Food plotting

[K9kodi]

In central va or mid Atlantic what are yall using for food plots.

I was gonna try sorghum under-planted with turnips but I’m starting to rethink that plan. I’m hunting close to 1k acres and there is no ag nearby.
First year attempting so I think I may go winter wheat and rye mix end of July, early August. Any opinions from do-ers here?

 

[dtrkyman]

I have no experience that far east, make sure the rye is cereal rye and not rye grass!

I have had excellent luck in the Midwest frost seeding clover, it is potentially a zero pre/ maintenance plot if the deer keep it eaten down during summer, though I had to mow most of the plots once a year.

If you have a large herd once they key in on it they can wipe it out quickly, so Sorghum and Brassica type mixes are good as they tend not to browse them while growing!

Peas, beans, corn will get wiped out prior to season generally.

Oats are a good fall plot as well.

Find a local biologist, forester and get his/her advice.

 

[Rich M]

Skip the sorghum.

Plant a fall cereal blend and mix in turnips and radish, then call it a day - cause you have ag nearby.

 

[K9kodi]

What ya mean I have ag nearby?

 

[Tedhunts]

I plant about 10 acres of plots in Southern IN with both agriculture and forested areas. 7 plots ranging from a 1/4 acre to 4 acres in size. AG Zone 6B so most of what's planted will apply to you in VA. Plots are planted with either a no-till drill ( genesis 5) and/or broadcasted with a spreader from the tractor.

My goal is to provide some variety with palatability in each part of the season that compliments what the farmer has planted.

Bow Season Plots- Black oats mixed with winter peas and radishes are cheap to plant and always a good draw. 100 lb per acre. I throw medium red clover in here too, but it's for spring and soil health with little fall growth. Plant these in late August. The oats go dormant in early winter and about late September I will layer Winter Rye by broadcasting 150 lbs per acre in plots we may gun hunt later in the year.

Gun Plots- Awnless Winter Wheat is a great draw and option here. It's cheap and will grow in anything. The awnless varieties are great for deer and turkeys into summer as they will eat all the seed heads. I mix in medium red clover here too for the soil and to provide green in the spring. If the WW gets hammered and or is not as full as you like then a September/October layer of Winter Rye broadcasted over the top is a good option to improve its attractiveness.

I have and continue to experiment planting lots of things but the above is my go too.. don't have any experience with sorghum so I can't speak to that.

Ted

 

[30338]

Size of plot and deer density is going to matter a lot. I'd be leaning wheat/rye or 100% rye for fall. My ground is in heavy ag country so I do a small plot just for fun. But have winter wheat fields within a mile that get hit hard all fall/winter.

 

[Maverick1]

I plant about 10 acres of plots in Southern IN with both agriculture and forested areas. 7 plots ranging from a 1/4 acre to 4 acres in size. AG Zone 6B so most of what's planted will apply to you in VA. Plots are planted with either a no-till drill ( genesis 5) and/or broadcasted with a spreader from the tractor.

My goal is to provide some variety with palatability in each part of the season that compliments what the farmer has planted.

Bow Season Plots- Black oats mixed with winter peas and radishes are cheap to plant and always a good draw. 100 lb per acre. I throw medium red clover in here too, but it's for spring and soil health with little fall growth. Plant these in late August. The oats go dormant in early winter and about late September I will layer Winter Rye by broadcasting 150 lbs per acre in plots we may gun hunt later in the year.

Gun Plots- Awnless Winter Wheat is a great draw and option here. It's cheap and will grow in anything. The awnless varieties are great for deer and turkeys into summer as they will eat all the seed heads. I mix in medium red clover here too for the soil and to provide green in the spring. If the WW gets hammered and or is not as full as you like then a September/October layer of Winter Rye broadcasted over the top is a good option to improve its attractiveness.

I have and continue to experiment planting lots of things but the above is my go too.. don't have any experience with sorghum so I can't speak to that.

Ted

What does that cost per year?

 

[Tedhunts]

What does that cost per year?

My 2025....I had to overseed the WW this past year due to drought... planted 1,800 pounds of seed over the 10 acres. Always buy from a seed store or coop and mix yourself. Its best to control the mix rate and plant varieties based on what works in your local area. Branded bags are an unnecessary expense.

Can easily have a great plot for $50-$60 an acre if you drill, a little more if you broadcast. This year I used turnips instead of radishes and chose to overseed with wheat instead of rye, but the price was still ballpark. WW remains green and the deer are killing it right even under this snow.

Ted

 

[K9kodi]

Yea I’ll do the winter wheat was thinking of mixing w clover and cereal rye

 

[zwalker]

I am in central North Carolina and I primarily plant clover. I have had great luck with the whitetail institute stuff. The advantages to clover is the different wildlife other than deer that like it, like turkeys. It is also a good seed to frost seed with and fill in bare spots that you may have. It is also very easy to maintain. I fertilize in the spring and fall and keep it mowed in the summer. I try to keep things simple with food plots but I do believe in them tremendously.Hope this helps

 

[K9kodi]

It def does. I wanna get tit he point I can plant some candy crop, but my first go will be winter wheat and cereal rye with close rmixed in