Last updated 2026-07-25
TL;DR
Summer food plots work best with warm-season legumes and forage sorghum planted once soil temps hold above 65°F, usually late May through June depending on zone. Clover, soybeans, and lablab give deer high-protein forage through the hardest growing months; get a soil test first since lime takes months to adjust pH.
What is a food plot, exactly?
A food plot is a planted area on hunting or hunted ground, usually somewhere between a quarter acre and several acres, seeded with forage that deer and other wildlife will eat. It's not a garden and it's not a lawn. The goal is to grow something deer want to eat, at a time when they need it, in a spot you can hunt or observe. Most food plots fall into two buckets: annuals you replant every year (brassicas, cereal grains, sorghum, soybeans) and perennials that come back for two to five years if managed right (clover, chicory, alfalfa). Summer plots almost always lean on warm-season annuals or perennial clover that's already established, because very few cool-season plants survive July heat without irrigation. The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service treats food plots as a wildlife habitat practice, and its guidance on wildlife habitat planting notes that plant selection should match soil type, moisture, and the target species' seasonal nutrition needs [1]. That's the whole game. A food plot that ignores your soil test or your climate zone is just an expensive weed patch. If you're brand new to plot building, start with the basics on food plot whitetail planning before picking summer-specific species.
When should you plant food plots for deer?
Timing depends on what you're planting and why. Cool-season plots (clover, brassicas, cereal grains) generally go in during late summer to early fall, timed so they're established before the first frost. Warm-season summer plots (soybeans, sorghum, cowpeas, lablab) go in after your last frost date, once soil temperatures are consistently warm. As a rough framework: spring/summer plantings for warm-season forage happen from mid-April in the Deep South through early June in the northern tier. Fall plantings for brassicas and cereal grains happen roughly 60 to 90 days before your average first frost, which for most of the whitetail range lands somewhere between late July and early September. Your state's cooperative extension office publishes a planting calendar tuned to your county, and that's a better source than any national chart. Penn State Extension, for example, recommends planting spring/summer annual forage legumes and grasses after soil has warmed and frost danger has passed, generally late April into May in Pennsylvania. If you're planning a full-year rotation and more than a single summer plot, it helps to map out your deer food plots calendar season by season rather than plant by plant.
When is the right time for a summer food plot specifically?
Summer food plots need soil temperatures at or above 65°F for reliable germination of warm-season legumes like soybeans, cowpeas, and lablab, and sorghum germinates best above 60 to 65°F as well [2]. Planting too early into cold soil just rots seed or gives you a thin, weedy stand that never recovers. In practice that means: - Deep South (zones 8-9): mid-April through May
- Transition zone (zones 6-7): early May through early June
- Northern whitetail range (zones 3-5): late May through mid-June Most summer annuals need 90 to 120 frost-free days to reach a usable growth stage, so working backward from your first fall frost date matters as much as your last spring frost date. If your growing season is short, lean toward faster-maturing options like buckwheat (about 45 to 60 days to flower) rather than full-season soybeans. One honest caveat: summer plots take real rainfall or irrigation to establish in July heat. If your region regularly runs dry in mid-summer, a fall-planted perennial clover you're just maintaining through summer might outperform a fresh warm-season annual planting that never gets rain.
Do deer eat sorghum?
Yes, deer eat sorghum, both the grain heads and the young leafy growth, though it's not usually their first choice compared to soybeans or clover. Forage sorghum and sorghum-sudangrass hybrids are more commonly used as a drought-tolerant summer cover crop or a nurse crop for other plantings than as a primary attractant. Sorghum's real value in a summer plot is toughness. It tolerates heat and drought better than almost anything else you'd plant, and it produces a lot of biomass fast, which helps crowd out weeds and holds soil through summer storms. Deer will browse the leaves through summer and often hit the grain heads hard in fall once they mature and dry down. One caution worth knowing: young sorghum and sorghum-sudangrass under stress (drought, frost, or heavy grazing pressure on regrowth) can accumulate prussic acid (cyanogenic compounds) at levels that are toxic to ruminants. University extension forage programs, including Oklahoma State University's forage guidance, advise against grazing sorghum-sudangrass regrowth shorter than 18 to 24 inches, particularly after a light frost or drought stress [3]. Deer browsing in small amounts on a plot is different from cattle grazing hard on stressed regrowth, but it's worth knowing the risk exists if you're planting sorghum-sudangrass hybrids specifically.
