Last updated 2026-07-25
TL;DR
No single food beats all others everywhere, but forage soybeans and clover consistently rank at the top of deer preference studies, with brassicas like turnips gaining ground once frost hits and sugars spike. Corn and sorghum feed deer well but rank lower in preference trials. Timing and local availability matter as much as species choice.
What food attracts deer the most, really?
Deer preference isn't fixed. It shifts by season, by what else is growing nearby, and by what stage of growth a plant is in. That said, decades of pen studies and field observation point to a short list of foods deer choose again and again when given options. Forage soybeans and clover consistently test at or near the top in preference trials run by university wildlife programs, largely because both deliver high crude protein (typically 20 to 30 percent in vegetative stages) at a time deer need it most for antler growth and lactation [1]. Brassicas (turnips, radishes, rape) don't win early season taste tests but climb the rankings hard after a few frosts convert starches to sugars, making them some of the most attractive food available in late fall and winter in northern climates. Corn and grain sorghum matter more as energy sources than as preferred forage. Deer will hammer standing corn in late fall and winter for calories, but in side by side preference studies, they tend to choose soybeans or clover first when both are available and green [2]. Acorns, where and when they drop, often beat every planted food plot species on the list. Nothing you plant competes with a good white oak year. If you're building a plot plan and want a species mix and rough layout suited to your specific ground, Plotseason's Custom Food Plot Plan is a $99 one-time option that gives general species and layout guidance, though your soil test lab remains the final word on lime and fertilizer rates for your dirt.
Do deer eat sorghum?
Yes, deer eat grain sorghum, but it isn't a first-choice food the way soybeans or clover are. Sorghum works best as a fall and winter standing grain crop, valued for calories more than palatability. It's drought-tolerant and holds up well as standing forage into winter, which is why it shows up often in food plot mixes for the Southeast and southern Midwest where corn struggles in dry years [3]. Deer will feed on sorghum heads once they mature and dry down, and turkey and other wildlife use it too. Think of sorghum as a backup energy crop for tough soil and dry summers, not a magnet crop. If your goal is pulling deer in during early season bow hunting, sorghum won't do the job the way a clover plot or soybean field will.
Do deer like clover, and is it really a favorite?
Yes. Clover, especially white clover varieties like ladino, is one of the most reliable, most-used food plot species in the whitetail world, and for good reason. It's high in protein (often 25 to 30 percent crude protein in good growing conditions), stays palatable through spring, summer, and into fall, and regrows after grazing pressure that would wipe out an annual crop [1]. Clover's biggest limit is that it needs decent soil pH (extension guidance generally recommends 6.0 to 6.5 for legumes) and won't tolerate standing water or heavy shade [4]. A soil test is the starting point here, not a guess. Get your pH and phosphorus/potassium levels checked before you plant, and follow your lab's lime and fertilizer recommendations exactly, since rates vary a lot by soil type and region. Clover plots planted in early fall or early spring, once established, can produce for three to five years with proper mowing and light fertilization, making them one of the better returns on planting effort in a food plot program. If you want species comparisons across clover, soybeans, brassicas, and cereal grains, Plotseason's food plot seed guide breaks down how each performs by region and soil type.
What are deer's favorite foods, ranked?
| Acorns (white oak) | 4-8% | Fall drop | Natural, unbeatable when available | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forage soybeans | 20-30% | Summer through early fall | High-protein growing season plot | |
| White clover | 25-30% | Spring through fall | Long-season perennial plot | |
| Brassicas (turnips) | 15-20% (bulb higher in sugar post-frost) | Late fall, post-frost | Cold-weather sugar spike | |
| Corn | 8-10% | Late fall, winter | Standing energy crop | |
| Grain sorghum | 9-11% | Late fall, winter | Drought-tolerant energy crop | Protein and sugar figures come from general extension forage tables and vary by soil fertility and growth stage [1]. Deer don't eat by a spreadsheet, though. Local food availability, hunting pressure, and even individual deer habits shift what shows up in a given field on a given evening. |
Ranked roughly by preference and consistency across regions, the list generally runs: acorns (especially white oak family) first when available, followed by soybeans and clover, then brassicas late season, then corn and sorghum for pure calories, then browse (woody plants, forbs) as a fallback. Here's a rough comparison based on university extension and wildlife agency guidance: | Food source | Crude protein (approx.) | Peak attraction window | Best use |
What is a food plot, exactly?
