How to Make Food Plots For Deer and Dove
Introduction
A food plot is a planted area set aside to act as a food source for wildlife. Food plots are generally created much before the hunting season begins. This is done to provide extra nutrition to deer and other wildlife, including doves, quails, etc., during nonhunting seasons. Food plots, however, should be cleared up at least 10 to 15 days before the start of the hunting season, as per U.S. law, as the birds and animals still might return to the patch out of habit.
Materials Required
Backpack sprayer
Land tiller, if possible; tractor
Rake
Tools Required
Safety glasses
Protective clothing and gear
Pesticides and grains
Garbage bags
Instructions
Difficulty Level - Moderate
Step One: Selecting a Food Plot
Before you begin going about this exercise, give careful thought to where you will locate the food plot. The best bet is to use an agricultural field that has been left unused and is overgrown with grass and weeds. The plot should be open and should be able to receive sunlight for most of the day. Do not go in for plots that are excessively drained or do not receive any water.
Step Two: Preparing To Make the Food Plot
The best season to start preparations for making the food plot is around mid-August. Get your backpack sprayer out and fill it with the right pesticide. It is best to spray in the early mornings or evenings, when the atmosphere is a bit windy. Spray the short-listed area with this application in good light. It is a good idea to ensure that the vegetation is growing properly at the time of spraying. You can mark the sprayed area with flags or strings to keep track of the area sprayed. This area can be up to an acre of plot to begin with. However, it mainly depends on the deer population in the area. You can also have several small plots side by side.
Step Three: What to Grow On Food Plots
By the month of September, the deer and dove food plot will be ready for planting. The browning of previous vegetation is an indication that replanting can begin. Begin tilling the area with either the tractor or a tiller. Gather the weeds and dead vegetation in garbage bags as you continue the process. You can choose to grow red/crimson clover or white ladino clover on this plot as the tender clover is readily eaten by the deer. The crimson clover is cheaper to plant. Also, you can use the seeds and grains from adjoining locations as dove feed. However, dispense the bird feed over the plot only after the clovers have started blooming.
Step Four: Caring For Food Plots
It is a good idea to spray the clovers with light pesticides. This will ensure that they grow without being attacked by insects and worms. They do not need to be tended to once they bloom. Because the clovers get too big to be eaten during the months of March up to May, one should ensure that adjoining plots have alternative food for the wildlife. The clovers will usually regrow in the following season by themselves if watered effectively.
Tips
Choose only one or two food plot areas so that wildlife does not destroy other plots where other plants/crops can be planted.
Sprinkle the plots with bird feed every few days or weeks to keep the birds coming.