Easiest Food Plots for a Lazy Hunter?

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AB_Vinny
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Easiest Food Plots for a Lazy Hunter?

Unread postby AB_Vinny » Thu Feb 27, 2014 5:47 am

I am looking at putting in a few food plots on the properties I hunt (farm country). Since the density of deer are low and their options for feed are plenty I wanted to put small plots to increase their visitation to my properties.

However my time and equpiment are limited I am trying to figure out the easiest way to lay down some small plots. Here are some options I have, but I am open to suggestion:

1) Find natural clearing in woods. However will have tall grass that needs to be cut down (weed-wacker) and round-up sprayed. Then rake the dirt and broadcast no-plow type of seed with lime and/or fertilzer.
2) Find area in woods that has bear floor, thus minimal prep. Cut down a few trees to open canopy, rake ground and broadcast seed.

Any suggestions?


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Re: Easiest Food Plots for a Lazy Hunter?

Unread postby binney59 » Thu Feb 27, 2014 9:33 am

In my opinion it is tough to beat winter rye for an easy plot. It is still worth checking the pH though because even an "easy" plot has a way of turning into a lot of work and it would suck to waste it because your ph is off.
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Re: Easiest Food Plots for a Lazy Hunter?

Unread postby DEERSLAYER » Thu Feb 27, 2014 9:53 am

AB_Vinny wrote:I am looking at putting in a few food plots on the properties I hunt (farm country). Since the density of deer are low and their options for feed are plenty I wanted to put small plots to increase their visitation to my properties.

However my time and equpiment are limited I am trying to figure out the easiest way to lay down some small plots. Here are some options I have, but I am open to suggestion:

1) Find natural clearing in woods. However will have tall grass that needs to be cut down (weed-wacker) and round-up sprayed. Then rake the dirt and broadcast no-plow type of seed with lime and/or fertilzer.
2) Find area in woods that has bear floor, thus minimal prep. Cut down a few trees to open canopy, rake ground and broadcast seed.

Any suggestions?

How tall is the grass? It seems like it would be flat under the snow right now. Then when it gets about 6" in the spring you could spray it. No weed wacking necessary.

If you find a spot in the woods you don't have to cut down the trees. You can just girdle them and leave them standing. Then just rake up the leaves.

I would focus more on where the plots should be and then worry about how to do it as easy as possible. You don't need a lot of equipment to start a food plot. A sprayer, cheap hand broadcast spreader, rake and maybe a chainsaw are about all you are likely to need for equipment. It's nice to have a quad or be able to get a truck or car back to a spot so you can work up the ground with something (can be homemade), but it's not usually necessary to start a plot.

One thing I would do for sure is to get the soil tested.

Also, have you considered planting any tree plots such as pears, apples, etc?
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RED OAK
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Re: Easiest Food Plots for a Lazy Hunter?

Unread postby RED OAK » Thu Feb 27, 2014 11:09 am

binney59 wrote:In my opinion it is tough to beat winter rye for an easy plot. It is still worth checking the pH though because even an "easy" plot has a way of turning into a lot of work and it would suck to waste it because your ph is off.


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Re: Easiest Food Plots for a Lazy Hunter?

Unread postby ozzz » Thu Feb 27, 2014 1:04 pm

Winter Rye + Brassica Mix

Done decent for me and I dont have nothin
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Re: Easiest Food Plots for a Lazy Hunter?

Unread postby trapper57 » Thu Feb 27, 2014 1:35 pm

I spray mine with round-up at first green-up and then twice more before Labor Day
Then plant either winter rye or wheat and or brassica.
You can just broadcast it by hand
The key is soil to seed contact.
I then broadcast fertilizer a couple weeks later.
The other key is rain.
I try to time my seeding right before a decent rain.
Use generic glysophate (round-up) it's a lot cheaper.

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Re: Easiest Food Plots for a Lazy Hunter?

Unread postby DEERSLAYER » Thu Feb 27, 2014 3:58 pm

Until we know where he is going to put the plots these are all just guesses. Not saying bad ones, but need to know about the soil type, amount of sunlight, etc. Decent to good well drained soil and no tools & I may be thinking a rye/tillage radish mix, but I think that's jumping the gun a little. JMHO
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Re: Easiest Food Plots for a Lazy Hunter?

Unread postby BassBoysLLP » Fri Feb 28, 2014 12:38 am

Agree with everyone here. Rye brassica mix should work good and can be established with no tillage if your soil is where it needs to be.

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