Video: How to Make Quick Work of Food Plots
Melissa Bachman 06.28.17
Growing up in central Minnesota, my family loved to deer hunt, but we seldom did things during the off-season to improve our odds. After hunting at a variety of places, I’ve learned how beneficial it can be to have food plots. Not only will deer stay on your property more often, but food plots also provide excellent nutrition to keep your deer healthy.
Many people think that to plant food plots they need big tractors and a team of people to get this done. This simply isn’t the case. I’ve planted food plots with a hand spreader before, so it can be done with just your own legs if needed!
Recently to speed things up, I found a way to plant that makes things go much faster. As shown in the video below, the Moose Utility Division Spreader easily connects to my UTV. This system is helpful for the bigger food plots, and gets me in and out of the field faster, which leaves more time for fun summer things like fishing!
The last thing to consider is food plot size. I prefer smaller plots in the middle of the woods because these secluded areas seem to be a magnet for big bucks during legal hunting hours. The deer can come and go as they please, and it is actually easier to bowhunt over plots when they are small.
I like to place scouting cameras around the food plot to see where most deer are entering and exiting the field, then I hang my treestands accordingly. I often hang a couple stands just to give me options with a variety of winds.
Last year in South Dakota, I bowhunted a small food plot where there was a cedar post with a tree branch nailed to it. The idea on this was that the bucks would come in and eat, scent-check for a hot doe, and the post/branch gave them a place for scrapes. It worked incredibly well! I couldn’t believe how many deer hit this branch in the middle of the food plot!
In the end, this is just a simple tip to get more done with your food plots in a shorter amount of time. It’s amazing how putting in some time before the deer season ever begins can help your chances of success later on in the year when the hunting season is upon us.
