A food plot is a planted area specifically designed to attract or feed wildlife, primarily white-tailed deer. The appropriate size is determined by the land manager’s specific objective and available resources. Plot size depends on whether the goal is to draw deer for hunting or to provide a genuine nutritional supplement for the local herd. The decision also involves calculating deer density, the total land area being managed, and the property’s physical constraints. Determining the plot’s function is the first step, guiding the necessary calculations and practical layout considerations.
Defining the Plot’s Role: Attraction vs. Nutrition
The function of a food plot dictates its size, separating them into two categories: attraction plots and nutritional plots. Attraction plots, sometimes called “kill plots,” are typically smaller, often irregular-shaped areas ranging from one-eighth to one-half acre. These plots are strategically placed near bedding areas or hunting stands to draw deer during specific hunting hours. Their purpose is to briefly hold animals for high-visibility access, often relying on highly palatable forage crops.
Nutritional plots, by contrast, are designed for herd management, requiring a significantly larger scale, generally starting at one acre or more. These larger fields are intended to supplement the herd’s natural diet, improve overall health, and increase the land’s carrying capacity. Nutritional plots serve a year-round function, often utilizing a rotation of warm-season and cool-season forages to provide high-quality food when natural forage is scarce. Because they are destination feeding areas, they must be large enough to withstand heavy browsing pressure from the entire local deer population.
Calculating Size Based on Total Land Area and Herd Needs
For long-term herd health and management, determining nutritional plot size often involves specific formulas. A common recommendation is the percentage rule, which suggests dedicating between three percent and five percent of the total managed land area to food plots. For instance, a 100-acre property requires three to five acres of total food plot area to provide a meaningful nutritional supplement. Some management programs may increase this allocation to eight percent or more, depending on the surrounding habitat.
Local deer population density is a major factor that heavily influences the necessary size of a nutritional plot. In areas with high deer numbers, plots must be larger to prevent immediate and severe over-browsing, which can destroy the entire planting before it matures. If the food plot is the sole high-quality food source in a large, wooded area, it may draw deer from a much wider range, necessitating a larger size than the percentage rule might initially suggest.
Forage capacity relates the plot size to the deer’s actual food consumption. A general rule suggests that one acre of well-managed, year-round forage can support approximately three to five deer. To apply this, a manager must estimate the local deer population they intend to support and divide that number by the per-acre capacity. Maximizing the yield through proper soil management, including testing, liming, and fertilization, can effectively increase the forage capacity of each acre, reducing the total required acreage.
Minimum Effective Plot Sizes and Practical Dimensions
While mathematical formulas determine the required total acreage, practical limitations dictate the minimum size and shape for a functional plot. An attraction plot, even a small one, generally requires a minimum of one-eighth acre (approximately 5,000 square feet) to be effective. Plots smaller than this minimum often fail to provide deer with the necessary sense of security to enter and feed during daylight hours.
The physical shape of the plot also influences its effectiveness, regardless of the acreage. Irregular or curvilinear shapes, such as L-shapes, hourglass figures, or long, narrow strips, are often more beneficial than a perfect square or rectangle. This is because non-square shapes maximize the “edge effect,” which is the border between the planted forage and the surrounding protective cover. Deer generally feel more secure feeding near cover, and maximizing this edge increases the usable area of the plot.
The plot’s dimensions must also accommodate the equipment necessary for planting and maintenance, which sets a floor on practical size. A plot that is too small or too long and narrow may be difficult to manage efficiently with standard farming equipment. Even small attraction plots must be wide enough to allow a tractor to safely turn around or a four-wheeler to pull a disc without damaging surrounding timber. Managers must increase the size if calculations suggest an area that is physically unworkable, ensuring efficient establishment and long-term maintenance.