Deer & Elk Food Plots: What, When and Where to Plant.
If you've ever stood at the edge of a patch of ground and wondered what to plant for deer and elk, you're in good company. It's one of the most common questions we get, and hunting forums are full of it: Will elk actually use a food plot? Clover or alfalfa? Can I just throw seed down?
The short answer
For most deer and elk food plots in the inland West, plant a perennial mix of legumes (clover, alfalfa) and palatable grasses that can handle dry summers, and get it in the ground in early fall with moisture or as a dormant seeding before freeze-up.
Do food plots work for elk, or just deer?
They work for both, but the two animals eat differently, and that should drive what you plant.
Elk are mainly grazers. They lean on grasses and broadleaf plants, and in the West that includes bromegrasses, bluegrasses, ryegrass, clover and alfalfa. They also browse shrubs when green feed runs out in late fall and winter.
Deer are pickier. Whitetails and mule deer go for tender, high-protein legumes and broadleaf plants (clover, alfalfa, sainfoin, brassicas) more than grass.
In dry country, a green, concentrated food source is rare, which is exactly why a well-placed plot can pull animals in. The flip side: a herd of elk can flatten a small plot fast. If elk are your target, go bigger, or plant a mix with a strong grass base that recovers after grazing.
What should I plant in a food plot?
The most common forum debate is clover versus alfalfa, and the honest answer is that both have a place.
|
Plant |
Why deer & elk use it |
Watch out for |
|
White clover |
Greens up early in spring and stays green late into fall; long-lived; tolerates grazing |
Slows down or goes dormant in summer heat and drought |
|
Alfalfa |
High protein and tonnage; deep roots keep it growing through dry summers; a strong late-season draw |
Harder to establish; needs well-drained soil and a near-neutral pH; can't be reseeded straight into an old stand |
|
Red & alsike clover |
Fast to establish; good forage the first year |
Shorter-lived than white clover |
|
Sainfoin |
Drought-hardy legume that does well on dry western ground |
Slower to establish than clover |
|
Brassicas (forage rape, turnips) |
Fast growth; leaves and bulbs get sweeter after frost, so they draw animals late in the season |
Annual; you'll replant every year |
|
Brome, wheatgrass, bluegrass |
Elk graze them heavily; they hold soil and recover after grazing |
Less attractive to deer than legumes |
|
Annual ryegrass |
Quick green-up that feeds animals and protects slower perennials while they establish |
Annual; it's a nurse crop, not the long-term plot |
Annual or perennial food plot?
Annual plots (brassicas, cereal grains) grow fast and are great for a fall hunting plot, but you replant every year.
Perennial plots (clover, alfalfa, sainfoin, perennial grasses) take a season to fully establish, then come back year after year with mowing and weed control.
On dry ground, perennials usually pay off: once roots are down, they ride out summer dry spells better than a fresh annual seeding. A mix with a little annual ryegrass and brassica gives you something to look at the first fall while the perennials build roots.
When should I plant a food plot in the Northwest?
Early fall (late August to September): plant when fall rains return. Seedlings get a few weeks of growth before winter.
Dormant seeding (late fall, before the ground freezes): seed goes down after soil has cooled enough that it won't sprout until spring. Winter moisture works it into the soil, and it germinates as early as conditions allow. If you're reading this in late October or November, this is your window. (See our guide: [Dormant Seeding in the PNW].)
Spring (March to May): plant into spring moisture so seedlings are established before summer dries out.
How do I prepare the ground?
This is where most first-time food plots fail, and a forum regular will usually ask the same thing: are you killing the grass that's already there? Existing grass and weeds will outcompete new seedlings.
1. Test your soil. A soil test tells you how much lime and fertilizer to add. Legumes, alfalfa especially, struggle in acidic soil.
2. Kill existing vegetation. Spray or till out the old grass and weeds before you seed.
3. Make a firm seedbed. Small seeds like clover and alfalfa need good seed-to-soil contact. Plant them shallow (about 1/4 inch), then roll or pack the soil.
4. No tractor? Go no-till. Spray to kill existing growth, broadcast seed right before rain or snow, and let the weather work it in. Dormant seeding pairs well with no-till plots.
Where should I put a food plot?
Near cover. Deer and elk are more likely to use a plot within easy reach of timber or brush.
In the low spots. In dry country, draws, depressions and north-facing ground hold moisture longer. Look at late-summer satellite images to see where the ground stays greenest.
Big enough for the herd. A tiny plot can get eaten to the dirt before it establishes, especially with elk around.
Get the seeding guide:
Not sure what mix you need? Use our find a mix tool: https://rainierseeds.com/pages/mix-comparison-charts