What is in 7 card stud food plot seed, and does it work?

Last updated 2026-07-26

what is in 7 card stud food plot seed?

"7 card stud" is a marketing name, not a botanical one. It refers to a food plot seed blend built from roughly seven plant components, the idea being a poker-style bet that spreads risk across species so something in the mix performs no matter what the season throws at it. Different seed companies sell products under this name or similar "stud" branding, and the exact recipe varies by brand and by bag. Most blends sold under this kind of name lean on a core group: one or two brassica species (usually a turnip and a forage radish or rape), one or two cereal grains (oats, winter wheat, or triticale), a clover (commonly white clover like ladino or a red clover), and sometimes a legume like Austrian winter peas or a forage soybean thrown in for early-season tonnage. Some versions add chicory for a perennial component. The honest answer is: check the tag on your specific bag. Seed law requires it. Every state that regulates seed sales (nearly all of them, under laws modeled on the Uniform Seed Act) requires a label listing the actual species and percentage by weight, germination rate, and origin. The Federal Seed Act governs interstate seed shipments and requires similar disclosure ^[1]. That label is the only reliable ingredient list; the bag's cool name tells you nothing about ratios. If you want species-specific control instead of guessing what's in a proprietary mix, building your own blend from single-species seed (a turnip plus oats plus clover, for example) usually costs less per acre and lets you match the mix to your exact soil test and season. That is worth thinking about, since a lot of blend products mark up a mix you could build yourself for less. For a broader look at how a whole plot for whitetail should be laid out season to season, see food plot whitetail.

what is a food plot?

A food plot is a planted patch of forage on hunting land, meant to feed deer and other wildlife and to concentrate deer activity somewhere a hunter can watch or hunt. It is farming at a small scale, usually a quarter acre to a few acres, using the same basic steps as row-crop agriculture: soil testing, liming, fertilizing, planting, and sometimes mowing or spraying. State wildlife agencies generally treat food plots as a habitat management tool, distinct from baiting, though the line between "planted forage" and "bait" varies by state law and matters a lot for legality while hunting over it. Baiting rules (piling corn, minerals, or other feed to attract deer) are regulated separately from food plots in most states, and some states that ban baiting still allow hunting over standing food plots. Always check your state wildlife agency's current regulations before hunting a plot, since rules differ and change year to year ^[2]. A good plot is more than seed in the ground. Extension agronomists at land-grant universities, who run the actual forage variety trials most seed companies build their marketing on, consistently point out that soil fertility and pH matter more to yield than species choice ^[3]. A cheap blend on well-limed, well-fertilized ground will out-produce an expensive blend on ground that has never seen lime. See deer food plots for a wider rundown of plot types by purpose (destination plots, throw-and-mow, ambush plots).

do deer eat sorghum?

Yes, deer eat sorghum, though it is not usually their first choice. Grain sorghum (milo) and forage sorghums are grown mostly for the grain heads and the cover they provide late in the season, not because deer prefer the leaf forage over something like clover or soybeans. Sorghum shows up in some multi-species blends (including some "stud"-style mixes) as a summer or fall standing crop that holds up to heat and drought better than corn on marginal ground. University extension forage guides describe sorghum and sorghum-sudangrass as heat- and drought-tolerant summer annuals suited to poor soils, useful more for cover and a late grain source than as a preferred browse ^[4]. If sorghum is in your bag's mix, treat it as a structural, cover-and-grain component, not the reason deer show up. Clover, brassicas, and soybeans typically pull more consistent early browse pressure.

do deer eat clover, and do deer like it?

Deer eat clover heavily and it is one of the most consistently preferred food plot forages across the whitetail's range. Clover regrows after grazing, stays palatable through most of the growing season, and delivers protein levels that matter for antler growth and lactation, generally in the 15 to 25 percent crude protein range depending on variety, soil fertility, and grazing pressure ^[5]. White clover (ladino types especially) and red clover are the two most planted species. Ladino white clover is a perennial that, with decent soil fertility and mowing to control weeds, can produce for three to five years before a plot needs renovation. Red clover is often shorter-lived, two to three years, but establishes fast and tolerates a wider pH range while you're still working toward the lime target your soil test calls for. Clover does need attention. It struggles below pH 6.0, and most extension guides recommend liming to 6.5 to 7.0 for best clover production and nitrogen fixation by its root nodules ^[6]. That is the single biggest reason clover plots fail: acidic soil that never got limed. For species-by-species comparisons of what actually holds up in the ground versus in marketing copy, see deer food plot seed and food plot seed.

what are deer's favorite foods?

Soybeans (forage type)	Summer	25-30%
White clover	Spring through fall	15-25%
Brassica tops/bulbs	Late fall/winter (post-frost)	15-20% (tops)
Acorns (white oak group)	Fall	Lower protein, high fat
Winter wheat/oats	Fall through winter	12-20%
Grain sorghum/corn	Late winter	Lower protein, high carb	No single plant wins every month. That is the actual argument for a multi-species blend like a "7 card stud" mix, spreading species across the calendar rather than betting on one plant covering every season.

