*Have you ever planted 8 acres of seed with a Bag Spreader? I did in 2018 and it wasn’t even close to the number of acres I have planted in a single planting season with a bag. In 2006 I spread over 7000 pounds of fertilizer, seed and lime on a total of 18 acres of my own food plots in 3 states, with that oh-so-familiar Earthway model 2750 spreader. Trust me, the bruise on your shoulder goes away eventually!
2018 Best Food Plot Details
A solid planting of leafy green forage can and in many cases should, be the foundation of most food plot systems. The ability of “green” to dictate, define and maintain food plot movements all hunting season, is arguably better than any other planting combination. For example while soybeans can be a beast of a late season attraction, beans can be a very poor draw during October and November, or in some cases Down to the Dirt before the hunting season even begins to heat up. Corn is an outstanding November food source but like any other forage -even green varieties- corn is a great food source for only a portion of the hunting season. However, a Combination of greens, can create a pattern of feeding on each and every plot that you plant, for each week of the season – and more!
Planted roughly 10 weeks prior to your first frost date (early August in SW WI), a combination of greens can deliver for pre-season, in-season and post-season attraction. Each and every day. If you are located in the traditional Northern 1/2 of the Country locations including nearby ag and portions of homes, rural living and somewhat broken woodlots, my recommendations are typically somewhere around this, depending upon your planting resources:
1st 1/2 of Food Plot (per acre)
*25 pounds of soybeans
*100 pounds of forage peas
*25 pounds of forage oats
**200 Pounds of rye grain broadcasted over this 1/2 roughly 4-5 weeks later
2nd 1/2 of Food Plot (planted same time as 1st 1/2)
*Your favorite Brassica Blend – typically 6 to 7 pounds per acre
The goal of any great food plot planting should be to provide forage for the entire hunting season and beyond. The hunting season is a great time to begin offering food for the local deer herd, at a time when the local habitat is dying and there is ever decreasing amounts of food available to the local deer herd. Something very important to ask yourself, is just how many weeks of the hunting season does your food plot system really offer food and attraction. If you have any holes, make sure to consider a green food source planting mega blend, to create the availability of season-long forage opportunity.
