Last updated 2026-07-26
TL;DR
In most of the North and Midwest, November is too late to plant anything new; frost and short days stop growth. In the South (zones 7-9), you can still plant cereal grains like oats, wheat, and rye through November, and sometimes into early December. Brassicas needed to go in by September or early October to matter this year.
What food plot can you actually plant in November?
It depends entirely on where you hunt. If you're in the Deep South or lower Southeast (roughly USDA zones 7b through 9), you still have a real window for cereal grains: oats, winter wheat, and cereal rye can go in through November and sometimes into early December, especially in Texas, Louisiana, Georgia, and Florida [1]. If you're in the Midwest, upper South, or North, November is mostly a wash for new plantings. Ground is either frozen, about to freeze, or too cold for seed to germinate before winter shuts things down. The honest answer for a lot of hunters reading this in Ohio, Iowa, Wisconsin, or Pennsylvania: you missed the window. Cereal grains want soil temps in the 50s to germinate well, and by November most of that ground has slipped below 50°F and is heading toward freezing [1]. Brassicas like turnips and radishes needed 60 to 90 days before your first hard frost, which for most of the country means a September planting, not November. So the real question isn't "what can I plant in November" everywhere. It's "what zone am I in, and did I miss my window." We'll break both down below.
When to plant food plots for deer, by zone and season
| North (3-5) | Aug 1 - Sep 15 | Jul 15 - Aug 15 | Apr - May or Aug | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Transition (6) | Aug 15 - Oct 1 | Aug 1 - Sep 1 | Mar - Apr or Aug - Sep | |
| Upper South (7) | Sep 1 - Nov 1 | Aug 15 - Sep 15 | Mar - Apr or Sep - Oct | |
| Deep South (8-9) | Oct 1 - Dec 1 | Sep 1 - Oct 15 | Oct - Nov | The pattern: everything shifts later as you move south. A hunter in Zone 4 Minnesota needed his cereal grain plot in the ground by mid-September. A hunter in Zone 9 South Louisiana can still be disking ground in late November. Check your state extension's fall forage planting guide for county-level frost dates before you commit seed to dirt [2]. |
Food plot timing runs on two separate calendars: spring/summer plots for warm-season annuals and perennials, and fall plots for cereal grains, brassicas, and clover. Cooperative extension programs generally split fall planting into a window that runs from late August (northern tier) through November (Deep South) [2]. Here's a rough breakdown that most state extension guides and wildlife agencies use as a starting point. Treat this as a planning frame, not gospel, since your specific county's first frost date and soil conditions matter more than any national chart. | Region (USDA zone) | Cereal grains (oats/wheat/rye) | Brassicas (turnips/radish) | Clover |
Is it too late to plant oats for deer in November?
In the North and most of the Midwest, yes. Oats need roughly 45 to 60 days of growth before a hard freeze stops them, and they germinate best when soil temps sit between 50°F and 85°F [1]. By November in zones 3 through 6, soil temps have usually dropped well below that range, and any oats you throw down either won't germinate or will germinate too late to build the tonnage deer actually key on. In zones 7 through 9, oats planted in November can still work, especially in the Gulf South where soil stays workable and mild temps continue into December. Georgia extension guidance lists oat planting windows extending into November for forage and wildlife plots [1]. Winter-hardy oat varieties (like Walken or Horizon 201) handle late plantings better than spring oat varieties, which will winterkill fast in a real frost. One practical note: oats are a fall annual, not a perennial. If you're this late in the game anywhere north of zone 7, your money is usually better spent holding that seed until next August than gambling on a November planting that frost kills before it produces anything a deer wants to eat.
