Food Plots?????

What would you recommend to plant in a shaded 1/2 acre clearing that may attract deer for this fall?

I am going to replant with rape seed, turnips, and oats. This is basically the same mix as before. I hope the turnips have enough time to bare fruit. If it doesn’t rain up there, it will not make any difference.

I am going to replant with rape seed, turnips, and oats. This is basically the same mix as before. I hope the turnips have enough time to bare fruit. If it doesn’t rain up there, it will not make any difference.

I am very familiar with the sand in Park Rapids. As others have mentioned, I would plant Rape. Plant it in June/July when most of the weeds are up. Rape grows very well in the sand and does well with Fertilizer. It is fairly drought tolerant and can handle heavy grazing.

In early August, plant winter wheat or Rye Grass. It will come up with a little bit of rain and will draw in deer from other areas. It stays green while everything else is drying up.

I would stay away from Peas, turnips, etc. They all work very well to attract deer, but will be tough to grow in your soil unless you have irrigation.

No matter what you plant, it is better than not planting anything. One other thing to consider is when it comes to food plots, just cutting the tall grass in mid August and fertilizing a lot will do a lot. Deer are attracted to the minerals in fertilizer, so just putting some 10/10/10 on the ground will be better than nothing.

Other things you can do is fertilize your Oak trees and cut areas where you find Red Clover coming up. If wild red clover is not cut during the summer it will go to seed and dry up. You have to cut your clover. Time your cutting so it is done by mid August, it takes about a month for grasses to get back to a desirable height and I want them back my mid September. Good luck and have fun with it

I am very familiar with the sand in Park Rapids. As others have mentioned, I would plant Rape. Plant it in June/July when most of the weeds are up. Rape grows very well in the sand and does well with Fertilizer. It is fairly drought tolerant and can handle heavy grazing.

In early August, plant winter wheat or Rye Grass. It will come up with a little bit of rain and will draw in deer from other areas. It stays green while everything else is drying up.

I would stay away from Peas, turnips, etc. They all work very well to attract deer, but will be tough to grow in your soil unless you have irrigation.

No matter what you plant, it is better than not planting anything. One other thing to consider is when it comes to food plots, just cutting the tall grass in mid August and fertilizing a lot will do a lot. Deer are attracted to the minerals in fertilizer, so just putting some 10/10/10 on the ground will be better than nothing.

Other things you can do is fertilize your Oak trees and cut areas where you find Red Clover coming up. If wild red clover is not cut during the summer it will go to seed and dry up. You have to cut your clover. Time your cutting so it is done by mid August, it takes about a month for grasses to get back to a desirable height and I want them back my mid September. Good luck and have fun with it