While one food plot option sounds good on paper, the other option is typically the only choice in the North 1/2 of the country, for annually building a quality herd and hunt. When you learn how to tap into the power of annual food plot plantings, you will perennially create the potential of high powered herd and hunting results.
Food plots that are lush green and productive for 365 days per year sounds like the untopia of whitetail herd and hunting opportunity, right? Unfortunately that is not the case on the majority of lands 500-1000 acres or less. In the North 1/2 of the country, social stress, healthy whitetails, herd management and hunting opportunity can all suffer, if your small private parcel is not heavily slanted towards cool season annuals plantings.
*While perennials may be the feel good option for your food plot choice, they are often not the strategic option that created the potential to be an actual Herd Influencer.
Why Annual Food Plots
if your goal is to create and incredible hunt and an incredible herd, than you probably need to look no further than annual food plots, and her is why:
1. Social Stress
One of the largest contribters of annual social stress for whitetails, are Summer habitat improvements that stockpile does and fawns to unnatural, levels. If you have a severe population probl m on your land, the first step to reducing stress and overall deer numbers, is to reduce or eliminate the amount of high quality doe fawning cover that you offer, in larticluar when it comes to Summer food sources. Doe family groups that are here today are here to stay, meaning if you offer great Fall habitat, you can expect Summer resident does and fawns to stick around into the hunting season. The more acres of perennial food plots that you offer, the more does and fawns you can expect to reside on your land for the entire year, let alone the hunting season. This can lead to a great deal of added herd stress, in a habitat type that has very little room leftover for bucks of any kind, let alone mature bucks.
2. Healthy Whitetails
Stressed out deer herds lacking in cool season food sources are common throughout the Country. The shear volume of food plot forage that can be provided during the Fall and Winter months -when deer need it the most-, is several times more with annual food plot forages, than perennials.
3. Herd Management
Dokks, you cantanage Whitetails of they aren't focusing on your land specifically during the hunting season, during the hours of daylight. Diverse combinations of cool season annuals can keep the deer focused and available, for both h your hunting and herd management goals.
4. Hunting Opportunity
Did you buy your land for hunting, habitat management or herd management? Annual foodnplot plantings can provide thepst power for any goal of yours, because they can provide several times more forage volumes at a time when not only you need it most, but to meet the needs of the local deer herd when they need it most.
*You can use cool season annuals to control the short window of daily daylight Deer Movements.
