Food Plots

Ideas and Methods for Success

By: Kevin B. Wentz

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 Table of Contents
Introduction…………………………………………………………………......................1

Selecting Food Plot Location…………………………………………………………........2

Determining Ideal Planting Time…………………………………………………………..3

Establishing, Caring, and Maintaining Your Food Plot……………………………............4

Why Plant A Food Plot? – The Importance of Conservation………………………….…..6

List of Figures………………………………………………………………………...........8

Works Cited…………………………………………………………………………....…10

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Introduction
Planting a food plot is a great way to help wildlife. If you are an avid hunter and enjoy the great

outdoors during the fall it’s a great way to give something back to nature. A food plot is typically

at least 1,000 square feet in size and consists of some type of food source for wildlife. Food plots

are usually planted for the sole purpose of benefiting wildlife and are rarely harvested for human

use (The Ultimate Food Plot). If successful, food plots provide habitat and an adequate food

source for wildlife which assists in their survival throughout the winter months.

There are many aspects that go into planting and maintaining a food plot. A lot of planning and

decision making is needed in order for your food plot to be successful. With so many steps

involved it can be easy to become overwhelmed when undertaking a project of this magnitude.

This instructional booklet will explain the major steps that are required in order for a food plot to

be successfully established and maintained in the outdoors.

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Selecting Food Plot Location

The first main step of planting a food plot is to find the best location that will give your food plot

the best chance for survival. You also want to take into consideration the difficulty wildlife will

have in accessing the food plot. In order for the food plot to provide adequate cover and nutrition

for wildlife in the winter months you want to make sure that the wild animals can find it easily

and that they will want to remain in the area. The best locations are secluded areas where animals

receive the least amount of pressure from hunters and predators. (See Figure 1) These areas are

usually low valleys, typically between hills or deep ravines with a water source nearby (Food

Plot Seeds for Wildlife). There may be many such areas available that would all be potential

planting grounds. Before any decisions are made the ground shape and soil must be examined to

determine how much work is needed to prepare the soil. If the soil contains debris such as rocks,

trees or weeds they will need to be eliminated or removed before planting can take place. Once

the location of the food plot to be planted has been selected and prepared the next step is to

determine the best time to plant the food plot.

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Determining Ideal Planting Time

Determining the time at which to plant the seeds of the food plot is a vital step that must be done

correctly. The planting time depends on a number of factors. The geographical location of the

food plot is probably the most important factor to consider. Typically the growing season for the

upper Midwest of the United States starts in late April and runs until early June. Once the

window for the growing season is determined the next step to consider is what will be planted.

This all depends on what your overall objective of your food plot is. If you want to provide

nutrients and food for wildlife throughout the summer months soybeans or clover is a good

choice (How to Plant a Remote Food Plot). If you’re looking to provide a high carbohydrate

food source for wildlife throughout the winter months corn is probably the best option. The ideal

planting time for soybeans or clover for the upper Midwest is early to late May (Food Plot Seeds

for Wildlife). If the seed of choice is corn then the planting season typically runs from late May

to early June. It is very important that the seed type is determined early. Once the seed type is

determined the ideal planting time will be know. This will ensure that enough time is allowed for

the field to be prepared for planting.

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Establishing, Caring, and Maintaining Your Food Plot

Once the seeding process is ready to take place the soil must be cultivated and any weeds, rocks

or other debris must be removed. Depending on the size of your food plot seeds can be spread

using a hand-crank seeder or an ATV seeder. (See Figure 2) After the seeds have been

thoroughly spread nothing should be done for about two to three days. This allows the seeds to

settle into the soil (Foremost Hunting). After the seeds have been given adequate time to settle

fertilizer should be applied. This can also be done by using a push spreader, similar to one you

would use on your lawn or garden. A pull-behind spreader can also be used by using an ATV or

tractor. The weeks following fertilization will be when the food plot is most prone to weeds. It is

not uncommon for serious weed growth to occur in freshly cultivated and fertilized soil. A drag

can be used to remove weeds. A mower is also another option that will aid in weed removal. If

the weeds are mowed off they should be sprayed immediately with an herbicide to prevent any

future growth.

