food plots

[geno]

Ive read alot about food plots for deer, what im woundering is who's starting up food plots for this coming year or if some one has already had a food plot how was it???? any big bucks?

[sub urban bow hunter]

Mine was simple low tech solution,
Already have small oak grove, in area with hardly any oaks.
Deer come from all over for the acorns.:idea:
I bought 25 kilos of fall rye with field pees and 5 kilos of clover.
Spread the rye/pees over about an acre, but left holes which i filled with the clover. Holes are oblong with ends aimed at oak tree stands.
each hole is a documented distance from the stands.
I let the rye grow all winter and all summer until by next fall it stands 6-7 feet high.
The deer feel comfortable hidden in the tall ryee/pees and browse and bed in the clover holes.
Holes are setup so that each stand has one or 2 holes within range for each wind direction.
This year i have added razberry and blackberry canes around the perimeter along with different browsing snacks in some clover holes.
Also along some of the heavier deer trails i planted browse friendly plants and grasses.
I have seen a lot of deer come to this one small acre.
I like this technique because its small, bow friendly, maintanance free, and works in many different conditions.
I call it the clover hole technique. I dont know if it would work without the big oaks :?: they have always brought in the deer, this just seems to hold them a lot better.

[BlacktailStalker]

Thats sweet Sub Urban. Where abouts are you, Island, mainland ? I was always kind of thinking of planting something so there was a place to hunt when I didnt have time to go far...

[rock]

I just go to a few farms in the peace river area, yes there's lots of game because there's very little hunting pressure. The biggest deer always show up at the end of the hunting season, thats when the snow drives them down. 100 deer a day is average, the fustrating part is going up later in the year and seeing record book deer. The one farm has alfalfa peas corn and a salt lick on one side which is off limits for hunting. The animals are fed most of the year and I'm sure some never leave. Elk and moose are quit frequent visiters and I can't wait for this fall to take my son hopefully he can tag himself an elk.

[sub urban bow hunter]

On the Island, out in the "sooke wilds"
Even if all you have time and money for is 25kilos of fall rye/field peas ~$20 and hand scatter it then just let it grow all summer and into next fall you will see deer in it and the trails and bedding areas that they make in it are easy to find.
Go buy some rye today, its not too late!
I havent used a salt lick. Do you think they would work if the plot is near the ocean where lots of minerals are easily available?

[Fred]

Animals are like most people, lazy. They will travel no further than necessary to attain their goals. Fred

[huntwriter]

Planting food plots is all the latest rage and businees south of the border. Hunters have turned into "deer farmers". Grow big bucks is the theme song which goes well together with harvest your buck.

As small inexpensieve food plot to keep deer around is in my opinion okay but if it turns into "farming" then I see not much difference in it from hunting in Europe.