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Food plot shapes #2953004
11/11/19 06:27 PM
11/11/19 06:27 PM
Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 1,822
Sneads, Florida
fladeerhntr Offline OP
8 point
fladeerhntr  Offline OP
8 point
Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 1,822
Sneads, Florida
Just wondering what shape food plots everyone prefers and why. I met with a guy last week that does land clearing about coming and making me a road and food plot for me on it and got a price. What I had in my mind was making a 40 yard wide strip that was about 200 yards long that went through where I hunt now that's right on the transition of a thick creek bottom and some 30 year old planted pines that have a few oaks mixed in and never been thinned. The guy I met with after looking at what I have suggested making a plot in the shape of a Turkey foot. The plan is to have the 2 outside strips paralleling the creek bottom where I currently hunt and the other creek bottom that runs into it and putting my shooting house in the corner where my small 4 wheeler trail comes in at. The middle run will be about 50 yards wide by 200 yards long going across a big sandy ridge with pines,small oaks and sparkle berry bushes everywhere and the 2 outside about 30 yards wide by 100 yards long. I know my timing is not the best to be doing this but I kinda had the rug pulled out from under me on some family land I've hunted all my life and after me asking over a month ago before the other guy who is not family and has 350 acres they own behind their house they got the green light to hunt it and apparently it didn't matter that I'd already asked as I do every year just out of common courtesy as I do every year.

Re: Food plot shapes [Re: fladeerhntr] #2953107
11/11/19 07:43 PM
11/11/19 07:43 PM
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 25,635
Fayetteville TN Via Selma
jawbone Offline
Freak of Nature
jawbone  Offline
Freak of Nature
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 25,635
Fayetteville TN Via Selma
A biologist will tell you that irregular shaped plots are better. I don't know why, but they do. Of course, the biologists are not the ones disking an irregular shaped plot after an already long day on a tractor. I think making sure to leave some cover on the edges is probably more important than the shape for us since we are hunting on a place trying to re-establish wild quail.


Lord, please help us get our nation straightened out.
Re: Food plot shapes [Re: fladeerhntr] #2953113
11/11/19 07:46 PM
11/11/19 07:46 PM
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 30,910
Clanton, AL
Out back Offline
Grumpy Old Man
Out back  Offline
Grumpy Old Man
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 30,910
Clanton, AL
Let the terrain and cover dictate the shape. Try to keep the bulk of the open area on one side of the hill or terrace. If possible the south or east side. Then keep it near thick cover and even provide some cover within the field.


My opinions and comments are my own. They do not reflect the position or political opinions of Aldeer or any of the Aldeer administration.
Re: Food plot shapes [Re: fladeerhntr] #2953129
11/11/19 07:54 PM
11/11/19 07:54 PM
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 21,543
Awbarn, AL
CNC Offline
Dances With Weeds
CNC  Offline
Dances With Weeds
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 21,543
Awbarn, AL
There was a guy that spoke at a seminar in Auburn one time on making your land more "huntable".....This guy was a life long deer and habitat manager....I forget his name....He had a big Texas looking mustache.....What he suggested was to have most of your food plots to be long and narrow about like you're describing.....But instead of making it a completely straight line......He made them in sorta like a line a drunk would drive.....like a gently curved "S". You could see still a good straight line down it but it took away that feeling of the deer being so exposed to a long opening. He felt like the bucks used that type of "lane" better. These lanes were 300-500 yards if I recall

Last edited by CNC; 11/11/19 07:56 PM.

The Corn Crash!!!
Re: Food plot shapes [Re: CNC] #2953173
11/11/19 08:42 PM
11/11/19 08:42 PM
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 3,589
Jackson County
C
CD Offline
10 point
CD  Offline
10 point
C
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 3,589
Jackson County
Originally Posted by CNC
There was a guy that spoke at a seminar in Auburn one time on making your land more "huntable".....This guy was a life long deer and habitat manager....I forget his name....He had a big Texas looking mustache.....What he suggested was to have most of your food plots to be long and narrow about like you're describing.....But instead of making it a completely straight line......He made them in sorta like a line a drunk would drive.....like a gently curved "S". You could see still a good straight line down it but it took away that feeling of the deer being so exposed to a long opening. He felt like the bucks used that type of "lane" better. These lanes were 300-500 yards if I recall



Was it Mark Thomas? He used to post on here as caribouhunter but I haven’t seen him post in ages. I took some continuing ed classes where he was the instructor. All were highly informative.