When to plant turnips for deer, and why November is too late almost everywhere
Turnips need 80 to 90 days from seed to bulb maturity, and they need that growing season to happen before a hard frost locks up the ground [3]. That means in most of the country, turnips had to go in the ground by late July through mid-September, depending on zone, to bulb up and become a real food source by the time deer start hammering them in November and December. If you plant turnips in November, you're planting into a season that's already ending. Even in the Deep South, a November turnip planting is cutting it close, since the crop still needs that 80-plus day runway before deer season winds down and cold really sets in. What turnips are actually good for: they're a classic late-season draw because deer often ignore the bulbs early and switch to them hard after a few frosts sweeten the starches into sugars. That's a real, documented pattern, more than plot-lore. But the planting has to happen in late summer to produce that late-season payoff. If you're standing in a field in November wondering about turnips, the honest move is to note the date on your calendar for next July or August, and look at a faster-maturing brassica blend or a straight cereal grain for anything you plant right now.
What is a food plot, exactly?
A food plot is a planted area of forage, grain, or browse specifically established to feed and attract deer or other wildlife on hunted or managed land. Plots range from a quarter-acre kill plot tucked in timber to multi-acre destination fields planted in soybeans or clover. State wildlife agencies generally treat food plots differently from baiting or supplemental feeding under the law, since a plot is a growing crop rather than a pile of feed. That distinction matters a lot legally. Baiting and feeding rules vary by state, and some states that ban baiting still allow food plots because the deer are eating something planted and rooted, not something poured on the ground [4]. Always check your specific state wildlife agency's current baiting and feeding regulations before you plant or hunt over anything, since rules change and vary by county in some states. A food plot generally serves one of two purposes: attraction (drawing deer to a huntable location) or nutrition (building a food source that supports herd health through stress periods like late winter or antler growth in spring and summer). Most hunters plant for both, using annuals like brassicas and cereal grains for fall attraction and perennials like clover for spring/summer nutrition. If you want a structured breakdown of which plot type fits your goals, food plot whitetail covers the core categories in more depth.
Do deer eat clover, and do deer like clover?
Yes, deer eat clover heavily, and most wildlife biologists rank it among the top perennial forages for whitetail nutrition. Clover offers crude protein levels commonly in the 25 to 30 percent range in good stands, which rivals or beats most other food plot species . It's also one of the most planted food plot species in North America because it's relatively cheap, comes back year after year, and tolerates grazing pressure well. Do deer like clover specifically, versus other options? In side-by-side observation studies and grazing preference research, clover consistently ranks as a preferred forage, especially in spring and summer when deer need protein for antler growth and lactation . That said, clover isn't a November planting in most of the country. Frost-seeding or fall dormant seeding of clover happens in late summer through early fall in the North, or into October and even November in the Deep South, but it needs establishment time before winter dormancy to survive and come back strong in spring. If you're this late in the season and want clover next year, the two windows to circle are early spring (March through May, depending on zone) or late summer (August into September). A deer food plot seed mix with clover as the base is one of the most forgiving perennial choices for a hunter managing multiple plot types across a property.
Do deer eat sorghum?
Yes, deer eat sorghum, though it's not usually their first choice compared to soybeans, corn, or clover. Grain sorghum (milo) produces a seed head deer will hit hard once other food sources thin out, particularly in late fall and winter. It's more commonly planted as a warm-season crop, going in the ground in late spring through early summer once soil temps are reliably above 65°F , which rules it out as a November planting almost everywhere. Sorghum's real value on a property is as standing winter cover and a slow-release food source. The seed heads persist into winter better than a lot of other grains, so a sorghum plot planted in June can still be feeding deer in December and January, long after a November-planted crop would have. If you're weighing sorghum against other grain options for next year's rotation, it's worth comparing against corn and milo blends specifically for standing winter tonnage. That's a spring or early summer planting decision, though, not a fall one, so don't try to work sorghum into a November plan.
Do deer like honey, and what are deer's favorite foods overall?
