Just curious what yall use, suggest, dont suggest etc on a spring and summer food plot. Thinking about doing a couple. Coryell county west of gatesville so the ground is a little rocky and black dirt... Any info is much appreciated.

Try this

https://www.drdeer.com/catalog/Products/Books/Food-Plots-and-Supplemental-Feeding/10

Also talk to your County Agent

https://coryell.agrilife.org/

I'm not far from you. Wanting to do the same thing. Interested to see what people think is best.

👍👍

How many acres can you plant? What is your deer density? What is your average annual rainfall? Have you done a soil test? Do you own or have access to farming equipment? Will livestock have access to the plot(s)? Do you have a lot of wild hogs? Can you fence off the plots?

WE can probably plant a total of 30 acres but not all in one spot.. spread out over 600 acres ish... Not sure on density quit yet since it is a new place.. its Texas.. average rainfall is all over the palce.. HAHA... No sil test but we will......Yes there are tractors,plows, etc there...Hogs yes.. we can fence some of it.... Cows will be on occasion..

I'm not a farmer or expert.... But, I have failed enough with food plots to gain a pretty good handle on what works. Someone already mentioned a soil test. Thats great advice. Make sure you get your PH close to right or nothing will grow to its potential. Lime is cheaper and more effective than fertilizer. Ask local feed stores what will grow best in your area. I've had better luck mixing different crops in the same plot. You can increase your odds of success that way.

The safety net for me has always been cereal rye. Its also called winter rye or elbon rye. That stuff will grow almost anywhere and deer will hit it as hard at other cereal grains. You can drill it or broadcast it. Just make sure to have good seed to soil contact.

Good luck!

I have a question for the gurus about food plots. What is the wire cage box approx. 3 x3x3 or 4x4x3 that i see in food plots. what is it called ? I am guessing it is used to measure number of deer hitting the plot but that may be out in left field. Thanks Daniel

It is not there to measure the number of deer. It is there to measure how well your food plot would grow it the deer were not hitting it. So, if it is 3 foot high in the cage and 3 inches on all the rest of the field, then you have a very healthy deer herd in your area. Sometimes without the cages, we think that the plot did not grow at all, when in reality it grew very well but was just hit very hard by the deer.
The reverse can also be said. If it is 2 feet tall in the field and 3 feet tall in the cage, you don't have many deer hitting your food plot.

Exclusion cage

Spring food plots, it is hard to beat cowpeas. Just make sure cattle can not get to any of the plots. Electric fencing works well on smaller plots or even on large plots to keep cattle off the plots. In fall I plant oats and winter peas....I have added in turnips, clovers and alfalfa in the hill country also. Clovers and alfalfa planted in the fall can allow for food plots into the summer months(with the right clovers and alfalfa varieties). Same with cattle, you have to fence the plots, especially with clover. As it will cause bloat in cattle, which can kill cattle.

Steve. Thank you. I thought that was the name but was not sure, old age is showing on my end. Daniel

I was thinking about Spring planting today while working.

Our lease is pretty sandy in East Texas. I am going to do Red Ripper Cowpeas if I can buy any. Last year couldn't find any. Red Ripper do better in Sandy soil that others I've used. With that said, I'm not much of a farmer LOL.

Will probably throw some clover in the mix also, can't recall how to spell the one I want to use but I know what it is when I see the name.

Joint vetch is another good option for east Texas. Not enough rain where I live for it.

I had to google Joint Vetch, it does look like a good option. Seeds aren't cheap, but looks like 20 pounds per acre which means it must have good cover.

Look into Sunn Hemp if you do not have cattle. It works in mixes and grows just about anywhere. If the deer do not keep it short then you have to manage it to keep it short or you will have trouble dealing with the stalks the next spring.