Tractor Supply deer food plot seed: what actually works

Last updated 2026-07-25

What is a food plot, exactly?

A food plot is a planted patch of forage, usually somewhere between a quarter acre and a few acres, put in specifically to feed and hold deer or other wildlife on a piece of hunting ground. It's not a garden and it's not a lawn. The goal is tonnage of digestible protein or carbohydrate in a spot deer will use, ideally near bedding cover with a wind-friendly approach for hunting. Most plots fall into two rough categories: annual plots (planted every year, usually brassicas, cereal grains, or sorghum) and perennial plots (clover, chicory, alfalfa, which can produce for 3-5 years with mowing and maintenance). A lot of hunters run both, a perennial clover plot for spring and summer, and an annual brassica or cereal grain plot timed to peak right before and during gun season. The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service treats food plots as a wildlife habitat practice under its Upland Wildlife Habitat Management standard (Conservation Practice Standard 645), and cost-share programs in some states will actually help pay for seed and lime if you enroll ^[1]. That's worth checking before you drop $200 at the register.

Does Tractor Supply actually sell good deer food plot seed?

Yes, with caveats. Tractor Supply stores stock a real mix of dedicated food plot brands, Whitetail Institute (Imperial Whitetail Clover, No-Plow, Pure Attraction), Buck Forage Oats, Big Tine, and often their own house blends of clover, chicory, and brassica seed, alongside straight bags of oats, winter wheat, and sorghum-sudangrass seed in the ag section. The seed itself isn't the problem. The problem is that a bag of seed can't tell you your soil pH, and clover in particular is unforgiving of acidic ground. University extension guidance on establishing clover-based forage plantings recommends a soil pH in the 6.0 to 7.0 range for legumes like clover, and notes that correcting pH with lime is often the biggest single factor in whether a stand thrives or struggles ^[2]. So the real question isn't "is Tractor Supply seed good," it's "did you test your soil before you bought it." A $15-20 soil test through your state land-grant extension office will tell you exactly how much lime and fertilizer that clover or brassica plot needs, and no seed bag label can substitute for that. If you want a plan built around your test results and region, that's exactly what a Custom Food Plot Plan from PlotSeason does for $99, but you can also just call your county extension office for free baseline advice.

When to plant food plots for deer

Deep South (zone 8-9)	Feb-Mar	Aug-Sep
Mid-South (zone 7)	Mar-Apr	Aug-Sep
Transition (zone 6)	Apr-May	Jul-Aug
Upper Midwest/Northeast (zone 4-5)	May-Jun	Jul-Aug	For a deeper breakdown by month and region, see our food plot whitetail planting calendar.

Timing splits into two windows almost everywhere in whitetail country: a spring/summer window for perennial clover, chicory, and alfalfa, and a late-summer/early-fall window for annual brassicas, cereal grains, and sorghum. Spring plantings (perennials) generally go in once soil temps hit the mid-50s and frost risk has passed, roughly April through May in the northern half of the whitetail range, and as early as March in the Deep South. Fall plantings (brassicas, oats, wheat, sorghum) are timed backward from first frost. Extension guides commonly recommend planting brassicas and cereal grains roughly 60 to 90 days before the average first fall frost date so they mature right as hunting season opens ^[3]. Here's a rough national breakdown, but check your local extension office for your actual frost dates, they vary by hundreds of miles even within one state: | Region | Perennial (clover/chicory) | Annual fall (brassica/oats/wheat) |

Do deer like clover, and is it worth planting?

