We have a new lease that’s 800 acres around Bonham in Fannin County north Texas. I’ve never planted plots before but would love to get into it. We have a decent amount of bedding area and some field area that isn’t utilized. There is a lot of ag fields in the surround area so I’m wondering if it’s worth it.

So 1 is it worth it
2 if yes, what’s a good beginning thing to plant that doesn’t require heavy duty equipment
3 what percent of acreage makes a difference in deer numbers

Yes it is worth it, if you don't they will go to other food plots.
I always did a fall planting combo of winter wheat, Oats and Legumes (Austrian peas). If you have cows on the property it will probably not do you any good unless you plant a huge food plot.

Unless you live in an area that has early freezes skip the wheat and go all oats & Austrian Winter peas. Studies have shown that Wt will walk around everything else to get to fertilized oats. Mild freezes will turn them yellow but a couple of days of sun and warmer temps will bring them back. Remember there is a big difference in a food plot and a kill plot. A food plot planted as early as you can in your area will do wonders for your deer. Lots of choices that will produce from spring to frost. Peas of several kinds, Iron & Clay are very drought tolerant but all varieties will be a BIG help for the bucks growing new racks, does with fawns or fetus. Plant as thick as your wallet can stand cause the deer will try to eat them up. For the bucks more and smaller plots are better than huge plots, they seem to like the security of smaller plots. 2 to 6% of your total lease is a good start, here again depends on the pocket book. Even 1% will help. Lots of other things you can do, plant trees, pear. apple or whatever will produce mast in your area. Berry vines like Dew berries, Blackberry even grape. You might want to contact your Biologist for your county they normally are very helpful. Best of luck.

Any cows on the place?

I would add crimson clover to this. We just did throw and grow plots and it worked great. no tilling, just cut the weeds or grass on the fence lines.

I always heard winter wheat was more cold hardy than winter oats

I'm pretty sure that's what he said too. I mix them together and the deer hit the oats early and then the wheat after the cold gets the oats.

There about 10 cows on the place but it’s 800 acres. 200 acres of wheat is already planted but it’s far from the bedding areas so I would assume they’re only headed there close to dark. It’s a new lease for next year so we haven’t done any scouting.

Does throw and grow truly work without any tilling?

What will a true food plot cost? Per acre

Snow peas, time them right and you'll understand

Start with oats, they'll grow pretty much anywhere with minimal effort. We plant on labor day weekend.

Having food plots will change the way the deer in the area move. We have a smaller piece of land in east Texas (130acres), and even our neighbors noticed a big difference in deer movement when we began planting a total of about 20acres of oats in 3 plots on our place. I won't claim the herd grew because of it, as much as we see more of the herd on our place because of it.

Food plots are a no brainer for me. Deer are lazy and if you give them a reason to not wander off in search of food they will stick around. Food plots also give deer a more nutritious alternative when you plant stuff high in protein. On the down side, cows will eat in your food plot and so will hogs. There are products that work with the "throw and grow" method but I like discing the ground better. As stated above, oats are good and clover is too. I would plant multiple types to see what grows best in your location. You can probably reach out to your county extension office to see about a soil analysis. This will tell you ahead of time what should grow best and doesn't cost much money. The more effort you put into your food plots, the greater results you will see. Good luck!

I have a place in Fannin County and agree with everything said above. One thing though -- disk in a 15-15-15 fertilizer before you spread the seed. I've had good results with wheat, oats, clover and peas. But the fertilizer makes all of the difference!

Try the County agent for some tips. I’ve found that local feed stores will supply a seed mix for you and may have recommendations for the area. Good luck.

Where would I find the county agent contact info?

You can go to your county's website or trying googling the name of the county in which you hunt along with the words "ag extension office". That should give you some options. Good luck!

Wheat mixed with Turnips. Of course, if you have hogs, they will get every one.