Re: Food plot shapes [Re: CD] #2953179
11/11/19 08:46 PM
11/11/19 08:46 PM
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 21,543
Awbarn, AL
CNC Offline
Dances With Weeds
CNC  Offline
Dances With Weeds
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 21,543
Awbarn, AL
Originally Posted by CD
Originally Posted by CNC
There was a guy that spoke at a seminar in Auburn one time on making your land more "huntable".....This guy was a life long deer and habitat manager....I forget his name....He had a big Texas looking mustache.....What he suggested was to have most of your food plots to be long and narrow about like you're describing.....But instead of making it a completely straight line......He made them in sorta like a line a drunk would drive.....like a gently curved "S". You could see still a good straight line down it but it took away that feeling of the deer being so exposed to a long opening. He felt like the bucks used that type of "lane" better. These lanes were 300-500 yards if I recall



Was it Mark Thomas? He used to post on here as caribouhunter but I haven’t seen him post in ages. I took some continuing ed classes where he was the instructor. All were highly informative.


Yep....that was him. thumbup


The Corn Crash!!!
Re: Food plot shapes [Re: fladeerhntr] #2953182
11/11/19 08:48 PM
11/11/19 08:48 PM
Joined: Jun 2013
Posts: 52,010
Gee's Bend/At The Hog Pen
James Offline
Freak of Nature
James  Offline
Freak of Nature
Joined: Jun 2013
Posts: 52,010
Gee's Bend/At The Hog Pen
I love a long (at least 200) narrow plot! Reckon i like a long narrow plots, because i like hunting roads, if i find a bunch of sign on a road I'm gonna stick a chair somewheres and watch it 😁


How many people am i willing to sacrifice for freedom?
Everyone. All of them...

Do not regret growing older, it's a privilege denied to many!

Re: Food plot shapes [Re: fladeerhntr] #2953198
11/11/19 09:10 PM
11/11/19 09:10 PM
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 8,030
Central Alabama
M
muzziehead Offline
14 point
muzziehead  Offline
14 point
M
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 8,030
Central Alabama
My preference would be a horseshoe shaped plot for a killing plot if I had Trees available in the middle to climb or put a lock on. But as far as planting goes I prefer A rectangular 1-1 1/2 acre plot


"Don't cling to Mistake, just because you spent a lot of time making it."
Re: Food plot shapes [Re: CNC] #2953423
11/12/19 07:12 AM
11/12/19 07:12 AM
Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 8,730
bessemer, al
H
hunterturf Offline
14 point
hunterturf  Offline
14 point
H
Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 8,730
bessemer, al
Originally Posted by CNC
Originally Posted by CD
Originally Posted by CNC
There was a guy that spoke at a seminar in Auburn one time on making your land more "huntable".....This guy was a life long deer and habitat manager....I forget his name....He had a big Texas looking mustache.....What he suggested was to have most of your food plots to be long and narrow about like you're describing.....But instead of making it a completely straight line......He made them in sorta like a line a drunk would drive.....like a gently curved "S". You could see still a good straight line down it but it took away that feeling of the deer being so exposed to a long opening. He felt like the bucks used that type of "lane" better. These lanes were 300-500 yards if I recall



Was it Mark Thomas? He used to post on here as caribouhunter but I haven’t seen him post in ages. I took some continuing ed classes where he was the instructor. All were highly informative.


