I am fairly new to having my own deer lease and got in late to a small 200 acre lease in Freestone County.

I set up a few corn feeders with some trail cam's this weekend so I will find out a little more what kind of deer are

in the area but I want to do more. Does anyone have any thoughts/suggestions on what kind of food plots work well to keep deer

around and in the area?? I have hunted on a few properties that use Oats and another that used strictly corn feeders.

Any tricks to setting a good food plot would always be appreciated!!

Austen

Tecomate has the best stuff!!!

Hard to beat oats for a fall food plot. Does your lease have any livestock on it?

There are some good deer in freestone county depending on what area you are in. I grew up in adjacent limestone county, which didn't have as good quality or deer numbers, but have an idea what grows decent. I would probably plan on utilizing your corn feeders and maybe some plots of winter oats and keep it simple until you decide if you are in the right part of the country with enough deer to invest further. Luckily in some areas of the county that have black land soil which is fertile, you can grow quite a bit limited only by rainfall, which has been pleasantly adequate this year.

That area will love oats how close to the river are you? Weed control will be a must but some triple 17 covers well in most of this area. You can get racehorse oats at about any local feed store to plant. Welcome!

Easy to plant and grow too, all you need is a good seed bed and rain.

I have used feed oats as Navasot mentioned many times, they grow very good for the price and deer love'm. Bob oats are probably the most planted seed oat in the country, they may be more tender for a longer time ( if they get tough mow them). Hard to beat oats with about 2-300# fertilizer per acre.

Have access to a tractor??

I do have livestock on the lease. About 30 head of cattle for the 200 acres. I plan on putting up some barb wire around the plots to keep them out. I guess to consensus is Winter Oats. Any recommendations on size of plots and how many?? I am putting up a total of 4 300# corn feeders with cameras to see what is actually on the property and I was thinking (3) small plots of about 15'X15' in the same spots as my corn feeders and cameras. What time should I plant? I know I may already be way behind but would it hurt to go ahead and plant ASAP

Anyone have any idea of how the hog hunting is in Freestone County???

Thanks for all the suggestions so far. Big help!

No tractor but I think if it is a small enough plot I will just use a weed eater and suck it up unless someone has a better idea???

Hate to tell you but 3 small plots 15'x15' will get hammered by the deer and what they don't eat will get trampled by all the game feeding at your feeder. Something that small will be a waste of money IMO.

It is written in my lease agreement that I can only have 3 plots on the property but the size is not specified. What would be a good size plot that would not get hammered but also not wanting to invest to much in a lease that is not tried and proven yet. Meaning I dont want to invest to heavily initially and find out there is not much to hunt out there.

oats grow great I have a lease in dew between Fairfield and buffalo. Hogs are every where. Deer are alright not going to be like west but its better than nothing

^^This

IMO, you need to be looking at at least 1/2 acre. You would be better off to plant one larger plot to draw the deer to the center, they will come to oats many times, walking right past a corn feeder. 200 acres would be easy to put in 2-3, 1-5 acre plots, but one of decent size the 1st yearm will tell you how many deer are close by.

I would just invest in more corn the first year. I would get a tailgate/road feeder and put out corn with it every time I go to the lease starting the next time I went. See what the deer numbers look like then decide if planting food plots is worth the expense. As far as size I would see how many deer you see this season and take it from there. A good acre of food plot such as oats or wheat can support 7 or more deer grazing it everyday depending on rainfall.

When we had our lease in Fairfield in the 90's we always blended Oats, Wheat, and Rye together in the same plots. That way if one didn't do well then the other might. Our place have very sandy soil in some areas and red clay/sand mix in others. The deer always hammered the plots. We left our lease in the mid 90's and the hogs were just starting to get bad. Some really good bucks in that area if you are in the right spot. We had 100 acres and took a 150" 10 point and a 176" 18 point off of it. Pretty sure that patch of land was mined for coal shortly after we left. Last time I was out that way they had run the highway right between where our camp use to be and where we hunted.

As JCB said, that is a good mix, I have used in many times. Usually do 60% oats and 40% wheat. If you add Rye, make sure you get the right kind. You want a cereal grain type Rye.

I dont mind if the deer are monsters. I am more just looking to get the freezer stocked and have fun with it. Thanks for the info!

I will see what these cameras say as far as how many deer are even coming to corn. If it looks good (will post some pics) then I will take the suggestion of planting a good size oat, wheat and rye plot and see how it goes.

Really glad to hear there are hogs in the area. Nothing better than a spit roasted 50 pounder IMO.

Thanks again for all the info guys!

If you plant 1/2 acre plots what will the hogs do to it? Will it survive? That's my main concern about doing it

The deer will most likely kill it before the pigs do.

Any way of doing a food plot without having a tractor or atv? No till options worth anything?

There are rental places that will rent you a small tractor and tiller or disc by the day. Might check around your area.

Go see Ben at the feed store there in Fairfield. He will steer you right on what grows and works well in the area.

Buy a bag or two of seed and go throw it out in the cleanest spot possible right before a rain... if you hit it right and birds/mice don't eat it all you may get lucky and have a decent plot... everything has to work right though and that don't always happen.. iv done a few this way but it saves money just to feed more corn

something like rye will be the best option to just broadcast but its nothing but a filler... still can attract deer if its tender during the cold days

I hunt just north of Teague in Freestone county. I plant about a 1/2 acre of oats around each of my feeders. I have lots and lots and lots of hogs and have had to put panels around my feeders to keep them away from the corn. works great

im hunting buffalo in freestone county too. its my second season in three years. we have tons of hogs but we also have creek bottoms running right in the middle of our property. i'm also interested in setting up a food plot. i was thinking about building some kinda attachment to plow the area.i was thinking about putting acorn rage in my feeder with corn. usually when acorns drop they will be in the woods. im also wanting to try a mineral lick. what do you suggest.