Deer like clover a lot, and it's one of the most consistent producers in the food plot world. White clover and red clover both show up constantly in deer diet research because they're high in protein and they regrow after grazing pressure, unlike a lot of annuals that get mowed to the dirt and don't come back. Clover forage commonly tests in the 20-25% crude protein range in a healthy, well-fertilized stand, which is part of why it's a staple recommendation across whitetail-region extension programs ^[4]. Clover's real strength is season length. A well-maintained clover plot can feed deer from spring green-up through summer antler growth and lactation, then again in fall once cooler weather knocks back competing weeds. That's also its weakness for hunters chasing a rut-timed food source, because clover growth slows in cold weather right when gun season opens in a lot of states. The tradeoff: clover needs correct pH, decent drainage, and it takes a full season to establish well. It's not an instant plot. If you're starting from bare dirt in August wanting something deer hit by November, clover is the wrong call, that's a brassica or cereal grain job.

Do deer eat sorghum, and how does it compare to corn?

Yes, deer eat sorghum, especially the grain heads once they mature and dry down in fall. Grain sorghum (milo) and forage sorghum-sudangrass hybrids are both used in food plots, and deer will browse the leaves some in summer, but the real draw is the seed head in late fall and winter, similar to how deer hit standing corn. Sorghum has some real advantages over corn for a lot of plot owners. It's more drought-tolerant, it needs less nitrogen, and it's cheaper per acre in most seed catalogs. Grain sorghum is widely documented as a lower-water-use crop than corn for comparable grain yield, which is part of why sorghum plantings concentrate in the drier parts of the whitetail's range like Kansas, Nebraska, and Texas ^[5]. The downside is sorghum matures later than a lot of hunters want, and in northern climates it may not fully dry down before a hard freeze kills the plant, which can actually improve deer use since freeze-killed sorghum is easier to digest and access. If you're in zone 6 or colder, check your specific hybrid's days-to-maturity rating before you plant, some run 90 days, others run 120.

When to plant oats for deer

Oats go in during the same fall window as brassicas, roughly 60-90 days before your first expected frost, which puts most of the country planting oats sometime between late July and early September. Oats germinate fast, often visible in 5 to 7 days with decent soil moisture, and they're one of the most attractive early-season annual grains for deer. Oats aren't cold-hardy the way winter wheat or cereal rye is. A hard freeze in the low 20s F will usually kill an oat stand outright, while wheat and rye keep producing into winter and even green back up in spring. That's why a lot of plot mixes (including several Tractor Supply house blends and Buck Forage Oats products) combine oats with wheat or rye. You get the fast, highly attractive early growth from oats and the season-long durability from the small grains. If you only get one planting window and you're hunting mostly October, straight oats or an oats-heavy blend is a reasonable call. If you want a plot that's still green in December, lean the mix toward wheat or rye instead.

When to plant turnips for deer

Turnips, like other brassicas, go in the same late-summer window as oats, generally 80-90 days before your first fall frost since turnip bulbs need more time to size up than the leafy tops need to grow. In most of the whitetail range that's late July through mid-August; in the Deep South you can push into September. Turnips are a two-stage food source. Deer often ignore the leafy tops through September and October when there's still plenty of other browse around, then hit the plot hard once a couple of hard frosts convert starches in the bulb to sugars, making it sweeter and more digestible. This pattern shows up repeatedly in brassica forage trial work from university extension programs, several of which note sharply increased deer use of turnip plots following the season's first hard frosts ^[6]. That means a turnip plot planted for opening week of October gun season in the northern states might look untouched right up until a real cold snap hits, then get hammered in late November and December. Don't panic if deer aren't in your turnips in early fall, that's normal behavior, not a failed plot. For a rundown of which brassica varieties (Purple Top, Tyfon, Pasja) work best where, our deer food plot seed guide breaks down variety-specific maturity dates.

What are deer's favorite foods, and does that match what's in the bag?

