East texas food plot help.

[takarge]

So I have two acres I’m going to take all the trees off of in January so I can plant. My question is what do I plant? I have about 1200 acres surrounding 14 that I’m hunting, that just corn is pulling a ton of deer off of the 1200. Land has quiet a few oaks that I’m going to leave because the deer love the acorns. I’m going to get the soil tested of course. I’m located in East texas, Montgomery county. I was something that will really help them grow to full potential. We also plan on putting out a protein feeder as about two months before season they were chowing every drop of protein we put out. Here’s a few pics of the deer we have. Thanks for the advice. This is the area I plan on clearing.
no one hunts the 1200, it’s three different Tracts that is cattle land and the owner of the 14 does their taxes and they are hugely against hunting! Craziest thing I’ve ever seen! I forgot to mention that!


What do y’all think the 12’s age and score is also?

Also! No I can’t plant in the field where the pond is. This block that is wooded is what I have to work with and the chosen area that is drawn out is the best place for the plot.

[corps2010]

Forget protein feeders... there's enough first and second choice browse in east texas for the deer to have plenty of food that's protein rich... instead, plant Buck Forage Oats inside your cleaned out 2 acres, on or around October 15th. Plant 6 bags of BFO, then disk in 8 bags of Triple 13 and you're golden. Overseed in December with clover and you'll be good until May or so...
Put an elevated, enclosed blind on the NorthWest end of your 2 acre rectangle and enter/exit the blind via the blue line. 30 yards from the blind, set up a 600 lb Banks Feedbank gravity feeder and fill with corn or Rice bran. Predominant wind direction in east texas is SE. (if wind is NNW, leave the windows closed and use an ozonics)
If you have any mature post oaks or white oaks inside your 2 acre rectangle, I wouldn't cut them down and leave 1/2 dozen of them inside my food plot.

This is just my $0.02 cents and has worked for me in East Texas. Good Luck! You have some nice up and comers

[Drycreek3189]

First, I’m not there so I have no idea what browse you have. If you have a bunch of mature timber I’m gonna guess you don’t have more than you need because the sun doesn’t get to it. Almost any grain will work for a fall attractant, wheat, rye grain, or oats. You can plant medium red clover or crimson at the same time you plant your grain, just be sure you put it on top, don’t bury it. You can do the same with Daikon radish. If you want a spring plot, your clover should come on in the spring, but hot weather pretty well kicks its azz. Middle of May or last of April depending on ground temps you can plan iron clay peas. They may not last over 6 weeks but in that time frame they will deliver over 20% protein for the lactating does and the bucks growing antlers. I don’t feed a ton of protein on my 80 acres but I do feed it, I think it keeps them hanging around my place. Neighbors have no food plots or protein that I know of so I like to be the candy store. Good luck !

[takarge]

First, I’m not there so I have no idea what browse you have. If you have a bunch of mature timber I’m gonna guess you don’t have more than you need because the sun doesn’t get to it. Almost any grain will work for a fall attractant, wheat, rye grain, or oats. You can plant medium red clover or crimson at the same time you plant your grain, just be sure you put it on top, don’t bury it. You can do the same with Daikon radish. If you want a spring plot, your clover should come on in the spring, but hot weather pretty well kicks its azz. Middle of May or last of April depending on ground temps you can plan iron clay peas. They may not last over 6 weeks but in that time frame they will deliver over 20% protein for the lactating does and the bucks growing antlers. I don’t feed a ton of protein on my 80 acres but I do feed it, I think it keeps them hanging around my place. Neighbors have no food plots or protein that I know of so I like to be the candy store. Good luck !

Thanks, yeah I’m leaning towards just under brushing it and giving the oaks some room and keep the ground clean to plant some oats in. Then providing them as much protein as they eat and plant the clovers in the fall.

[HogHunter34]

For high protein it’s recommended March to August in terms of fueling antler growth on what I have seen on management for aiding antler growth potential

I do supplemental feed year around
Planning to do Alyce Clover & Iron Clay Cowpeas on spring plots
My typical fall plots are blends of forage oats, wheat, clover, radish or winter peas

Recommended to layout long & narrow plots along corridors of cover like along a wood line edge
My plots are normally 10-15 yards wide & 50-60 yards long
Good luck

[retrieverman]

I had to plant twice due to drought killing it the first time, but the BFO’s and custom food plot blend are doing well. The deer have completely left the corn feeder for the food plot.

[Drycreek3189]

The deer have completely left the corn feeder for the food plot.

I find good plots to still attract deer even when there are lots of acorns on the ground. It’s browse, and they are mainly browsers. Acorns are a small window in a deer’s year which we fill with corn, but as almost everyone knows, they like acorns better !

[takarge]

Forget protein feeders... there's enough first and second choice browse in east texas for the deer to have plenty of food that's protein rich... instead, plant Buck Forage Oats inside your cleaned out 2 acres, on or around October 15th. Plant 6 bags of BFO, then disk in 8 bags of Triple 13 and you're golden. Overseed in December with clover and you'll be good until May or so...
Put an elevated, enclosed blind on the NorthWest end of your 2 acre rectangle and enter/exit the blind via the blue line. 30 yards from the blind, set up a 600 lb Banks Feedbank gravity feeder and fill with corn or Rice bran. Predominant wind direction in east texas is SE. (if wind is NNW, leave the windows closed and use an ozonics)
If you have any mature post oaks or white oaks inside your 2 acre rectangle, I wouldn't cut them down and leave 1/2 dozen of them inside my food plot.

This is just my $0.02 cents and has worked for me in East Texas. Good Luck! You have some nice up and comers

The way you laid that out is EXACTLY how I want to do it!!