Mossy Oak food plot seed: what's in the bag and does it work

Last updated 2026-07-25

What is Mossy Oak food plot seed, exactly?

Mossy Oak is a hunting brand, not a seed company. Its food plot seed line is produced under the BioLogic name, a subsidiary that's been around since the early 2000s and sells blends like Clover Plus, Full Draw, Deer-Radish, Maximum, and Outfitter's Blend. Some bags are branded straight "Mossy Oak BioLogic" and sold through big box stores like Bass Pro, Cabela's, Tractor Supply, and rural co-ops. The seed itself comes from normal agricultural sources. Nobody grows a proprietary "Mossy Oak clover" in a lab somewhere. What you're buying is a blend, a bag ratio of species chosen for a specific goal (fall attraction, perennial clover stand, brassica plot) with instructions on the label for rate, depth, and timing. That's not an insult. Blending species is a legitimate strategy; a mix of clover and chicory, for example, gives you drought tolerance from the chicory and protein density from the clover. But you can build the same blend yourself from bulk seed for a fraction of the cost if you know your ratios. The value in a bagged product is convenience and pre-mixed proportions, not some secret genetic advantage. If you want a plan built around your specific soil test and region rather than a generic bag blend, that's the kind of thing a Custom Food Plot Plan is built to sort out for about $99, one time, no subscription.

What actually is a food plot?

A food plot is a planted area, usually somewhere between a quarter-acre and several acres, seeded with forage crops to attract and feed deer or other wildlife. Most plots fall into one of two categories: annual plots (brassicas, cereal grains, sorghum) replanted every year, or perennial plots (clover, alfalfa, chicory) that can produce for three to five years with proper mowing and fertility. State wildlife agencies generally treat food plots differently from bait piles. A food plot is a growing crop in the ground; baiting is placing loose feed like corn piles or mineral blocks. Most states allow food plots without restriction, but a handful regulate or ban baiting for hunting over it. Check your state wildlife agency's regulations before you plant if you're unsure where the line falls in your state, because rules vary widely and change year to year. The goal of a plot isn't just "getting deer on camera." A well-timed plot supplies protein during antler growth and lactation in spring/summer, and carbohydrates and standing forage through fall and winter when natural browse gets scarce or snow-covered. Food plots work best as one piece of a bigger habitat picture, alongside timber stand improvement, native browse management, and water access, not as a stand-alone fix for a property with poor cover or no sanctuary.

When to plant food plots for deer, generally

Planting dates depend entirely on your frost dates and whether you're growing a spring/summer plot or a fall plot. There's no single national date because zone 4 (northern Midwest, upper Northeast) and zone 8 (Deep South) can be two months apart on both ends of the season. As a rough framework: spring plots (clover, chicory, soybeans, most warm-season annuals) go in after your last frost, typically April through May in the Midwest and Northeast, March in the South. Fall plots (brassicas, cereal grains, clover overseed) go in 60 to 90 days before your first hard frost, so you get growth before cold shuts things down. That's usually August in the far north, September in the mid-latitudes, and as late as October in the Deep South. Your local NRCS or land-grant extension office publishes exact frost date tables and planting windows for your county, and that's a better source than any generic chart, because microclimates matter. The University of Tennessee Extension's brassica planting guidance, for instance, generally targets mid-summer through late-summer seeding across most of the state, timed so plants mature into the first frosts of fall when sugar content (and deer preference) peaks. If you want the specific dates for your zip code rather than a regional guess, that's exactly the kind of detail a Custom Food Plot Plan works out using your location and soil test.

When to plant oats for deer

Oats are a cool-season cereal grain, planted in late summer to early fall for a fall/winter attractant, or in early spring for a quick spring plot. Most extension guides recommend planting oats 6 to 8 weeks before your average first frost date, which lands roughly late August through mid-September across most of the whitetail's range, and as late as October in the Deep South. Oats germinate fast, usually within 5 to 10 days given decent soil moisture, and deer often hit young oat shoots hard within a few weeks of emergence. They don't tolerate deep cold as well as wheat or rye though; a hard freeze in the teens can kill oats outright, while winter wheat and cereal rye keep growing (or at least survive dormant) through harsher winters. That's why a lot of blends pair oats with wheat or rye, so you get fast early growth from the oats and winter persistence from the small grains. Seeding rate for oats alone runs about 100 to 130 lbs/acre broadcast, per most state extension recommendations, drilled slightly less. Oats do best on well-drained soil with a pH close to 6.0 to 7.0; if your soil test comes back below 5.5, lime first or the oats will struggle regardless of fertilizer.

