What is you best food plot crop?

[wngsprd]

I'm making plans for spring planting, thinking of trying something new.
Have had good success with Feb/March plantings of red and white clovers and chicory, and later plantings of sorghum/soybeans/peas/buckwheat mix, and sunflowers.
In the fall I've planted oats/rye/barley/clover/brassicas mix.
Try to rotate to take advantage of the legumes.
Seems like the deer and turkey like most all of them, and the dove and other birds eat many of the seeds, while the rabbits nest in the taller crops.
I'm happy with how things are going, but willing to experiment with something new. I know success may vary based on what part of the country you're in and the type of equipment, etc.
So, have any of you have found a particularly favorite crop or mix that grows well and is attractive to wildlife? Thanks.

 

[nybirdman]

Looks like you already have it covered.I really like soy-beans for an all around planting,good browse in the summer and great winter feed.I put in about 4 acres of field corn.The best for winter feed(at least in northern NY).I have tried about all you are putting in,may try alfalfa this year.Corn can be broad cast if you don't have a drill.

 

[super55]

Up in my neck of the woods for hunting season corn is king but I rarely put much of it in anymore. The input costs to get it established and maintained for an adequate crop is just too cost prohibitive for me. Majority of my crops now I put in are strictly cover crops such as clovers, oats, rye and brassicas. For me my go to crop is winter rye for my deer. We get a lot of snow and you would have to plant a lot of corn in order to feed them all winter. So instead I plant winter rye. Stays green and palatable all through winter and is the first and only thing green when the snow melts in the spring.

Last year I planted a sainfoin/chicory mix and am really excited to see how the deer will respond to it. They were eating it last year before snow but it hasn't put on any real size yet so Im curious to see how they will like it once it matures.

Nice looking pointer by the way birdman. I have a GSP that I use to go chase my upland game with.

 

[wngsprd]

nybirdman, Never thought about trying to broadcast corn. Do you use a drag to cover it afterwards?

super55, I'm not familiar with sainfoin but will read up on it.

Thanks.

 

[nybirdman]

Up in my neck of the woods for hunting season corn is king but I rarely put much of it in anymore. The input costs to get it established and maintained for an adequate crop is just too cost prohibitive for me. Majority of my crops now I put in are strictly cover crops such as clovers, oats, rye and brassicas. For me my go to crop is winter rye for my deer. We get a lot of snow and you would have to plant a lot of corn in order to feed them all winter. So instead I plant winter rye. Stays green and palatable all through winter and is the first and only thing green when the snow melts in the spring.

Last year I planted a sainfoin/chicory mix and am really excited to see how the deer will respond to it. They were eating it last year before snow but it hasn't put on any real size yet so Im curious to see how they will like it once it matures.

Nice looking pointer by the way birdman. I have a GSP that I use to go chase my upland game with.

We are dog poor,three pointers,one GSP and five beagles..........

 

[nybirdman]

Yes,you do need to drag after broadcasting corn.I use a three point cultivator or an old spring tooth harrow.I use Round-Up ready corn and spray(with my ATV) after its about a foot high.One bag of corn will do about 2- 1/2 acres.Some years I can get a local farmer to drill but it's not always available.I haven't been using fertilizer the last couple of years,just too expensive and my corn has been doing well.I brush-hog down what is left in the spring and plow in.

 

[wngsprd]

Sounds good. I'll do a test plot this year and see how bad the raccoons hit it.

I've been lighter on fertilizer, too. Hoping all the clover I've planted has helped with the nitrogen.

 

[nybirdman]

We have tons of raccoons here.They don't seem to be a problem with field corn.Sweet corn,for get it.
They will eat it all.Porcupines do more damage on field corn than coons.On my new food plots I plant buckwheat the first year.Restores the soil and adds nitrogen.It will come up the second year also.
As with any plot;plant it square and not in long rows.My plots are a minimum of 1/4 acre,bigger is better..

 

[EddieWalker]

Why don't you plant your crops in rows?

Eddie

 

[efam3300]

I broadcast my roundup ready corn and have very good luck with lightly disc, corn needs about 1" to 1 1/2" depth at planting. The deer didn't hit it until it was very cold out.