Summer food plots supplement the white-tailed deer diet when their nutritional needs are at their highest. This period, spanning late spring through late summer, places intense physiological demands on the herd. Bucks are undergoing the rapid development of antlers, a process requiring large amounts of protein and minerals. Simultaneously, does are lactating and nursing fawns, which dramatically increases their need for digestible, high-quality forage. While natural summer browse is abundant, its nutritional quality often declines significantly as the hottest months progress, failing to provide the concentrated nutrients required for peak physical output.
Meeting Summer Nutritional Demands
The summer season is characterized by two demanding biological processes: antlerogenesis in males and lactation in females. To support optimal antler growth and body development, a deer’s diet must contain an average of 16% to 20% crude protein. This high protein level is necessary because antlers are comprised of up to 45% protein during their growth phase, and the milk produced by does is also protein-rich.
Lactating does experience the highest nutritional stress, with protein requirements increasing substantially to ensure the health and rapid growth of their fawns. Minerals are also an important consideration for summer forage. Calcium and phosphorus are particularly important, with an ideal ratio of 2:1 supporting the mineralization of growing antlers and the skeletal structure of fawns. Food plots must offer forage that is highly palatable and digestible, ensuring deer consume enough of the crop to meet their physiological needs.
Recommended Warm-Season Annuals
Warm-season annuals are the preferred choice for summer food plots because they grow rapidly and offer exceptionally high crude protein levels precisely when native forage quality dips. Forage Soybeans are widely regarded as a top option due to their high palatability and crude protein content, which can exceed 30% to 40% in the leaves. Deer readily consume the leaves and stems during the summer and will return to eat the mature beans in the fall, providing a dual-season food source. However, soybeans are often preferred by deer to the point of being completely over-browsed, which can destroy a small plot before it becomes established.
A highly effective alternative, particularly in regions prone to heat and drought, is Lablab (Lablab purpureus). This African-native legume is extremely heat- and drought-tolerant and offers an impressive crude protein range of 25% to 38%. Lablab is known to persist longer under heavy grazing pressure than many other warm-season legumes, and its vining habit allows it to continue producing forage even after being browsed.
Cowpeas, such as the Iron Clay variety, are another reliable warm-season annual that thrives in various soil conditions and is more drought-tolerant than soybeans. Cowpeas offer protein levels between 20% and 28% and are a good choice when soil fertility is less than ideal. They are highly palatable and serve as an excellent component in warm-season blends, often mixed with other crops to diversify the forage.
Plants like Sunflowers and grain sorghum can be incorporated into warm-season blends not primarily for direct nutrition, but for structural support. These taller plants offer a climbing structure for vining legumes like Lablab and cowpeas, lifting the high-protein forage higher off the ground. This vertical growth increases the total available biomass and helps protect the forage from being completely consumed by heavy early browsing.
Plot Preparation and Management
Successful warm-season food plots begin with a detailed soil analysis to determine the soil’s current pH and nutrient profile. Soil testing provides precise recommendations for applying lime and fertilizer, maximizing the plot’s potential. Most food plot crops, and legumes in particular, thrive best when the soil pH is corrected to a range of 6.0 to 6.8.
For legumes like soybeans, cowpeas, and Lablab, the initial fertilization should focus on phosphorus (P) and potassium (K), often referred to as the last two numbers of an N-P-K fertilizer analysis. Legumes are nitrogen-fixing plants, meaning they capture nitrogen from the air, so they generally require little to no added nitrogen (N). Proper soil amendments ensure the plants can efficiently utilize nutrients, leading to healthier growth and higher nutritional content in the forage.
The optimal planting window for these warm-season annuals is late spring to early summer, after the danger of frost has passed and the soil temperature consistently exceeds 60 to 68 degrees Fahrenheit. Mitigating heavy browse pressure is a management consideration, especially in small plots or areas with high deer density. Planting a larger acreage (ideally one to three acres or more) helps dilute the grazing impact, allowing plants to mature; temporary electric fencing can also protect the plot during the vulnerable initial growth phase.