A food plot is a planted area, usually somewhere between a quarter acre and several acres, seeded with forage or grain specifically to feed and attract deer or other wildlife. It's not the same as agricultural farming for yield, though the techniques overlap heavily: soil testing, tillage or no-till drilling, fertilizer, and species selection all apply. Food plots generally fall into two categories. Annual plots (soybeans, corn, brassicas, cereal grains) get replanted every year and often produce more tonnage per acre early on. Perennial plots (clover, chicory, alfalfa) get planted once and then maintained through mowing and fertilization for several years. Most state wildlife agencies and USDA guidance treat food plots as a habitat management tool, distinct from baiting or supplemental feeding, though the legal line between the two varies significantly by state. Some states regulate or ban baiting (piling loose grain or feed) while permitting food plots as a standard agricultural practice; check your state wildlife agency's regulations before combining any feed or mineral use with your plots, since rules differ and can carry real penalties [5]. For a broader look at planning and layout, Plotseason's food plot whitetail guide walks through the basics of choosing plot size and location.
When to plant food plots for deer, by region
Timing depends entirely on your climate zone and what you're planting. There's no single calendar that works from Alabama to Minnesota. Spring plantings (April through June in most of the Midwest and North, earlier in the South) suit warm-season annuals like soybeans and corn, along with clover establishment. Fall plantings (August through September in the North, September through October in the South) suit cereal grains, brassicas, and clover overseeding. Cooperative extension planting date guides, built around your local last and first frost dates, are the most reliable source for exact windows, since a fall brassica planting date in Wisconsin can run six weeks earlier than the same planting in Tennessee. Pull your county's frost dates from your local extension office before locking in a date. A soil test result also affects timing indirectly: if your lime needs to go down and react before planting (which can take two to three months), you may need to start soil prep well before your planned seeding date [4].
When to plant oats for deer
Plant oats in late summer to early fall, generally six to eight weeks before your area's average first frost date, so the plants establish before cold weather slows growth. In much of the Midwest that lands in late August to mid-September; in the Deep South, growers often push into October. Oats are a cool-season annual grain, fast-germinating and highly attractive to deer in the tender leaf stage, which makes them a strong early bow season draw when planted in August. They winterkill in most northern climates once temperatures drop into the teens for extended periods, so oats work best as a fall attraction and early winter food source rather than a plot you expect to carry through to spring. Many food plot blends pair oats with brassicas or winter peas specifically because oats germinate fast and provide cover and nurse-crop benefits for the slower-establishing species.
When to plant turnips for deer
Plant turnips roughly 60 to 90 days before your first expected fall frost, which in most of the Midwest and Upper South lands between mid-July and early September. Turnips need that runway to bulb out and build the sugar reserves that make them so attractive once frost hits. Here's the key detail a lot of new plotters miss: deer often ignore turnip plots for the first month or two after planting, then hit them hard once a few frosts convert starches to sugars in the leaves and bulbs. That shift typically happens in October or November depending on your zone. Planting too late means the plants never bulb properly before winter. Planting too early in hot weather can invite flea beetle damage and poor germination. Turnips work well mixed with radishes and cereal grains in a fall blend, giving you tender leaf growth early and a sugar-loaded bulb crop later in the season.
Do deer like honey, or foods marketed with 'sweet' claims?
Deer don't seek out honey itself, but they're drawn to sugar content generally, which is exactly why frost-sweetened brassicas and sugar beet plots pull so hard in late fall. Commercial attractant products sometimes use honey-based scents or syrups as a mineral lick additive or spray attractant, separate from planted food plots. There's no peer-reviewed research showing honey as a standalone attractant matches the pull of an actual food source like standing soybeans or fresh clover. If you see a product marketed heavily around a honey or sugar scent claim, treat it as a minor supplemental tool at best, not a substitute for a planted food source. Also check your state regulations first: several states classify scent and mineral products used to attract deer for hunting purposes under baiting rules, and using them can violate local law even if the product is legal to sell [5].
Why doesn't corn rank higher if deer eat so much of it?
Corn gets a reputation as the ultimate deer magnet because standing cornfields do pull deer hard in late fall and winter, but that's mostly about calorie density and availability when little else is green, not raw preference. In side-by-side choice trials, deer offered both green soybeans and mature corn tend to choose the soybeans first [2]. Corn earns its place in a food plot program as a winter energy source, especially in northern climates where deer need dense calories to survive cold stretches. It's expensive to plant well. Seed, fertilizer, and often herbicide costs add up compared to clover or brassicas, and it takes a full growing season to mature. If your goal is early season bow hunting attraction, put your dollars into soybeans or clover first and treat corn as a late-season addition if your acreage and budget allow it.
How do soil and fertility affect which food attracts deer most?
