Postage-Stamp Food Plots

No tractor? No Fields? No problem! With modest hand tools, you can plant tiny food plots that will hold deer in your area and detour deer traffic past your stand

By Joe Byers

         “Dad, will you take me deer hunting with you this year?” my daughter asked.

         I had waited two decades to hear that. Alex wasn’t against hunting, but she had always declined my outdoor invitations, choosing activities with her schoolmates. Now 25, she was anxious to test the waters in the other love of my life and maybe just hang out with her dad.

         After a few practice sessions at the range, the big day arrived, and I was so nervous that I forgot to bring the rifle. As first light arrived, I was speeding back home and managed to return just after sunrise. I had selected the best treestand in a location that was nearly sure-fire for a decent buck. But despite my preparation, we saw only a few does. Sure, we had fun, but I really wanted to be with Alex when she shot her first deer.

         This past fall, Alex’s son planned to visit during Thanksgiving, which coincided with the first day of the Maryland firearms season. This time, I wasn’t taking chances. At the end of July, I had attended a workshop on wildlife forage at the North Country Whitetails Training Center in New York, where I got the rundown on food plots. Of prime interest was a way to attract and hold deer in the remote section of my hunting-club property. A corn feeder was an option, but that raised other issues, and I wanted to exert a more natural influence.

         The North Country facility included a new Whitetail Institute product called Secret Spot, and my ears perked up like a rutting buck hearing an estrous bleat.

         “This seed is specially suited for out-of-the-way places where you can’t get machinery and you want to lure deer to a specific spot,” said Neil Dougherty, co-owner of the property. “The Secret Spot also has a pH boost designed for attracting and holding deer in small remote areas.”

From Forest to Field

            I’m a member of the Washington County Sportsman’s Association, commonly known as Polecat Hollow, thanks to Polecat Hollow Road (honest!), which runs through the property. Like many clubs, each member has his sweet spot, and mine straddles a mountaintop that was heavily wooded until this past spring, when a timber company conducted a selective cut. Where there was once total overstory, the sun soon poked through in small patches, and the logging roads had loosened the soil in ways conducive for planting.

         On Aug. 1, during the heat of summer, my buddy Keith Horn and I headed for the top of the mountain and our first experiment with remote vegetation. Although I tied a small roto-tiller to the back of my truck, we learned that a couple of garden rakes and standard lawn seeder was all the machinery we needed. Unfortunately, the timber harvest had crushed my ladder stand, which overlooked a small bench that was a frequent travel and bedding area for deer. On the positive side, a level logging road had disturbed lots of mountain soil among the rocks.

         Keith and I cleared debris by hand and then used the lawn seeder to fertilize the ground. We planted an area of about 1/12 acre. After fertilizing it, we ran the grass rake over the soil to cover the fertilizer pellets and then seeded with Secret Spot. Next, we took turns walking over places where the seed was visible and “cultipacked” our efforts like Italian peasants crushing grapes.

         “I hope a flock of wild turkeys doesn’t find our patch,” my buddy said with a laugh. “At least not for a while.”

         The archery deer season would begin Sept. 15, and with a little moisture, the crop should have been just tasty enough to attract deer for opening day. That was the plan. But the next five weeks were dry as a bone. During the Labor Day weekend, I checked the patch and found little or no growth. August in the Mid-Atlantic states is often a drought period, but we usually have a thunderstorm or two. Not this year.

Secret Spot, Take Two

         Things changed the first week of September. A tropical storm worked up the coast and gave the region a forecast for abundant moisture. Second, I was invited to hunt elk in Idaho in mid-September, which conflicted with the deer opener. Because the drought had kept my Secret Spot a secret, the choice was easy. However. I planted a second patch about 100 yards away. This time, I used a metal garden rake to rough the soil and planted two bags of seeds.

         I traveled frequently in fall and checked the patch every week or so. By Oct. 1, I was amazed that the original section had fully sprouted. Despite a month without rain, the seed germinated when growing conditions finally arrived. My second patch grew very well yet never seemed to gain the height I'd hoped. The first Saturday of the early muzzleloader season, I realized why.

         Although I had planted the deer patch for my grandson, I couldn’t resist testing it a bit. I was in the stand early that day, but a dense fog rolled up the mountain and limited visibility to less than 50 yards. Eventually, a spike buck and two does moved past the stand, walked to the Secret Spot and dropped their heads. An archer had mentioned seeing several good bucks near my stand, so I watched the critters munch and go on their way. Soon, I spotted a doe heading up the mountain from the other side, which was unusual. Apparently, the lower patch had attracted attention. By 9 a.m., my cell phone rang with a family emergency, and I had to leave. Still, I'd learned the small patches were attracting deer.

