Land Projects,Habitat & Conservation  |  01/09/2015

Food & Cover Plots: An Essential Upland Habitat Practice


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GRAIN-BASED FOOD PLOTS 

High energy, grain-based food plots are an essential management practice for game birds and other wildlife on private lands. Regardless of winter severity, it always makes good sense to provide additional food and cover for crisis situations, to use food plots to increase habitat diversity, and to create habitat for hunting and wildlife viewing. Where primary winter cover is limited, planting grain-based mixes (like sorghum blends) will provide structural cover in addition to food. Creating larger plots adjacent to your primary wintering areas increases the character of that shelter for your birds. That helps you achieve your primary objective—to bring your hens through the winter in peak condition for spring breeding, as improved body weight helps maximize chick production.
 
BROWSE MIXES

The Bird and Buck Line of green browse mixes from Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever provide forage that will help attract big game to your land. In some cases, these mixes can also provide high quality brood habitat for upland birds. These mixes are a magnet for wildlife; they attract whitetails and other species to your property and hold them there. Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever browse mixes are comprised of specially developed protein and energy rich forages that deer find irresistible. In addition, several Bird and Buck forage mixes create a leafy, insect rich structure that is important for game bird chicks.
 

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

WHY DO I NEED FOOD PLOTS ON MY LAND? 

High quality grain food plots play a critical role in the relationship between food, cover, movement, and winter bird mortality. The logic is simple, locating well planned food and cover plots adjacent to heavy roosting cover provides a dependable source of high-energy food. Having food right next door to winter cover helps establish safe foraging patterns and minimizes movements. The result is reduced losses to predation and extreme weather.
 
WHAT MAKES PHEASANTS FOREVER AND QUAIL FOREVER MIXES SPECIAL?  

Our biologists have developed Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever's grain and forage mixes to provide the food and cover that the wildlife on your land need. Through continual improvement of our product, we have formulated very specific blends that are adaptable to most gowing conditions and maximize benefits for your wildlife.
 
ARE SPECIALIZED MIXES WORTH THE EXTRA COST?  

Seed cost will likely be the smallest expense in your overall food plot spending; yet, it is the foundation of your effort to improve food resources for wildlife, so buy the very best seed that you can for your food plots. Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever's food plot products come to you after extensive development and research, and following years of successful establishment on private lands across the country. They also come to you with the full backing of Pheasants Forever and Quail Forevertwo of the most respected nonprofit conservation organizations in the nation.
 
DO I HAVE TO USE HERBICIDES?  

Weed competition is the most serious threat your food plot will face; thus, we recommend some sort of herbicide treatment. Food plots planted without weed control will have highly variable results. Weed problems can be addressed by tillage, chemical suppression, or a combination of both. A few weeds in a food plot will actually improve the diversity of the area for wildlife. However, severe weed competition that causes the primary planting to fail can waste your food plot investment and puts your wildlife in a bad position when winter arrives. Pay attention to weed control recommendations on the bag for best results.
 
DO I NEED FERTILIZER? 
 
Food plots are a crop, so you should fertilize just as you would your garden. You can easily assess the nutrients in your planting area before the planting season with a simple soil test—farm co-ops, and/or USDA offices routinely do this at a low cost. Be sure to amend the soil accordingly before you plant. Rotating grain food plots into areas previously established in legume browse may save money on nitrogen, but nearly all food plots need some supplemental nutrients. Legume food plots do not need nitrogen, but normally require some soil supplements to optimize the stand. Several Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever mixes carry micronutient seed coating to help our seed get a jump on early growth. Even so, primary fertilization is almost always a must-do operation.
 
HOW DO I DECIDE WHICH MIXES ARE RIGHT FOR MY LAND? 

Examine your habitat objectives for your land—what would you like to accomplish for wildlife, and what are your desires for hunting and wildlife viewing? Look particularly at winter food and cover conditions. If this habitat is limited, you will need grain food plots to assist game birds. You may benefit other wildlife by establishing browse plots as well.
 
WHEN IS THE BEST TIME TO PLANT?  

Take cues from agricultural operations occuring in your area. This will give you a general idea when to plant, but not all types of seed can be planted at the same time. Detailed planting instructions are on the back of each Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever food plot mix. Read those guidelines carefully and follow them exactly.
 
WHAT ABOUT PLANTING MY PLOT?  

Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever's grain and green browse food plot mixes can be established with standard planters, grain drills, or with broadcast seeders mounted on a tractor, ATV or pickup truck. Complete planting instruction are on each bag. If you don't have your own equipment, it can often be rented from USDA offices, local implement dealers, and wildlife agencies. Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever habitat specialists, private contractors, or a neighbor also may be able to assist you in planting your food plot. For more information on food plot design and other considerations consult the Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever Essential Habitat Guide, and/or talk to a Quail Forever Habitat Specialist near you.
 
WHAT'S THE BEST DESIGN FOR MY WINTER FOOD PLOTS?  

Grain food plots should restrict unnecessary travel, as well as provide high quality food and supplemental winter cover. Birds crossing hostile territory for food invite losses from predation and weather, so two critical design factors include locating food plots next to winter cover and having an adequate sized food plot (3-4 acres or larger is best). Blocks will be preferable to linear plantings, and food plot placement on the windward side of winter cover improves that habitat. If winter cover is scarce, 10-acre plantings of grain mixes with heavy leaf structure can provide all the food and shelter that birds need. In general, green browse plots will not provide winter cover for most upland birds, but will provide foraging areas for deer.
 
HOW LARGE SHOULD MY FOOD PLOT BE?  

Unfortunatley we cannot predict when wildlife will most need supplemental winter food resources, so plan grain food plots for the worst case weather scenario each and every year. Don't create a project that will be buried by the first blizzard. Also, your food plots will be used by many kinds of wildlife. Deer and turkeys consume a lot of grain and will exhaust small food patches well before winter ends. Thus, larger food plots (3-10 acres) are always the most desirable. Select a food plot mix based on the cover and food values you need, and carefully assess the critical factors of size and location for your land.
 
HOW LONG WILL MY FOOD PLOT LAST?  

In general, a grain based food plot will last only a single season (particularly if deer use it heavily). Almost without fail you will need to re-establish this kind of plot annually. In rare instances of low wildlife use, the grain from one year will carry over to the next on the stalks. Allowing a plot like this to grow up into annual weeds provides excellent brood habitat. Green browse food plots (blends of clovers, alfalfa, etc.) may last several years or may need to be re-planted each year (combination leafy forage/root crops like turnips).
 
WHAT OTHER FACTORS SHOULD I CONSIDER?  

Food plots alone are not going to "bring back the birds." Well-placed food plots can help bring more hens through winter in better condition. At that point, however, the other habitat you have established on your land (nesting cover, brood rearing habitat, ect.) will play the leading role. Be sure you focus on establishing and managing those important areas for wildlife as well.
 
For more information:
Jim Wooley
641-203-1020