Food plots and acorns

Well, I had another 2 does come to the plot and eat at the feeder and then they came over and drank from the pond and ate radish tops and BFO. They finally wandered off when it was almost pitch black dark and then another deer came from behind my stand and it was too dark to see. I finally just had to lower my bow and get down. I made it to my trail before everything started blowing at me...lol

I heard bucks sparring down in the oaks but none ever came to the plot while I was there...
 
Good post. My plots aren't being hit that hard right now. LOTS of natural mast around most places in NOVA this year. You know what happens when the mast is gone though :)
 
Native...I think the use of plots by deer when acorns are available depends on how intense a person is on keeping food available year around in said plots. I have been planting for year around food for 11 years now and have come to the conclusion that I have turned my herd into grazers more than a browsers. This year we have a bumper crop of acorns and I set overlooking one of my plots the other evening and saw close to 30 deer utilizing the plots. Does, fawns and bucks were all feeding heavily on the plots with acorns available all around. The only issue was the oldest buck was only 3 yrs old and I hunt for older class deer. There is different times mature bucks will use a plot during daylight hours though. At this time of the year and the phase that the bucks are in the mature bucks are utilizing acorns during the day and the plots at night per cameras.

All that being said, my deer are hammering the plots with acorns available everywhere but I keep food available all year long. Which I think is key to having deer in the plots with acorns on the ground.
 
deer patch said:
Native...I think the use of plots by deer when acorns are available depends on how intense a person is on keeping food available year around in said plots. I have been planting for year around food for 11 years now and have come to the conclusion that I have turned my herd into grazers more than a browsers. This year we have a bumper crop of acorns and I set overlooking one of my plots the other evening and saw close to 30 deer utilizing the plots. Does, fawns and bucks were all feeding heavily on the plots with acorns available all around. The only issue was the oldest buck was only 3 yrs old and I hunt for older class deer. There is different times mature bucks will use a plot during daylight hours though. At this time of the year and the phase that the bucks are in the mature bucks are utilizing acorns during the day and the plots at night per cameras.

All that being said, my deer are hammering the plots with acorns available everywhere but I keep food available all year long. Which I think is key to having deer in the plots with acorns on the ground.
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I also have year around plots for the past 5 years...mature bucks don’t use our plots in daylight at any time of year...I can get all the does and up to 3 yr olds in the plot but have only seen an older class buck in it during daylight once and he apparently didn’t make it past the neighbors last fall...open areas here = dead bucks and the deer have definitely adapted to that model...
 
deer patch said:
Native...I think the use of plots by deer when acorns are available depends on how intense a person is on keeping food available year around in said plots. I have been planting for year around food for 11 years now and have come to the conclusion that I have turned my herd into grazers more than a browsers. This year we have a bumper crop of acorns and I set overlooking one of my plots the other evening and saw close to 30 deer utilizing the plots. Does, fawns and bucks were all feeding heavily on the plots with acorns available all around. The only issue was the oldest buck was only 3 yrs old and I hunt for older class deer. There is different times mature bucks will use a plot during daylight hours though. At this time of the year and the phase that the bucks are in the mature bucks are utilizing acorns during the day and the plots at night per cameras.

All that being said, my deer are hammering the plots with acorns available everywhere but I keep food available all year long. Which I think is key to having deer in the plots with acorns on the ground.
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Good observations deer patch.

Seeing a mature feeding in a food plot in daylight is an unusual thing here. However, seeing one cruise by and cross a shooting lane while looking for does that have been in the plot is common. All of our mature bucks have been killed near plots but only one actually came in and was eating.
 
OkieKubota said:
I also have year around plots for the past 5 years...mature bucks don’t use our plots in daylight at any time of year...I can get all the does and up to 3 yr olds in the plot but have only seen an older class buck in it during daylight once and he apparently didn’t make it past the neighbors last fall...open areas here = dead bucks and the deer have definitely adapted to that model...
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I agree with this. We see mature buck cross shooting lanes near plots but not actually enter the wide open plots. We kill our deer near the plots but almost always not in them.
 
A mature buck here is just not going to head into a plot during daylight unless perhaps his nose is up the ass of a hot doe. Now I've shot a good few downwind side of plots 100 yds into the woods, but never, but once, in a plot itself.
And I just can't beat an acorn flat near or on a ridge from Oct on.
Now when a hot doe is running, all bets are off as its like free ladies night at the local bar and a bunch of young testosterone filled boys looking for love.
I've had my plots for 10 years now.
 
Honestly I have probably killed at least a third of my mature bucks over plots but I typically don't hunt over them until my cameras show one regularly using them. I'd like to think that once a 3 yr old enters a plot and lives he remembers that and when they get older comes back for food. I have neighbors that are brown its down but also have some that are managing for mature deer. My place is all timber except the plots I have.

