Whitetail deer food plot seed: what to plant and when

Last updated 2026-07-25

What is a food plot?

A food plot is a planted patch of forage on hunting land, built to feed deer and other wildlife and to draw them into range or hold them on your property longer than they'd otherwise stay. Plots range from a quarter-acre kill plot tucked in timber to a five-acre destination field planted for winter nutrition. They aren't the same as agricultural fields, even though the seed and equipment overlap a lot. A farmer wants yield per acre. A food plotter wants attraction, tonnage of quality forage through specific months, and often some cover value too. That changes species choice, planting date, and even how thick you seed. State wildlife agencies generally treat food plots as normal agriculture, not as baiting, as long as the crop is planted and grown in place rather than piled or spread loose. Rules vary a lot by state though. Some states classify unharvested standing crops as legal to hunt over, others draw lines around mechanical spreading or supplemental feed piles. Check your state wildlife agency's baiting and feeding regulations before you assume a plot is legal to hunt over. Most serious plotters run at least two types: a spring/summer plot (clover, chicory, soybeans) and a fall plot (brassicas, cereal grains) so there's something green and palatable no matter when deer season opens where you hunt.

What are deer's favorite foods, really?

Deer are opportunistic browsers, and their food preferences shift by season, region, and what's available naturally that year. That said, university research and forage testing consistently point to a short list of high-preference plot species: soybeans and cowpeas in summer, clover almost year-round in the growing season, and brassicas (especially turnips and radish) once cold weather sweetens them up. Acorns beat almost everything when they're falling. If you're planting a plot near a white oak flat in a mast year, don't expect much plot traffic until the acorns run out. That's not a knock on your seed choice, it's just biology. Crude protein is one useful number for comparing forages. Clover commonly tests in the 25 to 30% crude protein range at good management, which is why it's a mainstay for antler and body growth in spring and summer ^[1]. Regional food habits research shows forb and browse preference varies by state, deer density, and native forage quality ^[2]. A food plot is one part of the diet, not the whole answer, and it works best paired with natural browse and mast.

Do deer eat clover, and is it worth planting?

Yes, clover is one of the most reliably eaten food plot forages across the whitetail's range, and it's the default recommendation from most extension programs for a reason. White clover (Trifolium repens) and red clover both get heavy use, with white clover varieties like Durana and Ladino common in commercial deer blends because they handle grazing pressure well and persist for years. Clover's real strength is season length. A well-maintained perennial clover stand can provide forage from spring green-up through fall, sometimes into winter in the South. The tradeoff: clover needs decent soil pH (most guidance targets 6.0 to 6.5) and it can get out-competed by weeds and grass if you skip mowing or spraying. It also doesn't tolerate standing water or heavy shade. If your soil test comes back at 5.2, clover will struggle no matter how good the seed bag is, you'll need lime first. Clover is a great pick for a perennial plot you visit two or three times a year for maintenance, not a fire-and-forget crop. Budget for annual mowing and a broadleaf-safe herbicide pass if grass invades.

Do deer eat sorghum?

Yes, deer eat grain sorghum, both the standing grain heads and the young foliage, but it's used differently than clover or brassicas. Sorghum (milo) is more often planted as a summer annual for cover and a late-season grain source, especially in the Midwest and South, than as a primary attractant crop. Sorghum's real value in a lot of plots is structure. It grows 4 to 8 feet tall and gives screening cover for a plot edge or a staging area, while the grain heads mature into a late fall and winter food source once they dry down. Deer will also browse young sorghum shoots in summer, though it's not usually their first choice next to soybeans or cowpeas. It's drought tolerant and handles poor soil better than most plot crops, which is part of why it shows up in blends for tougher ground. If you're set up for a warm-season plot without irrigation, grain sorghum is a reasonable choice, just don't expect it to outperform soybeans on quality ground. One practical note: sorghum can be slow to establish and is sensitive to some pre-emergent herbicides used on soybean plots, so check your herbicide label before mixing it into a multi-species blend.

Do deer like honey (honeysuckle, honey locust) and does it matter for plots?

