Best Antler King food plot blends for whitetail deer

Last updated 2026-07-26

What is a food plot, and why does the blend matter?

A food plot is a planted area, usually somewhere between a quarter acre and several acres, designed to give deer a concentrated, reliable food source and give hunters a place to watch or hunt over. Public land food plot programs and private landowner efforts both use the same basic idea: pick a seed mix suited to your soil and season, get it in the ground on time, and manage weeds and fertility so it actually grows. The seed blend matters because different plants serve different purposes. A clover plot feeds deer April through October and rebuilds itself for years. A brassica plot is a fall and winter draw, planted once a year, that gets sweeter after frost. Cereal grains like oats and wheat germinate fast and give you tonnage quickly, which matters if you're plotting in late summer with a hunting season bearing down on you. Antler King is one of several branded seed companies (others include Whitetail Institute and Mossy Oak Biologic) that package pre-mixed blends aimed at deer hunters. Their catalog includes clover blends, brassica mixes, cereal grain blends, and proprietary mixes with trademarked names like Honey Hole and Trophy Clover. None of these are magic. They're mixes of common agricultural species, sold at a premium over what you'd pay for the same species from a farm seed dealer. That doesn't mean they're bad. It means the value is in convenience and pre-mixing, not in some secret ingredient.

Which Antler King blends are actually worth planting?

Clover blend	Spring (Mar-May) or late summer (Aug-Sep)	3-5 years	6.0-6.5
Brassica/turnip blend	Late July-August	1 season	6.0-6.5
Oat/cereal grain blend	Late Aug-Sep	1 season (annual)	5.8-7.0
Winter pea/legume blend	Aug-Sep	1 season, some reseed	6.0-6.5	If you want a plan built around your actual soil and region instead of guessing from a seed bag label, that's the kind of thing a Custom Food Plot Plan from PlotSeason is built to sort out for $99, one time, no subscription.

Antler King's lineup breaks into a few functional categories, and picking the right one depends on your planting window and soil more than brand loyalty. For perennial clover plots, their Chic Magnet and Trophy Clover blends are white and red clover mixes, sometimes with chicory added. Clover is a legume, which means it fixes nitrogen and needs less fertilizer once established, but it still wants a soil pH close to 6.0 to 6.5 for good nodulation. If your soil test comes back at pH 5.2, no blend, branded or not, will perform well until you lime it. That's not a brand problem. That's chemistry. For fall annual plots, Honey Hole and Whitetail Winter Peas lean on brassicas (turnips, radish, rape) and forage peas. These are late-summer plantings that mature into a high-carbohydrate, high-sugar food source after a hard frost converts starches to sugars, a documented process in brassica physiology described by University of Wisconsin-Madison Extension's brassica forage guidance ^[1]. For quick tonnage and early-season attraction, their oat and cereal grain blends work similarly to any oat planting: fast germination, good cold tolerance down into the 20s Fahrenheit, and strong early palatability. Here's a rough comparison of blend types, not brand-specific claims, based on standard agronomic behavior: | Plot type | Typical planting window | Years standing | Soil pH target |

Do deer eat sorghum?

Yes, deer eat grain sorghum, but it's more of a supplemental or late-season food source than a primary plot species in most whitetail programs. Sorghum (milo) is a warm-season annual grain crop, and whitetails will browse the leaves some in summer, but the real draw is the grain head after it matures and especially after frost and snow flatten other options. Sorghum shows up in some Antler King fall/winter blends and in wildlife food plot mixes marketed for turkey and deer, often paired with other grains. It's drought-tolerant and can handle poorer soils better than corn, which is one reason extension agronomists recommend it in marginal ground, per the Kansas State University Research and Extension grain sorghum production handbook (C-687) ^[2]. But as a standalone deer plot, it's rarely the top choice; most food plot programs treat it as a secondary component in a blend rather than a monoculture plot.

Do deer eat clover, and do deer like clover?