Deer are opportunistic browsers, and their actual preference shifts by season, region, and what's available. Acorns are consistently one of the highest-preference natural foods where oaks are present. State wildlife agency mast surveys and deer research programs routinely note that deer will favor a strong acorn drop over planted forage when one's available in a given fall ^[7]. Beyond mast, agricultural crops like soybeans and corn rank extremely high in preference studies, along with clover. Among planted food plot species specifically, most preference trials and hunter surveys put soybeans, clover, and brassicas (after a frost) near the top, with cereal grains like oats and wheat as strong early-season options and corn as a high-energy late-season and winter food. Sorghum and cowpeas rank solidly but usually below soybeans and clover in head-to-head preference comparisons. So when you're standing in the Tractor Supply seed aisle: clover and soybean-based blends tend to get hit hardest and most consistently across the season, brassicas peak late after frost, and cereal grains are your fast, cheap, early-season fix. None of this means plant only clover. A mix of plot types across your property gives you food through more of the season than any single species can.

Do deer like honey, and is it legal to use as an attractant?

There's no real evidence deer seek out honey as a food source in the wild. Deer diets are almost entirely plant material, browse, forbs, mast, and agricultural crops, not animal-derived sugars. Some commercial deer attractant products do include honey or molasses-based scent as an additive, on the theory that the sweetness and smell draw deer in, but this functions more like bait or a lure than an actual food source, and the evidence for effectiveness is thin and mostly anecdotal. More importantly, using honey, molasses, or any food substance to draw deer in for hunting can cross into baiting under state law, and baiting regulations vary enormously by state. Some states allow baiting with restrictions on distance from a stand or blind, others ban it outright. Michigan, for example, defines and restricts baiting and feeding of deer under its Wildlife Conservation Order, Part 4, with narrow exceptions tied to specific management situations ^[8]. Always check your state wildlife agency's current baiting and feeding regulations before using any attractant, food plot supplement, or mineral lick, because what's legal in the county next door might not be legal in yours.

How do I pick between the Tractor Supply blends on the shelf?

Read the back of the bag before the front. The front panel sells you on "Monster Buck Blend" branding, the back panel tells you the actual seed mix percentages, days to maturity, and seeding rate per acre, which is the information you actually need. A few practical rules: if the bag is mostly clover and chicory, it's a perennial play, plant it in spring in most regions and expect a full season before it's a strong draw. If it's brassica-heavy (turnip, radish, rape), it's a fall plant timed 80-90 days before frost. If it's oats, wheat, or a small-grain blend, it's a fall plant too, but one that'll show growth and get hit by deer much faster, often within two weeks. Check the seeding rate against your plot size. A 5-lb bag of clover seed that recommends 6-8 lbs per acre isn't going to properly cover a full acre, you'll end up with a thin stand and more weed competition than you want. This is one of the most common mistakes in food plot mistakes month one, undersizing the seed order relative to the plot acreage.

What should I buy in addition to the seed?

Lime and fertilizer, in almost every case. A soil test through your state extension office (most run $10-20 and take 1-2 weeks) will tell you your current pH and nutrient levels, and almost every food plot species, especially clover, wants a pH in the 6.0-7.0 range at minimum ^[2]. If your ground tests at 5.2, which is common on wooded, previously unfarmed acreage, no seed variety fixes that. You need ag lime, and it needs months to fully react in the soil, which is why fall liming for a spring clover plot (or spring liming for a fall brassica plot) works better than liming right before you plant. Beyond lime, budget for a basic fertilizer blend matched to what your soil test recommends (often something like 19-19-19 or a custom blend for high-phosphorus brassica ground), plus whatever herbicide or ground prep tool fits your seedbed. Tractor Supply sells all of this in the same aisle, but the seed bag alone is maybe 20% of what actually makes a plot succeed. Your soil test lab is the actual authority here, not the seed bag, not a blog post, and not us. If you want help translating a soil test into a full seed, lime, and fertilizer plan by species and region, that's the specific job the Custom Food Plot Plan is built for, one-time $99, no subscription.

Frequently asked questions

Do deer eat sorghum?

Yes. Deer browse sorghum leaves in summer and eat the mature grain heads heavily in fall and winter, similar to standing corn. Sorghum needs less water and nitrogen than corn, making it a popular lower-cost alternative in drier regions like Kansas and Texas.

Do deer eat clover?

