I agree 100% with this video. In Southern Michigan where it's a heavy corn and soybean area, I view things like acorns, orchards, and food plots as either an appetizer or dessert. Ultimately the deer want to be in those crop fields for their main course. In addition to rye and clover, I would add alfalfa to the list. A plot planted with a mix of clover and alfalfa is very browse resistant, and deer love alfalfa as part of a diversified diet. I've seen 40 acre alfalfa fields here at dusk with 50+ deer grazing. This year in a couple 3 acre plots I'm planting a new mix I found that is a variety of clovers, chicory, and alfalfa...I expect them to smash it on their way to and fro the ag fields.
Thanks Johnny! I actually never recommend alfalfa...it actually stops growing well before clover and begins growing after clover. You may find that for the hunting season, going all clover may give you a boost in volume. Again tho, I never recommend alfalfa...pardon the pun, but not enough bang for your buck 🙂 just my experience... Either way tho, green goes a loooong way in a location like yours! 3 acres is a big plot though...not really a hunting plot.
Last year I planted rye on top of clover... never hunted it as it is just off my "farmed homestead " area.. had lots of action because it was totally unpressured.. now I have diverted them with a new pass thru area directing them to a "neighbor friendly" ag field... they ate our corn before we could.. this year I am planting a bunch of corn as a diversion from MY CORN😂.. lol also standing corn is a nice screen, right to my treestand locations.. will see if I need to hunt my property this year or leave it no pressure for another season.. oh they like oats in sprouting stage too.. thanks Jeff, I use your techniques everywhere now and am doing better!!!
been layering winter rye n cereal rye n this year have more bucks n deer in general that stay on the plots its crazy groups of bucks still feeding together as of december in north east bama. yes rut kicks in january february but the action on these plots is amazing.thanks.just put more rye out again today keep fresh growth for the deer.
Great stuff Jeff. This one helps a ton, here in Indiana my rye came up good last year, it was my first time ever planting. I didn’t go back over it 2-3 times but that’s a great idea!
I would love to have you up to our propery in upstate ny, I’ve listened and applied your methods combined with what I’ve learned from the land here and I’ve had some amazing hunts.
Wow....i literally was looking at which seed I wanted to plant in my kill plot yesterday afternoon....I held off buying for some reason. Guess this video was the reason.... This video helped big time!
I live in Kentucky. I plan to open the canopy on a portion of my ridge that runs threw the middle of my property. I was going to plant clover turnips and some peas. Is this a good mix ? Or should i plant something else with the clover?
I've implemented your food plot blend with fantastic results, love it. One thing I haven't seen you cover, how do you deal with your rye from spring until planting season? If you let it head out, it can be a pain to deal with. Appreciate the videos!
Micheal thank you very much! That's a great question and one I need to talk about for sure. I like spraying with glyphosate when 12-18" tall...well before seed head. Mowing at that time is a great strategy too. Either way you can leave the roots in the soil, leave debris on the ground. That helps to build soil nutrients and it also helps you to avoid compaction.
Hey brother, what can I plant in southern middle TN. for screening the food plots ?its new parcel so I’m just now planting white clover/ forage radish mix. And I wanted to plant a screen around the one that’s in a open field. Would Egyptian wheat get tall enough by mid October late October ? If it gets to 6’ tall I’ll be happy.
Good info saw you recommend this last year and tried it near Ladysmith WI worked good. Do you have any advice on those fencing options to keep deer out of plots until they are mature?
Another great video sir. I got all my seed from Northwoods the other day. I’m going to do the 3 tier system this year. My question is: Since last year I had forage beans and created a doe haven, should I plant the clover part of the 3 tier system this spring, or wait until late summer? I don’t want to create that doe haven again. Plot is 1/2 acre and is surrounded by other natural AG for S/W Michigan.
Ok I have been a stealth subscriber following you for some time. We have some private land and are wanting to implement your food plot strategies into our land. My question is if we are planting all of our plots right now in the woods as micro plots, what seed would your recommend? We are in Western Md in the neck of Md. Most plots will be around 1/10th of an acre. We were thinking clover and chicory from Northwoods but would like to add a cold seed for late season hunting. Any and all suggestions are welcome! Thanks!
