What are people's thoughts on smaller food plots for the summer? Would like to grow some bigger deer but have read things that they get hit hard if too small. I am looking to plant 4-5 acres and possibly a second 2 acre plot. The plot(s) will then have to get shredded and planted again for a cool season plot. There is no other agriculture in the area and minimal people even feeding corn.

I planted about 3 acres of high protein clover and saw a significant increase in antler quality.

I once planted every year. Then hogs moved in and made a real mess of them. I had intentions of doing them last year but got no rains. Without subsoil moisture you don’t have a chance. I have intentions of trying it again this year but our 4 year drought is continuing.

Fertilizing really helps. I once experimented by fertilizing one side of a patch. The deer walked over the non fertilized side to get to the high protein stuff.

I don’t think it’s a bad plan, OP. You don’t know unless you try. I think your sizes are good.

My questions about doing so:
What is already there that I would be plowing under to do this? Is the value of that better overall considering the 3-4 weeks of dead ground while I plow, plant, and wait for the patch to grow to an edible level?
How many deer can I expect to serve; what’s my local population? Are they going to hammer this so much that it becomes uneconomical for the given return?
Would a protein feeder be a better ROI in the long run?
Is the weather conducive to 12-15 weeks of really good growth?

Good food for thought. Thank you for the responses.

The areas to be planted are a mix of bahia, bermuda and mixed broadleaf weeds. Many other areas on the property offer a similar mix but are sectioned for grazing (eventual plans for pasture improvement for the small cattle operation) so I think I will plant for deer in the small areas and see how it goes. Thanks for all insight

I’ve tried several things but find wheat is hard to beat.

I have a power line running across a portion of my land. It’s about 3 acres of open area. Many years ago I disked it up and slung coastal Bermuda. It turned into a weedy mess with some grass. Then, a couple of years back, we got a lot of rain and the Bermuda took off. The weeds have been crowded out. It’s now about 10 inch tall Bermuda that the pigs are, for some reason, ignoring. I can’t see that the deer are utilizing it.

If I don’t sell the place this year, I’m going to mow it and plant wheat just to see what happens.

Another area is crowded with blackberries that I didn’t plant. Actually, I have 3 different blackberry patches caused by birds. Deer don’t much care for a mouth full of thorns.

I took a gamble this year and planted Sainfoin last week it's a legume like alfalfa. Does well in sandy soil & drout conditions and doesn't need replanted each year, I did a one acre area. Deer, turkey and honey bees like it.
Sainfoin doesn't like being crowded so I sprayed the area, waited 2 weeks for a good kill then disk, planted, fertilized and drug in to cover.
Just waiting on 2 1/2 days of rain this week.

Can you do this if there are cattle on the land? That episode of Yellowstone suggests clover is bad for cows.

Cows love clover and it's good for them, but if they're rumen isn't used to it too much can cause bloat. You can plant a mix of 60% grass, 40% clover and you shouldn't have any problems with the cows.

Cattle will normally self regulate. Only bad thing with cattle is they can pull it out by root, so i would electric fence until mature

Horses not so much. Id be careful if you have horses, just like legumes they will over indulge and founder

sainfoin is awesome stuff, love it north of the Red but it struggles as a zone 3 which is most of Texas. I even baled it. It is a better dry land legume than alfalfa.

It has started to sprout but could use a shot of rain, crossing my fingers. We have sandy soil and any place with 13" of rain it should do well. Where I'm at Bokchito, OK we get 35-40" of rain per year so i should be good.

Did not get my ducks in a row in time for a planting this year but have some questions that have since stemmed from this. Can I use one plot to attract deer year round? I was thinking of doing a summer mix of iron and clay cowpeas and then terminating for a winter planting. I am primarily a bow hunter and will keep the stick and string out well into rifle season so I'd like opinions on when to terminate and what to plant over it? Or would it be better to have one summer specific plot and one winter specific if i am able to plant two areas?

It all depends where you're located. Summer food plots don't do well in West Texas, just not enough rain...typically

Huntsville area

You're good then. I can't offer any advise because I only do winter food plots. Many years ago I tried summer plots a couple of times, just didn't work out for me, too dry.

Same here. IMO, Fall plots are much easier because what competes with your planted crop in the Spring, doesn't want to come back in the Fall.

I bought some small acreage this spring and had a lot of it mulched. I then planted Crimson Clover in 3 different areas to attract the deer. With all the rain we have had in NE Texas it has done extremely well. Plan to plant some small areas of oats and wheat this fall in the same areas. Clover should come back next year as well.