When to plant food plots in louisiana (by zone and species)

Last updated 2026-07-26

when should you plant food plots for deer in Louisiana

Louisiana splits into two planting windows a year: a warm-season window from mid-April through June, and a cool-season window from late September through early November. Which one you use depends on what you're growing and what you want deer eating that plot for. Warm-season plots (soybeans, cowpeas, grain sorghum, sunchokes) go in after soil temps hold above 65°F and the risk of a late cold snap has passed. In most of Louisiana that's mid-April in the south and closer to late April or early May up near the Arkansas line. Cool-season plots (clover, oats, wheat, brassicas, chicory) get planted in fall, timed so seedlings have 6 to 8 weeks of growth before the first hard frost. Louisiana's growing season is long. The USDA plant hardiness zones for the state run from 8a in the north to 9a along the coast, meaning frost dates vary by nearly a month across the state. North Louisiana parishes typically see first frost in early to mid November, while the southern parishes near the Gulf often don't see a real frost until late November or December. Here's the short version: if you're planting a fall food plot in Winn Parish, you want seed in the ground by early to mid October. If you're planting the same species in Terrebonne Parish, you've got until early November, sometimes later.

what is a food plot, exactly

A food plot is a planted area, usually a fraction of an acre up to several acres, seeded with forage crops specifically to feed and attract deer or other wildlife on land you hunt or manage. It's not the same as agricultural farming for profit, though the agronomy overlaps almost completely: soil testing, liming, fertilizing, and picking the right seed for your soil and season. Most hunters run two kinds of plots. Destination plots are bigger, planted with high-tonnage forage like brassicas or clover, meant to hold deer and give you a place to watch them feed in daylight. Transition or kill plots are smaller, tucked closer to bedding, meant to catch deer moving between food and cover, often on the way to or from a bigger plot or ag field. In Louisiana specifically, food plots also do real work outside of hunting season. Clover and other legumes feed does through late pregnancy and lactation in spring, when natural browse quality often lags. If you want more background on the basic building blocks, the food plot whitetail guide covers the fundamentals of layout and crop choice.

when to plant oats for deer in Louisiana

Plant oats in Louisiana between late September and early November, with most of the state doing well planting in October. Oats are a cool-season cereal grain and one of the most reliable, cheap fall plot options because they germinate fast, tolerate a wide soil pH range, and deer hit them hard as soon as they green up. Seed 2 to 3 bushels per acre (roughly 64 to 96 lbs) if drilling, or up to 110 lbs broadcast, at a depth of about 1 to 1.5 inches. One caution: oats alone burn out fast under heavy deer pressure since there's no regrowth once the whole plant gets grazed down and it bolts. A lot of Louisiana hunters mix oats with a cereal rye or a clover so the plot has staying power into late winter and spring after the oats get hammered.

when to plant turnips for deer in Louisiana

Plant turnips and other brassicas in Louisiana from late August through mid-September in the north, and into early October along the coast. Brassicas need a longer runway than oats or clover because deer often ignore the leafy tops until after a frost sweetens the plant, and the bulbs need time to size up underground before that happens. That frost-sweetening effect is real biology, not folklore: cold triggers starches in the plant to convert to sugars, which is why turnip plots that get planted too late in Louisiana (after mid-October) often never mature enough to have much tonnage by the time deer start eating them seriously in December and January. Turnips want a fine, firm seedbed and shallow planting, about a quarter inch deep, at 4 to 6 lbs per acre if planted alone. Most Louisiana hunters blend turnips with oats, wheat, or a clover so there's something green and growing early in the fall before the turnip bulbs bulk up. If you're building a full blend rather than a single species, deer food plot seed breaks down common mixes by region.

when to plant food plots for deer overall (spring vs fall)