Great video! Are you disking the ground before you are adding your seed? We have a few areas identified for plots but will have a real hard time getting a disk in to the area. We are hoping to utilize liquid lime to fix ph issues with these areas. Ideally, we are looking for something to plant that doesnt require mowing and is low maintenance due to the remote locations. Any suggestions?
Hey Jeff, I’m putting my first food plot it’s about a 3/4 of an acre I’m in southern Ontario super excited. Just Was thinking clover after watching this video on half and brassicas. I won’t be able to plant till about August 7 or 8 because I sprayed round up 2 days ago. How soon could I add rye into the brassicas or could I mix it.. thanks Jeff
Rye saved my butt last year, had no rain for over a month after planting a brassica plot but added the rye and it became a major food and social area for the herd so I stayed off it and never hunted over it
Please advise why not having a food plot is better than having a food plot where deer are kicked off at times. There is one plot that is too close to the atv trail but its such a nice naturally open area that i would really like to keep a plot there. The deer hit it pretty hard in its first year. didn't shoot any off of it but deer rarely ever hit plots during rifle season anyway
Jeff, another really informative video, thank you! Quick questions, I have about an acre clover and chicory plot. I frost seeded this last year and some grew but grass took over. I see a lot of clover under the grass. I plan to kill the grass this spring in hopes that the clover that did grow will take off and grow nicely without the grass. Would you recommend filling in the bare soil with rye grain? Would it be beneficial? Thanks!
Great video as always brother. I really enjoy your videos a lot. Keep on rolling and GOD BLESS you and your family Amen. Looking forward to your next video.
I’ve listened to many of your videos over the years and you very seldom ever discuss strategies for the south. I live in North Carolina. What about us?
What do you Thank of the red top clover brother??? Is the white or red top clover best???? I like the red top clover. Would it be ok to mix the two clovers for my plot or go with just one kind??????
Hi Randle, med red is a fast growing clover...but more cattle related. Crimson clover may be great for you...white clovers (ladino) I would try mixing 2-3 quality clovers...
Hey Jeff great video! I have 1/10 and 1/8 plots with a 40 acre alfalfa field on one end of our 40. was going to combine brassicas with rye and Oats thoughts on that? Also could you combine just rye and oats?
I know you've said water holes are for corridors to food, not in food. Would you ever consider a water hole on a very small hunting plot? Particularly if it's all part of the corridor headed toward bigger food? Thanks!
Sam, good question. At times? Not if I think I can add a waterhole at a close stand location that gives me better entrance access for that stand, as well as other wind options, closer to food plots, or close to a bedding area. If I could stagger out the attractions to create another great stand in line with the hunting plot location then I wouldn't place the water on the food. I currently have zero waterholes on my plots...but I have several that are within 40 yards to 80 yards from food.
Sure...what do you think of some of these? I really want to do more, not necessarily mountain, but 700-800 changes in elevation. ru-vid.com/group/PLmV8Ilexgmhfhq31_lulJiD0mh-OmGtd0
In previous videos you mention to keep all your food plots the same blend. Are these hunting plots the same blend as well as the bigger ones or are these a special case?
Good question Luke! These are plots that because of size, could not withstand the browsing pressure that larger plots could tolerate. For example these plots typically would be down to the dirt by mid season. So the focus turns from as much diversity and volume...to the most volume possible. These are also plots that would be a part of a buck cruising movement...deer movement in general, as a hotspot between bedding and a major food source. A pass thru. So the goal isn't to feed deer, but to pinpoint movement withing a hotspot of attraction. I hope that makes sense!
Hi Jeff thanks for the informative videos!! Have helped me so much. I have finally purchased my dream property of 50 acres and a house in the Ozarks of North Central Arkansas. My qeustion is with no other options for deer other than woods whatever grass I create will he a major food source. What is your experience with creating clover feilds around house and kill plots between bedding and house plots? Sorry for lengthy post. Thanks for any input!!