Yep....that was him. thumbup


He lives in the bham area. Has deer and a set of caribou horns in his yard. I passed his yard for years working in his neighborhood. I finally stopped to talk to him one day when I saw him out in his driveway. 3 hours later I left. Does a ton of work spraying invasive species and even lined up some crews to plant pines on a buddies property. He’s a wealth of info


Give me bout 15 more minutes, I was dreamin about beavers..........
Si Robertson
Re: Food plot shapes [Re: hunterturf] #2953471
11/12/19 08:33 AM
11/12/19 08:33 AM
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 21,543
Awbarn, AL
CNC Offline
Dances With Weeds
CNC  Offline
Dances With Weeds
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 21,543
Awbarn, AL
Originally Posted by hunterturf


He lives in the bham area. Has deer and a set of caribou horns in his yard. I passed his yard for years working in his neighborhood. I finally stopped to talk to him one day when I saw him out in his driveway. 3 hours later I left. Does a ton of work spraying invasive species and even lined up some crews to plant pines on a buddies property. He’s a wealth of info


Yeah, I really liked listening to him speak. A lot of his speech on making your property more huntable talked about how so many property owners managed for older bucks but couldn’t kill them because their property wasn’t set up to give them any kind of advantage. The deer had the strategic advantage in its favor. He talked about how a lot of folks who kill older bucks do so because of the set-up….It makes sense too. There’s really not as much to being a “big buck killer” as what folks play up a lot of times….It’s mostly about just the right property and the right set-up. That’s not to say that there’s not good hunters out there….like I was saying in another post….some situations are just better mouse traps.

Last edited by CNC; 11/12/19 08:33 AM.

The Corn Crash!!!
Re: Food plot shapes [Re: CNC] #2953494
11/12/19 09:06 AM
11/12/19 09:06 AM
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 9,375
Jasper, AL
J
joshm28 Offline
14 point
joshm28  Offline
14 point
J
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 9,375
Jasper, AL
Originally Posted by CNC
Originally Posted by hunterturf


He lives in the bham area. Has deer and a set of caribou horns in his yard. I passed his yard for years working in his neighborhood. I finally stopped to talk to him one day when I saw him out in his driveway. 3 hours later I left. Does a ton of work spraying invasive species and even lined up some crews to plant pines on a buddies property. He’s a wealth of info


Yeah, I really liked listening to him speak. A lot of his speech on making your property more huntable talked about how so many property owners managed for older bucks but couldn’t kill them because their property wasn’t set up to give them any kind of advantage. The deer had the strategic advantage in its favor. He talked about how a lot of folks who kill older bucks do so because of the set-up….It makes sense too. There’s really not as much to being a “big buck killer” as what folks play up a lot of times….It’s mostly about just the right property and the right set-up. That’s not to say that there’s not good hunters out there….like I was saying in another post….some situations are just better mouse traps.


I’m in 100% agreement on leased land hunting. But when it comes to killing good bucks on public land then those hunters are a step above most everyone myself included.

A buck can view a big rectangular food plot from any one vantage point around the perimeter. A “V” shaped plot, or turkey foot, or “L” can give us hunters an advantage. In some situations the bucks will be required to enter the field in order to look for hot does.

Re: Food plot shapes [Re: fladeerhntr] #2953515
11/12/19 09:38 AM
11/12/19 09:38 AM
Joined: Mar 2018
Posts: 657
South Baldwin
J
JayHook2 Offline
4 point
JayHook2  Offline
4 point
J
Joined: Mar 2018
Posts: 657
South Baldwin
nothing to do with shape BUT your best dirt is going to be in a bottom. Huge majority of Alabama plots are on hills where the there was a loading deck and in most areas the soil is thin and poor. If I had my choice and I could put it where i wanted I would start with good dirt.

Re: Food plot shapes [Re: muzziehead] #2953572
11/12/19 10:33 AM
11/12/19 10:33 AM
Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 6,095
Anniston, AL
ikillbux Offline
ishootatbux
ikillbux  Offline
ishootatbux
Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 6,095
Anniston, AL
Originally Posted by muzziehead
My preference would be a horseshoe shaped plot for a killing plot if I had Trees available in the middle to climb or put a lock on. But as far as planting goes I prefer A rectangular 1-1 1/2 acre plot


This. We had "The Horseshoe Plot" on our lease for years, was BY FAR the best plot I've ever hunted on. I visited a friend's club last year and they have a plot called "The Turkey Foot", it was really neat. They had a ladder stand at the head (think about where the turkey's ankle would be) and then three loooooooong strips angling off like the turkey's toes. Each strip was probably 200 yards long and 30-40 yards wide, and it was built dead smack in the middle of a huge block of thick planted pines. Only problem is I felt like a one-eyed cat watching three rat holes rofl


We were on the edge of Eternia, when the power of Greyskull began to take hold.
Re: Food plot shapes [Re: fladeerhntr] #2953578
11/12/19 10:36 AM
11/12/19 10:36 AM
Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 6,043
AL
BamaGuitarDude Offline
12 point
BamaGuitarDude  Offline
12 point
Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 6,043
AL
some interesting shapes & why they did it that way in this video -


Last edited by BamaGuitarDude; 11/13/19 11:00 AM.

