My wife and I built a house on our 67 acre piece of property, its wa an old farm that had been let go for many years. Over the years I have made some improvements mostly cutting in new food plots. We built our house at one end of a 4.5 acre field (rectangular shaped). I have an easement for a powerline behind the house about 60yds from my backyard that I thought of seeding with clover. I have also been toying with planting about 1/3 of an acre plot at the opposite end of the field that our house overlooks. These are an attempt to get mor food on the place. My other plots total around 2 acres. Any suggestions yes or no to plots that close to the house?
Food plots near the house
- Thread starter tyeager67
- Start date
Yes! It is extremely rewarding to sit at the dinner table and see the deer utilizing what you have provided...
T-Max
Well-Known Member
I had a decent sized area of bare dirt after I had our septic installed last year so I threw out some brassica seeds. There was a little daylight activity, but a trail camera revealed that deer were in there nearly every night! Even had a couple small bucks on there. It was only 75 feet from the house. 
I had a decent sized area of bare dirt after I had our septic installed last year so I threw out some brassica seeds. There was a little daylight activity, but a trail camera revealed that deer were in there nearly every night! Even had a couple small bucks on there. It was only 75 feet from the house.
Yep, this is our septic field on the flint rock hillside behind our house 3 years in...
Deer in it morning, evening, and overnight...
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Highly recommend it. Wildlife will get used to the environment and used the plot readily. As has been said it makes for very entertaining viewing throughout the year and benefits many wildlife species. A plus is that one doesn't have to mow clover as often as grass.
Here is a pic of our clover plot around the house.
Here is a pic of our clover plot around the house.
catscratch
Well-Known Member
Pics from the house. Yard plots kick butt!
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Plant it and they will come. I built a pond 60 yards from the living room window of my deer hunting mobile home. I have winter rye on the near side and dwarf Essex rape seed on the far side of the pond. I love to watch the deer from the inside of my trailer. Plus how many stands have the creature comforts of a microwave, tv, hot and cold running water and a bathroom?
During the gun deer season it is a great stand and I have taken several deer over the years from the bedroom window including a nice buck.
During the gun deer season it is a great stand and I have taken several deer over the years from the bedroom window including a nice buck.
Tap
Well-Known Member
What Okie said^^^.
The only downside that I've seen though is if you want to walk from your house to the stands, you'll be constantly bumping and educating deer. I flat-out cannot walk from, or to, my house in early morning or late evening without blowing deer out of my plot.
A few years ago, instead of trying to sneak out of the house, I just get in my truck and drive down the driveway like deer are used to. I then park and sneak back onto my property to my stands. Instead of pushing deer away, I push them in. Hopefully I don't push them at all, but if I do, at least I'm not pushing them over to the brown-down-clowns that surround me.
sagittarius
Active Member
Do one of your close plots as a fall planted crimson/ladino clover mix. The wife will become a big fan of food plotting. The annual crimson dominates early summer(late May-early June), then the perennial ladino takes over from then on, and can last several years.
Cranes on Ladino
The annual crimson dominates early summer(late May-early June), then the perennial ladino takes over from then on, and can last several years.
Cranes on Ladino
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Chainsaw
Well-Known Member
Absolutely a big yes under the right conditions. As long as the backyard plot is not seen from the road and does not have natural funnels coming to it from neighboring properties, then it is a winner. Seeing deer all year almost daily in the yard is very enjoyable. The same deer that will turn inside out when a car approaches them on the road lets us not only drive closely by them when in the driveway, but actually keeps feeding while we park, shut the car doors and walk from the car to the house. It's simply amazing. The does and young bucks appear to think of us as just harmless background movement in their environment. Buck sightings are rare in our driveway/lawn except for one that was consistently out and about through his third hunting season.
Jason Broom
Well-Known Member
Insofar as all food plots are best managed by identifying the paths to/from associated bedding areas, and hunting those lines of movement, a food plot that is within sight of your house is a great idea. A good approach would be to identify existing bedding areas, define your stand location, including ingress/egress, and then plant a food plot that will not increase the difficulty with which you are able to hunt from that stand.
Too often, folks plant where they can and hunt right over it. That can be successful enough, but is not optimal, especially if you are hoping to see older age-class deer. In making the most of your property, understand how wildlife utilize it, then augment it in ways that are to your advantage.
Too often, folks plant where they can and hunt right over it. That can be successful enough, but is not optimal, especially if you are hoping to see older age-class deer. In making the most of your property, understand how wildlife utilize it, then augment it in ways that are to your advantage.
