Winter Grains-Deer Food Plots Crops and Seeds

Winter Grains-Deer Food Plots Crops and Seeds

Because winter grains are planted within the fall they benefit from a period of time when many regions of the united states receive steady seasonal rainfall, causing this crop a good solution in otherwise arid areas. Winter wheat, rye or triticale are employed greatly in numerous southern food plot programs where heavy deer densities and dry summer conditions make other fall and winter food sources much less reliable. Most people have heard the expression green field when discussing southern deer hunting strategies. Green fields are usually some mix of winter grains along with a little clover included. With sufficient moisture, winter grains grow fast and may be employed by deer within a couple weeks of planting. In addition they stay green well in to the winter and therefore are very unyielding to frost. Early in the year, there’s the initial plant to green up, so they really are an essential early food for deer seeking to restore them after a challenging winter.

However, being an all-purpose deer meal source, winter grains are unsuccessful. They rapidly become harsh and unpalatable as spring wears on. Many birds eat the seed heads (and turkeys will eat them also) but deer don’t appear too interested past mid-spring. Because winter grains work well in certain situations when nothing else is, they stay within the list of feasible possibilities. Winter grains seem to be more of a piece to a bigger vision of an all incompasing food plot. They are great as an inhancement but not a sole food plot seed.

Food Plots-Alfalfa Food Crops

Back to Home Page

Corn-Deer Food Plot Crops and Seeds

Corn-Deer Food Plot Crops and Seeds

Everybody knows that Whitetail Deer love corn! Corn is especially attractive to deer in the hart of the winter, when everything else is dead or dormant, corn is still available and and is packed with carbohydrates. I realize that many of you know this all ready but I must state it again to be sure. Corn is not a great year round food for deer. It offers little food value to the herd with regard to nutrients. It’s best attribute is that deer can make it through the end of rough winters by eating corn. I use this analogy all the time, that a biologist friend of mind said to me many years ago, “Feeding deer corn is like giving a starving person a candy bar. It will keep them alive but you don’t want it to be the primary food source.”

The nice thing about corn is that it is an abondant cash crop, so it is everywhere. Many times if you search around you can find corn seed that is left over. You may even be able to get it a very low price if not for free. Which is great for people like us that want a cheap deer food plot.

I don’t feel the need to talk much about corn as a plant because everyone is familiar with corn and there are volumes of information on growing it. Idealy, your food plot should contain other crops in it to maintain the herd through the spring, summer and fall and the deer will not depend on the corn until they have to. This time of year happens to be when most hunting is accuring, so corn can be a vital resource for late season stands and blinds.

Winter Grains-Deer Food Plot Crops

Back to Home Page

Perennial Clovers-Deer Food Plots Crops and Seeds

Corn-Deer Food Plot Crops and Seeds

Whitetail Deer Food Plots Home Page

« Previous Page