Whitetail Institute Revive: what it is and how to plant it

Last updated 2026-07-25

What is Whitetail Institute Revive food plot seed?

Whitetail Institute Revive is a proprietary annual blend marketed as a fast-establishing, high-tonnage fall and early-winter plot mix. Whitetail Institute doesn't publish the exact percentage breakdown of every component, but the product is built around brassica species (forage rape and/or turnips), annual clover, and cereal grain, designed to germinate quickly and produce a lot of leafy tonnage in a short window. The pitch is simple: you plant it in late summer, it grows fast, and it becomes a magnet plot once frost hits and sweetens up the brassica leaves and bulbs. That's not unique to this product. Brassica-based blends from every major seed company (Whitetail Institute, Antler King, BioLogic, and others) chase the same window: late-summer planting, fall growth, post-frost palatability spike. What matters more than the brand name on the bag is understanding the plant biology underneath it. Brassicas convert starches to sugars after a frost, which is why deer often ignore a brassica plot in September and hammer it in December. If you understand that mechanism, you can evaluate any brassica-clover blend on the shelf, more than this one. For a broader look at how annual blends fit into a whole-property plan, see food plot seed and deer food plot seed.

When should you plant Whitetail Institute Revive and similar fall blends?

Plant brassica-clover blends like Revive 60 to 90 days before your area's average first killing frost. That timing lets the brassica bulbs and leaves size up before cold weather triggers the sugar conversion that makes them attractive. In practical terms, that means late July through early September across most of the whitetail's range, with northern states (Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, upper New York) planting earlier, late July to mid-August, and southern states (Alabama, Georgia, the Carolinas) planting later, late August into September. Your local first-frost date is the anchor. NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information publishes freeze/frost probability data by station, and your state's cooperative extension often republishes local averages by county ^[1]. A cheap way to nail this window: check your county's average first fall frost date, then count backward 60 to 90 days on a calendar. If you're in central Kentucky with an average first frost around October 20, you're planting between late July and mid-August. If you're in south Georgia with a first frost near mid-November, you have until early September. Don't plant too early. Brassicas planted in June heat in the Deep South or Midwest often bolt, flower, or get hammered by flea beetles and drought before fall growth even starts. Don't plant too late either. A brassica planted 30 days before frost never sizes up, and you end up with a thin, unattractive plot right when you need it working.

When to plant food plots for deer, by region

Upper Midwest/Northeast	MN, WI, MI, upstate NY	Late July to mid-August
Mid-South/Ohio Valley	KY, TN, MO, southern IN/IL	Mid-August to early September
Deep South	AL, GA, MS, SC	Late August to late September
Gulf Coast/Peninsular FL	Coastal AL/MS, south GA, FL	Mid-September to mid-October	These are general windows, not guarantees. Local elevation, a wet or drought year, and soil temperature all shift the ideal week. Your state land-grant extension office publishes county-level planting calendars for agronomic crops that translate reasonably well to food plot annuals.

Food plot timing splits into two seasons: spring/summer plantings for warm-season annuals and perennials (clover, chicory, soybeans, cowpeas), and late-summer plantings for cool-season annuals (brassicas, cereal grains, annual clovers). Whitetail Institute Revive falls in the second category. For spring plots, most of the whitetail range plants after the last frost date, typically April through May in the North, March through April in the South. For fall plots, the window is late July through September as described above. Here's a rough regional guide for cool-season annual planting windows: | Region | Example states | Fall annual planting window |

When to plant turnips for deer

Plant turnips 60 to 90 days before your first expected frost, the same window as brassica blends like Revive. Turnips need that runway to build a bulb worth eating; a turnip planted in early September in a zone that frosts in October will grow leaves but little bulb. Turnip leaves are palatable to deer almost immediately and often get browsed hard in fall before the bulbs matter. The bulbs themselves become a late-season food source, often not touched heavily until after several frosts soften the starches into sugars. That's why turnip plots can look completely untouched in November and then get plowed under by deer in January when other food is scarce and snow has covered browse. Soil matters more for turnips than people think. They want a pH near 6.0 to 6.5 and decent phosphorus and potassium; a soil test through your state extension lab (usually $10 to $20 per sample) will tell you exactly what to add. Guessing on lime and fertilizer is the single most common reason a turnip or brassica plot underperforms, regardless of which bag of seed you bought.

