The question of "what, where, when, and how" of food plots can be overwhelming. This is especially the case for landowners with limited acreage, equipment, or time. I always suggest to landowners to be practical when deciding what to grow and how to grow it. Too often landowners attempt to emulate the methods of other properties. Unless these properties are identical in location and operations, this is a bad start. Being practical about food plots requires an understanding of capabilities of equipment and the property. I stress to landowners the importance of priorities, and food plots are a great example of this. Say I am given 30 total acres dedicated to waterfowl food plots, in fields of 20, 8, and 2 acres respectively. My immediate focus is the larger field because it obviously requires more time. This does not necessarily mean its adventurous to pick a crop that is time and labor intensive. In fact, since its my first priority, I am going to select a crop that gives me the best chance producing the most food for waterfowl given my time and equipment constraints. The smaller fields I am much more apt to grow a riskier or more time intensive crop. The smaller acreages allow me to complete the necessary management of this crop within the time constraints.
When it comes to planting and growing a crop for waterfowl, an equal amount of time should be dedicated to planning and preparation as to the physical act of planting, spraying etc. Growing agricultural crops within impoundments requires a different approach than you may see in your farmer's fields. My advice: Start Strong! Put more effort into seed bed preparations and pre-emergent herbicide than any other aspect. DO NOT get in a hurry to put seed in the ground. Planting deadlines for wildlife differ than production agriculture. Unlike your farmer, there is no insuring the crop in your food plot. A healthy young plant is more likely to push through adverse conditions than a plant who is stressed from the start.
If you want to get the most out of your acres, money, and time; then contact us for a plan to grow
successful food plots.
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