| Every time I go to my local sporting goods store | | | | the following is all you need to do to have an |
| to pickup something I need, it seems as though | | | | awesome attraction food plot come hunting |
| the food plot seed aisle is getting more crowded | | | | season. |
| with different seed companies trying to sell their | | | | Step 1 - Decide on an area with suitable soil and |
| product as the latest and greatest to grow and | | | | remove any small trees or brush. Do not remove |
| draw in trophy bucks. There is a food plot seed | | | | the grass or weeds by disking or turning them |
| for every soil type and climate condition that will | | | | over. Take a soil sample and have it tested. Do |
| peak at any time of year in which you want to | | | | not skip this step! |
| draw in deer or other wildlife. | | | | Step 2 - Spray the weeds and grass with a |
| More hunters than ever before are interested in | | | | herbicide such as Roundup as soon as they reach |
| making food plots for deer. But many think it is | | | | 8" inches tall in the spring. In about 4 weeks spray |
| too difficult or believe they don't have the | | | | the weeds and grass again and leave them there |
| necessary equipment to get it done. I want to | | | | to fully die all summer. This is also when you put |
| dispel that notion here and briefly explain exactly | | | | on your recommended pelletized lime from your |
| how simple you can create a food plot using no | | | | soil test results. |
| power equipment at all. | | | | Step 3 - In early to mid-August you can rake off |
| Hand tools are all you need to create a small plot | | | | the dead weeds and debris and apply any |
| of half an acre in size. For bowhunting that is all | | | | fertilizers recommended from your soil test |
| you need and small is better. Mine are only 1/8 of | | | | results. Then lightly loosen the surface of your |
| an acre and they draw deer in like crazy. | | | | plot with a steel come-along rake. This is when |
| So here is a list of the hand tools you need for | | | | you're glad your food plot is small. |
| making food plots for deer. | | | | Step 4 - On the same day in early to mid-August, |
| - Hand-held or backpack tank sprayer | | | | use your hand-held seed spreader to apply your |
| - Spade shovel | | | | seeds. |
| - Leaf rake | | | | If you are using a seed blend of different size |
| - Steel come-along rake | | | | seeds, be sure to open the hopper of your |
| - Fertilizer spreader | | | | spreader just enough to allow the smallest seeds |
| - Hand-held seed spreader | | | | to pass through first as you cover the whole plot. |
| If you are new to making food plots for deer, | | | | Then open it up to allow the next size seed to |
| you may be looking for a roto-tiller or cultivator in | | | | pass through and so on until your recommended |
| the list to break-up the ground. You may use one | | | | amount of seed is all gone. |
| if you like and even pull a disk behind an ATV or | | | | That is it! You are done. Now go hang your |
| tractor. However the average hunter doesn't | | | | treestand, cut out your shooting lanes, and don't |
| have access to those luxuries and may not even | | | | step foot in your food plot until hunting season. |
| be able to get that equipment through the woods | | | | Making food plots for deer is fun when you keep |
| back to where his honey hole is located. | | | | them small. Think of the fun you can have hunting |
| If we fast forward through the planting process, | | | | 2 or 3 small of them. |