A hunting plot is a food plot placed strategically in an area where you want to place a stand and hunt directly over it. Planting a food plot is a great way to attract deer to your favorite hunting area. It also helps to ensure a healthier herd. Depending on how and what you plant, you also can encourage antler growth to get that trophy set of horns.
Instructions
Deciding Where
1. Choosing the right area to plant requires a bit of scouting. Look for areas with signs of high traffic of the game you wish to hunt, including tracks and scrapings.
Do not plant to close to the bedding area. If you disturb this area too much, animales will leave it and look for a safer place.
2. Make sure there is enough sun to support healthy growth of the crop you wish to plant.
3. The land needs to be level enough to plow or till it. However, it does not have to be in any certain shape. Irregularly shaped plots often work great and can provide ideal spots for your stand.
4. Always be aware of the direction of the wind in relation to where you want your stand. Make sure the wind is not carrying your scent to the plot.
5. The plot needs to be close to cover, either tree growth or underbrush, so the game feel safe enough to come out and eat on it.
What To Plant
6. Soybean is the top recommended plant for hunting plots. Chicory and white clover follow closely behind. Other popular plants are rye grass, leaf lettuce and turnip.
7. Even though deer and turkey will destroy your backyard garden, they actually are attracted even more to the plants listed here. Just try growing those in your backyard and see what happens.
8. Check the date on the seed packages. If the seed is older than six months, do not purchase.
Land Preparation
9. New plots will need to be plowed. You can do this yourself or find a local farmer to do it, perhaps for a small fee. Check at a nearby feed store for a recommendation.
Tilling may be all that is required on previous plots. Make sure to disturb the soil at least 6 to 8 inches deep.
10. Check the acidity of the soil. An inexpensive test kit can be purchased at most feed and grain stores. Most wooded areas naturally test between 2.0 to 4.0 pH level. Hunting plots need to have a pH level of 6.0 to 7.0 for best results. It is best to test the soil just after a light rain.
11. Add the right products, usually lime or gypsum, to bring the acidity level to where it needs to be. You also can add a good fertilizer to help ensure healthy growth. If it is clay-type soil, add gypsum instead of lime to help break up the soil.
Planting
12. Food plots planted in the spring help with overall growth as well as antler growth. However, hunting plots are usually planted a couple of months prior to the season opening so that all the plants are up and the animals are used to coming to that area to eat.
13. Use a spreader at double the recommended rate, especially for new plots. New ground is less than optimum for germination. Overseeding will compensate for this. Full coverage of all soil will also make the plot area better for replanting the next year.
14. Turn the soil again to cover up the seed so it is safe until it has time to sprout. Dragging a piece of chain-link fence over the area usually will accomplish this.
15. Within a week of planting the seeds, you should see signs of sprouting. The wildlife will start eating the clover and leaf lettuce as soon as it starts to come up. Soybean plants usually grow up to 8 to 12 inches before they start eating it. This usually takes about two to three weeks. Other plants vary.
Maintenance
16. If the plot seems to be growing well, do nothing.
17.If it does not seem to be growing well, retest the acidity and take steps to correct it.
18. Add more fertilizer if needed.
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