Yes, heavily. Clover is one of the most consistently high-preference food plot species, often running 20-25% crude protein in a healthy stand, and it provides food from spring through fall, unlike most annuals that only produce for a few months.

When should I plant food plots for deer?

Perennials like clover go in spring (March-June depending on region). Annuals like brassicas, oats, and wheat go in late summer, roughly 60-90 days before your area's first fall frost. Check your state extension office for exact local frost dates.

Do deer like clover more than other food plot options?

Deer strongly prefer clover among planted forages, ranking near soybeans in most preference data. It's not the single best option in every season though, brassicas outperform clover in late fall after a hard frost sweetens the bulbs.

When is the right time to plant oats for deer?

Plant oats 60-90 days before your first fall frost, generally late July through early September across most of the whitetail range. Oats germinate in about 5-7 days and get hit fast, but they're not cold-hardy and die back after a hard freeze.

When should turnips for deer go in the ground?

Plant turnips 80-90 days before first fall frost, since bulbs need more time to size up than leafy brassicas do. Deer often ignore turnip plots until after the first hard frosts convert starches to sugar, usually late November into December.

What exactly is a food plot?

A food plot is a planted area of forage, typically a quarter acre to several acres, established specifically to feed and hold deer on hunting property. Plots split into perennials (clover, chicory, lasting 3-5 years) and annuals (brassicas, cereal grains, replanted yearly).

What is a deer's favorite food overall?

Acorns rank as one of the highest-preference natural foods where oaks are present, and deer will often bypass planted plots during a heavy mast drop. Among planted crops, soybeans and clover consistently rank at the top of preference studies.

Do deer like honey?

There's no solid evidence deer seek out honey naturally, their diet is almost entirely plant material. Some commercial attractants include honey or molasses as scent additives, but these function as bait or lure, not an actual food source, and effectiveness data is thin.

Is Tractor Supply food plot seed actually any good?

The name-brand seed sold there, Whitetail Institute, Buck Forage Oats, Big Tine, is legitimate plot seed used nationwide. Quality depends far more on your soil pH and fertility matching the species than on which store the bag came from.

Is baiting deer with food plot seed or attractants legal?

Baiting and feeding rules vary drastically by state and even by region within a state. Michigan, for instance, restricts baiting and feeding of deer statewide under its Wildlife Conservation Order, Part 4, with limited exceptions. Always check your state wildlife agency's current regulations before using any attractant.

How much does a soil test cost before planting a food plot?

Most state land-grant university extension soil tests run $10-20 and take one to two weeks to return results. That's far cheaper than guessing on lime and fertilizer, especially since correcting pH with lime can take months to fully react in the soil.

Sources

1. USDA NRCS, Conservation Practice Standard 645, Upland Wildlife Habitat Management: Food plots fall under NRCS Practice Standard 645, and some states offer cost-share for habitat plantings
2. Clemson Cooperative Extension, Soil Testing (fact sheet HGIC 1652): Legumes like clover need soil pH in the 6.0-7.0 range, and liming to correct pH is a major factor in stand performance
3. University of Georgia Extension, Wildlife Food Plots (Circular 1028): Fall annuals like brassicas and cereal grains are planted roughly 60-90 days before first frost
4. Oklahoma State University Extension, Forage Legumes for Wildlife Food Plots (PSS-2586): Clover crude protein levels and regrowth after grazing make it a top perennial forage choice
5. USDA Economic Research Service, Feed Grains Sector at a Glance: Grain sorghum is a lower-water-use crop than corn, favoring it in drier regions
6. University of Tennessee Extension, Establishing Wildlife Food Plots (PB1769): Deer use of brassica and turnip plots increases sharply after the first hard frosts convert starches to sugars
7. Pennsylvania Game Commission, Acorns and White-tailed Deer research summary: Deer often favor acorns over planted forage during a strong mast crop year
8. Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Conservation Order, Part 4 (Baiting and Feeding of Deer and Elk): Michigan restricts baiting and feeding of deer across most of the state with limited exceptions