Fall Food Plots In The Upper Half of the U.S.. It's NOT Too Late!

As I write this we are just a few days out from turning the page to the month of September. And here in Wisconsin, and many other states across the country, the opening day of whitetail season is just around the corner. Does that mean it's too late for seeding down food plots? Absolutely NOT! Even across the northern have of the country it is not too late.

As with my life long experience in production agriculture/farming, cover cropping became a huge practice in our crop rotations after chopping corn for silage to feed our outstanding herd of Registered Holstein dairy cows in the fall. Winter cereal rye has always been our "go to", if you will, when it comes to cover cropping. And for many years the seed we have turned to this time of year for food plots.

But is winter cereal rye the only option of seed available to plant this time of year? 

The answer......, most definitely NOT!

Remember, when it comes to food plots for deer in terms of cultivated crops, diversity is key. And this time of year is still no exception. I know sometimes there is no choice but to go with a stand alone seed choice depending on soil type and pH. But diversity should not escape the back of your minds if we can possibly make the best of any given food plot situation. 

Diversity should always be at the forefront in any successful food plot program. And a mix I like to include this time of year is Rape, Tillage Radish, Austrian Winter Peas, Winter Cereal Rye, and Winter Oats. Yes there are other mixes that will perform just as well, but this is just an example of what i have the most success with as we inch ever closer to the first days of autumn.

Is it too late for brassicas as a stand alone food source? Absolutely not! but the window is closing rapidly.

In 2018 I seeded in a couple food plots for a client in northwestern Wisconsin on September 8th with a mix of purple top turnips and winter oats. Sure, the turnips didn't become the size of small basketballs that you see on TV on many hunting many of the hunting shows. But the client did share with me that the bulbs did however, for the most part, reach the size of tennis and baseballs. 

Remember, brassicas will reach maturity at 45 days. So there is still time for brassicas. So if you are still looking to seed them, now is the time, but the window is closing fast across the upper half of the country. Also keep in mind that there are forage specific brassicas in some seed mixes that only produce leafy greens and no bulbs at all. But the deer will still dig for those leaves well into late season with a covering of snow over top of them.

As I close this, don't stress if you believe it's getting too late across the upper have of the country. There is still time with a wide array of options still available to help you achieve a successful food plot program here in 2022. And although I didn't go into a ton of specific detail, I hope you got a little clearer vision on what could possibly work for your specific location, soil type, pH, etc.. 

Have fun! Enjoy the changing of the seasons. And most of all, keep living the dream!