It may seem like months away, but spring food plot preparation has begun. Although the actual planting season is still a several months from now, plot selection and equipment preparation needs to be done prior to the growing season.
It is important to check any equipment that will be used such as drills, drags, sprayers, ATV’s, spreaders, discs, or any other equipment for loose bolts and broken or clogged pieces. Also, gearing and lubricating the necessary equipment on ATV’s is also a must.
Seed selection is also something that must be taken into high consideration. There are two different types of plots. One is a food plot and the other is a hunting plot. It sounds as though they are the same thing, but a food plot has the intent of strict nutritional and ecological benefits while a hunting plot is to simply attract the game during the hunting season. Once you establish which kind of plot you will create, you can consider the types of vegetation you would like to plant. If you are creating a new plot, the late winter and early spring time periods are excellent times to trim bushes and trees around your selected location. The ground is hard and you can often bring in equipment (ATV's, Bobcats, Tractors) with little damage to the ground or trails they need to be used on.
For food plots, nutritional needs such as winter and spring feed as well as cover should be targeted. For most species, this would mean planting grasses that have larger seed heads that provide feed for upland game, small game, and large mammals including deer. It also allows for cover in the spring for nesting birds and fawns. Other vegetation that is extremely beneficial is pumpkins, soybeans, and corn in places where it can effectively be grown.
If a hunting plot is selected, a variety of clovers, chicory, brassicas, turnips, oats, and other vegetables are great options. These food sources are hit hard once the first frost strikes, which is typically during the archery season in the Midwest. When starting fresh with a hunting plot, access to and from the stand should be considered. If you are bumping game while going to and from your stand, then having a food plot is pointless. Some of the best places to locate food plots are along power lines, near thickets in woods, and in places where there is little food already existing. Christian also suggests putting a food plot towards the center of a person’s property. This keeps the game on his or her property instead of putting it near property borders where the game will be constantly crossing onto the neighboring land.
Some of the most common premixed food plot brands include:
Remember when you are preparing your food plots, the work you put into them now will pay off next fall! Good luck and have fun!
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