Yes, clover is one of the most consistently preferred food plot forages for whitetail deer, and it shows up in nearly every major food plot company's lineup, Antler King included. Deer graze clover heavily through spring and summer when it's tender and high in protein. White clover (Ladino types) and red clover are the two most common species in food plot blends. White clover tolerates grazing pressure better and spreads by stolons, so it holds up under heavy deer use. Red clover grows more upright, doesn't spread the same way, and tends to need reseeding sooner. The USDA NRCS plant fact sheet for white clover notes it is "a high quality forage" valued for its palatability and protein content during vegetative growth ^[3]. The catch with clover is establishment. It's a small seed that needs good seed-to-soil contact, a firm seedbed, and it germinates slowly compared to grains. Broadcasting clover onto rough, cloddy ground and hoping for the best is the number one reason clover plots fail. A cultipacker or roller after seeding solves most of that problem. Clover is also pH-sensitive. Below pH 5.5, nitrogen-fixing rhizobia bacteria struggle to colonize the root nodules, and the plant just sits there yellow and stunted no matter how much seed you put down. This is why your soil test lab is the real authority here, not the back of the seed bag.

What are deer's favorite food plot foods?

There's no single universal favorite; deer preference shifts by season, region, and what else is available on the landscape. That said, several species show up again and again in preference studies and extension recommendations as reliably high-use forages. Clover and soybeans rank at the top for spring through summer use, both offering high protein during antler growth and lactation. Brassicas (turnips, radishes, rape) become highly preferred in late fall and winter after frost sweetens them, sometimes to the point deer will walk past other standing forage to hit a turnip plot in December. Acorns, where available, often outcompete any planted food plot in the fall because deer evolved on mast, not agriculture. In practice, the answer most experienced plot managers give is: whatever is highest quality and most available right now. A plot that's the best thing around in August might get ignored in October if the white oaks are dropping. That's not a blend problem, that's just deer being opportunistic foragers, which is exactly what the science says they are.

Do deer like honey?

Deer don't seek out honey in the wild in any meaningful way, and there's no credible wildlife research showing honey as a deer attractant. This question usually comes up because of Antler King's product named "Honey Hole," which is a brassica and forage blend, not literally honey or a honey-based scent product. Some scent and mineral attractant products in the hunting industry use sugar, molasses, or honey-scented additives to draw deer to a site, separate from food plots entirely. Whether these work better than plain salt/mineral licks is debated, and there's limited peer-reviewed research isolating honey specifically as an attractant compared to other sugars. If you're asking because you saw the Antler King Honey Hole bag, that product's draw is the brassica and pea content, not any honey ingredient.

When to plant food plots for deer

Timing splits into two windows, spring and late summer, and which one applies depends entirely on what you're planting. Get this wrong and even a great blend fails. Spring plantings (roughly April through late May in most of the whitetail range) suit warm-season annuals and some perennials: soybeans, cowpeas, warm-season clover establishment, and summer annual blends. Soil temperature matters more than the calendar date; most warm-season legumes want soil consistently above 60°F. Late-summer plantings (late July through early September, shifting earlier as you move north) suit brassicas, cereal grains, and fall clover establishment. The general rule from extension agronomy is to plant brassicas and cereal grains 6 to 10 weeks before your area's average first frost date, so the plants have time to size up before cold weather hits. Regional example: in USDA Plant Hardiness Zone 5 (much of the upper Midwest and Northeast), that late-summer window often falls between mid-July and mid-August. In Zone 7 (much of the mid-South), you can push brassica and cereal planting into September. Always check your local extension office's frost date tables rather than relying on a national average, because a two-week miss on either end can mean the difference between a lush plot and a thin, frost-killed one.

When to plant oats for deer

Plant oats for deer food plots in late summer to early fall, generally 6 to 8 weeks before your first expected frost, so they can establish before serious cold arrives. Oats are a cool-season annual grain, fast to germinate (often 5 to 10 days in warm soil) and highly palatable to deer while young and leafy. In much of the whitetail's range this lands somewhere between mid-August and mid-September, consistent with cereal grain planting guidance from university extension forage programs, including the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension's cereal grain forage publication ^[4]. Oats do best seeded at roughly 2 to 3 bushels per acre (about 96-144 lbs/acre) when drilled, per common agronomic rate tables, though rates vary with your goals and whether you're drilling or broadcasting. Oats aren't reliably winter-hardy in the coldest zones; hard freezes below the low 20s Fahrenheit or sustained cold will usually kill them off, unlike winter wheat or cereal rye, which can survive and regrow in spring. If you want a fall plot that lasts into late winter in a cold climate, pairing oats with a hardier grain or a brassica extends the usable window.

