These mini tools will have your mini food plots pulling in deer

Not everyone has a section to hunt, so building a “tiny” food plot to hunt can help the common hunter fill his or her tag, or better yet, Google the nearest taxidermist.

I have lost most of my leases and approvals for hunting land because the previous spots were transferred to family, were sold, or other. So, now I hunt smaller areas, often with the help of my onX Hunt phone app.

Tom Hart, a good buddy, former cop, and current Outdoor News advertising salesman has harvested a lot of big bucks from small urban spots to larger out-of-state leases. The thing is, he doesn’t claim to be a wildlife biologist, but has done a ton of research with experts, won and failed at certain plots, so he had some advice for anyone thinking of building a modest, small, food plot.

Below he lists a few tips to help get a hunter in the game for micro food plots in and around you.

“Find your desired location,” Hart said. “Are there trees for stands and spots for blinds? Will it get enough sunlight? A plot that runs north/south generally will get enough sun. Consider prevailing winds, access and exit strategies. If your plot is successful, will you be spooking more deer coming in and out than it’s worth installing a food plot there? Ideal spots are those between bedding and destination feeding areas like large agricultural fields.”

So, you have your spot, what is next?

“Once you decide on a location, always start with a soil sample,” Hart said. “It’s a step most people skip. If the soil is too acidic, it will not allow your desired plants to grow as well as they should. Fertilizing these plots is often a waste of money as the plants can’t absorb the nutrients. You can correct this by adding lime. The test result will tell you how much lime you need to put down for your desired pH ideal for your plot of choice.”

The next step isn’t easy, but grind it out.

“Clearing your plot is not fun,” he said. “Removal of dead grass, years of branches. I like lithium saws because they are light and avoid the hassle of gas and oil. You will need to remove brush, limbs, and other cover that might interfere with your shot. Consider the wind and trails the deer use coming into your micro plot and do it in February/March if a lack of snow permits. The earlier the better so you aren’t disturbing the land you will be hunting closer to the deer season.”

So, your dinner plate is cleared, now it’s time to get things ready for serving.

“Once cleared, I will try to scratch up the ground,” he said. “You can use hand rakes, or if accessible, an ATV/UTV with a makeshift drag, ancient farm equipment, or commercial type equipment. I like to get it worked up a little. Then just a good soil “scratching” pulls up more grass, sticks, leaves, etc. Clear it off.”

Everything is ready, but there are still some steps to ensure success.

“Lime now so you can start neutralizing the soil,” Hart said. “You can buy bags of lime at the hardware store, cut them open at the top, and apply by swinging the bags evenly in a side to side motion. Try to spread it and avoid heavy applications in some spots and none in others. It’s dirty but effective work. Spreaders can work but a lot of times they will get clogged up.”

Once the plot starts to green up and has a few inches of growth (usually April) Hart will spray it with an herbicide to try and kill everything.

“You can use a two-gallon hand sprayer or one mounted to an ATV,” he said. “Periodically check in a week or so as often there are areas you miss. Rarely do I get a total kill on the first try. When creating new plots, I pretty much plan on another full spraying application. The second spray application might be in June/July. We hope that results in a complete kill of everything.”

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Finishing the deal happens in the summer.

“Mid to late July I scratch it up one more time and plant,” he said. “Living close by really helps where you can watch the weather and time your planting right before a good rain. This is huge. If not, you plant and pray. I always used to freak out when weeds were in the plot. We as hunters often want perfect looking, magazine cover plots. If a few weeds are in there it’s OK. The main thing is that most of the plot is your desired growth that will be attractive to deer throughout fall and we hope into the winter and once again in during the spring.”

GEAR TO START YOUR OWN MINI FOOD PLOT

Power Tools

Blowers, hedge trimmers, weed whackers, and saws all are pretty darn important to get these micro plots going.

Some lithium battery options like those from Milwaukee Tool and others make models that only require one base powerhead, and the attachments above can be added for a reasonable price, as needed. These units are often lighter than the gas versions which is nice for getting into the woods.

They are also quieter if you use them in-season for some light trimming or blowing. Another benefit is they are equally welcome working in the yard as they are in the woods.

MilwaukeeTool.com

Hand Seeder

You can plant with a hand seeder as expensive as $100 or as low as $10.

Just make sure you put down the recommended amount per acre. Excessive seed can be a bad thing as plants grow and crowd each other out resulting in smaller, dying plants. Solo makes a nice mid-range price option.

us.solo.global

Power Sprayer

They can be had for $20 at the local hardware store for hand pumping but a person can also get more high-tech like the Makita Cordless Lithium-Ion cordless sprayer. It holds 1.3 gallons and sprays up to 90 gallons on one charge.

MakitaTools.com