Food plot information / help

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srs028

New member
I own 15 acres of 3 year old cut-over and small pines here in VA. I have been watching deer all year on my property using game cameras. I decided that I would plant a food plot on the edge of my property were Ive been seeing all these deer in hopes of making a good clearing to hunt for them this fall. I cleared a 40yard by 80yard section were I had been seeing all these deer. Once this was clear, the deer flocked to this area and I was getting 20 pics a week and some nice bucks also, Im sure they were just curious as to what was going on....anyway, I planted the No-Till Biologic consisting of clover, braddicus and rye. I used the recommended 500 ibs of lime and 300 ibs of fertilizer and to my suprise, this stuff started growing like crazy. Its been on the ground 37 days and is already 14-16 binches tall. HERES THE PROBLEM.....I have seen only 1 deer in 37 days. They totally stopped using this area! Also when I walk down to the food plot, I can smell the braddicus from over 100 feet away. Have I messed up somewere. Any opinions or info would be greatly appreciated because I am at a loss.
 
You can't ver go wrong with soybeans. Even when they ferment, deer still love them. Also, try cutting your grass, because sometimes when forage gets too high, they will not eat it. Try to plant food that are not fillers, like rye grass or any vines. Try to plant forage that deer actually eat, like clay peas, clovers, and wheat. If you plant a plot of equal parts soybeans an rye grass, and observe deer feeding in it, chances are they will be hunting for the beans. Just some food for thought...
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Forgot to add that trace minerals poured over stumps is a surefire way to draw them in. Deer crave salt because they need iodine just like humans.
 
They use Brassica and rye because it is a cheap filler. I have read reports where deer in the southern states are crazy over the brassica rapa plants but here in the midwest, I have not had any luck getting them to eat it.

If you think it stinks now, wait until the first frost! I doubt that the deer are avoiding the area because of the brassica though. I have planted the biologic blend and the deer used the food plots, but they mostly ate the clover and avoided the brassica's.

If you don't want to have to replant every year, it is hard to beat regular old Whitetail Clover or even a White Ladino clover like you buy at a farm seed supply store.

If you want to plant an annual row crop every year, soybeans, sweet corn and pop corn work well. The main problem with soybeans on such a small plot is that the deer and rabbits often keep them ate down so much that they are never able to mature.

If the brassica is getting much taller than the clover, I would bush hog it at a height so that you are just barely clipping the tops out of the clover. In other words, thin the brassica as much as you can.
 
Definetly. They just browse in those grasses and vines, and only really eat them when there are no acorns in the woods or crops.
 
I have no knowledge of food plots, so take this for what its worth. 15 acres is not a large enough area that deer will solely stay on your property. Weather, predators, rut, etc can cause them to move well off your property. Any chance your neighbors are friendly enough to let you set up some trail cams on their property to see where your deer have disappeared to? The last 37 days have been quite hot I'm assuming there, does one of your neighbors have a "better" facing slope or more dense trees that they may have holed up in?

Just a couple thoughts not specifically related to your crop. If you have feed that will stay nutritious after most other crops/forage has gone, they will return.
 
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