The plots I've been building are very secluded I can only get hand tools out to them hand turning dirt takes alot of time and work hahaha alot of sweet put in and I'm going to have to backpack the lime and seed in and anything else I'm going to need hopefully it'll be worth it I'm not going to hunt the plots I'm going to hunt the trails to them
Great video what do you think would sight unseen would be a good seed for my land in N Y if any long time ago I tried clover no plow very small area the deer destroyed it never gave it a chance to reach it’s potential well soon enough you will put us on the right path to succeed thanks in advance for all you do for us
Sounds great does it need lots of sun by the way Ross finally texted me saying he would be by me before oct Lmao I certainly hope so cause if you determine I need food plots that’s when it is gonna be paramount he gets out to me before the season begins you know what you said in one of your videos the need for Ross to implement what you said or there would be a disconnect in what we are trying to accomplish
At the risk of sounding like a complete boob is there a difference between winter rye & winter rye grass also is winter rye used as a cover like switch grass I know based on what you have taught deer won’t eat switch grass will they eat the rye & will it stay erect like switch grass after snow fall
Thanks a lot Brian! I've seen more failed attempts than not. Double fencing works well. 9' fence and then lifting up the lower 4' works well 🙂 So hard though. I've even seen where someone created a wood stairway to go up and over a 6' fence, and deer just walk up and down the stairway. I've seen often where deer learn to jump the fence. On another note, I've witnessed where folks have removed the fence and then the deer ate the forage in the 1/2 acre or screen to the ground in less than a week.
@@brianlenneman5032 it's a risk, for sure...double row with a low and high combined isn't s bad idea. Deer go in with nose to ground, hit the low fence and back off. To enter, they have to jump the lower fence and then dive quickly at the same time.
In a 35 acre rectangle shape tract, would it be wise to put a food source on both ends or would you load the food source (plot) on one side and use the benefit of depth of cover?
Good question Ben...there are MANY variables. Generally I woul load up an edge or corner for sure...but not always. Hills, access, neighbors and natural lay of the land are just a free of the factors...
@@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751 I planted a small area near my stand of Throw and Grow, it was inexpensive. I used a few garden tools and 10-10-10 fertilizer. I planted two weeks ago. I watered the seeds and now have a few inches of green grass. The bag had yellow and black seeds. I believe that was clover and brassicas. The bag was mostly Rye seeds. I don’t know if this Rye is an annual or perennial. I hope the clover and brassicas will appear soon. The green grass looks good, just wondering if a specific Rye seed is good for attracting deer which I believe this product uses.
I’m not looking to make a hunting plot per say I’m thinking of making a 1 1/2 acre plot that way I know their gonna be fine next winter cause this feeding is getting way to expensive
Mike, with just a bit of rain in the forecast and throwing the seed on the soil...you can good germination rates. At a rake, a drag and cultipacking the seed with your ATV tires and you can get GREAT germination rates. You certainly do not need a disc or tiller! As a side note I am in SW WI, and I really like a late June/early July planting date as opposed to an earlier date.
@@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751 I've been watching your videos and that's what I took from them. No summer plot just fall. What schould I plant in my area ? Winter rye ? Or maybe a mix ? Sorry i bet you get a thousand questions a day. Thanks for doing what you do. Very kool 👍 Im buying your books my friend
If i had a mix like winter rye clover oats tillage radish and maybe some rape would that work in a smaller plot or if their would be other plant types that I should try
Hi Logan...I get all of my seed from Northwoods Whitetails, BUT for those large volume seeds like Winter Rye, forage oats, forage peas...when I am getting those in large quantities I buy local. Whatever Fall rye grain the local elevator has...Winter rye, rye grain...just as long as it isn't rye grass 😉
I watched this video twice. Im in southern MI Belleville to be exact. I want a annual that will drive them nuts. Need tonnage some ag in the area. Farmer left corn up untill February. I will be hunting foodplots 100 percent property doesnt offer other options. Thanks again
Mike that is very interesting...I appreciate that! My name is always on the screen for 2-3 seconds at the very beginning of every video. BUT obviously not enough so I do appreciate it very much!
