Planning For Better Food Plots

BY DR. JAMES C. KROLL

The first question I ask a landowner who wants to plant food plots is: Why do you want to plant them? There are three possible reasons to plant food plots: No. 1. to improve existing deer nutrition; No 2. to improve deer harvest; or No. 3. to improve both. So, the first step in developing a nutrition management plan is to assess the quality of the natural deer forage on your property. The term “deer forage” represents these kinds of plants — browse, forbs (weeds), grasses and mushrooms. In addition, deer rely on fruits and nuts, primarily for added energy. With only a few exceptions, the white-tailed deer relies primarily on browse for its nutritional needs. Collectively, browse is the leaves and twigs of woody plants, including shrubs, young trees…

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North American Whitetail (Digital) - 1 Issue, March 2025

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