Deer aren't drawn to honey itself in any meaningful field sense; there's no wildlife research or extension data suggesting honey functions as a deer attractant. What people are usually asking about is "honey hole" style attractant products or possibly confusing it with other natural sugars deer do respond to, like the sugars in frosted brassica bulbs or fermented mast (acorns, apples). If you've seen a product marketed with honey as an ingredient, it's more likely riding on scent or sweetness cues than any documented deer preference for honey specifically. As for actual favorite foods, deer preference research and decades of camera and browse-survey data point to a fairly consistent list: acorns (especially white oak family acorns, which are lower in tannins and more palatable), soybeans, clover, and standing corn rank at or near the top almost everywhere whitetail range extends . Brassicas and turnips join that list specifically in late fall and winter once frost sweetens them. Regional and seasonal availability drives a lot of this. A deer in an oak-heavy Midwest woodlot in October is going to hit acorns hard regardless of what's growing in your food plot forty yards away, because acorns are calorie-dense and free.
What should you plant if you missed the fall window?
If you're reading this in November and your plot ground sits bare, you've got three honest options, and none of them involve forcing a planting that's going to fail. First, in zones 7 through 9, you likely still have time for cereal grains. Get soil tested if you haven't (a basic soil test costs $10 to $20 through most state extension labs and takes one to two weeks to turn around) , and get oats, wheat, or rye in the ground if your extension office's frost data says you've still got a runway. Second, if you're anywhere north of zone 7 and the season's closed for new plantings, the smartest move is to prep for next year rather than waste seed and fuel on a plot that frost will kill before it establishes. That means pulling a soil test now (fall is actually a great time to test, since results come back before spring planting rush hits the extension labs), applying lime if your test calls for it (lime takes months to fully react with soil, so fall application ahead of a spring planting is smart timing) , and mapping out which fields get cereal grain, which get brassicas, and which get clover next year. Third, if you've got standing plots from earlier plantings, November is a scouting and access month, not a planting month, in most of the country. Use it to watch how deer are using what you've already got, and adjust next year's plan based on what's actually getting hit versus what's sitting untouched.
How do you build a planting calendar that actually fits your ground?
National charts and blog-post tables (including the one above) are starting points, not gospel. Your actual planting window depends on your specific county's average first and last frost dates, your soil's drainage and pH, and what equipment you've got to work the ground. A soil test is the single best $20 you can spend before planting anything. It tells you your current pH, phosphorus and potassium levels, and organic matter, and most state extension labs turn results around with specific lime and fertilizer recommendations for whatever crop you tell them you're planting . Your soil test lab is the authority here, not a generic online chart. Follow their lime and fertilizer numbers over anything you read in an article, including this one. If you want a plan built around your specific zone, soil test results, and equipment (whether that's a full tractor and disk setup or just an ATV and a hand spreader), that's exactly the gap a $99 one-time Custom Food Plot Plan is built to close. You upload your soil test and answer a few questions about your ground, and you get a written plan back matched to your actual dirt and calendar, not a national average. It won't promise deer show up or that you fill a tag; nothing legitimately can. What it does is put your planting dates, seed choice, and fertility numbers in one place instead of guessing off three different YouTube videos. For a broader look at which species fit which strategy on a whole property, deer food plots and species and strategy breakdowns are good next reads once you've got your soil numbers in hand.
Frequently asked questions
Do deer eat sorghum?
Yes. Deer eat grain sorghum (milo), especially once the seed heads mature in late fall and winter. It's not usually a top preference compared to soybeans or corn, but standing sorghum holds up well through winter and provides food and cover after other crops are gone. It's a warm-season planting, going in the ground in late spring or early summer, not November.
Do deer eat clover?
Yes, heavily. Clover is one of the most preferred whitetail forages, often running 25 to 30 percent crude protein in a healthy stand, which supports antler growth and lactation. It's a perennial planted in early spring or late summer, not a November option in most zones, though Deep South plantings can extend into fall.
When to plant deer food plots?
It depends on species and zone. Cereal grains and brassicas for fall plots generally go in from mid-August (northern states) through November (Deep South). Clover and other perennials plant in early spring or late summer. Warm-season crops like soybeans, corn, and sorghum plant in late spring once soil hits 60 to 65°F. Check your state extension office for county-specific frost dates.