My neighbor to the south of me sold 2 years ago so I may be the only one keeping plots year around. That being said last year was my worst year for getting mature bucks on camera but this year I'm on the up swing again.
 
deer patch said:
Honestly I have probably killed at least a third of my mature bucks over plots but I typically don't hunt over them until my cameras show one regularly using them. I'd like to think that once a 3 yr old enters a plot and lives he remembers that and when they get older comes back for food. I have neighbors that are brown its down but also have some that are managing for mature deer.
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I have only killed 1 mature buck in a plot in my life and it was chasing a doe...it was also on a draw in hunt at the famed McAlester Army Ammunition plant and down there it’s a totally different world since deer only get hunted with trad gear and draw in only...I was hoping to get a doe because taking a doe get you back in the following year without having to draw in again. Other than that I have never killed a mature buck in any type of opening whatsoever...never see them there because they get shot as soon as they stick their nose out from September to February...
 
I’ve killed mature bucks in wide open fields, wide open salt marshes, and the woods. In my experience, mature bucks will absolutely use a plot in daylight if they like what’s in it and they feel safe.
 
cutman said:
I’ve killed mature bucks in wide open fields, wide open salt marshes, and the woods. In my experience, mature bucks will absolutely use a plot in daylight if they like what’s in it and they feel safe.
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It’s all relative to where you hunt...Can’t feel safe when most hunting properties around you are 10 acres or less...I have 8 long skinny 10’s along my east side. They each border me 330 feet (short side) and they all hunt, some of those have 2-3 guys on them...I have a 220 to my north that has 6-8 guys hunting it. Borders me 1320 feet. I have 2 more 330 foot neighbors off our new 10 that makes us a 90 and they both hunt and the only woods they have is the wooded hollow along our fence. We border the west neighbor 1980 feet and she has 3 sons that hunt on their 30 acres. We have 2 neighbors along our south 1320 feet and they both hunt and let friends hunt. 1 is another 10 acres and the other is 160...I have the only plots in any of that mess but everyone runs corn feeders...deer don’t enter openings with that much pressure...

Our other 25 acres we own is the same but to be fair deer never get to maturity there...

Our lease has several large hay fields and we have folks hunting them and also several small plots...(my wife and I don’t). Nobody has ever killed a mature buck in any field or plot there. Every single 4+ year old deer has come from solid woods... we have had up to 3 yr old bucks killed in the plots and fields but nothing mature...
 
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This buck stayed in my feed pen for thirty minutes around noon just a few days ago. I think he beds nearby at least part of the time judging by game cam pics. Rifle season opens here November 2nd and I’m betting this is the last daytime pic I get. He fed in this plot last year (IC peas) all through the summer, I had lots of daytime pics of that, but as soon as his velvet was gone, so was he. He came back as soon as the wheat was up, but save one time, all pics were at night. I never, but never hunt, this stand on an iffy wind, so he may be feeling safer. I hope so, because this year he for sure ain’t safe !
 
Drycreek said:
View attachment 17275

This buck stayed in my feed pen for thirty minutes around noon just a few days ago. I think he beds nearby at least part of the time judging by game cam pics. Rifle season opens here November 2nd and I’m betting this is the last daytime pic I get. He fed in this plot last year (IC peas) all through the summer, I had lots of daytime pics of that, but as soon as his velvet was gone, so was he. He came back as soon as the wheat was up, but save one time, all pics were at night. I never, but never hunt, this stand on an iffy wind, so he may be feeling safer. I hope so, because this year he for sure ain’t safe !
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I'm rooting for you to you get him!
 
Mennoniteman said:
I'm rooting for you to you get him!
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Thanks, I am too ! :D

We see him all over the lease, 350 acres, so he’s a traveler. We are the only ones close that have food plots though, so that might be a help. He spent lots of time in my wheat over last fall and winter, but as I said, mostly at night. I don’t mind feeding him but turnabout is fair play !
 
Funny how we are pretty close to each other, and complete opposite over in Metcalfe. Us, nor any of the neighbors have acorns at all. Worst crop we've seen in a long time
 
gut_pile said:
Funny how we are pretty close to each other, and complete opposite over in Metcalfe. Us, nor any of the neighbors have acorns at all. Worst crop we've seen in a long time
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that’s wild, I’m just west of you and it’s downright dangerous walking in the woods there are so many raining down!
 
gut_pile said:
Funny how we are pretty close to each other, and complete opposite over in Metcalfe. Us, nor any of the neighbors have acorns at all. Worst crop we've seen in a long time
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Our yard is covered with acorns. We had to turn off the driveway alarm because of so many deer coming in at night eating them, and we are 400 yards from any cover.
 
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