When to plant oats for deer

Plant oats in late summer to early fall for a cool-season annual plot, generally the same 60 to 90 day pre-frost window used for brassicas, or slightly later since oats germinate and grow fast in cool soil. Many blends, including several Whitetail Institute products, mix cereal grains like oats with brassicas and clover specifically because oats come up in 5 to 7 days and give deer something to eat while the brassicas are still sizing up underground. Oats can also be planted in early spring in northern climates as a quick cool-season cover or nurse crop, though fall planting is far more common for deer plots because oats are a preferred forage from germination through a hard freeze, at which point they usually die out. Oats are generally not winter-hardy and are killed by sustained cold in most of the whitetail range, which is part of why they're planted as an annual rather than counted on to persist through winter ^[2]. One practical note: oats are cheap, roughly $10 to $15 for a 50-pound bag of seed oats at most farm stores, which makes them a good low-cost nurse crop or standalone plot if you're not ready to invest in a branded blend.

Do deer eat sorghum?

Yes, deer eat sorghum, particularly the grain heads and, to a lesser extent, the leaves, but it's more commonly planted as a screening or standing-corn-alternative crop than as a primary attractant. Grain sorghum (milo) produces a seed head deer and turkey will feed on once it matures and dries down in fall, similar to how they use standing corn. Sorghum is drought-tolerant, which makes it a reasonable choice in the Southern Plains and parts of the Midwest where corn struggles without irrigation. It's not typically the centerpiece of a whitetail plot program the way clover, brassicas, or soybeans are, but as a secondary planting for late-season cover and grain, it has real value, and it's a lot cheaper per acre than corn in a dry year. If sorghum is part of your plan, treat it like corn: full sun, decent fertility, and be ready for it to attract raccoons and other grain feeders too, more than deer.

Do deer eat clover, and do deer like clover?

Yes, deer eat clover readily, and most wildlife biologists and extension agronomists rank it among the most consistently preferred food plot forages available. Clover is a perennial legume, meaning it fixes nitrogen in the soil and comes back for 3 to 5 years (sometimes longer) from a single planting if maintained, which makes it one of the better cost-per-year investments in a plot program. Deer preference research and decades of extension forage-quality data back this up: clover regularly tests at 25 to 32% crude protein in vegetative growth stages, which rivals or beats alfalfa and most brassica leaf tissue ^[3]. That protein content matters most in spring and summer when does are lactating and bucks are growing antlers. Clover's downside is establishment. It's a small seed that needs shallow planting (1/4 inch or less) and good seed-to-soil contact, and it's slow out of the gate compared to a cereal grain. Many hunters mix clover with oats or wheat as a nurse crop so there's something green and growing while the clover establishes underneath. For perennial clover strategy specifically, see deer food plots.

What is a food plot?

A food plot is a planted area, usually somewhere between a quarter acre and several acres, established specifically to provide supplemental forage for deer and other wildlife on hunted or managed land. Food plots are typically planted with agricultural or forage species (clover, brassicas, cereal grains, soybeans) rather than native vegetation, and they're managed with the same basic tools as farm ground: soil tests, lime, fertilizer, and a planting/mowing schedule. Food plots serve two overlapping purposes for hunters. First, nutrition: giving deer a consistent, higher-quality food source than what natural browse alone provides, particularly useful in areas with heavy agriculture pressure removing natural mast, or in areas with poor native soil fertility. Second, hunting access: a well-placed plot draws deer into a location where a stand or blind can be set up with good wind and shooting lanes. Most state wildlife agencies and land-grant extension programs treat food plots as one tool inside a bigger habitat picture, alongside native browse management, mast production, and cover. A plot is not a substitute for habitat quality across the whole property, but on many properties it's the fastest lever a landowner can pull. Check your state's baiting and supplemental feeding regulations before planting anything intended to concentrate deer for hunting. Some states regulate or restrict food plots differently from bait piles, but rules on things like minimum plot size, distance from stands, or the use of protein feeders vary widely and are enforced by the state wildlife agency, not the seed company.