When to plant turnips for deer

Turnips, along with other brassicas like radishes and rape, get planted in mid to late summer, timed so they mature right as the first frosts hit. Frost actually improves them: cold converts starches to sugars in the bulb and leaves, which is why deer often ignore a turnip plot in September and hammer it in November. A general seeding window is 90 to 100 days before your first expected hard frost. For most of the whitetail's core range that lands between mid-July and late August. Go too late and the plants won't bulb up before winter; go too early in hot, dry conditions and germination can be spotty. Seeding rate for turnips alone is light, about 4 to 6 lbs/acre broadcast, because the seed is tiny and easily overseeded into a dense stand nobody can walk through. Turnips like a pH around 6.0 to 6.5 and respond hard to nitrogen; a soil test is the only honest way to know if you need 40, 80, or 100+ lbs of actual N per acre, since it depends entirely on what's already in your ground and what your specific lab recommends.

Do deer eat sorghum?

Yes, deer will eat grain sorghum, both the standing forage and the seed heads, but it's not a top preference food the way clover or beans are. Sorghum is more commonly planted as a screening or bedding cover crop, or as a supplemental fall/winter grain source, than as a primary attractant plot. Whitetail deer will browse young sorghum shoots in spring/summer and will eat the mature grain heads in fall, especially once other food sources thin out. It's drought tolerant and grows fast, which makes it a decent choice in hot, dry Southern Plains or Southeast conditions where clover struggles without irrigation. Some hunters plant sorghum mixed with sunflowers or milo specifically for the standing cover it gives in a plot, letting deer feel secure enough to move through in daylight. If your goal is maximum deer nutrition and attraction, sorghum isn't the first thing most wildlife biologists would recommend. It's a fine secondary component of a mixed plot or a cover strip on the edge of a clover or brassica field, not a stand-alone attractant crop most guides prioritize.

Do deer eat clover, and do they actually like it?

Yes, and clover is consistently ranked among the most preferred whitetail forages in research. It's palatable nearly year-round in its growing season, high in protein (often 25 to 30% crude protein in good stands), and it regrows after grazing, which makes it one of the few plot crops that can take repeated pressure without dying out. Clover, particularly white and red clover, is a standard recommendation across land-grant deer food plot guides for a reason: it delivers high-quality forage during spring and summer, exactly when bucks are growing antlers and does are lactating and need protein the most. That protein window matters. Natural browse quality often dips in that same stretch, which is part of why a clover plot can matter more in June than in November. Clover isn't perfect everywhere. It needs decent soil moisture, doesn't love heavy shade, and can get out-competed by weeds if you don't mow or spray to manage it. In droughty, sandy, or very acidic ground, clover stands thin out fast unless you're irrigating or you picked a more drought-tolerant variety like ladino or arrowleaf. A soil test telling you your actual pH and phosphorus/potassium levels is the difference between a clover plot that lasts five years and one that's dead by year two. For a deeper look at species selection across a whole property, see food plot seed and deer food plot seed.

Do deer like honey, and what does that even mean for food plots?

Deer aren't drawn to honey the way people assume from marketing names like "Honey Hole" blends; whitetails aren't pollinators and don't seek out honey as a food source in the wild. If you've seen "honey" branded food plot products, the name refers to the plot being a hot attractant location, not an ingredient deer are chasing. That said, some products do include molasses or sugar-based scent additives coated on the seed, marketed to increase palatability or germination appeal. There's limited independent research confirming that sugar coatings meaningfully change deer preference for a plot; what actually drives deer to a plot is protein content, sugar content from frost-sweetened brassicas, tenderness of new growth, and simple proximity to bedding and water. A coated seed gimmick is a marginal factor at best compared to soil fertility and species choice.

What are deer's actual favorite foods?

Preference studies and decades of wildlife management data point to a consistent shortlist: soybeans and other legumes, clover, acorns (especially white oak acorns, which are lower in tannins than red oak), and, seasonally, standing corn and brassicas after a frost. Acorns in particular are a huge natural driver; in good mast years deer will often abandon plots entirely for a hot white oak stand, because acorns are dense in fat and carbohydrate energy compared to most planted forages, which is a big part of why mast crops can pull deer off a plot overnight. Among planted crops, soybeans (both forage and grain types) are frequently rated at or near the top for whitetail preference in feeding trials, largely because of high protein and high palatability through the growing season. Clover ranks close behind for the same reasons. Brassicas jump up the preference list hard after the first frost, when starch converts to sugar, but deer often ignore them earlier in the season when better options are around. The honest answer is that "favorite food" changes by season, region, and what's available. A deer's favorite food in July (soybeans, clover, natural browse) is not its favorite food in December (acorns if available, standing corn, frosted brassicas, cereal grain regrowth). That's the whole logic behind planting a mix of plot types rather than one field of one thing. See deer food plots and domain food plot seed for more on building a multi-plot rotation.

