Should we convert corn plots to clover?

By Grant Woods,

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← Grant's Answers — Food Plots
Question
Management question. We have 500 acre lease that is mostly select cut oak forest with lots briars and thick stuff and some 3 year old clear cuts. We have about 10 1/2 to 1 acre food plants that we alternate clover, green, and corn.

We kill all our deer in the oaks. Only deer we ever kill in the fields is by kids and they are usually small bucks.

We have 3 members. Our plan is working pretty good but it takes a lot of time and expense to plant those fall plots.

My question is would it hurt or help or no change if we just frost seeded all our plots in clover seed in the next few weeks and not worry about fall plots?

Brett,

I think a key is your statement “Our plan is working pretty good…”

You may not kill many deer in the the corn plots, but I assume deer are consuming the corn (probably at night) and these plots serve to keep deer close. You are wise to hunt away from the plots and not disturb deer using this food source that’s probably helping keep the deer’s core home range on or close to your property.  

I’d be hesitant to stop planting corn. If you must make changes, I recommend you reduce the number of plots you plant with corn by no more than a third for the first year and monitor the herd’s response.

Enjoy creation,

grant

February 12, 2016