Wildlife biologists often debate whether or not spring food plots are worth the risk.  They can be expensive to plant and are subject to failure in the event of drought.  Some wildlife managers believe you are better off using a protein feeder.  However, others like me, think spring food plots have a valuable place in deer management.  Spring food plots provide supplemental nutrition when deer need it most – for doe that’s during the fawning season and for bucks it’s during the period of antler growth.  One main benefit food plots have over pelleted rations is the fact that they keep growing and producing forage.  

Unfortunately, we are not all large landowners and have limited available acres to plant.  Most of us plant fall food plots to attract game and to enhance nutrition available in the winter months.  The biggest mistake I’ve seen over and over by well-meaning hunters and game managers is when they plow up a perfectly productive food plot to plant another one.  For example, most hunters plant fall food plots and the good ones will include a legume like clover.  Clover, especially arrowleaf, will not mature until late June or early July and while growing it is extremely productive and beneficial as a forage for deer and turkey.   So imagine my horror when I see hunters disk up a perfectly good food plot to plant something for the spring and summer!  The same is true for spring food plots.  They are most beneficial during the dog days of summer when most of the natural foods are turning rank.  Again, well-meaning hunters disk them under in late August or September at the very time they are needed most. 

So what’s the solution?  Well the obvious solution is to never mix your food plots, that is if you have the luxury of planting fall food plots in one place and spring food plots on another.  However, if you are limited to just one area there is hope.  The key is to allow your fall food plot to do its thing until hot weather kills it.  Usually this occurs in late June or early July.  Once the plants in your fall food plot are dead, then it’s time to act and you can disk the plot again and plant a late spring/summer food plot.  The trick here is to use fast growing plants that will be beneficial to deer and other game species but will die early enough for you to be able to prepare your fall food plot is mid-September.

There are three such plants that fit the bill.  The first plant is relatively new on the US market but has been used overseas for years.  It is a fast growing warm season annual legume known as Sunn Hemp.  Please see the plant profile in this month’s Blog.  The second plant is Buckwheat and it will be presented in next month’s blog.  Buckwheat is a highly nutritious warm season annual that grows rapidly and produces excellent forage.  Deer love it and game birds readily feed on its seed.  The third plant I recommend may surprise you in that it is usually planted to attract game birds and waterfowl.  Browntop millet is a fast growing summer annual that reaches maturity in 45-60 days.  I use it for two reasons.  The first is as a protective nurse crop that helps protect legumes from over browsing and from being scorched from the summer sun.  The second reason is that I have witnessed deer time and time again strip the seed heads like grapes from a vine. 

Plant these three warm season forages in combination of 20 lbs. each and fertilize with 200-300 lbs. of 8-24-24 or 5-20-20. Remember, don’t prepare your plot until your fall food plot has died.  This quick growing combination will provide valuable forage when times are tough in late July through mid-September.