Whitetail Deer Food Plots-5 Tips
Although the number of Whitetail Deer Hunters in the US has been on the decline the last few years, hunters have become much more selective in the size and age of the deer that they harvest. When I was a kid, sure everyone wanted to get a big one but it was much more important just to get anything. It was all about filling the freezer with meat for the winter. Much of this new collectivism has to do with the advent of hunting shows and channels that have sprung up and added to the mass commercialism of the sport. Now a days hunters watch "professional" hunters kill huge bucks on private ranches and farms that are game managed specifically for trophy deer. These shows explain how they have planted certain foods for the deer in a specific area, to make it all this much easier, than beating the brush all day for nothing. So, I thought with all these new conservationist arising, I would list 5 crucial steps that must be taken into account before ever starting your new whitetail deer food plot:
1. Location: Your Food Plot must have a good section of land for producing what you need. This piece of ground should not be to too small or too big for you to handle. It should be as level as possible and it should receive a decent amount of sunshine. These all sound simple but believe me it is difficult to find all 3.
2. pH Level: This probably the most abused step in this process. You have to have the soil tested in any area so you know where you stand before you begin. Most soil is a little acidic, so you may have to add Lime to it, depending on what plant you are utilizing. You can buy test kits or you can take a sample somewhere to be analyzed.
3. Proper Plants: Before you ever even consider a deer food plot, you must determine what nutrients that your deer herd are lacking, at a specific time of the year. You also have to realize what will grow well in your part of the country. For instance, you might want to plant clover, but the deer need nutrition in you area in the winter. The clover will be long gone by the time they need it.
4. Consultation: You must make contact with your local agriculture institutions. Many of them will help you test your soil, tell you what grows well and they have topographical maps with slopes and so on. You might even find some new places to hunt in your area. Also, befriend any local farmer in the area. They will tell how well certain things grow and what the deer scavenge off of them.
5. And lastly, Positioning: Before you start your whitaildeerfoodplot, make sure there is a good spot adjacent to the plot for you to set up a watch or stand. It is crucial that you know generally which direction the deer will be moving into your plot in coordination with how the wind currents move through the area. You want to try and have the deer naturally funnel their way into you with the wind in your face.
There are multitudes of must knows and tips for creating your own cheap deer food plots. Way too many to do in one article, but I hope that this at least puts some important ideas into any ones head before they start such a task. The last thing that you want to do is spend money on a food plot that turns out to be a total waste time. Remember, like most every thing else, being prepared is the key.
1. Location: Your Food Plot must have a good section of land for producing what you need. This piece of ground should not be to too small or too big for you to handle. It should be as level as possible and it should receive a decent amount of sunshine. These all sound simple but believe me it is difficult to find all 3.
2. pH Level: This probably the most abused step in this process. You have to have the soil tested in any area so you know where you stand before you begin. Most soil is a little acidic, so you may have to add Lime to it, depending on what plant you are utilizing. You can buy test kits or you can take a sample somewhere to be analyzed.
3. Proper Plants: Before you ever even consider a deer food plot, you must determine what nutrients that your deer herd are lacking, at a specific time of the year. You also have to realize what will grow well in your part of the country. For instance, you might want to plant clover, but the deer need nutrition in you area in the winter. The clover will be long gone by the time they need it.
4. Consultation: You must make contact with your local agriculture institutions. Many of them will help you test your soil, tell you what grows well and they have topographical maps with slopes and so on. You might even find some new places to hunt in your area. Also, befriend any local farmer in the area. They will tell how well certain things grow and what the deer scavenge off of them.
5. And lastly, Positioning: Before you start your whitaildeerfoodplot, make sure there is a good spot adjacent to the plot for you to set up a watch or stand. It is crucial that you know generally which direction the deer will be moving into your plot in coordination with how the wind currents move through the area. You want to try and have the deer naturally funnel their way into you with the wind in your face.
There are multitudes of must knows and tips for creating your own cheap deer food plots. Way too many to do in one article, but I hope that this at least puts some important ideas into any ones head before they start such a task. The last thing that you want to do is spend money on a food plot that turns out to be a total waste time. Remember, like most every thing else, being prepared is the key.
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