I live in south central Iowa and want to know what kind of food plot to put in. I dont have access to any machinery and was wondering if there were any good ideas I could try? It would probably be something small in the woods. Let me know what you guys think.
Small plots in the woods rarely do very well for 3 main reasons. They don't get enough sunlight. The surrounding trees suck out most of the moisture. The soil is very acidic from all of the decaying leaves. Unless you can make it big enough so the sun gets down there for at least 4 hours a day and lime and fertilize the heck out of it, you'd be much better off planting in a field.
I've had success in a wood setting with oats. They don't need as much and they seem to do ok without a ton of lime. That said, I still try to make it an east/west oval or rectangle of sorts, that gets it more sun. Lime as much as you can and you will grow oats in the woods. It's also not as much of an investment, just get regular ag oats to start, the deer don't know they only cost 4 bucks a bushel.
Thanks. I have a nice clearing that gets alot of sun. It is right on the edge of a field. Would clover or turnips do alright there? Deer seem to just cruise through the property and dont seem to want to hang around. I am looking for something to help them stay during the day.
Clover is one plant that can do pretty well in partial shade. You can plant the clover along with the oats. Once the oats mature and die you will still have the clover.
I would look at something like Whitetail Institutes Secret Spot or No Plow or Biologic Hot Spot or Clover Patch which will grow well in the woods. Also look at doing some forest management to thicken up your timber which will also help hold deer.
To add, I've had awesome luck with plant the oats in the beginning of Sept, so that they are green when all the local beans are brown.
