PB1743-Growing and Managing Successful Food Plots for Wildlife in the Mid-South

Planting food plots is an excellent way to improve available nutrition, increase the carrying capacity and concentrate wildlife on your property. Food plots do not take the place of habitat management in general, but are intended to augment the quantity and quality of food occurring naturally in an area. Whenever habitat improvement is desired, other management practices (e.g., timber management, prescribed burning and discing) should be implemented as well. Food plot plantings should depend upon which wildlife species you want to attract and the seasonal requirements of those species. Not all wildlife species benefi t from all food plot plantings. Certain food plot mixtures provide benefi t to different wildlife species. For example, doves do not get much benefi t from a clover patch planted for white-tailed deer.