Sugar on plots

LEWinMI

New Member
Wild idea, but I read that about five days before hunting starts to spray a sugar solution on your food plots. It is suppose to make your plots much more attractive to deer. This is in conjunction with applying urea and AMS several weeks before hunting. Has anyone done this and if so did you get a positive result?
 
I’ve never done it, but Ed Spinazzola does it. He knows his stuff and I always listen to the older guys who have have lots of experience and been around. He told me that this year and was thinking about trying it. The problem is, my buddy’s farm has so many deer, I wouldn’t really know if it worked. I see deer every time out.
 
I have never done it, but I can see where a shot of fertilizer on a cool season plant that is actively growing can make it more to the deer's liking. Especially a cereal grain or brassica with a shot of nitrogen (Urea). I am not sure what the sugar will do. If anything I would fear it being considered bait (not legal here).
 
I've heard of using it on brassicas to make them more palatable to deer, but I've never tried it. My deer won't eat them anyway.
 
I’ve never done it, but Ed Spinazzola does it. He knows his stuff and I always listen to the older guys who have have lots of experience and been around. He told me that this year and was thinking about trying it. The problem is, my buddy’s farm has so many deer, I wouldn’t really know if it worked. I see deer every time out.
I think Ed was referring to using fertilizer and lime to boost the levels of sugars in the plants in your plot. Making them more palatable to deer.
 
Spreading sugar on your fields is a great way to feed the microbiology in your soil. It is mostly recommended for the first year after switching from conventional tillage to no-till regenerative agriculture. It will quicken the return of beneficial fungi and bacteria that tillage destroys.

I don't believe your plot plants can take in the sugars, as they make it themselves. But your plants will benefit from stronger, or more plentiful, microbiology in the soil.
 
I remember when I spoke with him earlier this year that it was not a big amount of sugar. I don’t recall the exact amount, but I remember it wasn’t a lot. He told he to add to sprayer tank with the AMS.
 
I sprinkle sugar on stuff I eat all the time. Why wouldn't deer like a slightly sweeter taste from the plot? Molasses is mixed with lots of deer feed right? Question I would have is how much would it take to make a difference and would it be worth it. Seems rain would wash it off to the dirt....
 
They trying to bring in deer or bear? Why bother with a food plot at all? If sugar is the answer then everyone can just let the grass and weeds grow and just spray it with sugar to attract deer when you want them to come in. I think i'll start selling sugar and put a big buck on the bag and call it "SWEET SPOT".
 
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The article actually has nothing to do with sugar. What he does is spreads fertilizer just a week or two before bow season to 'sweeten' up his plots.

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Ed's past literature did only mention urea and AMS. However, in his most recent published article, he specifically mention the use of table sugar along with AMS. I don't know how much he has to backup the benefit, but he is convinced it brings in deer.
 
Got my old drum out today to bang it...

Sulfur is the sugar in a food plot. You can grow about anything with the rest of the fertilizer. But you wanna see a preference in identical forages, sulfur.
Best way to add sulfur??? And is it toxic if you go overboard?
 
Sulfur is considered an essential mineral and helps form enzymes & plant proteins. Deficiencies can cause plant health problems but soil tests for sulfur are very unreliable. Professional growers usually rely on plant tissue to determine sulfur deficiency. It is needed in very low amounts, plants only need 10 to 30 pounds of sulfur per acre total. There are various sources of sulfur including manure and phosphate fertilizer (12% sulfur) and ammonium sulfate which is probably your best source and gives you nitrogen to boot. Your chances of getting your sulfur levels too high isn't going to happen unless you really get crazy with application. Don't apply more than 30lb per acre total sulfur.
 
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