Do you use soil surveys to determine food plot locations?

By Grant Woods,

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← Grant's Answers — Food Plots
Question
Did you look at any soil surveys to determine food plot location? A surprise to me, my 80a of MO Ozarks has a lot of soil diversity. I have 3 ridges, and only one has what you’d call soil. The others are much more rocky, but do contain dirt, and have some ideal funnels for food plots. Is it possible to grow in such conditions?

Matt,

I rarely locate plots based on soil types.  This is especially true for plots designed to hunt versus simply provide nutrition.  Hunting plots work best if located in areas where deer wish to use and the hunter can approach, hunt, and exit without alerting deer.  

Many of the plots at The Proving Grounds were literally established in areas with only gravel showing.  By using good conservation practices including a crop rotation of soybeans (legumes) during the summer and brassicas and wheat during the winter and never tilling the soil many of these plots now have two to six inches of great soil on top!  

I encourage you to use the same crop rotation and planting techniques.  You will be amazed at the results!

Enjoy creation,

grant

October 9, 2015