Soil quality changes both which species will actually grow and how attractive that plant becomes once it does. A stressed, underfertilized clover plot on acidic soil produces thin, low-protein forage that deer will walk past for better food elsewhere. The same clover variety on properly limed soil with adequate phosphorus and potassium can run several points higher in crude protein [1] [4]. This is why every serious food plot conversation starts with a soil test, not a seed bag. Your state land-grant extension office or a private ag lab can run a test for somewhere in the range of $10 to $20 per sample, and the report tells you exact lime and fertilizer rates for your soil and the crop you're planting [4]. Follow your specific lab's recommendations over any generic bag rate; soil type, existing nutrient levels, and regional norms all shift the right number. For help pulling species options together with your soil results in hand, Plotseason's Custom Food Plot Plan offers a $99 one-time general layout and species plan, built around the information you provide, not a substitute for your lab's specific lime and fertilizer numbers.
Frequently asked questions
Do deer eat sorghum?
Yes. Deer eat grain sorghum heads once they mature, mainly as a fall and winter energy source. It ranks below soybeans and clover in direct preference trials but works well as a drought-tolerant standing grain crop, especially in the Southeast and southern Midwest where corn struggles in dry years.
Do deer like clover?
Yes, clover is one of the most consistently preferred food plot species, especially white clover varieties like ladino. It offers 25 to 30 percent crude protein in good conditions and stays palatable spring through fall, but it needs a soil pH around 6.0 to 6.5 to perform well.
When should you plant food plots for deer?
Timing depends on species and region. Warm-season annuals like soybeans go in during spring (April to June in most of the Midwest). Cool-season plantings like clover, oats, and brassicas go in late summer to early fall, roughly six to twelve weeks before your area's first frost.
When should you plant oats for deer?
Plant oats six to eight weeks before your average first frost date, generally late August through mid-September in the Midwest and later into October in the Deep South. Oats germinate fast and provide strong early-season attraction but usually winterkill in cold climates.
When should you plant food plots, spring or fall?
Both windows work depending on species. Spring suits soybeans, corn, and new clover establishment. Fall suits brassicas, cereal grains, and clover overseeding. Check your local cooperative extension's frost date guide for exact windows in your county.
When should you plant turnips for deer?
Plant turnips 60 to 90 days before your expected first fall frost, generally mid-July through early September across most of the Midwest and Upper South. This gives the bulbs time to develop before deer preference spikes after the first hard frosts.
What is a food plot?
A food plot is a planted area, typically a quarter acre to several acres, seeded specifically to feed and attract deer or other wildlife. It differs from commercial farming in purpose but uses similar techniques: soil testing, tillage, fertilizer, and species selection.
What are deer's favorite foods?
Acorns, especially white oak, generally beat every planted crop when available. Among plot species, forage soybeans and clover rank highest in preference and protein, followed by brassicas after frost, then corn and sorghum mainly for late-season calories.
Do deer like honey?
Not specifically. Deer respond to sugar content broadly, which is why frost-sweetened brassicas pull hard in late fall, but there's no solid research showing honey itself acts as a meaningful standalone attractant compared to an actual food source.
Is corn or soybeans better for attracting deer?
Soybeans generally win in direct preference studies during the growing season because of higher protein content in the vegetative stage. Corn becomes more attractive in late fall and winter purely as a calorie source once green forage is gone.
How much protein do deer need from food plot forage?
Wildlife nutrition research generally points to roughly 16 percent crude protein as a baseline for body maintenance, with higher levels (18 to 22 percent or more) beneficial during antler growth and lactation. Clover and soybeans both regularly exceed these thresholds in good growing conditions.
Can you use bait instead of a food plot to attract deer?
Baiting rules vary widely by state, and some states ban or restrict piling loose grain or feed for hunting purposes even while permitting food plots as standard agriculture. Check your state wildlife agency's current regulations before using any bait or feed product, since violations can carry real penalties.
Sources
- Mississippi State University Extension, Publication 2111: Feeding Supplemental Feed to White-Tailed Deer: Clover and soybeans provide 20-30% crude protein in vegetative growth stages, important for antler growth and lactation
- University of Georgia Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, Wildlife Food Plot Establishment publication B1347: Deer preference trials show soybeans chosen over mature corn when both are available
- Oklahoma State University Extension, Grain Sorghum Production Guide PSS-2132: Grain sorghum is drought-tolerant and used as a standing winter energy crop in dry regions
- USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Soil Quality Kit, Soil pH indicator sheet: Soil pH testing and liming guidance determines fertilizer rates specific to soil type and crop
- Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Conservation Order Amendment No. 3 of 2023, Baiting and Feeding Deer: States vary in whether baiting and feeding for deer hunting is legal, restricted, or banned