Soybean food plots for deer are no brainers

Soybean food plots for deer are a staple

soybean food plots for deerSoybean food plots for deer are inexpensive, easy to grow, Round Up ready and a major draw at different stages of growth.  Soybean food plots for deer may not succeed in high density deer areas, so lets take a closer look at this attractive food source.

Soybeans and corn are the 2 main ag crops we talk about in whitetail circles.  Both of these annuals are a major draw for our whitetail deer at certain times of the year, but of the 2 soybeans will be a top choice for many.  They are much cheaper and easier to grow than corn, and are definitely easier to hunt because of their height.

Soybean food plots for deer are the #1 summer draw

If you want to pick a food source your growing bucks will visit every night all summer long, it’s soybeans.  Soybean food plots for deer will draw deer in like kids to candy, and the protein in those green leaves is very digestable.  If we want to hunt soybeans in the early season, it may be a good idea to plant some a month later than the farmers do.  They may not throw pods, as here in Minnesota our first frost averages mid September.  That first frost will shut down plant growth and our farmers want the soybeans to be mature before the first frost to maximize yield.  Deer farmers may try cheat the frost date to have soybean food plots for deer actively growing and attractive to the deer the first couple weeks of archery season, and this means planting later, or selecting a longer to maturity soybean.  Simply check the label for days to maturity, and work the math backwards from archery opener to pick a date to plant so the soybean food plot for deer is still growing come opener.

Soybean food plots for deer lose appeal in October

As the bean leaves yellow and dry up your soybean food plots for deer will be empty.  Don’t worry, the deer will return for those oil rich beans later in the year when the mercury drops.  My favorite time to hunt soybean food plots for deer is the muzzle loader season in early December.  Give me a foot of snow and those deer will hammer the field until every pod is gone.  Big bucks are post rut now and have to eat to survive.  This is the best time of year to pattern a giant at the food, and soybean food plots for deer are a top choice.

Soybean food plots for deer do not attract raccoons and bear

Corn truly is king for attraction, and here in lies a fundamental problem.  If you try growing a 2 acre corn plot in areas with raccoon or bear, they will destroy most of it before it matures.  At $300 an acre to put corn in the ground, I am not a big fan of feeding the other critters in the woods.  Deer, rabbit and wood chuck like beans, and the latter 2 are pretty small critters.  Soybean food plots for deer can handle substantial browsing pressure, and keep coming back for more.  I have watched 3 acre soybean food plots for deer thrive in areas with over 30 deer per square mile.  Make sure you adjust the PH and fertilize properly in high density areas to give your beans the chance to make it, and if the pressure gets too high, milorganite fertilizer will keep the deer off for up to a month to get them established.

Soybean food plots for deer are easy to plant and grow

Soybean food plots for deer can be planted with 4 wheeler and broadcast spreader.  I have done it this way for years and the crop is always bumper.  Bump the seeds per acre up about 20% as your germination rate will be lower than drilled soybeans, but as long as we compensate the soybean food plot for deer will be a hit with you and the herd.  Soybean food plots for deer are an excellent choice as a destination plot for your deer herd, and are relatively inexpensive for their size.  They will provide both an early season and a late season draw, and are an excellent choice in an overall deer plot program