Do deer eat clover, and do they actually like it?
Yes, clover is one of the most consistently preferred forages in whitetail diets across the country, and deer readily eat both white clover (Ladino types) and red clover from spring green-up through fall, with growth slowing in the hottest part of summer. It's the closest thing to a default answer when someone asks what deer like to eat in a plot. Clover's appeal comes down to protein and digestibility. Well-managed clover stands run 20 to 30% crude protein during active growth, which is well above what most native browse offers during summer lactation and antler growth months [4]. That's exactly when does need protein for milk production and bucks need it for antler development. The catch with clover in summer: it goes semi-dormant or gets grazed down hard during drought and extreme heat, and weed competition (crabgrass, foxtail) can take over a stressed stand fast. Mowing clover to 4 to 6 inches periodically through summer knocks back weeds and pushes new tender growth, which deer prefer over old rank stems. If you already have an established clover perennial and you're wondering whether to till it under for a summer annual, don't, unless the stand is truly gone. A thick clover stand going into its second or third year usually out-produces a fresh annual planting for a lot less work and cost. For picking clover varieties and blends, deer food plot seed breaks down the common cultivars.
When should you plant oats for deer?
Oats are a cool-season cereal grain, so they go in during late summer to early fall, not summer itself, timed so they establish before frost and provide tender fall and early winter forage. Most of the whitetail range plants oats somewhere between mid-August and mid-September. Oats germinate fast, often within 7 to 10 days in warm late-summer soil, and deer hit young oat shoots hard because they're tender and high in soluble carbohydrates. The downside is oats aren't very winter-hardy on their own; a hard freeze in the teens or lower will usually kill the plant outright, unlike winter wheat or cereal rye, which can survive and regrow in spring. Because oats mature and die with cold, they work best as a fall attraction plot rather than a summer plot. If you want season-long coverage, many hunters blend oats with a brassica (like a forage rape or turnip) in the same planting, so the oats give quick early growth and the brassica bulbs and leaves take over after a couple of frosts sweeten them up.
When should you plant turnips for deer?
Turnips are planted in mid-to-late summer for fall and winter forage, typically 80 to 100 days before your first expected hard frost. For most of the Midwest and upper South that lands between mid-July and mid-August; for the Deep South it can push into early September. Turnips are a brassica, and brassicas have an unusual quirk: deer often ignore the leaves through most of fall and then hit the plant hard, bulbs and all, after a couple of frosts convert starches to sugars and make the plant taste sweeter. That's why turnip plots planted in July can sit lightly used until November or December, then get hammered. Soil pH matters a lot here. Brassicas want a pH in the 6.0 to 6.5 range for good nutrient uptake, and most extension soil labs will flag anything below 5.5 as needing lime before planting [5]. Since lime takes months to fully react with soil, testing in early summer for a late-summer brassica planting isn't optional if your ground has been acidic in the past. Turnip plots are technically planted in summer even though they're a fall/winter food source, which trips up a lot of first-time planters who assume anything planted in July counts as a "summer plot" for summer feeding. It doesn't, agronomically. It's a summer-planted, fall-consumed crop.
What are deer's favorite foods overall?
There's no single ranked list that holds true everywhere, because deer diet preference shifts by region, season, and what's locally available, but research consistently puts a handful of foods near the top: acorns, soybeans, clover, and various fruits like apples and persimmons. Acorns are the heavyweight in most of the whitetail range come fall. A study cited by Mississippi State University Extension on deer nutrition notes acorns can make up over 50% of a deer's fall diet in years with a good mast crop, largely because of their fat content, which is unusual for a plant food [4]. That's a huge chunk of the diet, and it's also why acorn crops vary so much year to year and mess with food plot use patterns. For planted forage specifically, soybeans and clover trade off as the most preferred cultivated crops depending on season. Soybeans get hit hard in the vegetative and pod stages, especially late summer into fall. Clover wins in spring and early summer for its protein and tenderness. Brassicas and cereal grains take over once frost sweetens them in late fall. Worth noting: "favorite" doesn't always mean "best nutrition." Deer will often choose whatever's most palatable and easiest to digest at that moment (tender new growth, sweetened brassica bulbs) over something more nutritionally dense but fibrous. Planning a plot rotation that covers spring, summer, and fall preferences is the real strategy, not chasing one single "best" species. The species and strategy approach to plot planning covers how to build that rotation.