What is deer's favorite food, and do deer like honey?

Deer don't have one single favorite food; preference shifts by season, region, and what's available, but acorns are consistently ranked as one of the most preferred natural foods across the whitetail's range because of their high fat and carbohydrate content going into winter ^[4]. Among planted forages, clover, soybeans, and brassicas after frost are the most consistently preferred choices documented in state agency and extension forage trials. Deer do have a documented sweet tooth in the sense that they preferentially browse high-sugar plants and plant parts; that's exactly why frosted brassicas and turnips (converted starch to sugar) get hit hard late season. Whether deer specifically "like honey" isn't something wildlife research has studied directly. Deer are not typically drawn to raw honey as a bait or attractant the way they are to salt, mineral, corn, or sugar-rich forage, and honey isn't a standard or legal bait/attractant product in most state regulations. If you're trying to sweeten a plot's appeal, planted forage that goes through a natural sugar conversion (brassicas, turnips) has real research behind it. Honey doesn't.

How does Revive compare to a simple oats-and-clover plot?

Branded brassica-clover-grain blend (e.g. Revive-type product)	$40 to $70	Pre-mixed ratio, company-tested varieties, simpler to plant right
DIY oats + turnip + clover mix from separate bags	$25 to $45	Cheaper, requires your own ratio math and variety research
Straight cereal grain (oats or wheat only)	$10 to $20	Fast, cheap, but no perennial or brassica component	The branded blend isn't magic seed. It's convenience and formulation work someone else already did. If you're comfortable buying straight brassica seed, annual clover seed, and oat seed separately and mixing your own blend at, say, 60% cereal grain, 25% brassica, 15% clover by weight, you'll save money and get a similar result, provided your soil fertility and pH are right. If you'd rather not do that math, a tested blend removes one variable. A soil test is non-negotiable either way. Your state extension soil lab report is the actual authority on how much lime and fertilizer your specific ground needs; a seed bag's fertility recommendation is generic and can't account for your field's actual pH or nutrient levels. If you want a plan built around your soil test results and property goals rather than guessing at ratios, Whitetail Institute's $99 one-time Custom Food Plot Plan is one option; the same logic applies whether you use a paid plan or work it out yourself with your extension office.

A branded blend like Whitetail Institute Revive gives you a pre-mixed ratio of brassica, clover, and cereal grain seed calibrated by the company for germination timing and stand balance. A DIY oats-and-clover mix costs less per acre but requires you to pick your own ratio and varieties. Here's a rough cost comparison based on typical per-acre seeding rates and current farm-store and seed-catalog pricing (prices fluctuate year to year with commodity markets, so treat these as ballpark): | Approach | Approx. cost per acre | Notes |

How do you plant Revive or a similar brassica-clover blend?

Start with a clean seedbed. Kill existing vegetation with glyphosate or till it under 2 to 3 weeks before planting, then work the soil enough to break up clods without over-tilling and destroying structure. Apply lime and fertilizer according to your soil test results, not a generic bag recommendation. Brassicas and clover both prefer a pH in the 6.0 to 6.8 range; if your test comes back at 5.2, you're not fixing that with one bag of pelletized lime, and germination and yield will suffer regardless of seed quality. Broadcast the seed at the labeled rate (brassica-clover-grain blends are typically seeded around 8 to 12 lbs per acre depending on the specific product's component ratio) and cover lightly, about 1/4 inch of soil. These are small seeds; burying them deep is the single most common planting mistake. A cultipacker or light drag after broadcasting works well. Some hunters just drive over the plot with an ATV and drag a section of chain-link fence or a mattress spring, which works fine for small plots. Water isn't something you control, but planting ahead of a forecasted rain window improves germination odds significantly. If your region is heading into a dry stretch, it's worth delaying a week or two rather than planting into dust. For a broader rundown on plot equipment options from ATV sprayers to no-till drills, see food plot whitetail and deer for food.

Frequently asked questions

Do deer eat sorghum planted in food plots?

Yes. Deer eat sorghum grain once it matures and dries in fall, and they'll browse the leaves to a lesser extent earlier in the season. It's mostly used as a drought-tolerant grain option similar to standing corn, not as a primary attractant crop like clover or brassicas.