Deer preference shifts by season, region, and what else is available, but a few things show up again and again in forage preference research and extension feeding studies. Acorns (white oak group especially) are often the single most preferred natural fall food where available, because of high fat content and generally lower tannin levels than red oak group acorns, which affects palatability. Among planted forages, soybeans and clover consistently rank at or near the top for summer and early fall browse, brassica tops and bulbs rank high in late fall and winter after a frost sweetens the plant's starches into sugars, and standing corn or grain sorghum matter more for late-season calories and cover than for early preference. Here's a rough ranking based on common extension forage trial results and preference studies, understanding that local availability changes everything: | Forage type | Season of peak use | Typical crude protein |

do deer like honey?

Deer do not eat honey in any meaningful way as a natural food source, and it has no real place in food plot planning. Deer are browsers built to digest plant fiber through a four-chambered rumen; honey is a concentrated sugar syrup made by bees, not a forage plant, and it is not something deer encounter or seek out in the wild. This question likely comes up because of confusion with "honeysuckle," which deer do browse readily (particularly Japanese honeysuckle and native bush honeysuckles), or because of scent/attractant products marketed with honey or molasses as an ingredient for mineral licks. Those are attractant products, not food plot seed, and their use is often restricted under state baiting laws the same way corn piles are. Check your state wildlife agency's baiting definition before using any liquid or granular attractant near a stand ^[2].

when to plant food plots for deer?

Timing depends on your zone and on whether you are planting a spring/summer plot or a fall plot, and the single most reliable date to build around is your area's average first frost date, worked backward from the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone your county sits in . As a rough national framework: spring plots (clover, chicory, soybeans, forage sorghum) generally go in after your last spring frost, often April through June depending on latitude. Fall plots (brassicas, cereal grains, more clover) go in 60 to 90 days before your average first fall frost, so the seed has time to establish before growth slows. That 60-to-90-day window is the most important number in this whole article. Plant brassicas too late and the bulbs never size up before frost; plant them too early in hot, dry August soil in the southern half of the country and you fight germination and bugs. Use your state land-grant extension office's frost date tables for your specific county rather than a national chart; frost dates for the same USDA zone number vary by weeks depending on elevation and local microclimate . This is also where a lot of hunters find it useful to run their soil test results and target zone through a plan built for their exact ground; PlotSeason's $99 one-time Custom Food Plot Plan at plot-plan-builder turns your soil test and location into a specific species and timing plan rather than a generic calendar.

when to plant oats for deer?

Oats are a fall-planted cereal grain in most whitetail range, going in the same 60-to-90-day-before-first-frost window as brassicas, so roughly August in northern states and September into early October in the mid-South. Oats germinate fast, often in 5 to 10 days in warm soil, and put on a lot of leafy growth quickly, which makes them a good nurse crop mixed with slower-establishing clover. Oats are not very winter-hardy compared to winter wheat or rye/triticale. In much of the North they winterkill after a hard freeze, which is fine if you want fall and early-winter tonnage and don't need spring regrowth. If you want a cereal grain that survives winter and comes back green in spring, winter wheat, cereal rye, or triticale are the better call, and several extension forage guides note winter rye as the most cold-tolerant and shade-tolerant of the small grains, useful on the poorest, latest-planted ground ^[4].

when to plant turnips for deer?

Turnips, along with other brassicas like forage radish and rape, are planted 60 to 90 days before your average first fall frost, generally late July through August in northern zones and August into mid-September further south. That window matters more for turnips than almost any other plot species, because bulb sizing needs real time, and a frost or two actually improves palatability by converting starches to sugars. Turnip tops get browsed hard as soon as they emerge; the bulbs mostly get eaten later, after one or two hard frosts sweeten them, often not touched heavily until December or January in many areas. That late-winter bulb availability is exactly why brassicas pair so well with an early cereal grain or clover in a blend: deer hit the tops and the grain early, then come back for bulbs when little else is left standing. Plant turnips too late and undersized bulbs never deliver that late-winter food source; that is the most common brassica planting mistake extension and seed-trial guidance both flag ^[4].

how do i pick between a bagged blend and building my own mix?

A bagged blend like a "7 card stud" product buys convenience: one bag, one planting pass, a spread of species already proportioned. That convenience has a real cost, both in dollars per acre and in control. You cannot adjust the ratio of brassica to clover to grain if your soil test says you should lean one way. Building your own mix from single-species seed (say, a straight turnip, a straight oats, and a straight ladino clover, blended and planted together at rates you set) usually runs cheaper per acre and lets you react to your actual soil test numbers, drainage, shade, and deer density rather than a national-average recipe. The tradeoff: buying three or four separate bags takes more research and more math on seeding rates per species. If that sounds like more work than you want, a proprietary blend from a known company is a reasonable shortcut, just read the tag so you know what you actually planted and in what proportion. For more on comparing named blends against building your own, see deer for food and domain food plot seed.

does soil fertility matter more than which blend i buy?