Do deer like honey, and does that matter for food plots?
There's no real evidence deer seek out honey specifically, and it has nothing to do with food plot planning. Deer are herbivores built around a rumen system for digesting plant fiber, not the kind of digestive system that handles concentrated sugar syrups well. Any anecdotal reports of deer near beehives are almost always deer investigating the hive box or eating nearby vegetation, not honey itself. This question shows up in search probably because people mix it up with mineral or scent-based attractants, some of which include molasses or sugar as a carrier. Molasses-based mineral licks are a different category entirely from a food plot, and most states regulate or restrict mineral and bait use on public land and sometimes on private land during hunting season. Check your state wildlife agency's baiting and feeding regulations before using any supplemental attractant, since rules vary widely and violations can carry real penalties [6].
How do you plan a summer plot around a soil test?
Start with the soil test, not the seed bag. A basic soil test tells you pH, phosphorus, potassium, and often organic matter, and every one of those numbers changes what you should plant and how much lime or fertilizer you need. Most land-grant university soil labs (Penn State, Mississippi State, Texas A&M, and others) return results with specific lime and fertilizer recommendations in pounds per acre, tailored to the crop you tell them you're planting [7]. That's the actual authority here, not a generic chart. Lime takes months to fully adjust soil pH, so testing in early spring for a summer planting gives you a real shot at correcting pH before seed goes in the ground; testing the week before planting usually means you're planting into whatever pH you've got. A rough target for most summer food plot species: pH 6.0 to 6.8, phosphorus and potassium in the "medium" to "high" range per your lab's scale. Legumes like soybeans and cowpeas also fix their own nitrogen once inoculated properly, so they need less nitrogen fertilizer than a grass like sorghum, which is nitrogen-hungry and will look pale and stunted without it. If you've got a soil test in hand and want a plan built around your actual numbers, acreage, and region rather than a generic species list, that's exactly the gap a $99 one-time Custom Food Plot Plan is built to fill. It's not a substitute for what your soil lab tells you about lime and fertilizer rates; it's a planting and species plan layered on top of that data.
What equipment do you actually need for a summer plot?
You need less than the marketing suggests. A soil test, a way to kill or suppress existing vegetation (herbicide or tillage), a way to work the seedbed, a way to plant, and a way to cultipack or drag seed in for good soil contact. For small plots (under 2 acres), an ATV or UTV with a small disc, a drag harrow, and a broadcast spreader handles almost everything. For larger plots, a tractor with a disc, cultipacker, and drill or no-till drill speeds things up a lot and gives better seed depth control, which matters more for larger-seeded crops like soybeans and sorghum than for tiny clover seed. No-till planting works especially well for summer plots into an existing clover or grass base, since it skips tillage that would otherwise dry out topsoil right when summer heat is working against you anyway. A basic overview of equipment options and what's actually worth the money is covered in food plot seed and the equipment breakdown on deer food plot seed.
Species comparison table for summer plots
| Species | Best planting window (most of whitetail range) | Days to maturity/usability | Drought tolerance | Deer preference | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Soybeans | Mid-May to mid-June | 90-120 days | Moderate | High (vegetative + pods) | |
| Forage sorghum | Mid-May to mid-June | 60-90 days to browse stage | High | Moderate | |
| Cowpeas | Late May to mid-June | 60-90 days | Moderate-high | High | |
| Lablab | Late May to mid-June | 90-120 days | High | High | |
| White/Ladino clover | Spring or late summer (perennial) | Established stand, 2-5 yr lifespan | Low-moderate | High | |
| Buckwheat | May-July (short season) | 45-60 days | Low | Moderate | These windows shift by two to four weeks earlier in the Deep South and two to four weeks later in the northern tier. Your local extension office's planting date chart, built for your specific county, beats any national table for fine-tuning exact dates. |
Frequently asked questions
Do deer eat sorghum?
Yes. Deer browse young sorghum leaves through summer and eat the grain heads once they mature in fall. It's more valued as a drought-tolerant, high-biomass summer plot crop than as a top attractant like soybeans or clover, but deer do use it.
Do deer like clover?
Yes, clover is one of the most preferred whitetail forages available, running 20-30% crude protein during active growth, which supports lactation and antler growth. It's most palatable in spring and early summer and again in fall, with a slowdown during peak summer heat and drought.
