A common question among hunters who plant food plots is: what to plant? I think folks get too caught up in the “brand” name of wildlife seed blends rather than giving attention to the real purpose for planting various species in a blend. The real question to address when planting is what plants will be utilized most by the deer we intend to feed and is the variety planted meeting the nutrient requirements of the deer during that planting season. In order to get the most out of your food plots and simplify all the guess work of what to plant each season use this simple guideline, plant crops or blends in the spring that contain high levels of proteins, in the fall plant crops or blends that contain high levels of carbohydrates. Variety selection has been made way to complicated with all the different blends of wildlife seed and can be simplified by using this philosophy. This is a list of crops that provide proteins in the spring and carbohydrates in the fall:
SPRING/SUMMER: Proteins
FALL/WINTER: Carbohydrates
Soybeans
Cereal Rye
Clovers
Wheat
Alfalfa
Triticale
Chicory
Oats
Brassica (rape & turnips)
Brassica (rape & turnips)
CowPeas-Iron Clay
Corn
Lab-Lab (large cowpeas)
Sorghum
A whitetail prefers different forages throughout the growing season based on their nutritional needs. In the spring deer are recovering from the winter months, fawns need proteins for body development, does need it for lactation (milk production) and of course adding to buck’s antler potential. Providing food plots high in protein during the spring and summer months is your best opportunity at increasing a buck’s nutrition intake increasing antler growth potential. In the fall, planting carbohydrates (with the exception of corn and sorghum, which is planted in the spring) will ensure your deer herd a source of energy to get through the hard winter months. By applying the philosophy of proteins and carbohydrates to your property, will get you more utilization in your management plots in the spring/summer and better success from your hunter plots in the fall/winter.