Seed Eaters…Watch Out For Them

I like hunting by hidey hole (small) food plots. Such plots can be great staging areas for bucks and stand locations. Hidey hole plots are usually planted just before deer season.

During early fall there are more deer, turkeys, etc., than there will be during the remainder of the year. This is because there will be no more births but animals will die during the rest of the year. This is obvious for game animals such as deer and turkey. It’s also true for squirrels (and other rodents) and birds.

These critters are constantly looking for an easy and safe source of food. This sounds great unless you are planting food plots.

Seed on top of the ground for days in the middle of the woods during this time of year will certainly attract critters. These critters can remove so many seeds that there won’t be much forage produced to attract deer.

This is a great reason to broadcast seed just before or while it’s raining. When seeds take in moisture they swell and sprout. There are some significant changes in the palatability of seeds during the germination process and most critters will leave seed alone once it’s started to swell. Seeds require moisture to swell or start the germination process.

Broadcasting seeds to establish food plots during the rain is a significant step in attracting mature bucks.

Growing Deer together,

Grant