Ken,

There are several considerations when deciding what crop to plant in any food plot.  One of the most important of these considerations is the local deer herd density (the number of mouths competing for quality forage).  Deer readily consume and prosper when consuming soybean forage and soybean pods.  However, planting soybeans can be poor management if the local deer herd density is such that the soybeans in a particular plot are consumed before the plants were allowed to produce many pounds (tons) of forage.

Therefore, soybeans may be a great choice to plant in the larger plots at your club, but may not be a good option to plant in your “honey hole” plots.  I like to mix soybeans and wheat when establishing relatively small plots just before hunting season.  Deer are very attracted to young soybeans.  I realize they will be consumed before they are allowed to mature.  However, by including soybeans in the blend, a few days of fabulous quality hunting can be experienced until the soybeans are consumed.  Then the wheat begins to produce quality forage and deer remain attracted to feed at that site.  You may consider adding some clover.  Although the clover won’t be very productive during the few months after it is planted, it can produce some forage during the late season at your southern location, and should come on strong the following spring.  Turkeys readily utilize “honey holes” as strutting and feeding areas during the spring and clover is a good choice for spring forage production for turkeys and deer.

The palatability and productivity of soybeans, wheat, and clover is closely related to the soil’s fertility.  I always recommend analyzing the existing nutrients available in the soil (a soil test) and then providing the proper mixture and quantity of fertilizer to allow each crop to express its potential both in productivity and palatability.  Without the appropriate amount of soil fertility, no crop will be as productive and as attractive to deer as it could be.

Purple hull peas produce good quality forage.  However, Round-up Ready forage soybeans produce more tonnage per acre and are much easier to manage than non-Round-up Ready crops.

Growing Deer together,

Grant