Plot type	Louisiana planting window	Typical species	Soil temp needed
Warm-season	Mid-April to June	Soybeans, cowpeas, grain sorghum, sunn hemp	65°F+
Cool-season	Late September to early November	Clover, oats, wheat, brassicas, chicory	Air temps cooling, 6-8 wks before frost	Spring plots do double duty in Louisiana. They feed does and fawns through the nutritional stress of late gestation and lactation (roughly April through July), and they build soil and organic matter if you're running them as a cover crop ahead of fall planting. Soybeans and cowpeas are the workhorses here because they're cheap, deer love them, and they fix nitrogen in the soil for whatever you plant next. Fall plots are timed around the rut and hunting season, which in Louisiana runs long and varies heavily by deer management assistance program (DMAP) area and parish. Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries sets archery season opening as early as late September in some areas, with firearms season extending into January in parts of the state [1]. You want your cool-season plots established and growing well before bow season opens, not planted the week before. A lot of guys in Louisiana try to stretch one planting into covering both jobs. It doesn't really work. Warm-season and cool-season species have different temperature needs, different growth habits, and different jobs to do. Plan for two plantings a year if you want plots that actually perform in both halves of the calendar.

do deer eat clover, and when should you plant it

Yes, deer eat clover heavily, and it's one of the most reliable food plot crops in Louisiana because it can be planted in either fall or very early spring and, once established, keeps producing for 3 to 5 years with proper maintenance. White clover (Ladino, Durana) and red clover are the two most common types used in Southeast food plots. Plant clover in Louisiana in September through October for a fall establishment, which lets it get rooted before winter and gives you a full flush of spring growth the following year, right when does need the protein most. You can also frost-seed or plant clover in late February through March in the northern part of the state, though fall planting generally gives better stand establishment because there's less competition from summer weeds. Clover needs decent soil pH, generally 6.0 to 6.5, to really produce, and it responds hard to phosphorus and potassium. This is where a soil test matters more than the seed bag: your local soil test lab, not a seed tag, is the real authority on how much lime and fertilizer your specific plot needs. Mississippi State University Extension guidance on forage legumes calls for liming acidic soils to a target pH near 6.5 before establishment, a standard that holds across the Gulf South's acidic soils ^[2]. Clover is also one of the lowest-maintenance perennial options once it's in. Mow it a few times a year to keep weeds down and keep it from getting too rank, and it'll outlast almost anything else you plant.

do deer eat sorghum

Yes, deer eat grain sorghum, both the leaves and the seed heads, and it's a solid warm-season option in Louisiana, especially on drier or sandier ground where corn struggles. Sorghum is more drought-tolerant than corn and generally cheaper per acre to plant, which matters on Louisiana's hotter, drier summer stretches. Plant grain sorghum in Louisiana from April through early June, once soil temps are reliably above 65°F. Deer will graze young sorghum plants some, but the real draw comes later when the seed heads mature, typically providing a high-carbohydrate food source into fall, similar to how deer use standing corn. If you're comparing it against other warm-season options for a specific piece of ground, the food plot seed overview covers how sorghum stacks up against soybeans and cowpeas for tonnage and deer preference.

what are deer's favorite foods, and does that change by season

Deer preference shifts hard by season, and what's a favorite in October often gets ignored by February. In general, deer prioritize the highest-protein, highest-energy food available at that moment, which is why soybeans get hit hard in August but ignored once acorns start dropping in October, and why turnip bulbs get ignored in October but become a preferred food in January once other options are gone. Across whitetail research and field observation, the consistent high-preference categories are legumes (clover, soybeans, cowpeas), brassicas after frost, and acorns whenever they're dropping. Natural mast, particularly white oak acorns, typically outcompetes any planted food plot when it's available, which is a big reason plot use spikes right after acorns run out in a given area. There's no single universal favorite food, and that's actually the useful takeaway: the best food plot strategy plants multiple species with staggered maturity so there's something preferred available in September, something different preferred in December, and something else covering the late-winter gap in February and March. Running one species and expecting it to be the deer's favorite food all season is one of the most common plotting mistakes.

do deer like honey (and does it belong in a food plot conversation)

