With winter slowing disappearing with the arrival of spring, deer season is still many months away. However, the fact is bucks are entering one of the most critical time periods for antler and body growth.
After a grueling rut and scarce winter food source options, bucks are in critical need of high-quality nutrition to repair their bodies and begin antler growth. The longer it takes to recoup from the winter, the less time a buck will have to grow – both body and antler wise – before the arrival of fall.
This means the early spring period is extremely critical. During the spring green-up, more abundant, high-quality native food will be available. In addition to native food sources, land owners and hunters also can provide supplemental deer nutrition in terms of food plots.
Though the majority of hunters only think about food plots during the late summer early fall, food plots in the spring play a much more significant deer nutrition role than those in the fall.
So what are the top options to plant for spring food plots?
Clover You absolutely cannot go wrong with most varieties of clover; it’s a great protein source. It’s easy to establish, and is tolerant to many soil and climate conditions. Due to seed size, which is small, planting depth isn’t much of a concern with literally just seed-to-soil contact being sufficient in many cases.
Clover is great option for year-round plots. But is especially good in early spring, whether it’s a perennial white clover coming out of dormancy, or a freshly planted food plot. For the latter, mixing a fast-growing annual clover, like Crimson Clover, with a perennial, like Ladino White Clover, will yield a plot for many springs in the future. Try planting about 5 pounds per acre of Crimson Clover and 3 pounds per acre of Ladino White Clover.
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Alfalfa A more difficult plating to establish than clover, and only in perennial varieties, alfalfa is still an amazing food plot option for the spring. Because it’s slower to establish, it’s best to plan a spring in advance. That’s not to say there won’t be anything to consume the first spring it is planted, but it will be much more establish the second spring.
In fact, to protect it during the slow growth of the first spring, typically it is planted with a cover crop like wheat, oats, or even annual clover. Alfalfa seeds should be planted at around 15 pounds per acre, with either a 25-pound-per-acre grain or 3- to 5-pound-per-acre annual clover.
Chicory The least likely planted of the group, yet it’s one with characteristics making it very desirable, chicory is packed full of protein in the spring. Though it isn’t as marketed as many of the other food plot options, chicory has a huge advantage when spring fades into summer and temperatures rise.
With a large taproot, chicory is one of the most drought-tolerant food plot species. Though, like alfalfa, it is only available in perennial varieties and can provide great nutrition year after year.
Chicory doesn’t need as much cover-crop protection as alfalfa, but it isn’t a bad idea to mix some clover in with it during planting. Chicory is planted at between 3 to 5 pounds per acre with about 3 pounds per acre of clover.
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With the next deer hunting season in mind, think about the food on your property available in spring. Not late summer when food plot crops should already be established. By planting any of the three mentioned – clover, alfalfa, chicory – deer on your hunting property will have another food source option in addition to native sources. Spring food plots are a good way to get bucks on the pathway to growing bigger antlers for fall.
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By planting any of the three mentioned – clover, alfalfa, chicory – deer on your hunting property will have another food source option in addition to native sources. Spring food plots are a good way to get bucks on the pathway to growing bigger antlers for fall.
After weaning through the next year, buck fawns fed a 16% protein diet had larger antlers than those fed 4.5% and 9.5% protein diets. This is true for two-year old bucks as well. Across all age classes, a 16% protein diet is ideal during the antler growing period.
Triticale, a hybrid cross between cereal rye and durum wheat, is a late-maturing, high-protein plant that also works as a companion crop and a good choice for deer food plot seed options in spring. It suppresses weeds well, and its dark green leaves make it attractive to deer.
Both clover and chicory are extremely hardy and drought-resistant, yielding consistent production through the hot months of summer. It's a combination of high nutrition, great attraction and consistent growth that deer can't resist.
It's also very rewarding to watch your plot pop up in the spring and see deer gobbling it up as they grow. One of the very best things you can do for deer is to plant legumes (think beans, peas, and clovers) in the spring. Clover is tops because this palatable, easy-to-plant perennial offers 25 percent protein.
Overall, there are three main elements in antler development: nutrition, genetics, and age. And the best driving factor for bigger and better antlers is actually nutrition. If a buck takes in the right quality and amount of food, then its antlers should grow large and strong.
The real mainstay food item of deer is browse. Browse plants can be shrubs or young trees within reach of deer. Browse plants will always be available in one form or another, no matter what the weather conditions.
Even better, wheat and oats are about the fastest germinating plot plant available. Cover them with a thin layer of damp soil and you can expect to see sprouts within a week or so. They will even sprout after a few days of rain when top-sown on loose soil, although germination rates tend to be lower.
Whitetails are craving protein at this time and it just so happens; legumes provide a very digestible, palatable source. Both perennial legumes like clovers, alfalfa, and trefoils, and annual legumes like soybeans, iron & clay peas, lablab, etc, are protein-rich, digestible, and attractive during this time.
The timing of planting deer food plots depends on the climate and location of the hunting area. In general, there are two primary seasons for planting deer food plots: spring and fall. The spring planting season is typically from February to May, while the fall planting season is usually from July to September.
Along with protein, deer also need calcium and phosphate to promote healthy antler growth. Deer will take these minerals from other bones in the body to grow its antlers. Deer need the help of the nutrients in their entire bodies to grow their antlers.
However, clover, brassicas, soybeans, and cereal grains are generally considered to be the best food plots for attracting and sustaining deer populations.
One of the key nutrients in a deer's diet that can increase antler growth is protein. With protein-rich food, a buck can grow bigger antlers and body mass.
By planting any of the three mentioned – clover, alfalfa, chicory – deer on your hunting property will have another food source option in addition to native sources. Spring food plots are a good way to get bucks on the pathway to growing bigger antlers for fall.
Increasing deer numbers often begins by creating Summer food sources to begin to build consistent doe fawning habitat. Offer great Fall cover-Great Fall cover equals a large number of stems per acre.
At the second location, hunters can use products such as Deadly Dust or whole corn mixed with Pour-It-On Liquid in Molasses or Persimmon flavor. The Pour-It-On liquid gives deer a different smell that attracts them to the area, and the corn gives a variety of food.
Calcium, Phosphorus and Magnesium are the three most common minerals in an antler, so when choosing a mineral, make sure you're using a complete mineral that offers all of the various minerals important for antler growth, like Antler King® Trophy Deer Mineral.
One of the key nutrients in a deer's diet that can increase antler growth is protein. With protein-rich food, a buck can grow bigger antlers and body mass. When a buck doesn't have a balanced diet and lacks the protein it needs, its body will prioritize nourishing muscles over growing antlers.
Introduction: My name is Frankie Dare, I am a funny, beautiful, proud, fair, pleasant, cheerful, enthusiastic person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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