By Susan Collins-Smith
MSU Extension Service

Frustration is mounting for deer hunters across Mississippi whose cool-season food plots died or never got planted because of drought conditions.

“This is the second year in a row that it’s been too dry,” said Bill Hamrick, a wildlife associate with the Mississippi State University Extension Service. “While the rain has been scarce, some hunters and hunting clubs were able to time a mid-September food plot planting ahead of near certain rain events.

“In some cases, they got good seed germination but have had little to no rain since. Their plots have either died or are currently dying. Other food plots showed promise early until the armyworms showed up and destroyed them,” he said.

Although it’s November, Hamrick said hunters still have time to replant.

“Whether you’re still waiting to plant or planted early with poor results, you still have time to try again.”

Erick Larson, MSU Extension small grains specialist, recommends cereal grains, including oats, triticale, wheat and cereal rye, for hunters who want to produce vegetation that attracts deer during the hunting season.

“Clover species are slower to produce growth in the fall, so late emergence will likely delay production until late winter and springtime,” said Larson, who is also a researcher with the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station. “Although they may not provide much benefit this fall, clovers will provide deer with additional nutrition in spring and mutually improve growth of grasses by supplying nitrogen and enhancing soil organic matter.”

Cereal grains are a good choice because of their ability to germinate and grow in cooler soil temperatures as well as their hardiness against intermittent frosts.

“Late planting can restrict vernalization, which is necessary to stimulate stem and seed production in the spring. But this doesn’t really matter for food plot use,” Larson said. “Even during intermittent frosts, growth will resume when temperatures increase, especially into the 60s with abundant sunshine, which helps warm soil temperatures and stimulate growth.

“Although winter wheat is supposed to go dormant during the winter, it doesn’t in the south because our soil temperatures usually don’t stay below 40 degrees for very long,” Larson continued.

Hamrick noted that grazing pressure could be an issue for these late planted plots if excessive dry conditions persist.

Hunters who plan to broadcast seed should re-till plots with heavier soil types. In sandy soils, tilling may not be necessary, but using a cultipacker is recommended for all soil types to help firm up the seed bed. Hunters should ensure cereal grains are covered to protect them from turkeys, doves and crows.

If planting with a seed drill, re-tilling, using a cultipacker and covering the seed are not necessary.

“The good news is there is no need to lime and fertilize again, but you will have some extra costs in the fuel, seed and time,” Hamrick said.

Food plots are important nutritional supplements during stress periods of winter and summer but managing the native vegetation that deer rely on throughout the year is just as important.

Hunters and others who enjoy observing deer can improve native vegetation by thinning timber and conducting prescribed burns.

“You can conduct late spring or early to mid-summer burns to produce new growth of native forages during the late summer stress period,” Hamrick said. “Strip disking in old fields and open timber disturbs the soil and stimulates new plant growth from the seed bank.”

MSU experts provide a comprehensive guide to habitat management on their YouTube channel MSU Deer Lab TV at https://www.youtube.com/@msudeerlabtv5058/videos.

More information on food plots and native forages for deer can be found in MSU Extension publications “A Guide to Common Native Deer Forages in Mississippi and the Southeast” and “A Cost Production Comparison of Common Food Plot Plantings for Deer.”

In addition, the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks offers free advice and recommendations on habitat management practices through their Private Lands Program.