Jesse’s Big Chance

         The Saturday after Thanksgiving, my grandson, Jesse, and I snuggled into a treestand and watched the eastern sky begin to pale. Even though it was the third week of November, the Secret Spot was still as green as ever, despite several killer frosts. Unfortunately, the plants were barely above ground because of intense feeding by deer — the catch-22 of small food plots.

         Three hundred yards down the ridge, another hunter sat in a stand near a corn feeder. Typically, deer climbed the eastern side of the mountain and went south toward the feeder or north toward me. Leaves rustled in the darkness as the first group of deer passed our stand. Having Jesse with me magnified the excitement as we waited impatiently for daylight.

         Early-morning hunting pressure in the Eastern farmlands often push deer up the mountain. As daylight arrived, two bands of does moved quickly over the ridgetop and down the other side. Soon, seven deer breeched the horizon, moving slowly and feeding casually. Their erratic behavior indicated a buck was among them. As the band came closer, the antlers of a 4-point buck became evident. Best, the small herd came directly toward us, and when the buck stepped into an opening at 40 yards, Jesse fired. Six deer bounded away, and my grandson’s first whitetail lay still in the leaves.

         The antlers weren’t huge, but that mattered little. Jesse beamed with excitement, and I couldn’t have been more pleased. My experiment with Secret Spot was a resounding success. As we dragged the buck down the mountain, we checked other small openings that will become feeding areas another year.

         Most hunts occur in hours or days. This one culminated almost four months of effort and created a memory that will last a lifetime. Perhaps next year, we can convince Alex to join us.

Sidebar: Big Success from Small Plots

         Perhaps it’s the Thomas Jefferson in our heritage, but I believe there is a bit of a farmer in each of us, and you’ll find that the “work” in food plots soon becomes a favorite pastime. You don’t have to wait for opening day to check on your crop, and the anticipation of big dividends during the season makes the enjoyment that much greater.

         I learned a lot from the North Country Whitetails seminar and personal experimentation. From those, here are some tips for big success from small plots.

         • Pick a good hunting spot: Small plots are like convenience stores. Deer stop by for a bite or two and then continue to bedding or serious feeding areas. Consider traditional deer travel, prevailing winds and tree cover for a good stand position. When these conditions intersect with small clearings, logging roads or opening in the over-story, you have a good match.

         • Use lawn tools: A power tiller can make quick work of loose soil but can be difficult to operate if your out-of-the-way spot is rocky. Don’t overlook yard tools to make your planting more productive. String trimmers (or weed-whackers) will make quick work of small seedlings, briars and tall weeds. Leaf blowers can do the same and will allow seeds to get into the soil. Small spray bottles can deliver sprays and liquid fertilizer, but be sure to mark them clearly to avoid confusion.

         • Look for existing plants: The soil I planted was very rocky and leaf covered, and I had to remove several rocks to access the soil. Removing existing vegetation is more work, yet it improves your prospects for success because you allow sufficient moisture and sunlight for plants to grow. Pull the weeds, or spray them with Roundup or another glyphosate killer before you plant.

         • Take a soil sample: Learning the pH of your spot is like having all the letters on Wheel of Fortune. Why guess when you can know exactly how much lime and other chemicals your ground needs for top performance?

         • Clarify your goals: Initially, I wanted to attract deer to my stand so my grandson would get a shot. That was successful. Now, however, I can’t wait for spring so I can plant several small plots to assist in antler growth and overall deer health.

         Deciding which seeds to plant is as easy as reading the back of the package. Whitetail Institute seed packaging is very informative, and you can select the type of seed that best fits your climate and soil conditions by reading the back of the package.

         I’ll try another early-August planting of Secret Spot for the early archery season. I'll also plant Winter-Greens, which will be most tasty to deer after it’s hit by frost. Ironically, this past winter, deer were still coming to the tiny plot during the late muzzleloading season.

         To monitor growth and deer usage put a small circular wire fence in one of your plots to monitor plant growth so you can see how much deer are eating.

         Heads up: The Whitetail Institute recently introduced a new seed designed for quick action and maximum attraction. It’s called Pure Attraction and it’s a mixture of winter peas, brassica and high-sugar oats. Nearly a pop-up food patch, you can almost put this in the ground and climb into your stand.