Food Plots

Forage Rape for Deer

July 11, 2017

The very first time I planted rape (Brassica napus) was in 2001 on a property that had a high deer density of 50 to 70 per square mile according to a trail-camera survey. To my surprise, deer used the plot sparingly throughout the fall and winter, as they spent most of their time foraging in …

Grain Sorghum for Deer

May 31, 2017

| By Ryan Basinger

Sorghums are classified into four groups – grass sorghums, grain sorghums, broomcorn, and sorgos. The grain sorghums are typically planted for deer and other wildlife because of their ability to produce grain. It is this grain, produced in a seed head at the top of the stalk (seen in the photo above), that deer eat. …

Diary of a Dirt-Bag: How Your Food Plot Soil Gets Tested

May 23, 2017

| By QDMA Staff

If you send off samples of your food plot soil for lab testing, you already know the benefits. You’ve seen the report that tells you exactly what type of fertilizer and how much of it to apply, as well as how much lime to adjust the soil pH – information that potentially saves you a …

5 Herbicides Every Deer Steward Should Know

April 24, 2017

| By Brian Grossman

Let’s face it, food plots are a lot of work. They can also be costly when you consider the seed, lime, fertilizer, as well as the fuel needed to keep the tractor or ATV running. The last thing you want is to invest your valuable time and hard-earned money on a food plot only to …

American Jointvetch

January 16, 2017

| By Ryan Basinger

American jointvetch (Aeschynomene americana), or aeschynomene as some refer to it, is a warm-season annual legume that is used in pastures as livestock forage, for hay production, or as green manure. It is also an excellent summer forage for whitetails and can provide great brood-rearing habitat for wild turkeys and bobwhites. American jointvetch (I’ll refer …

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