When to plant turnips for deer

Plant turnips for deer plots in mid to late summer, generally 80 to 90 days before your first hard frost, since turnips need that much time to bulb out and reach peak palatability. Turnips are a brassica, and their signature trait is getting sweeter after frost converts starches in the leaves and bulbs into sugars. Most extension guides put the planting window at late July through August across the northern half of the whitetail range, and into early September in the mid-South, consistent with brassica timing guidance from University of Wisconsin-Madison Extension ^[1]. Seeding rate for turnips alone typically runs 4 to 6 lbs per acre when broadcast, much less than a grain, since the seed is tiny and germination rates are high in good soil contact. A common mistake is planting turnips too early. Planted in June in warm soil, they'll bulb out and start declining in quality before hunting season even opens, and you'll have a mess of overgrown, woody bulbs by November instead of a tender frost-sweetened plot. Timing this to your local frost date, not a fixed calendar month, is the whole game.

How do I pick between Antler King and other seed brands?

Branded blends from Antler King, Whitetail Institute, Biologic, and others are convenient, pre-mixed, and marketed hard, but the underlying species (clover, brassicas, oats, peas, sorghum) are the same commodity plants you'd get from a local farm co-op or extension-recommended seed dealer, usually at a lower price per acre. What you're paying extra for with any branded bag is the mix ratio already worked out, marketing-driven variety selection (sometimes proprietary cultivars bred for deer plots specifically), and convenience of one bag covering one plot size. That's a legitimate value for a lot of hunters who don't want to source and blend four different seed types themselves. What you're not getting is any guarantee the blend fits your soil or region. A bag of Antler King Honey Hole and a bag of generic brassica/pea mix from a farm store will both fail on unlimed, pH 5.0 clay soil. Species selection is only half the equation; soil chemistry and planting timing are the other half, and no seed bag can fix either one for you. If you're trying to sort out which species mix actually fits your dirt, your region, and your planting calendar rather than picking based on bag art, that's exactly the gap a Custom Food Plot Plan is meant to close: for $99 one-time, you get a plan built around your soil test results and your zone instead of a one-size marketing blend. It's guidance, not a guarantee, and your soil test lab's specific lime and fertilizer recommendations always take priority over any general plan.

What soil prep does any food plot blend need before planting?

Every blend, branded or generic, needs the same three things to have a real shot: a soil test, correct pH, and decent seed-to-soil contact. Skipping these is the single biggest reason food plots underperform, far more than which brand of seed you bought. Start with a soil test, available cheap or free through most state land-grant university extension offices, which will tell you your current pH and phosphorus/potassium levels. Most food plot species, clover, brassicas, and cereal grains alike, want a pH in the 6.0 to 7.0 range, and University of Missouri Extension guidance on food plots for wildlife (G9420) notes that yields on unlimed acidic soils can run substantially below what limed ground produces, even with identical seed and fertilizer ^[5]. Lime takes months to fully react in the soil, so if your test comes back needing 2 tons per acre of ag lime, get it applied as early as possible, ideally the season before you plant, not the week before. Fertilizer (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium) should be applied based on your test results, not a blanket "one bag per acre" rule from a seed tag, since soils vary enormously in existing nutrient levels. Finally, seedbed prep matters more for small-seeded species like clover and brassicas than for grains. A firm, weed-free bed with seed pressed in (via cultipacker, roller, or light disc pass and rain) beats broadcasting onto rough ground almost every time.

Do I need to worry about baiting or feeding rules with food plots?

Food plots are generally treated differently from bait piles or feeders under most state wildlife regulations, but the line varies by state and you should check before hunting over one. Standing food plots (crops left growing in place) are legal to hunt over in the large majority of states, while piled or spread grain, minerals, or supplemental feed are restricted or banned in many of the same states during hunting season. The distinction usually comes down to whether the food is "planted and left standing" versus "placed." Some states have specific baiting bans tied to chronic wasting disease management zones that also restrict supplemental feeding in certain counties. Michigan's Wildlife Conservation Order, for example, restricts baiting and feeding of deer statewide with narrow exceptions, a rule the Michigan DNR has tightened over time in response to chronic wasting disease detections ^[6]. Other states draw the line differently or allow both with acreage limits. Because this varies so much and changes with CWD detections, always check your state wildlife agency's current regulations page before hunting over any planted plot or supplemental feed, rather than assuming last year's rule still applies.

