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Most people are not thinking about food plotting in mid-February. But us whitetail-crazed nuts are a little bit different. We are always thinking about what could possibly give us an edge on that buck we are after. If you follow this page, you have probably already seen the advantages food plotting can give you, or you are interested starting your very first food plot to help give you success in the whitetail woods.

Today we are going to talk about one of the best ways to start your first food plot. The great part about this method is it requires minimal tools, and mother nature does the majority of the work for us. So what is this strategy? Frost seeding, frost seeding clover to be exact.

There are many advantages of putting clover in early spring. This can be a very stressful part of the year for a whitetail, especially in early spring when there are still heavy frosts. Providing clover for these deer is a great way to add extra protein to their diet during a female’s gestation period, and a male’s primary antler growing season.

So how do we go about frost seeding? The process is very simple actually, and that is what makes this such an effective strategy for feeding our deer. The first step is timing. Timing is everything when it comes to frost seeding. We need to focus on a time period when we have freezing temperatures at night, and temperatures that are high enough for the ground to thaw during the day. Here in the Midwest this is usually during March that we see these conditions. The reason we need these freezing and thawing conditions, is because it creates an expanding and contracting surface area with every freeze and thaw. This literally sucks the clover seeds into the dirt, and provides perfect conditions for germination.

The fact that the freezing and thawing is getting our seeds into the ground is what makes frost seeding so advantageous. We don’t need a drill or a cultipacker, mother nature takes care of that for us. The next thing we need to look for is a proper place to seed. Really what we need here is an area that is exposed to sunlight, and where we can get good seed to soil contact. Another great advantage to frost seeding is this time of year, we can most likely get great seed to soil contact without any sort of disking or tilling. The grass isn’t growing yet, and we can usually get our seed into the dirt without having to disturb the soil too much.

Now all that’s left is broadcasting the seed. When it comes time to seed, we usually want to apply about 4 pounds per half acre, with frost seeding we want to go a little heavier. Just because of the process it takes, we want to be looking at about 5 pounds per half acre. Horny Buck Seed’s Luck o’ Blend is a great option for frost seeding. This is a great mixture of 5 different clovers, including white and red varieties. It also has rye grass, and birds foot trefoil, two other great seeds for frost seeding.

Birds Foot Trefoil

After we broadcast our seed, all that is left to do is let mother nature work. Our seed will get absorbed into the earth, and germination will start rather quickly. Providing great nutrition for our deer during the spring and summer, and also giving us a great hunting spot come fall. Clover is also a great food source for turkeys, providing us with another hunting opportunity in the spring.

We hope you enjoyed this article, and consider taking advantage of this great food plotting method. Frost seedingis a great way to get food plots in with minimal equipment and time.

Water is essential to plant and animal life

AFTER YOU STOCK IT WITH FISH!

A windmill aerator can aerate your remote located pond near your food plot where you have no power source. A pond is a great addition to your hunting sight and food plot. Not only will the water source attract wild life, it will also be a supply of water to irrigate your food plot. Pumps are available that will move water across to your planting or to a reserve tank using the air pressure from the aeration windmill.

The windmill will also act as a very precise wind direction and speed indicator giving you another edge for the hunt. The rotation of the wheel assembly is very quiet and smooth operating that deer will get used to and pay no attention to. Another advantage to having a windmill aerating the pond in winter is that it will keep an opening in the ice to offer needed drinking water during winter months if the diffuser is kept close to the shore.

THINGS TO CONSIDER

How much water does white-tail deer need to drink daily? The high temperatures during the dry times of mid to late summer are cause to consider the water needs of whitetail deer. Winter can effect water availability also, a windmill aerator will solve that problem by keeping an open area in a pond.

Can they find enough water on your property to keep them in the area? It makes a difference when it comes to deer management and attracting deer. Water requirements can vary with available food sources, climatic conditions and a whitetail’s physiological state. Deer that are lactating or growing, for example, need more water than deer that are not.

White tail deer will make use of various water sources such ponds, creeks, rivers, springs, dew, snow and even vernal pools. Secluded depressions that hold water for any period of time will be used heavily by deer. Secluded water sites allow does with fawns and weary bucks to go about their habits while decreasing their chances of being detected by predators and hunters. Next time you come across one of these water holes, notice the number of deer tracks around them.

White-tail deer use water daily, they can ingest it directly or they can acquire it from their diet, as long as succulent plants are available to them. During The dry season and in areas where water-rich vegetation are scarce, it is estimated that at least one source of permanent water per square mile is needed to ensure use of the available area. Some hunters estimate a home range size of a whitetail deer can range from 400 to 800 acres, so it’s good to have at least one water source per square mile. Lack of water could cause deer to use a well planted food source less frequently when plants are starting to harden off in later dryer seasons.

For more information see:
http://morganwinds.com/
or call Mike (920) 655-8324