Mossy Oak/BioLogic blends vs. straight species: what's the real difference?

Mossy Oak/BioLogic blend bag	$40-$90/acre depending on product and coverage rate	Little; ratios are fixed by the bag	Hunters who want one bag, one planting, no math
Straight species (clover, oats, turnips bought separately)	$20-$50/acre depending on species and source	Full control of ratio, rate, and timing	Hunters comfortable mixing their own blend or following a soil-test-based plan
Land-grant extension recommended blend (build-your-own from co-op)	$25-$60/acre	Full control, cheapest per pound usually	Hunters with a soil test and some planting experience	*Cost ranges are rough estimates based on typical retail bag pricing and coverage rates as of recent seasons; prices vary by region, retailer, and year, so check current pricing before budgeting. The bagged blend isn't a scam, it's a convenience product. You're paying for someone else to have done the math on ratios and coverage rate. If you're planting one small plot and don't want to think about it, that convenience is worth something. If you're planting multiple plots across a lease or you're trying to hit a specific soil deficiency your test flagged, buying straight species and mixing your own blend, or working from a plan tailored to your soil test, saves real money over a season and gives you better control over what's actually feeding your deer herd.

Here's the practical comparison, based on typical bag prices and what's actually inside them. | Approach | Typical cost per acre* | What you control | Best for |

How do I pick between annual and perennial plots for my ground?

Annuals (oats, wheat, rye, brassicas, sorghum) get replanted every year but let you switch species based on season, soil, and what your deer need most right then. Perennials (clover, alfalfa, chicory) cost more to establish up front but can produce for three to five seasons with mowing, spot-spraying, and a maintenance fertilizer application instead of a full replant. Most experienced plot managers run both. A perennial clover field handles spring and summer protein needs and holds up through repeated grazing. An annual brassica or cereal grain plot gets planted specifically for fall, timed to peak right during hunting season. Neither one alone covers the whole year as well as a rotation of both does. Soil type matters more than most people think when choosing. Heavy clay that holds moisture supports clover fine; sandy, droughty ground often does better with more drought-tolerant annuals like sorghum or forage soybeans, or a clover/chicory mix where the chicory's deep taproot pulls moisture other plants can't reach.

Do I actually need a soil test before buying any food plot seed?

Yes, and it's the single highest-value thing you can do before spending money on seed, whether it's a Mossy Oak bag or bulk clover from the farm co-op. A soil test tells you your actual pH and your phosphorus and potassium levels, which determines how much lime and fertilizer you need, if any. Most land-grant universities run soil test labs for $10 to $20 per sample and will mail back a report with specific lime and fertilizer recommendations for the crop you tell them you're planting. The University of Missouri Soil and Plant Testing Lab, for example, states standard test turnaround is generally about one to two weeks after the sample is received, not counting mail time, and that fee schedules and sample instructions are posted on its site each season. Skipping this step means you're guessing, and clover planted into soil at pH 5.0 (common in a lot of wooded, previously unlimed ground) will struggle no matter how good the seed genetics are, because clover needs a pH close to 6.0 to 7.0 to take up nutrients efficiently. Your soil test lab is the authority on your specific lime and fertilizer rates, not a seed bag label or a generic blog post, this one included. Bag instructions give you a national average rate; your lab report gives you the actual number for your dirt.

What equipment do I need to plant a small plot well?

For a plot under an acre, you can get by with a hand-crank broadcast spreader, a rented or borrowed disc or tiller to break ground, a cultipacker or ATV drag to firm the seedbed, and a soil test kit or mailed sample. Bigger acreages start justifying an ATV or tractor-mounted spreader, no-till drill, and a sprayer for weed control ahead of planting. Seed-to-soil contact is the single biggest failure point for first-time plotters. Broadcasting seed onto a rough, cloddy seedbed and walking away gets you a thin, patchy stand even with premium seed, because half the seed never makes contact with soil. Dragging or cultipacking after broadcasting, or drilling to the correct depth listed on the bag (usually a quarter inch for clover and brassica seed, an inch or more for oats and cereal grains), fixes most of that problem for free.

Frequently asked questions

Do deer eat sorghum?