There's no real evidence deer specifically seek out honey, and it's not part of any established food plot or attractant program that has backing from wildlife agencies or extension research. What people usually mean by this question is either honeysuckle, which deer absolutely eat heavily as browse, or commercial deer attractant products that use sugar, molasses, or sweet scents to draw deer to a spot short-term. Honeysuckle (Japanese honeysuckle, Lonicera japonica) is a preferred native browse for whitetails across the Southeast, including Louisiana, and shows up constantly in deer diet studies as a high-use species where it's available. If your property already has honeysuckle along field edges or in transition areas, it's doing real work for you without any planting. As for sweet liquid attractants marketed with names that reference honey or molasses, they can pull deer to a specific spot for a short window, but they don't replace the nutritional and season-long value of an actual planted food plot. Also worth flagging: Louisiana, like most states, regulates baiting and feeding for hunting purposes differently by season and zone, so check current Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries regulations before using any attractant or feed near a hunting setup ^[1].

how does Louisiana's regional split (north vs south) change planting dates

Louisiana's food plot calendar isn't one-size-fits-all because the state stretches across two USDA hardiness zones, 8a in the north and up to 9a along the coast, which means roughly a 3 to 4 week difference in average first and last frost dates from Shreveport to New Orleans. For fall cool-season plots, that translates to real scheduling differences. North Louisiana (Shreveport, Monroe, Ruston area) generally wants seed in the ground by early to mid October. Central Louisiana (Alexandria, Natchitoches) has a little more room, mid to late October. South Louisiana and the coastal parishes (Lafayette, Houma, New Orleans) can often push cool-season plantings into early November and still get good establishment before any hard frost. For spring warm-season plots, the gap flips: south Louisiana can start planting in late March to early April in a warm year, while north Louisiana usually waits until mid to late April to avoid a late frost killing young soybean or sorghum seedlings. If you're not sure which side of that line your parish falls on, the USDA hardiness zone map lets you look up your zip code directly and see which frost-date band you're in.

what should your fertility and soil prep timeline look like

Pull a soil sample 60 to 90 days before you plan to plant, not the week before. Lime especially needs lead time, since it can take several weeks to months to fully adjust soil pH depending on how much you're applying and your soil type. Extension soil testing guidance for forage and food plot ground generally recommends re-testing every 2 to 3 years for established stands, and annually when breaking new ground, so you're not guessing at pH or nutrient levels going into a planting season ^[2]. Your soil test report will come back with a specific lime and fertilizer recommendation based on your soil's actual buffer pH and nutrient levels, and that report is the real authority here, not a general rule of thumb from a seed bag or a blog post. A general one-time planning tool can help you sequence species and timing across a season, which is part of why we built the $99 Custom Food Plot Plan at /plot-plan-builder. It's meant as a starting framework, not a substitute for what your soil test lab tells you about lime and fertilizer rates on your specific dirt.

what equipment do you actually need for these planting windows

For most Louisiana food plots under 3 to 5 acres, you don't need a full-size farm tractor. A used ATV or UTV with a drag harrow, a broadcast spreader, and a hand-crank or tow-behind seeder covers the vast majority of small plot work: killing existing vegetation, working up a seedbed, spreading lime and fertilizer, and broadcasting seed. For brassicas and clover, which need a fine, shallow seedbed, a cultipacker or drag harrow after broadcasting makes a real difference in germination rates versus just broadcasting onto rough dirt and hoping. For larger-seeded crops like soybeans, sorghum, and cowpeas, a no-till drill gets you more consistent depth and spacing, though broadcasting and lightly disking works fine on a budget. Timing your equipment use matters too. Louisiana's late summer heat (regularly in the 90s through August and into September) means working ground too early in your fall window just bakes your seedbed and burns up soil moisture you need for germination. Waiting for a rain forecast within your planting window, rather than planting on a fixed calendar date regardless of conditions, generally gets better stands.

