The right food plots can produce trophy bucks during hunting season.
So how does Eddie Dunnagan prepare his land to plant crops that will grow big deer and keep them on his properties?
The first item to check is the pH of the soil (relative acidity).
“The best pH level for corn is from 5.8 to 6.5,” he said. “The best pH for clover is above 6.5. You can get free soil samples from your local agriculture agent.”
To increase pH level, ag agents can tell a landowner how much lime to add to his land each fall.
“The best attractant for any deer is beans and corn,” Dunnagan said. “I like LabLab, soybeans, and Pioneer Seed Corn.”
“I grow soybeans and corn together, but I fence the beans to keep deer out,” Dunnagan said. “Two weeks before bow season starts, I take down the fence and place a corn feeder in that plot.”
He said Imperial Whitetail is a popular clover for food plots, but he has a cheaper solution that works as well.
“(Imperial Whitetail) is a high-end ladino with a seed coating to help germinate quickly,” Dunnagan said, “but I buy Pinnacle ladino clover; it’s just as good and cheaper.”
Spraying for weeds and fertilizing clover patches also are necessities. Dunnagan fertilizes twice a year and overseeds clover patches each fall.
“Deer also like oats,” said Dunnagan, who uses Coker 228 oats, feeling they have a sweeter taste to deer.
Editor’s note: This article is part of the Grow your Own feature in the October issue of North Carolina Sportsman. Digital editions can be downloaded right to your computer or smartphone.
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