Frequently asked questions

Do deer eat sorghum?

Yes. Deer browse sorghum leaves in summer and eat the grain heads, especially late season and after frost or snow limits other forage. It's more often used as a secondary component in food plot blends or as a standalone grain crop for winter cover and food than as a primary standalone deer plot species.

Do deer eat clover?

Yes, clover is one of the most heavily used food plot forages for whitetail deer, especially spring through summer. It's high in crude protein and deer will return to a well-established clover plot repeatedly, which is why it's a staple across nearly every major food plot seed company's catalog.

Do deer like clover?

Deer strongly prefer clover, particularly white (Ladino) and red clover varieties common in food plot blends. It's palatable, high protein, and available for a long grazing window, which is why nearly every major food plot seed company, Antler King included, sells at least one clover-based product.

When should I plant food plots for deer?

Spring plantings (April-May) suit warm-season species like soybeans and summer annuals. Late-summer plantings (late July through early September, adjusted by region) suit brassicas, cereal grains, and fall clover establishment. Always plan around your local first frost date rather than a fixed calendar month, since frost timing varies widely by latitude and elevation.

When should I plant oats for deer?

Plant oats 6 to 8 weeks before your area's average first frost date, generally mid-August to mid-September in much of the whitetail range. Oats germinate fast, often in 5 to 10 days, and give quick early-season forage, but they're not reliably winter-hardy in the coldest zones.

When should I plant turnips for deer?

Plant turnips 80 to 90 days before your expected first hard frost, typically late July through August in the northern half of the whitetail range and into early September further south. Planting too early leads to overgrown, woody bulbs by hunting season instead of the frost-sweetened forage deer prefer.

What is a food plot?

A food plot is a planted patch, usually a fraction of an acre up to several acres, seeded specifically to attract and feed deer or other wildlife and to give hunters a place to hunt over. Common species include clover, brassicas, cereal grains, soybeans, and cowpeas, chosen based on soil, region, and season.

What are deer's favorite foods in a food plot?

No single species wins everywhere; preference shifts by season and region. Clover and soybeans rank high in spring and summer for protein, brassicas become favorites after frost sweetens them in late fall, and natural acorn mast often outcompetes any planted food plot when it's available.

Do deer like honey?

There's no credible wildlife research showing deer specifically seek out honey. This question often comes from Antler King's "Honey Hole" product name, which is actually a brassica and forage pea blend, not a honey-based attractant.

Is Antler King food plot seed better than Whitetail Institute or generic farm seed?

Not inherently. All these brands package the same core species (clover, brassicas, oats, peas). Branded bags offer convenience and pre-mixed ratios at a price premium; generic farm-store or co-op seed of the same species performs comparably when soil pH and planting timing are correct.

What soil pH do most food plot blends need?

Most common food plot species, including clover, brassicas, and cereal grains, perform best in a pH range of 6.0 to 7.0. Below pH 5.5, clover's nitrogen-fixing bacteria struggle badly, and yields on unlimed acidic soil can run well below limed ground, per University of Missouri Extension guidance.

Can I hunt over a food plot or does it count as baiting?

In most states, a standing planted food plot is legal to hunt over, while piled or spread bait/feed is restricted or banned, especially in CWD management zones. Rules vary significantly by state and change with disease detections, so check your state wildlife agency's current regulations before hunting over any plot.

Sources

1. USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, plant fact sheet for white clover: Clover needs soil pH near 6.0-6.5 for good nodulation and establishment
2. University of Wisconsin-Madison Extension, brassicas for grazing: Brassicas become sweeter after frost converts starches to sugars
3. Kansas State University Research and Extension, grain sorghum production handbook (C-687): Sorghum is drought-tolerant and suited to marginal soils compared to corn
4. University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension, small grain forages (AGR-268): Oats germinate quickly, often in 5-10 days, in warm soil
5. University of Missouri Extension, food plots for wildlife (G9420): Yields on unlimed acidic soils can run well below limed ground
6. Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Conservation Order, deer baiting and feeding: Some states restrict supplemental feeding and baiting in CWD management zones