After the weeds have been controlled the food plot should be monitored very closely during the

spring. If a significant amount of rainfall occurs your food plot will have a better chance for

survival during the summer months. However this will also mean more weed control will be

needed. The key to staying on top of weeds is to check your food plot every two weeks and take

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the necessary steps to prevent weed growth (The Ultimate Food Plot). If weeds have grown thick

they should be mowed immediately and then sprayed. This may need to be done several times

throughout the spring and summer. Once the temperatures begin to rise during the summer

months fertilizer should be applied a second time. Early to mid July is an ideal time for this to be

done since the food plot will need an extra boost to get through the intense heat of the upcoming

summer.

When fall rolls around hopefully your food plot has produced a sufficient food source for

wildlife for the upcoming winter. Shortly after the first hard frost the food plot will most likely

stop growing and die. This does not mean that the food plot is a failure. On the contrary, the food

produced will remain in the field for wildlife to feed on during the winter. It’s no different than a

farmer who produces a crop for harvest in the fall. The only difference is that the food produced

by the food plot will be harvested by wild animals rather than a combine.

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Why Plant A Food Plot? – The Importance of Conservation

Planting a successful food plot can be a very rewarding experience. Food plots are planted for a

number of reasons. Some are planted for better hunting opportunities in the fall. Others are

planted to assist wildlife in surviving the harsh winter months. No matter what the reason for

planting a food plot it will assist in conserving nature. Today conservation is more important

than ever. Recently in North Dakota hundreds of thousands of acres that were previously

grasslands and habitat for wildlife have been broken up and converted to farmland. It is

estimated that another three hundred thousand acres of habitat will be converted to farmland in

2011 (North Dakota Wildlife Action Plan).

Another serious factor that could potentially be detrimental to wildlife is climate change. It is

projected that in twenty years many of North Dakota’s wetlands will be seriously depleted.

When all of these environmental factors are taken into consideration there is one definite result

and that is increased pressure on wildlife to survive. Wildlife populations have been holding

steady for the past two years in North Dakota. This is expected to change with global warming

and less habitat on the horizon. In order to preserve wildlife populations and ensure habitat for

the future significant efforts must be made.

There are various ways to assist in conservation efforts and every little thing done will go a long

way. Planting a food plot is a huge way to help conserve our North Dakota habitat for wildlife.

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Every fall thousands of out of state hunters travel to North Dakota to hunt. These hunters come

from various parts of the nation such as Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan and Kansas. There is a

reason why they travel to North Dakota, it’s because what we have in our great state is

something special. Our North Dakota outdoors cannot be found anywhere else in the United

States. It’s something that our kids and grandkids should be able to enjoy the same way we do.

Conservation is critical because once habitat has been destroyed it cannot be replaced. This is

why we must do everything we can now before it’s too late.

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 Figure 1

This valley with numerous rows of newly planted trees makes the empty space between the tree
rows an excellent spot for a food plot.

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 Figure 2

If the size of your food plot is relatively small, a hand crank seeder may be used to distribute
seeds evenly throughout the soil.

For larger food plots an ATV seeder should be used for optimal seeding efficiency.

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 Works Cited

Big Game Hunt. End of Summer Food Plot. (2010). Web. 11 Nov. 2010.

Food Plot Seeds for Wildlife. From Planting to Maintaining Food Plots and Wildlife Management.
(2010). Web. 3 Nov. 2010.

Foremost Hunting. So You Want to Put In A Food Plot? (2010). Web. 16 Nov. 2010.

How to Plant a Remote Food Plot. Planting a Food Source for Wildlife. (2010). Web. 11 Nov.
2010.

North Dakota Game and Fish. Wildlife Action Plan. (2010). Web. 29 Nov. 2010.

North Dakota Wildlife Action Plan. North Dakota Wildlife Conservation Strategy. (2010). Web.
30 Nov. 2010.

The Ultimate Food Plot. Food Plots for Deer. (2010). Web. 3 Nov. 2010.