Food plots benefit deer and other wildlife during high stress periods
September means work weekends on deer leases across Texas.
Whether it is moving tower blinds, relocating feeders, cleaning up around the bunkhouse, cutting firewood or mowing roads or pipelines, there is rarely a shortage of chores at a hunting camp that has been neglected for the better part of a year.
Planting food plots is another task deer hunters and land managers have on their minds in early fall, and that's a good thing.
Food plots are a great source of nutrition for deer and other wildlife. They are especially beneficial during the dead of winter, long after terrestrial vegetation and acorns have either been wiped out by freezing weather or taken in as food.
Plant it
Food plots also can be of tremendous benefit to hunters on properties, mainly because they are deer magnets when natural forage is hard to come by. Some hunters rely heavily on food plots to help them meet antlerless deer harvest quotas, or to entertain youth or inexperienced hunters who just want to see deer.
Big bucks typically don't make a habit of visiting food plots during the daylight hours, but they will make the occasional mistake.
Some are lured into the open by receptive does. Most often, however, it is a late season blunder driven by the desire to survive.
A seasoned East Texas hunter once told me the best time to kill a big buck around a food plot is during the dead of winter, toward the end of the season, when outside temperatures are well below freezing.
"A big buck will pretty much go nocturnal after the rut, but a really cold blast late in the year will force him to move," the hunter said. "He still has to eat, or he will die."
Let work begin
Planting food plots is not a simple task. It is hard work that demands time and money. Do it correctly, however, it can be well worth the effort.
The first order of business to take care of before planting is to perform a test to determine the soil pH. This can usually be done locally for a small fee. If you don't know who to talk to, contact your local extension agency.
Most soils in East Texas are very acidic. Acidic soils may require lime application to raise the pH level between 6 and 7, which is generally sufficient for growing most wildlife forages. A soil analysis will provide all the information you need to determine lime and fertilization rates to maximize growth potential.
Determining site
When selecting a plot first think flat and take into consideration the amount of sunlight that will hit the plot over the course of the day. Winter food plots don't need all-day sun to produce, but they do require some sunlight.
Old logging roads, clearings, road shoulders and former log sets are good places to build food plots, as long as the ground is relatively clean and it drains fairly well. Pipe line and power line right-of-ways also make ideal places for food plots.
A good friend of mine got really lucky earlier this month when he discovered a pipe line company had cleared a mile-long swath, about 60 yards wide, smack through the middle of his deer lease.
I'm not sure who performed the work, but they did an outstanding job of cleaning up after themselves. Not a single log, tree top or limb was left behind, just soft, smooth soil begging for some seeds for as far as the eye could see.
My buddy quickly laid claim to about an acre of fresh dirt adjacent to a small creek that crosses the pipe line. The creek has always been a good funnel for deer traveling between a nearby hardwood bottom and the adjacent pine plantation.
Keep that in mind when planting any food plot that deer, especially bucks, feel more comfortable walking into an opening that offers them a quick escape route.
Prep work
To get the most out of a food plot, the site needs to be prepped correctly. Mowing is the first order of business, followed by liming and discing to break up the ground. It's is always best to have multiple food plots up to one acre in size as opposed to one giant one.
Time it right
One of the biggest mistakes you can make when planting cool weather food plots is planting too early. Many hunters and land managers will plant in September, but they run the risk of losing an early stand should it turn out hot and dry. The safest bet is to plant in early October.
Seeds for thought
There are several cool weather forages that are beneficial to deer and other wildlife, but none are created equal. Some grow quickly while others are slower to take hold.
Legumes like arrowleaf, crimson and Louisiana S1 clovers are excellent sources of protein for deer, especially during late winter and early spring, when their bodies are stressed. The downside is these forages are slow growing and don't produce an early season green up.
Planting a mixture of legumes in combination with Gulf rye, wheat or oats will give you the best of both worlds, provided the seed bed is properly prepped, fertilized and receives adequate moisture to jump start the germination process.
Matt Williams' email address is mattwilliams@netdot.com.
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