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Fall planted cereal grains like oats, wheat and triticale provide bucks with a good source of quick energy. A plot that contains these plants can be a “hot spot” during the rut because bucks will need a little “oomph” to keep up the chase for hot does.

PLOTS THAT WILL
BRING IN BIG BUCKS
By Todd Amenrud

During fall planting season much of what will be sown are plants that are meant for attraction. Some of the plants also have good nutritional values as well, but most hunters really don’t think about that. They want a plot that will give them harvest opportunities. For this type of a hunting plot, plant selection, plot design and timing your planting are very important determinants for success.

Deciding what to plant and plot design go hand in hand. In my view, variety is a definite key when designing a plot. Because of a whitetail’s needs changing so often during the season, I never "put all my eggs in one basket."

In my "hunting plots" my goal is to draw them in so I can kill them or to use it as a magnet so that I can intercept them on the way to the plot. In these plots, I try and "leave the table set" for them all through the season. If you just plant one thing in a specific plot you are limiting the time that you are going to be able to use it as a magnet.

I will probably divide a specific plot up into two to as many as six sections, depending upon how large the plot is. You must have adequate acreage to do this "variety tactic" justice. For instance, if you have only a ¼ acre plot, you are probably better off planting just one blend. Otherwise, there’s not going to be enough of any one cultivar to keep them coming back. They’ll wipe you out too soon.

Depending upon where you are in the country, some of my "hunting plot" choices are spring planted items. If I have adequate acreage, let’s say at least an acre, my hunting plots will include a good clover and chicory blend, a corn and soybean blend, a blend where one of the main components is brassicas and a blend where the main component is cereal grains.

Deciding what to plant and plot design go hand in hand. Make sure that you think through where you put certain plants. You want to hunt the plot or key in on certain areas of the plot when specific plants are at the peak of their attractiveness.

Variety is a key if you wish to have consistent attraction in your hunting plots. However, you must have adequate acreage to do this “variety tactic” justice. Otherwise, there’s not going to be enough of any one cultivar to keep them coming back. They’ll wipe you out too soon. In this plot you can see BioMaxx with lanes of Outfitter’s Blend.

Why? Day in and day out clover can be very attractive to a whitetail and at certain times chicory is one of the best magnets I’ve seen. Clover Plus is the blend I will typically choose for this job. The New Zealand clovers are more succulent and produce much more leaf matter then US clovers do.

With the corn and soybeans we have another angle covered. The carbohydrates that the corn produces will attract if you get cold temperatures and, depending upon what time of the season it is, they will consume the soybean leaves early and the dried beans late.

Brassicas are a good choice for when you get cold temperatures. Once the cold temperatures convert the high levels of starch in the plants to sugar – look out! I have not seen a better late season draw. How much acreage you devote to brassicas should depend upon how long the hunting season is, whether you hunt a lot during late season and how well your deer herd is accustomed to them. Brassicas may be better off for a wintertime food source in a "nutrition plot." However, if we get cold temperatures during the hunting season you can have the hottest plot for miles around.

Lastly, Outfitter’s Blend, Trophy Oats or a blend with a high ratio of cereal grains is the final piece of the puzzle. The energy plants like oats, wheat or triticale produce will be desired by both bucks and does in the fall. Timing your planting is important with these plants; most of these cereal grains are the most palatable during their first 45 to 60 days of growth. You want to plant them so they are at the peak of their attractiveness when you want to hunt the site.

Now I’m not saying that you are going to sit on the edge of your plot and knock over Pope & Young whitetails right in it. It might be wise to set up an ambush to try and intercept him 200 yards off of the plot on his way to it. (If you do things right and don’t put very much pressure on the spot, you can harvest Pope & Young bucks right in your plots.) Regardless of where you set up your ambush, the "harvest plot" is the reason that he’s traveling to the area.

Todd Amenrud is the Director of Public Relations, Territory Manager & Habitat Consultant for BioLogic.