Choosing & Managing
Effective Wildlife Food Plots

Master Seedsmen, Seasoned Sportsmen. Deer Creek Seed’s Master Seedsmen are avid hunters with their own established wildlife plots. Field-testing means our mixtures are perpetually evaluated and improved to produce an attractive and nourishing food source for deer, grouse, turkey, pheasant and other wildlife. Blends of annual and perennial grasses, legumes and other species are carefully selected to supply a dependable and long-lasting food source as well as provide cover for all wildlife. Produced in the Midwest, Deer Creek Seed wildlife mixtures are specially adapted and specifically blended for Midwestern wildlife and growing conditions—so you can plant yourself in position for a great hunt!

Establishing an attractive food plot that enables wildlife to thrive is a rewarding way to extend your hunting enthusiasm beyond the seasonal harvest. Like any other project you take pride in, a successful food plot starts with good thought and planning.

Site. Start with a clear understanding of the basic needs of the wildlife you’re going to attract. These essentials include food, water, shelter and a place to raise the young. When selecting a site, try to make use of existing meadows, clearings, trails, firebreaks and field corners. Keep in mind that any food plot will need at least a half-day of sun. When possible, avoid plantinmg food plots near roads or property lines.

Plan. The size and shape of your plot are also important. Although the deer population, natural forage available, and amount of crop or grazing land in the area all help determine its size, total plot acreage should measure about one acre for every 40 acres of habitat. If you create a new opening, a long and narrow strip with a bend or two will help wildlife feel more comfortable about using your food plot. If you’re a bow hunter, you’ll want to establish your food plots near good stand locations.

Test! Probably the most critical and most-often overlooked step in a project like this is soil testing. It’s well worth the small, upfront effort to find out exactly what kinds of amendments are required to achieve optimum pH and fertility. Many wooded areas are very acidic with a low pH number and simply will not grow crops unless corrected with lime. Go to here for details on how to take an accurate soil sample and where to mail it for analysis.

Weeds. Young seedlings can’t compete with established weeds, so an application of RoundUp® herbicide (or other glyphosate herbicide) might be required. It kills almost any plant that is green and growing when applied to the leaves at the recommended rates. It can be purchased from any hardware, lawn and garden, or farm supply store and doesn’t require chemical applicator certification. Ideally, it should be applied in the fall so the plot will be ready to till and plant in the spring. For springtime application, you’ll need to wait until the target weeds have grown to a height of 6 to 8 inches before spraying, then wait 7 days before tilling. Under severe weed pressure, a combination of fall and spring spraying may be necessary.

Tilling. Seed for wildlife food plots is sometimes sold as “no-till,” “throw & grow,” and other wishful descriptions. But the fact is that there is no quick and easy seed magic. For most plots, obtain a small disc or digger that can be pulled behind a four-wheeler or small tractor. If your soil test recommends an application of lime or fertilizer, you can apply them to the soil before tilling. (Note: Lime breaks down very slowly and will require 6 to 12 months before a perennial crop should be planted, so a small grain or annual crop is a good interim choice.) Go over the area enough times to break up and mix the top 6 to 7 inches of soil thoroughly. Next drag the area with a spike-toothed harrow or similar device to remove any debris, level the seedbed and break up any clumps. If your feet sink into the soil by more than half an inch you’ll need to cultipack or roll the soil to firm it before seeding. Skipping this step will result in seed placement deeper than a quarter inch and poor germination.

Seeding. Strengthen the attraction power of your plots by contrasting against surrounding plant life. If there’s a lot of agricultural cropland in the area, plant mixes higher in annuals and attractant crops. In highly forested areas, plant more perennial legumes.

Plant the desired seed mix at the recommended rate using a hand seeder, a broadcast seeder mounted on a four-wheeler, a pull-behind seeder or, for larger areas, an agricultural seeder or grain drill. To avoid the expense of over-application, you can seed smaller amounts per acre by mixing the seed with a filler such as cat litter, floor dry, clean sand, or appropriate granular fertilizer. To avoid separation, use a filler that’s about the same size and density as the seed. However, if seeding conditions are not ideal, planting more seed increases your chances of achieving better results.

After seeding, roll or cultipack the area to cover the seed with 1/4” of soil, and to firm the seedbed for good seed-to-soil contact necessary for germination. Now you can pray for rain—but not too much!

Clipping. Monitor your plot throughout the growing season. If growth on your perennial crop reaches 14 to 16 inches, clip it back to 4 to 6 inches to stimulate new growth. Mowing in mid to late August will also create a new growth that will be at its prime for the fall hunting season. Compare what’s growing under the protection of a few wire baskets placed around your plot to how much is actually being eaten. If the wildlife population is eating the crop as fast as it grows, the area may require the support of additional food plots.

Overseeding. If your plot has started to thin out, consider overseeding or frost seeding to thicken your perennial crop. It’s best done in very early spring when the ground is still frozen at night and becomes very soft during the day. Seed 2 to 4 pounds per acre of the desired legume on top of the ground, allowing it to settle into the soil naturally. There must be enough bare soil to allow the seed to reach a favorable location where it can grow. This method works especially well with clovers.

Evaluate. You’ll learn something new every season. Get advice and plant crops that will perform well on your soils and growing conditions. Then make adjustments from what you see happening and how the wildlife responds. You can control what happens on your land to provide the best food plot possible to grow bigger, healthier wildlife and hold them on your land for your enjoyment.