This question usually comes from confusion between actual honey (bee honey) and the woody browse plants called honeysuckle and honey locust. Deer do not eat honey the way people mean bee honey, there's no meaningful record of whitetails seeking out honey as a food source, and it has no place in food plot planning. What deer do eat heavily is Japanese honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica) foliage and vine, which is a preferred native browse across much of the whitetail's range, especially in winter when it stays semi-evergreen. They also browse honey locust (Gleditsia triacanthos) pods and leaves, and honey locust pods are a legitimate late-fall and winter mast source in some regions. Neither is a food plot seed you'd buy and plant on purpose in most programs. Honeysuckle is invasive in a lot of states and actively managed against by foresters and wildlife agencies rather than planted. If you've got mature honeysuckle or honey locust on your property already, treat it as a bonus natural food source. Focus your seed budget on plot species that establish faster and are easier to control. If you saw "honey" and wondered whether it belonged on a seed tag, it doesn't. This one's mostly a naming mix-up worth clearing up once and moving past.

Do deer like turnips, and when do you plant them?

Deer generally like turnips a lot, but usage often starts slow and ramps up hard after the first hard frost. Turnips (and the related brassicas like radish and rape) build up starches as roots and store sugar in the leaves, and cold weather converts starch to sugar, which is why plots that got ignored in October can get hammered in December. Plant turnips 60 to 90 days before your area's average first fall frost date, which for most of the whitetail range lands somewhere between mid-July and early September ^[3]. Turnip seed is small, needs a shallow planting depth (around a quarter inch) and a firm seedbed, and does best broadcast into worked ground or drilled at 4 to 6 pounds per acre if planted alone. A common mistake is planting turnips too early in warm climates, where they bolt or get overwhelmed by weed pressure before frost does its work. Another is planting too small an acreage. Because deer often ignore turnips until frost, a lot of first-year plotters think the seed failed when really the timing just hasn't hit yet. Turnips pair well with cereal grains like oats or wheat in a blend, since the grain gives early season attraction while the turnip bulbs and tops carry the plot through winter.

When to plant oats for deer

Oats are a fall annual for most food plotters, planted 6 to 10 weeks before the first killing frost so they establish enough leaf growth before real cold hits. That typically lands in the same August to mid-September window as brassicas across most of the Midwest and Northeast, and can run into October in parts of the South. Oats are one of the fastest-establishing, most palatable cereal grains for deer, often getting hit within days of emerging. That makes them a good choice for a plot you want producing quickly, and a common nurse crop planted with clover to give the clover some competition-free space while it establishes. Oats aren't very cold-hardy compared to wheat or rye, so in northern climates they'll often winterkill, which some plotters actually want (it opens the canopy and lets clover underneath take over come spring). In the Deep South, some plotters also get a spring oat planting in, though fall is still the dominant window nationally. Seeding rate for oats alone runs 2 to 3 bushels per acre (roughly 64 to 96 pounds), lighter if blended with other species.

When to plant food plots for deer (by region and season)

Deep South (zones 8-9)	mid-March to April	late Aug to early Oct
Mid-South / Mid-Atlantic (zones 7)	April	mid-Aug to mid-Sept
Midwest / Northeast (zones 5-6)	May	late July to late Aug
Upper Midwest / North (zone 4)	late May to early June	mid-July to mid-Aug	Your actual county's last and first frost dates are the number that matters, not the zone number alone. NOAA's Climate.gov publishes frost/freeze probability data by station, and it's worth pulling yours before you buy seed [4].

Timing splits into two windows almost everywhere: spring/summer plantings for warm-season annuals and perennials, and late summer plantings for fall/winter annuals. The exact calendar dates shift by USDA plant hardiness zone and your local frost dates, but the logic is the same everywhere. Spring plots (clover, chicory, soybeans, cowpeas, corn) generally go in after your last frost date, once soil temps hit the mid-50s to 60s Fahrenheit. That's late March into April in the Deep South, and can run into late May or even early June in the upper Midwest and Northeast. Fall plots (brassicas, turnips, oats, wheat, winter peas) go in 6 to 10 weeks before first frost, which the table below breaks down by rough region using NOAA average frost data as a reference point ^[4]. | Region | Spring plot window | Fall plot window |

How do I pick the right food plot seed for my land?