Frequently asked questions

Do deer eat sorghum in Louisiana food plots?

Yes. Deer graze young sorghum leaves and eat the mature seed heads, which provide a high-carb food source into fall similar to standing corn. Plant grain sorghum from April through early June once soil temps hold above 65°F.

Do deer eat clover?

Yes, clover is one of deer's most consistently preferred foods, especially white clover varieties like Ladino and Durana. It's high in protein, palatable most of the year, and can persist as a food plot for 3 to 5 years once established with proper mowing and fertility maintenance.

When should I plant deer food plots in Louisiana?

Plant warm-season plots (soybeans, sorghum, cowpeas) from mid-April through June once soil temps pass 65°F. Plant cool-season plots (clover, oats, brassicas, wheat) from late September through early November, timed so plants get 6 to 8 weeks of growth before your area's first frost.

Do deer like clover more than other food plot crops?

Clover ranks among deer's top preferred forages nearly year-round, competing closely with soybeans and cowpeas during growing season. It's often preferred over grasses and cereal grains, though acorns and other mast typically outcompete clover whenever they're available in fall.

When should I plant oats for deer in Louisiana?

Plant oats in Louisiana between late September and early November, with October being the sweet spot for most of the state. Oats germinate fast and tolerate a wide soil pH range, making them a reliable, low-cost fall cover crop, though they're often mixed with clover or rye for longer plot life.

When is the best time to plant food plots for deer overall?

There's no single best time; it depends on the crop. Warm-season legumes and grains go in mid-April through June. Cool-season crops go in late September through early November. Most serious Louisiana plotters plant both windows every year to cover spring nutrition needs and fall hunting season.

When should turnips be planted for deer in Louisiana?

Plant turnips from late August through mid-September in north Louisiana, and into early October along the coast. Turnips need a longer runway than oats because deer often ignore them until after a frost converts plant starches to sugar, so planting too late means undersized bulbs by hunting season.

What exactly is a food plot?

A food plot is a planted patch, from a fraction of an acre to several acres, seeded with forage crops specifically to feed and attract deer or other wildlife on hunted or managed land. It uses the same agronomy as farming (soil testing, liming, fertilizing) but is built around wildlife nutrition and hunting access, not profit.

What are deer's favorite foods in Louisiana?

Preference shifts by season: soybeans and cowpeas in late summer, acorns whenever mast is dropping in fall, brassicas after the first frost sweetens them, and clover nearly year-round when available. Acorns generally outcompete any planted food plot when a good mast crop is on the ground.

Do deer like honey?

There's no solid evidence deer specifically seek out honey. People usually mean honeysuckle, which is a heavily browsed native plant for whitetails across Louisiana, or sweet commercial attractants using molasses or sugar. Neither replaces the season-long nutrition of an actual planted food plot.

How far apart are Louisiana's north and south planting windows?

About 3 to 4 weeks apart for fall plots, driven by the state spanning USDA hardiness zones 8a in the north to 9a on the coast. North Louisiana plants cool-season crops by early to mid October; south Louisiana can often wait until early November.

How often should I soil test before planting a food plot in Louisiana?

Extension guidance recommends soil testing every 2 to 3 years for established plots and every year for newly broken ground. Pull samples 60 to 90 days before planting since lime needs time to adjust soil pH before your crop goes in.

Sources

1. Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, Deer Season Regulations: Louisiana deer hunting seasons (archery and firearms) and dates vary by area and are set by LDWF
2. USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service, Louisiana Field Office: Louisiana row crop planting activity and regional agricultural timing data
3. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Climate Normals: First and last frost date variation across Louisiana parishes from north to south
4. LSU AgCenter Extension: Regional extension office contacts for north vs south Louisiana planting recommendations
5. Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries: Louisiana's regional deer habitat and management zone divisions supporting north vs south planting differences
6. USDA NASS 2022 Census of Agriculture: Agricultural production data relevant to Louisiana crop and forage planting seasons