How many of you guys are hunting over foodplots or have foodplots on your properties that are planted just for deer or other wildlife? I currently lease over 560 acres which has a few smaller plots on it that we have planted for 2 years now with very little deer use until winter kicks in. On another property I have permission on is roughly 400 acres private that we (landowner and myself) have currently 12 acres in foodplots that are just getting hammered by the deer and we are letting all bucks 2 1/2 and younger walk and we will be harvesting about 6 to 10 does off this season to reduce the doe herd. On the third property consisting of 91 acres private we just started planting foodplots with a 1/3 acre test plot in the center of the property due to a late start and drought in late summer we were unable to go ahead with other plots but will increase to about 2 acres this spring. Most of our plots are either BioLogic Full Draw or Clover Plus. We are also using a blend special to Michigan called QDMA Brassica blend and is designed for use in all midwest. It has alot of Rape, Canola, P.T. Turnips and Sourgum. This stuff makes an aesome attractant plot for achery season thru to the end of gun season. Most of the areas we have plots we dont need to feed the deer for winter survival due to the fact that most areas are located in heavy farmed areas where there is alot of fields with missed grain or fields that have not been picked. If you are thinking about doing foodplots I would strongly suggest it. You wont be sorry. You can forever get away from that nasty bait pile habit.

[ 10-10-2003, 01:11: Message edited by: chuckduster ]

I will jump in on this. I have 42 acres that is leased out to famers. Soy beans are the crop as always. I had them leave a 2 acre section on both side of a smal 1 1/2 woods section inthe corner of my land. I planted the imperial white tail stuff. Seems to work do I thikn they will walk mile to get to it NO!!

I planted a 3/4 acre plot in a U-shape with the bottom of the U being small. I have a stand at this point as in the middle of the U there is a draingage dithc with THICK brush.

I spent the better part of srping in there with a chain saw first then the brush hog. That are had Pheasants forever pasture mix they hit it very hard. This area is in the the middle of a 10 acre plot of some thicker brush and some populars trees. . It was a fram field 20 years ago. Now it has a mix of stuff growing. I made the on end of the plot go almost to the field. I cut a path with the hog right to the edge. Easy in and out seems to work.

Alot of times in areas of agraculture where there is alot of left over grain in fields you wont draw large numbers of deer from miles around but if you plant the right blend in the right area you can draw unbelieveable numbers of deer in. One thing you have to remember is it is very hard to compete against soy beans for the drawing of deer. In one of my areas I plant the deer wont even put their heads down to smell my brassicas until well after the corn is cut and snow and temps drop. Then they start getting interested in it. Another thing is I have found and have heard from many others is the clover doesnt have the drawing power alone to pull in deer where there is other food sources availiable but mix it in a blend and its a whole different story.

We have 3500 acres and this year we planted approximately 45-50 acres of food plots. We planted clover,austrian winter peas and abruzzi rye, with hopes of planting soybeans this spring.

We are trying not to hunt the plots, but hunt the travel corridors to the plots. The reason we are doing this is to hopefully let te deer feel safe in the food plots and not go nocturnal.

We are also not shooting any bucks this year and we were given 60 extra doe tags by the wildlife commission because we entered the farm in the deer management program.

[ 10-29-2003, 04:14: Message edited by: str8shtr ]

Sounds awesome! We to hunt travel routes to the plots with a few stands on the plot for shooting does(almost a guarenteed doe everytime)What works really good are smaller plots in between bedding and large feeder plots. Those travel routes are great during the rut. Try planting some of your soybeans late like in the beginning of september with some brassicas mixed in. Deer love the tender leaves of soy even more than the beans themselves and they are just about right when Oct 1st rools around. Here in MI Oct 1st is opener of bow season. I really wish I had your acreage to work with. You could really grow some monsters!!!!!

On the farm we lease we have a 12 acre field that is the main area for planted foods. To date we have tried winter peas, clover, soy beans, wheat, millet, corn, wildlife mix, and milo. The top crops favored by deer were the soy beans and milo - hands down. The winter peas attracted a lot of deer in late winter. We have clover planted in some of the smaller satellite fields also, but the majority of deer will walk through the clover to reach the beans.

This is the first year on the farm practicing QDM. It's been a tough road with alot of research and work. But it will pay off in the long run with some patience. We may even let the bucks walk next year...we just have to see how it goes.