When to Plant Spring Food Plots for Deer [A Guide]

While there are various nutrient-dense food options, strategies, and setups, a simple process and manageable food plot, especially for your first plant, will suffice. Deer are hungry in spring, and with a couple of their favorites, you should be able to attract and condition some substantial bucks for the next season. 

Today, we look at the best time and food plot mix for spring and offer maintenance tips to ensure your food plot keeps doing its job. 

We'll cover:

• Why Food Plots Are Important
• The Best Times to Plant in the Spring
• What to Plant
• The Importance of Soil Preparation

Why Spring Food Plots for Deer Matter

From spring to fall, a deer must consume between 6% and 8% of its body weight daily. This is an intense period during which deer recover from winter, a seasonal low point for food availability. 

Food plots offer increased nutrition and increase the area's carrying capacity, meaning more deer frequent your land more often. Providing key nutrients, proteins, and minerals through your food plot further helps to promote antler growth in bucks and fawn development in does. 

From a hunting perspective, having a primary food source such as a food plot helps to establish consistent scheduling on your property, leading to year-round deer patterns. 

When is the Best Time To Plant Spring Food Plots?

Spring food plot planting timelines vary wildly depending on weather conditions, location, soil temperature, and the last frost dates. To gauge when the ideal planning time is for your area, it's best to approach the planting timeline from the ground up.

This means testing soil for nutrient density and a neutral pH balance between 6.5 and 7.5 and targeting an ideal soil temperature of 55–65°F for warm-season forages.

Typically, planting after the last frost when the risk of cold damage is low will yield the highest results. However, some crops, such as cereal rye, remain dormant through the cold weather and can be planted much further in advance (in the previous year) as a cover crop to maintain soil health and retain moisture, allowing for a stronger Spring planting foundation. 

As a rough guide:

• Southern states should plant in March–April
• Northern states should plant in late April–May

If in doubt, contact your local agricultural department or department of conservation, which will provide detailed, research-backed tips on starting your food plot, including timing and food types. 

Choosing the Right Spring Food Plot Mix 

What should you plant? A good food plot mix can keep deer coming back throughout the year, year after year.

Legumes are a great option as they can be targeted around May and promote antler growth due to their high protein content. Clover and alfalfa are perennial options that can provide a baseline of nutrition throughout the year (the deer keep coming back for more), and seasonal options such as soybeans and cowpeas will provide a steady source of food into the summer months. 

Brassicas, such as turnips and radishes, are great for summer and early fall foraging. They're also quick-growing, nutrient-dense, affordable, and economical if you build your plot on a budget. 

Mature grain crops, including sorghum and corn, provide year-round nutrients to deer and can be a viable method of attracting them, especially in the initial stages of early spring when temperatures are still relatively low. 

Analyze Your Land

Determining your food plot plan will require an analysis of your land requirements; generally, smaller plots can be ½- to ¼-acre in size with grain plots at least 30 feet wide.

You'll also benefit from analyzing your time and the dedication you can contribute to the plot, as some plans will require ongoing care, fertilization, mowing, etc. A small plot with a mix of clover, rye, and radishes can undoubtedly get the job done instead of taking on a massive planting job. 

Soil Preparation Leads to Success 

Soil preparation is what will make or break your food plot.

When planning food plots for deer in spring, start with a soil test to identify any underlying issues with your soil quality. Knowing which changes you can make to adjust the pH balance appropriately will set up your food plot for maximum yield.

With these insights, you will know how much lime to apply (especially if pH is below 6.0) and will be able to fertilize based on these insights. You can also use free online resources to check average soil temperatures or a thermometer for pinpoint accuracy. 

Once you've determined your location and checked soil quality, you can begin clearing weeds and debris before planting to establish better seeds. If there are significant patches of weeds, consider burning some areas in a controlled way. 

Maintenance and Growth Monitoring 

With a relatively small and straightforward setup, maintenance doesn't have to interfere with daily life. Remember to mow clover plots in mid-summer to control weeds and consider supplemental fertilization to boost growth if necessary. 

Finally, monitor for overbrowsing, adjust planting density, and renovate and reseed when grasses or weeds have pushed out your desired legumes. 

For Deer Success Year Round, Use HuntWise

Whether it's smack bang in the middle of deer season or the off-season, there's always something you can do to get closer to that once-in-a-lifetime buck. If you're lucky enough to have the space and time, building a spring food plot for deer to feed after winter is a great way to support the deer population's health and attract deer to your private land.

Then, when the hunting season rolls around, make sure you're fully prepared with hunting deer strategies, weather forecasting, mapping insights, and more from HuntWise. Use the app for your notes on your food plot, the activity you see on trail cams when deer come to feed, and — of course — to scout and plan your hunt this fall!

If you don't have HuntWise yet, now is the time to download it and start planning for fall hunts — free — for your first week!