Do deer like clover?
Yes. Clover consistently ranks among the top preferred forages in wildlife feeding studies, alongside soybeans and acorns. Deer favor it especially in spring and summer for its protein content. It also tolerates repeated grazing better than most annuals, which is part of why it's a staple in perennial food plot mixes.
When to plant oats for deer?
Oats generally go in the ground 45 to 60 days before your area's first hard frost. That's late August through mid-September for northern states (zones 3-5), and it can stretch to October or even November in the Deep South (zones 7-9). Soil temps between 50°F and 85°F support the best germination for oats.
When to plant food plots for deer?
Fall plots (cereal grains, brassicas) plant from mid-summer through fall depending on zone, always timed to give the crop enough growing days before a hard frost. Spring/summer plots (clover, soybeans, corn) plant once soil warms past 50 to 65°F depending on species. There's no single national date; your zone and local frost dates decide it.
When to plant turnips for deer?
Turnips need 80 to 90 days to bulb up before a hard frost, so most zones need them in the ground by late July through mid-September. Planting turnips in November is generally too late almost everywhere in the U.S., since the crop won't have time to mature before winter sets in.
What is a food plot?
A food plot is a planted patch of forage, grain, or browse established on hunted or managed land specifically to attract or feed deer and other wildlife. Plots range from small kill plots near stand sites to large destination fields, and they're legally treated differently from baiting in most states since it's a growing crop, not a feed pile.
What are deer's favorite foods?
Research and long-term browse surveys consistently rank white oak acorns, soybeans, and clover near the top of whitetail preference, with brassicas and turnips joining the list in late fall and winter once frost sweetens them. Local availability matters a lot; deer in an oak-heavy woodlot will often hit acorns over a nearby food plot.
Do deer like honey?
There's no wildlife research supporting honey as a real deer attractant. Deer do respond to natural sugars, like those in frost-sweetened brassica bulbs or fermenting fruit and mast, which may be where the honey association comes from. If a product markets honey as an ingredient, it's likely riding on scent rather than documented deer preference.
Is it too late to plant a food plot in November?
In zones 3 through 6 (most of the Midwest and North), yes, it's generally too late for new plantings by November. In zones 7 through 9 (Deep South), cereal grains like oats, wheat, and rye can still go in through November and sometimes into early December, depending on local frost dates.
Can you plant winter wheat in November?
In the upper South and Deep South (zones 7-9), yes, winter wheat plantings can extend into November. Wheat is one of the most cold-tolerant cereal grains and will still establish and vernalize properly even with a later planting date, as long as it gets a few weeks of growth before hard freezes lock the ground.
What's the difference between a hunting plot and a nutrition plot?
A hunting or kill plot is small (often under an acre), tucked near stand access, and built mainly to draw deer into range during shooting hours. A nutrition plot is larger, aims to feed the herd through stress periods like late winter, and often uses perennials like clover that support antler and body growth over months, more than a hunt sit.
Sources
- University of Georgia Extension, Wildlife Food Plots publication: Fall cereal grain and forage plot planting windows extending into November in the Deep South/Southeast
- Oklahoma State University Extension, Oat Production Guide (PSS-2142): Oats need 45-60 days of growth and germinate best between 50-85°F soil temperature
- Clemson Cooperative Extension, Brassicas for Deer Food Plots: Turnips need roughly 80-90 days from planting to bulb maturity
- University of Georgia Extension, Grain Sorghum production guide: Grain sorghum is a warm-season crop planted once soil temps exceed roughly 65°F
- University of Missouri Extension, Soil Testing publication (G9110): Basic soil tests generally cost $10-20 through extension labs and take one to two weeks
- University of Missouri Extension, Lime and Soil pH guide (G9101): Lime takes months to fully react with soil, making fall application ahead of spring planting effective