Start with a soil test, not a seed catalog. A basic soil test through your state land-grant extension office costs somewhere in the $10 to $20 range in most states and tells you pH, phosphorus, potassium, and often organic matter, which is the real information that decides whether clover, brassicas, or grain crops will actually perform ^[5]. After that, match species to your goals. A small hidey-hole kill plot near bedding usually wants something deer will hit hard in daylight during your season, brassicas or a clover/chicory blend for early season, standing beans or corn if you're hunting late season in farm country. A destination field further from bedding can run bigger perennial clover or alfalfa stands that hold deer through the off-season too. Don't ignore soil drainage and sunlight. A shady one-acre plot under mature oaks will underperform almost any seed you throw at it, brassicas and clover both want at least 4 to 6 hours of direct sun. Match the plot to the site instead of forcing a seed choice that fights the ground. If you'd rather not guess at blends and rates yourself, this is exactly the gap a soil-test-based plan fills. PlotSeason's $99 Custom Food Plot Plan takes your soil test results and property details and builds a species and planting plan around them, though your soil test lab's lime and fertilizer recommendations remain the final word on amendments for your specific dirt.

How much seed do I need per acre?

Seeding rates vary a lot by species and by whether you're planting alone or in a blend. As a rough reference for solo plantings: clover runs 6 to 8 pounds per acre broadcast, brassicas/turnips run 4 to 6 pounds per acre, oats run 2 to 3 bushels (about 64 to 96 pounds) per acre, and soybeans for forage run 60 to 100 pounds per acre depending on row spacing. Blended bags (a lot of commercial "deer blends") list a combined rate on the tag, usually lower per-species since you're not relying on one plant to cover the whole plot. Follow the bag rate rather than adding up individual species rates, or you'll way overseed and get spindly, overcrowded plants competing with each other. A quick math check helps avoid expensive mistakes: a half-acre plot needs half the per-acre rate, not the full bag rate meant for an acre. It sounds obvious until you're standing in a field with a bag and a hand spreader trying to eyeball it. Buy 10 to 15% extra seed for broadcast plantings versus drilled ones, since broadcast seed has lower field establishment (germination that actually becomes a plant) than seed placed at the right depth with a drill.

Do I need special equipment to plant food plot seed?

No, but equipment changes what's practical. At minimum you need something to break or expose soil (disc, tiller, or a herbicide burn-down into an existing sod), a way to spread seed (hand spreader, ATV spreader, or a drill), and a way to firm the seed into the soil (cultipacker, roller, or even driving over it with a 4-wheeler). Small plots (under an acre) are very doable with an ATV, a small disc or tiller, and a broadcast spreader, and plenty of hunters manage quarter-acre kill plots with hand tools and a bag of lime. Larger plots (multiple acres) generally want a tractor, since disc size, PTO sprayers, and no-till drills scale up fast in both cost and capability. A no-till drill is the single biggest upgrade for consistency if you can rent or borrow one, since it places seed at controlled depth regardless of soil condition, which matters a lot for small-seeded species like clover and brassicas that fail badly if buried too deep. Don't skip the cultipacking or firming step regardless of scale. Seed-to-soil contact is one of the most common failure points in food plots, and it costs nothing but a pass with a roller, a lawn roller, or even ATV tires.

Frequently asked questions

Do deer eat sorghum?

Yes. Deer browse young grain sorghum foliage in summer and eat the mature grain heads in fall and winter. It's more commonly planted for cover and late-season grain than as a top attractant crop, and it handles poor, dry soil better than soybeans or clover.

Do deer eat clover?

Yes, clover is one of the most consistently used food plot forages, commonly testing 25 to 30% crude protein when well managed, according to extension forage data. It provides forage spring through fall and is a staple perennial choice across most of the whitetail's range.