Yes, deer eat grain sorghum, both the young shoots and mature seed heads, but it's usually a secondary food source or screening/cover crop rather than a top attractant. Clover and soybeans generally outrank sorghum in deer preference studies, though sorghum's drought tolerance makes it useful in hot, dry regions where other crops struggle.

Do deer eat clover?

Yes, clover is one of the most consistently preferred whitetail forages, often ranked near the top in feeding studies. It's high in protein, regrows after grazing, and is especially important during spring and early summer when bucks need protein for antler growth and does are nursing fawns.

When should I plant food plots for deer?

It depends on your frost dates and plot type. Spring/summer plots (clover, soybeans) go in after your last frost, typically April-May in the Midwest/Northeast and March in the South. Fall plots (brassicas, cereal grains) go in 60-90 days before your first hard frost, usually August through October depending on region.

Do deer like clover more than other food plot crops?

Clover ranks consistently high in preference studies alongside soybeans, though "favorite" shifts by season. In spring and summer, clover and soybeans are top choices for their protein content. In fall, frosted brassicas and acorns often take priority as deer shift toward carbohydrate and fat sources for winter.

When should I plant oats for deer?

Plant oats 6 to 8 weeks before your average first frost date for a fall plot, roughly late August through mid-September across most whitetail range, later in the Deep South. Oats germinate fast (5-10 days) but don't tolerate hard freezes as well as wheat or rye, so many blends pair them together.

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

There's no single national date. Use your local frost dates: spring plots go in after last frost, fall plots go in 60-90 days before first frost. Your county NRCS office or state land-grant extension publishes specific frost date windows that are more reliable than a generic national chart.

When should I plant turnips for deer?

Plant turnips 90 to 100 days before your first expected hard frost, generally mid-July through late August in most of the whitetail's range. Frost actually improves palatability by converting starches to sugars in the bulb and leaves, so timing for post-frost maturity matters more than planting as early as possible.

What is a food plot, technically?

A food plot is a planted area of forage crops, usually a quarter-acre to several acres, seeded to attract and feed deer or other wildlife. It's distinct from baiting (loose feed piles), and most states allow food plots without restriction, though baiting rules vary and some states regulate hunting over either practice.

What are deer's favorite foods overall?

Soybeans, clover, and white oak acorns consistently rank as top preferred whitetail foods across feeding studies. Preference shifts seasonally: legumes and clover dominate spring/summer, while acorns, standing corn, and frosted brassicas become more attractive in fall and winter as deer shift toward fat and carbohydrate sources.

Do deer like honey or honey-flavored food plot products?

Deer don't seek out honey itself; brand names like "Honey Hole" refer to a hot attractant spot, not an ingredient. Some seed products include molasses or sugar coatings marketed to boost palatability, but there's little independent research showing this changes deer behavior meaningfully compared to soil fertility and species choice.

Is Mossy Oak food plot seed worth the price compared to buying species separately?

It depends on your priorities. Bagged BioLogic blends cost more per acre than buying clover, oats, or turnips separately, but they save you the work of calculating ratios. If you're comfortable mixing your own blend from a soil test recommendation, buying straight species usually costs less and gives you more control.

Can I hunt over a food plot the same way as bait?

No, most states treat standing food plots differently from bait piles, but rules vary significantly. Some states restrict hunting near supplemental feed but allow food plots freely; others have specific distance or timing rules. Always check your state wildlife agency's current regulations before hunting a plot, since laws change.

How big should a food plot be for deer?

There's no fixed minimum, but most wildlife agencies and extension guides suggest starting around a quarter-acre to one acre per plot for small properties, with multiple smaller plots often outperforming one large plot for spreading pressure and providing food through more of the season.

Sources

1. USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Plant Guide: White Clover (Trifolium repens): White clover is a high-protein forage used in wildlife plantings and tolerates repeated grazing
2. USDA Forest Service, Fire Effects Information System: Quercus alba (white oak): Acorns, particularly white oak, are a high-energy hard mast food source valuable to deer and other wildlife
3. Oklahoma State University Extension, Soil Testing for Lawns, Gardens, and Wildlife Food Plots (PSS-2207): Soil testing determines specific lime and fertilizer needs for food plot species rather than relying on a generic bag rate
4. Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, Iowa Frost/Freeze Probability Dates (PM 1096): Land-grant extension frost date publications provide county-level planting windows more precise than national charts
5. University of Georgia Extension: Annual food plot species like sorghum and turnips provide short-term high-yield forage compared to perennial plantings such as clover.