Is wheat a good food plot for deer?

Asked by: Tom Patel

Deer feed on the wheat heavily, allowing the legumes and brassicas to develop before being fed upon. Wheat, due to its fast out-of-the-ground growth, is a good plant for early season hunting. Well-managed wheat can produce up to 6,000 pounds dry weight of forage per acre.

What food plot is best for deer?

Corn. The other big Midwestern crop, corn, is a top pick for deer food plots. Standing corn during deer season is an absolute must if you have the acreage. If you’re not arguing that soybeans are the number one food plot species, you would probably be voting for corn.

What grain is good for deer?

As natural wild foods decline with cold weather, deer feed more and more heavily on cereal grain crops such as oats, rye and wheat. Though oats might die off in bitter cold conditions, the other two typically produce forage right into spring, when perennials such as clover and more natural forage become available.

What food plot is best for antler growth?

Clovers and beans are easily the top two food plots that are going to promote healthy antler growth, but brassicas are another great option that can essentially be planted year round.

What is a deer’s favorite crop?

Deer love soybeans, but no single crop can meet all of a deer’s year-round needs.

How many deer will a 1 acre food plot support?

three deer

Both Fort Perry and Gary Schwarz’s El Tecomate support 3.5 deer per acre of food plot, but both programs intensively farm and include a supplemental “safety net.” A reasonable across-the-board rule of thumb with a bit of a cushion is, an acre of food plot will support about three deer.

Do deer prefer wheat or oats?

Wheat planted alone in a food plot in areas of high deer density will have a short life, leaving deer without food in late winter and spring. Oats offers more palatability than wheat. There are scores of wheat varieties available. Those that are for seed production are less favored by deer; you want forage wheat.

What is the cheapest thing to feed deer?

An inexpensive way to feed deer is with corn. Deer love corn and many hunters rely on it for supplemental feeding. That being said, corn is not an excellent source of protein, which is essential for antler growth and the nursing of fawns.

What do deer love to eat the most?

Deer will primarily eat browse (woody portion of leaves and stems), forbs (broad-leaved plants), mast (acorns, apples, etc), and grass. Although these are the main foods deer like to eat, the quantity of these different foods differ throughout the year and the region you are hunting.

What do deer love to eat the most?

Deer will primarily eat browse (woody portion of leaves and stems), forbs (broad-leaved plants), mast (acorns, apples, etc), and grass. Although these are the main foods deer like to eat, the quantity of these different foods differ throughout the year and the region you are hunting.

Which clover Do deer like best?

Because Imperial Whitetail Clover contains the only clover genetically designed for whitetail deer. Imperial Whitetail Clover has an extremely high protein content – critical for antler, muscle and bone growth and thrives in extreme cold as well as warm, dry climates.

What is the best thing to plant for deer in the winter?

Brassica blends such as Maximum, Deer Radish or Winter Bulbs & Sugar Beets, containing plants with staggered maturity and palatability dates are ideal for this task. After your cereal grains and clovers have been browsed down and covered in snow, brassicas are very attractive and highly preferred by whitetails.

What is the best spring food plot for deer?

Cool-season legume perennials (plants that live over two years) like clover, alfalfa and chicory are good springtime options. Usually, clover will produce around two to four tons per acre. It’s easily digestible for deer and provides them with plenty of protein.

Are spring food plots worth it?

Spring food plots are a great addition to any property and can help lead you to success this fall. While there is certainly a time and financial commitment involved, these additions to your property will allow you to hold and grow more wildlife year in and year out!

What is a good summer food plot?

Don’t forget that food plotters in the northern United States can grow some “cool-season” crops in summer with a spring planting. They include clover, chicory, oats and alfalfa. These species won’t survive hot summers of the Deep South when established in spring but will do just fine in the North.

What should I plant in a spring food plot?

Common perennial food plot species include clover, alfalfa, or chicory. Annual food plot species only grow for that growing season and are highly attractive. Common annuals include corn, soybeans, turnips, radishes, cereal grains, or peas.

Is alfalfa a good food plot for deer?

Alfalfa food plots can provide 4-6 tons of high protein deer forage per year with good fertility. Alfalfa tolerates long hot dry spells much better than clover because of it’s deep roots that can reach way farther down into the ground.

Can you plant turnips in the spring for deer?

Both turnips and radishes tend to mature much quicker when planted during the spring. This results in these crops becoming non palatable to deer rapidly. You might try buckwheat as the seed is relatively small and often grows well when broadcast into a good seedbed.

Do no-till food plots work?

Advantages of using a no-till drill are so great that often it can be the best way of planting many crops, whether it is a cash-crop or food plot. It saves time during a very busy time of the year for a land manager, prevents soil erosion, increases yield, lowers costs and is MUCH better for the soil.

Is red clover good for deer?

Red clover is a high quality, productive and palatable cool-season forage for deer and other wildlife species including turkey and rabbit.

What can I plant in the woods for deer?

Allow Natural Deer Food to Grow

Openings and edges may allow natural deer sustenance like greenbrier, raspberry, honeysuckle and plum to grow. You can power-charge these and improve their ability to draw deer with a few quick steps. First, if other trees are shading these plants, cut them back so they get more sun.

Can clover grow without tilling?

If you must till or plow the soil before planting, be sure you wait 4 to 6 weeks for new weeds to emerge so you can kill them before planting the clover seed. You may also use the no-till method.

Can I just throw clover seed on the ground?

You can plant clover by itself for ground cover, but it stands up better to foot traffic when combined with lawn grass. Only 5 to 10% by weight of tiny clover seed needs to be mixed with the recommended amount of grass seed to create a thick stand.

Can you broadcast clover seed?

The frost seeding method allows clover to be interseeded into undisturbed soils by scattering seed on top of the ground. Broadcasted seed needs to fall directly onto the soil surface in order to be worked into the soil through the freeze and thaw action that will occur during winter.

Will red clover reseed itself?

Red clover will reseed itself. Red clover is considered a biennial or short-lived perennial that can be considered a perennial plant due to its ability to reseed itself under the proper circumstances. As a result, there can be a constantly thriving population of these plants despite their relatively short lifespan.

How late can you plant red clover?

You can plant the clover in full sun or partial shade, although full sun provides the best yields. Sow the tiny seeds in a well-prepared bed from January to April or August to November. Plant seeds at ¼ inch (6 mm.) deep or even scatter them on the surface of the soil and lightly dust them with earth.

How many years will red clover last?

two to three years

Adapted Varieties
Several of the red clover varieties marketed in Pennsylvania have been bred for better persistence. With proper management, you can expect these varieties to persist for two to three years after the establishment year.