Do deer eat clover, and is it a good food plot choice?

Yes, clover is one of the most consistently preferred food plot forages available. It's a perennial legume that regularly tests at 25 to 32% crude protein in vegetative growth, according to extension forage data, and it can persist 3 to 5 years or more with proper mowing and fertility management.

Do deer like clover more than other plot options?

Deer generally show strong, consistent preference for clover across seasons compared to many other options, especially spring and summer when protein demand is high for lactating does and antler growth. Preference does shift seasonally though; in late fall and winter, frosted brassicas and acorns often pull harder.

When should I plant food plots for deer?

Cool-season annuals (brassicas, oats, clover blends) go in 60 to 90 days before your area's first fall frost, generally late July through September depending on latitude. Warm-season plantings (soybeans, cowpeas, spring clover) go in after your last spring frost, typically March through May.

When is the best time to plant turnips for deer?

Plant turnips 60 to 90 days before your expected first fall frost so the bulbs have time to size up before cold weather. In most of the whitetail range that means a planting window from late July (northern states) through early September (southern states).

When should I plant oats for deer food plots?

Plant oats in the same late-summer to early-fall window used for other cool-season annuals, roughly 60 to 90 days before first frost, since oats germinate in 5 to 7 days and give deer forage while slower brassicas establish. Oats can also work as a quick spring cover crop in northern climates.

What exactly is a food plot?

A food plot is a planted patch, typically a quarter acre to several acres, of forage crops like clover, brassicas, or grains established on hunted or managed land to supplement deer nutrition and to give hunters a controllable location to hunt over.

What is a deer's favorite food overall?

There's no single favorite; it shifts by season and region. Acorns are consistently ranked among the most preferred natural foods due to their fat and carbohydrate content heading into winter, while among planted forages, clover, soybeans, and post-frost brassicas rank highest in preference studies and extension trials.

Do deer like honey as bait or attractant?

There's no real research supporting honey as a deer attractant, and it isn't a standard bait product under most state regulations. Deer do show strong preference for high-sugar forage like frosted brassicas and turnips, but that's a documented plant-chemistry effect, not evidence they seek out honey specifically.

What is Whitetail Institute Revive made of?

Revive is a proprietary annual blend combining brassica species (forage rape and/or turnips), annual clover, and cereal grain, designed for fast fall establishment and post-frost palatability. The company doesn't publish an exact percentage breakdown of each component in the bag.

How much does Whitetail Institute Revive cost per acre?

Branded brassica-clover-grain blends generally run $40 to $70 per acre at typical seeding rates, though exact pricing varies by retailer and year. A DIY mix of separate oat, turnip, and clover seed can come in cheaper, often $25 to $45 per acre, if you're comfortable mixing your own ratio.

Do I need a soil test before planting a brassica-clover blend?

Yes. Brassicas and clover both want a pH in the 6.0 to 6.8 range, and a soil test through your state extension lab (typically $10 to $20 per sample) tells you exactly how much lime and fertilizer to apply. Guessing on fertility is the most common reason these plots underperform.

Sources

1. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Freeze/Frost Occurrence Data: Average first fall frost dates by station used to time cool-season annual planting
2. USDA NRCS Plant Guide, Oat (Avena sativa): Oats germinate quickly and are generally winterkilled rather than overwintering in most climates
3. USDA NRCS Plant Guide, White Clover (Trifolium repens): Clover forage quality and crude protein levels in vegetative growth stages
4. USDA Forest Service, Fire Effects Information System, Species Review: Quercus species (oak) and wildlife use of acorns: Acorns rank among the most preferred natural whitetail foods due to fat and carbohydrate content
5. USDA NRCS Plant Guide: Turnips (Brassica rapa) are cold-tolerant brassicas commonly planted in fall food plots and become more palatable to deer after frost.
6. University of Georgia Extension: Recommended planting dates for fall food plot species like oats, clover, and brassicas vary by region and are tied to local frost dates.
7. USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service: Regional agricultural planting calendars inform recommended food plot seeding windows across different U.S. climate zones.