What should I plant in my Michigan deer plot

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zach.trumble

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I'm in Michigan and want to plan for some food plots for 2017 season.

I'm in agricultural Zone 5B. I want to make my own mix of seed. What is the best thing to plant in Deer food plots to maximize the amount of time the food is available to the deer. In particular I am looking for late-season crops that will provide deer with food after agricultural crops have been harvested for late-season muzzleloader hunts about this time of year next year.

Does anyone have any good resources on preparing food plots? There's an overwhelming amount of information available on the web so it's hard to sift through. I am an avid Gardener so so I am very familiar with growing things.

I have access to light agricultural equipment like a moldboard plow, 54" rototiller, and cultipacker.

What should I plant?




Thank you for your time
 
What the real question is, how do you keep them out of it until you want them in it? They get used to balloons, even motion alarms. It really takes considerable area/acreage plantings to keep them from browsing it all off before muzzleloader season.

I've used purple top turnips with success, but again, keeping them out is a problem. The old stand by of carrots, radish and turnips is hard to beat. Most anything you plant, short of corn and leaving it standing, will be browsed off unless you fence it, even soy beans and oats. Standing corn causes some concern unless you have the right equipment, because you have to do something with the stalks in the spring. Late (Sept.) Rye will bring them in early, or at least until its snow covered. A good idea is to plant an assortment of apple trees, that bares fruit early to late. Keep them trimmed and let the fruit just fall (short of a pie or two). But still, until the trees are tall and large enough, you'll have to fence/cage them. They need plenty of sun. Triple 19 helps them. There used to be a nursery in Hartford that sold what they called a "Deer Hunter's Package". Apples dropped from fall and right up to late winter.
 
Depending on the size of the plot and amount of deer that would be using it. I would try beans and when they turn overseed with turnips. Turnips are king in my neck of the woods.
 
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