spreading it on with your fertilizer, or hand seeder and then working it in with a light harrow.
Drill/packer |
There are also pest concerns, especially in soybeans and alfalfa. Soybean aphids can devastate a soybean crop in a hurry. These nasty little pests feed on the under side of the leaf and suck out all the starch and secrete it on the plant. This makes the soybeans have a black look to the leaves.
Soybean Aphid damage |
Soybean Aphids |
Potato leafhoppers are a pest that can cause tonnage loss in alfalfa if not controlled in a timely matter. Yellowing of the alfalfa plant is the main symptom of potato leafhoppers.
Potato Leafhopper |
Potato Leafhopper damage |
Remember, the clover and alfalfa will come back year after year, which is another benefit of these two crops in your food plot!
With the right amount of fertilizer and pH management, legumes are a crop that can make your property successful during bow season.
Brassicas
Turnip plot |
These crops are high in protein and highly palatable for deer, especially after the first hard frost of the year. Deer usually will not touch brassicas until the frost, which is nice because the deer don't mow them off too early. The frost will make the brassicas sweet, which we know deer like. After the first frost, you better be in the stand over your brassica plot!
Make sure to check your pH before you plant brassicas. Like legumes, brassicas flourish in a soil pH around 7.0. Also, put down a little MAP and potash to help it out as well.
Hand seeding |
Let's take a look at one area of the farm I hunt. I planted this field to maximize both my early season hunt, and my late season hunt as well.
My food plot |
The areas in yellow I will plant turnips in late July or early August. This will allow the deer to travel along the timber and get into the circle in the corner, which the turnips will be around 40 yards from my stand. This also allows me to set a stand anywhere along the turnip path. The red area is corn. I will leave this standing all winter and black powder hunt. The turnips provide protein and a alternative food source, while the corn will help the deer stay healthy and fat during the winter.
Next blog will be on land management and a few little things you can do besides food plots, minerals, and trail cameras to make your property the best it can be!
Muddyhunter
Good stuff their MuddyHunter.
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