Yes, and it is not close. A soil test costs $10 to $20 through most state land-grant extension labs and tells you your pH and your phosphorus and potassium levels, the two biggest levers on plot yield ^[3]. Clover, brassicas, and cereal grains all suffer badly below pH 6.0, and most extension guides target 6.0 to 7.0 depending on species ^[6]. A $40 bag of premium blend seed planted on unlimed, pH 5.2 dirt will underperform a $15 bag of straight clover seed on properly limed ground. That is not opinion, it is basic plant nutrient uptake chemistry that every state extension soil fertility guide covers: at low pH, phosphorus becomes chemically locked up and unavailable to roots regardless of how much you apply ^[3]. Get the soil test before you buy seed, not after. It changes what you should plant, how much lime you need (often a ton or more per acre on acidic ground, applied months ahead since lime takes time to react), and whether that fancy 7-species blend is even the right call for your dirt.

Frequently asked questions

Do deer eat sorghum in food plots?

Yes, but as a secondary preference. Deer browse sorghum leaves some and eat the grain heads late season, but it is not a top preference forage compared to clover or soybeans. It shows up in blends mostly for drought tolerance and late-season cover and grain, not because deer chase it first.

Do deer eat clover, and do they actually like it?

Deer readily eat and clearly prefer clover. It is one of the most consistently browsed food plot forages, running 15 to 25 percent crude protein depending on variety and soil fertility, and it regrows after grazing all season if the soil pH is kept near 6.5 to 7.0.

When should I plant food plots for deer?

Spring/summer plots go in after your last spring frost. Fall plots (brassicas, cereal grains, clover) go in 60 to 90 days before your average first fall frost so plants establish before growth slows. Exact dates depend on your USDA hardiness zone and local county frost tables.

When should I plant oats for deer?

Plant oats in the same fall window as brassicas, roughly 60 to 90 days before first frost, so August in northern states and September into early October further south. Oats germinate fast but usually winterkill; use winter wheat, rye, or triticale instead if you want spring regrowth.

When should I plant turnips for deer food plots?

Plant turnips 60 to 90 days before your average first fall frost, generally late July through August in the North and August into mid-September in the mid-South. Bulbs need that full window to size up, and a hard frost or two improves palatability before deer hit them hard in late winter.

What exactly is a food plot?

A food plot is a planted area on hunting land, from a quarter acre to several acres, grown to feed deer or other wildlife and concentrate their activity for observation or hunting. It follows normal small-scale farming steps: soil testing, liming, fertilizing, and planting a species matched to season and soil.

What are deer's favorite foods overall?

Preferences shift by season and region, but white oak acorns often rank highest in fall, soybeans and clover rank high spring through fall, and brassica tops and bulbs peak in late fall and winter after frost. No single plant covers every month, which is why multi-species plots exist.

Do deer like honey?

No, honey is not a deer food. Deer are plant browsers with a four-chambered rumen; they don't seek out honey in the wild. Confusion usually comes from honeysuckle (a browsed shrub) or scent/attractant products, which may fall under state baiting restrictions.

What species are actually in a 7 card stud style blend?

It varies by brand and bag, since the name is marketing, not a fixed formula. Common components include one or two brassicas (turnip, radish, rape), a cereal grain (oats, wheat, or triticale), a clover, and sometimes peas or chicory. Always read the seed tag for the exact species and percentages.

Is a bagged blend better than building my own food plot mix?

Not necessarily. A bagged blend is convenient, one bag and one pass, but usually costs more per acre than buying single-species seed and mixing your own. Building your own lets you match ratios to your soil test; a blend is a reasonable shortcut if you'd rather skip that math.

Does soil pH matter more than which seed blend I buy?

Yes. Clover, brassicas, and cereal grains all struggle below pH 6.0, and phosphorus becomes chemically unavailable to roots in acidic soil regardless of fertilizer applied. A cheap blend on properly limed ground beats an expensive blend on unlimed, acidic dirt almost every time.

Is it legal to hunt over a food plot, or does that count as baiting?

In most states, a planted, standing food plot is legally distinct from baiting (piling corn or minerals), but the exact rules and definitions vary by state and change over time. Check your state wildlife agency's current baiting and food plot regulations before hunting over any plot.

Sources

1. USDA Agricultural Marketing Service, Federal Seed Act: Federal Seed Act requires labeling disclosure for seed shipped in interstate commerce
2. Pennsylvania Game Commission, hunting regulations on baiting: State wildlife agencies regulate baiting separately from food plots, and rules vary by state
3. University of Georgia Extension, Soil Testing for Wildlife Food Plots: Soil fertility and pH matter more to forage yield than species selection
4. Oklahoma State University Extension, Forage Sorghum and Sorghum-Sudangrass Hybrids (PSS-2132): Sorghum-sudangrass and cereal grains listed as heat- and drought-tolerant or cold-tolerant forage options
5. Noble Research Institute, Clover for Wildlife Food Plots: Clover crude protein levels and management for wildlife food plots
6. USDA Forest Service, Silvics of North America, Quercus alba (Agriculture Handbook 654): White oak acorns have lower tannin content and are more readily eaten by wildlife than red oak acorns