When should I plant deer food plots?

Spring annuals and perennials (clover, soybeans, chicory) go in after your last frost date, typically March to May depending on region. Fall annuals (brassicas, oats, turnips) go in 6 to 10 weeks before your first fall frost, usually late July through September.

Do deer like clover more than other food plot crops?

Deer show strong, consistent preference for clover, but soybeans and cowpeas often get hit as hard or harder in summer, and brassicas take over in preference after frost. There's no single universal favorite; preference shifts by season and what's available naturally nearby.

When should I plant oats for deer?

Plant oats 6 to 10 weeks before your area's average first fall frost, generally August into mid-September across most of the Midwest and Northeast, later in the South. Oats establish fast and are often used as a nurse crop planted alongside clover.

When should I plant food plots if I'm not sure which season to target?

Plant a fall plot first if you can only do one; brassicas, oats, or a clover/oats blend planted 6 to 10 weeks before frost cover most hunting seasons directly. Add a spring/summer plot the following year once you've got a season of feedback on your soil and site.

When should I plant turnips for deer?

Plant turnips 60 to 90 days before your area's average first fall frost date, generally mid-July through early September depending on region. Deer often ignore turnip bulbs until after a hard frost converts stored starch to sugar, so don't judge the plot before then.

What exactly is a food plot?

A food plot is a planted area of forage crops on hunting property, built specifically to feed deer and attract or hold them for hunting or herd health purposes. It differs from a farm field mainly in goal: attraction and nutrition rather than maximum harvestable yield.

What are deer's favorite foods, including natural forage?

Acorns typically top the list when available. Among plot crops, soybeans, cowpeas, and clover rank highest in summer, and brassicas (turnips, radish) rank highest in late fall and winter after frost sweetens them. Preference varies by region and by what natural forage is competing for attention.

Do deer like honey?

No, whitetails don't seek out bee honey as a food source; that's not something documented in deer feeding studies. People usually mean honeysuckle or honey locust, both of which deer do browse heavily as natural forage, but neither is a food plot seed you'd plant on purpose.

Is it legal to hunt over a food plot?

In most states, yes, a standing planted crop is treated differently from a bait pile or spread feed, but rules vary significantly by state. Check your state wildlife agency's specific baiting and feeding regulation page before assuming your plot setup is legal to hunt over.

How much does a basic soil test cost before planting a food plot?

Most state land-grant extension soil testing labs charge in the $10 to $20 range per sample, sometimes less for basic tests. That small cost buys you actual pH and nutrient data, which does more to determine plot success than seed brand choice.

Can I plant clover and brassicas together in the same plot?

Not usually as co-dominant crops in one planting, since clover is a perennial planted in spring or late summer and brassicas are annuals planted for fall. A common approach is oats and brassicas together in fall, with clover planted as a separate perennial plot or interseeded the following spring.

What's the biggest mistake first-time food plotters make with seed choice?

Buying seed before testing soil or checking sun and drainage on the actual plot site. Clover and brassicas both fail on low pH or shaded ground regardless of seed quality, and a $15 soil test would have caught the problem before wasting a planting season.

Sources

1. Michigan Legislature, Michigan Compiled Laws, Section 324.40113a, Baiting or feeding deer or elk: State wildlife agencies distinguish standing food plots from bait piles under baiting/feeding regulations, and rules vary by state
2. Oklahoma State University Extension, Clover for Wildlife Food Plots (PSS-2587): Clover forage commonly tests in the 25 to 30 percent crude protein range under good management
3. Clemson Cooperative Extension, Land-Grant Press LGP 1043, Wildlife Food Plots: Brassicas and turnips should be planted 60 to 90 days before the average first fall frost date
4. NOAA Climate.gov, Frost/Freeze Probabilities Station Plots: County-level average first and last frost dates vary by region and drive fall/spring planting windows
5. University of Missouri Extension, Soil and Plant Testing Laboratory Fee Schedule: Basic land-grant extension soil tests typically cost in the range of about $10 to $20 per sample