Best food plot!?

This is my long thin oats and winter rye plot that winds by my quad pod stand and connects with my main plot. Deer are hammering it every day and a thinner plot will funnel them right by a stand. Buck pictured is a buck I passed in pod stand not far from where pic was taken. Scoot

 

Also I noticed you are interested in growing big racks. If this is your main purpose with a plot, then you are probably going to be disappointed.

Like Ty said, age structure and genetics play a much larger role.

 

Everyone else pretty much chimed in and summed it up jicely. Don't expect a plot to just magically hold more deer...cover will do more of that then the plots themselves. A good property has both cover and food working together and planned out with hunting plan. PM me if ya want OP...who knows we may very well be very close to one another.

 

The solution of what to plant isn't about a particular blend or name product but to plant the right product for the right soil, planted at the right time.

What is your soil type?
What was the previous crop grown?
When do you plan on planting?
What is the weed pressure?
What did your soil test results say?
How many deer per sq mile is there?
What equipment do you have?

These are the questions i always ask people before trying to give them my opinion on what is best to plant. This is where people who do food plots fall short. Very few farmers plant "corn" or "beans", they plant the varieties that are recommended to them by their seed specialists. I wish more people would buy their seed from people who give expert advice and service in return for you buying their seed. Seed that is sitting on the shelf doesn't tend to lend much expertise nor success.

 

Not sure PastorAndrew or I have every consulted a "expert" and pastor has turnips the size of pumpkins that you could carve....imagine what he could be doing? Just giving ya a hard time....but I agree to a degree...people need to get away from just the generic stuff found on Walmart shelves.

 

I'm writing a book called "From soil to success". My background in managed rotational grazing and deer nutrition is my life. On Grandpa Ray's Farm, we have shot a high number of 140-210 class bucks in an area that isn't known for huge deer. But it all starts with the soil. Growing big deer is a 365 day a year venture. Putting mineral down helps tremendously if it's sound science. Most deer minerals are attractants and not solid nutritional products. Having deer consume high amounts of quality deer mineral helps. You can help add inches more easily by helping raise the protein, energy and mineral content on EVERYTHING planted on a land or farm by having your soil write and choosing sound agronomic practices.

Next comes planting a blend of forages and grains so that you get consumption as close to 365 days a year as possible. Also, as a herd ages, their absorption and utilization of major minerals begins to decline. Having the ability to jack up Calcium and phosphorus by treating your soil correct, will lead to higher quality forages and an increase in total production and nutrition per acre.

I also am a huge fan of cover crops, double cropping and crop/plot rotation. Healthy soil, leads to healthy plants and healthy plants leads to healthy animals.