When should you plant food plots for deer?
It depends on the crop. Warm-season summer annuals (soybeans, sorghum, cowpeas) go in after soil hits 65°F, generally April through June depending on zone. Cool-season fall plots (brassicas, cereal grains, clover) go in 60-90 days before your first frost, usually late July through September.
When should you plant oats for deer?
Oats are a cool-season cereal grain planted in late summer to early fall, typically mid-August through mid-September for most of the whitetail range. They germinate fast and provide tender fall forage, but usually die off in a hard freeze since they're not very winter-hardy on their own.
When should you plant turnips for deer?
Plant turnips 80 to 100 days before your first hard frost, which lands roughly mid-July through mid-August across most of the Midwest and upper South. Deer often ignore turnip leaves and bulbs until after a couple of frosts sweeten the plant, so heavy use typically starts in November or December.
What is a food plot?
A food plot is a planted patch of forage, usually a quarter acre to several acres, seeded specifically to provide food for deer and other wildlife on hunting ground. It's managed with soil testing, targeted species selection, and a planting calendar matched to the region and hunting goals, more than scattered seed.
What are deer's favorite foods?
Acorns, soybeans, clover, and fruits like apples and persimmons rank consistently high across studies and regional extension reports. Acorns can make up over 50% of fall diet in good mast years due to their fat content. Preference shifts heavily by season, region, and what's locally available.
Do deer like honey?
There's no real evidence deer seek out honey. Their digestive system is built for plant fiber through a rumen, not concentrated sugar. Reports of deer near beehives are almost certainly deer investigating the hive box or nearby plants, not eating honey itself, and it has no real application to food plot planning.
What's the difference between a summer food plot and a summer-planted plot?
A true summer food plot uses warm-season species (soybeans, sorghum, cowpeas) that deer eat during summer itself. Some crops, like turnips, get planted in summer but aren't eaten heavily until fall or winter after frost. Confusing planting date with feeding season is a common mistake for new plotters.
Can you plant clover in summer?
You can frost-seed or plant clover in early spring or late summer/fall, but planting fresh clover in peak summer heat is risky without irrigation since seedlings are sensitive to drought stress. Most experienced planters establish clover in spring or fall and simply maintain (mow, spray, fertilize) the existing stand through summer.
Do deer prefer soybeans or clover?
It depends on the season. Clover tends to win in spring and early summer when it's tender and high-protein. Soybeans often get preferred in late summer through fall, especially at the pod stage. Many managers plant both, in separate plots or blends, to cover the full growing season.
How much does it cost to plant a summer food plot?
Seed alone runs roughly $20 to $60 per acre for basic soybean or sorghum blends, more for specialty perennial clover blends or branded mixes. Add lime, fertilizer, herbicide, and equipment fuel, and total cost per acre for a first-year plot commonly lands between $75 and $200, depending on soil needs identified by your soil test.
Do I need to worry about baiting laws for food plots?
Food plots are generally legal and distinct from baiting in most states, since the crop is planted and grown rather than piled or scattered. That said, rules on plot proximity to stands, size, and what counts as "baiting" vary by state. Check your state wildlife agency's specific regulations before hunting over any plot.
Sources
- USDA NRCS, Wildlife Habitat Management practice guidance: Food plot and wildlife habitat plantings should match soil type, moisture, and target species seasonal nutrition needs
- Purdue University Extension, Corn and Soybean Field Guide germination guidance: Warm-season legume and sorghum germination is most reliable once soil temperatures hold at or above 60-65°F
- Oklahoma State University Extension, Prussic Acid Poisoning: Sorghum-sudangrass regrowth under 18-24 inches, especially after drought or frost stress, carries elevated prussic acid poisoning risk for ruminants
- Mississippi State University Extension, Deer Nutrition and Food Plots: Well-managed clover stands run 20-30% crude protein during active growth periods
- University of Tennessee Extension, Soil pH and Nutrient Availability: Brassica food plot species need soil pH in the 6.0 to 6.5 range for good nutrient uptake
- State wildlife agency baiting and feeding regulation pages (varies by state): States regulate or restrict baiting and supplemental feeding of deer, with rules varying by state and requiring hunters to check current local regulations
- Penn State Agricultural Analytical Services Laboratory, Soil Test Recommendations: Land-grant university soil labs return lime and fertilizer recommendations in pounds per acre tailored to the specific crop planted