Plots

[Deaf jeff]

I’ve grown a Hybred of sudangrass. It grows to 7’ and is excellent screening while it stands. The problem I had was that a good snow fall flattens it. I cultivated, spread the seeds and cultipacked the seeds in and that’s all. I only use screening plants to stop deer in my food plot from being seen from the road. Because the sudangrass flattened with snow, I now plant corn. I plant beans, oats, forage radishes and forage kale which all gets eaten down. This year I’ll be adding canola.

don,
egyptian wheat is a great annual screen

Does it stand up in the snow? Corn is not cheap so an alternative that doesn't flatten after a snow would be great to find.

i do not have personal experience with it. but from what i read and see online, yes it does stand with snow. another thing that i wish i had more plantable ground to try it but im to cheap to hire a dozer to clear maple trees. i read all about this stuff in facebook food plot and habitat groups

[Ridger]

Great feedback, thanks all!


After talking with a few buddies, they agreed that food sources will likely draw better than any bedding material,

that all depends on what is available to them in your area. the deer need to feel secure to use plots. in my area plots are not enough and now i am moving to improving security cover so what few deer are left are more apt to stick around rather than just showing up after dark to chow down

I agree and I think that's what my issue might be... first year on a new 10 ac parcel surrounded by 50 of thicker conifers and surrounded by ag. Had a couple 1/4 acre micro plots that had tons of doe action but found the big mature bucks from the year before didn't show face the same.

Going to try thinning them out to longer ribbons and breaking it up with screens ribbons to see if that helps.

I'd rather try some annuals first before the investment of a good perennial like switchgrass which takes a good 3 seasons to fully mature.