Our Deer Food Plot Management Practices

Through some simple deer food plot management practices you can improve the productivity of your food plots. Some of these are rather cheap and easy to do while others are more expensive and may be difficult depending on the location of your plot. In general a food plot planted in clover cannot just be left alone and still give a decent yield for many years.

One of the most important things that you can do for your plot is to mow it. The Whitetail Institute recommends that you mow their clover to a height of 6-8 inches when it reaches 12-15 inches in height. Mowing allows for tender new shoots to produce and also helps the plants to thicken or branch out. The deer love eating these tender new shoots. Mowing also deters many weeds that do not thrive when mowed. You can lose a plot if you let the grasses and weeds grow too high, whereas if you could have mowed the plot the clover will prosper. I have learned this through experience.

Continue to check the ph of the soil and apply lime. If a soil test is not feasible then it does not hurt to apply lime if it is not needed, so just put some on.

The plots can be fertilized in the spring and fall, again with a low nitrogen fertilizer.

We had stayed away form using herbicides due to the added cost but we are now using Imperial Whitetails' Arrest herbicide and have been very pleased with the results. You can read more about our herbicide application here.

Deer food plot mangement isn't difficult. A little fertilizer, lime and well timed herbicide applications along with mowing your food plots can go a long way to keeping them producing for years.