ALDeer physics: for every opinion, there's an equal & opposite opinion

A wise man can learn more from a foolish question than a fool can learn from a wise answer.
Re: Food plot shapes [Re: fladeerhntr] #2953855
11/12/19 03:48 PM
11/12/19 03:48 PM
Joined: Nov 2014
Posts: 13,018
Montgomery, Alabama
jaredhunts Offline
Puts sugar in his cornbread!
jaredhunts  Offline
Puts sugar in his cornbread!
Joined: Nov 2014
Posts: 13,018
Montgomery, Alabama
I dont think there is a magic shape or size. Location matters.


It be's that way sometimes.

www.sunpoolcompany.com
Re: Food plot shapes [Re: fladeerhntr] #2953898
11/12/19 04:41 PM
11/12/19 04:41 PM
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 2,640
Sweet Home Alabama
H
hosscat Offline
10 point
hosscat  Offline
10 point
H
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 2,640
Sweet Home Alabama
When I replanted pines at my place after it was clear cut I made multiple long "lane" type plots. One is almost a turkey foot with the road making the outside toes and the main lane the middle. Another one is an "L" shape, and one is not really a "V" but more of an obtuse angle with a shooting house in the notch of the angle. Most of them are only 20 yards wide, which may be an issue getting enough sunlight to grow well once the pines get larger, but I wanted maximum acres back in pines.

These lanes have been great and I see way more deer than I used too. I was able to place stands in such a way that I can get in and out with minimal pressure. I have long straight rows when bushhogging/planting. In my mind it has made a noticeable improvement to my hunting.

Re: Food plot shapes [Re: fladeerhntr] #2953906
11/12/19 04:51 PM
11/12/19 04:51 PM
Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 4,609
Alabama
R
Rmart30 Offline
10 point
Rmart30  Offline
10 point
R
Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 4,609
Alabama
I like the turkey foot idea myself with the lanes.. In most places Ive hunted I think I see more mature bucks on smaller tighter fields rather than large open wide ones.
Fields on skidder trails and intersections are some of my favorite spots.


Ethical behavior is doing the right thing when no one else is watching - even when doing the wrong thing is legal. Aldo Leopold .. (except when it comes to trailer tags)
Re: Food plot shapes [Re: fladeerhntr] #2953925
11/12/19 05:13 PM
11/12/19 05:13 PM
Joined: Aug 2018
Posts: 5,121
Georgia and Missouri
Semo Offline
12 point
Semo  Offline
12 point
Joined: Aug 2018
Posts: 5,121
Georgia and Missouri
if all else is equal then more edge should be preferred biologically speaking. But other factors are more important in my opinion. More edge doesn't lead to easier hunting, growing, or planting.

Aspect, soil type and depth, and light (how much you want depending on your soil moisture/aspect) should be top of the list.

however, location on property is really important. I've got a 400 acre piece that has about 10 acres in foodplots. the problem is they are all on the south end of the property-by the gates. With a south wind it is next to impossible to sneak in. plus if a person wants to hunt other areas you've got to scare every thing off to get there. So, it really limits morning hunting to a few stands...or you just say the hell with it and drive through.

Last edited by Semo; 11/12/19 05:13 PM.
Re: Food plot shapes [Re: ikillbux] #2953962
11/12/19 05:50 PM
11/12/19 05:50 PM
Joined: Mar 2018
Posts: 106
Alabaster, Al.
J
Justin Brown Offline
3 point
Justin Brown  Offline
3 point
J
Joined: Mar 2018
Posts: 106
Alabaster, Al.
Originally Posted by ikillbux
Originally Posted by muzziehead
My preference would be a horseshoe shaped plot for a killing plot if I had Trees available in the middle to climb or put a lock on. But as far as planting goes I prefer A rectangular 1-1 1/2 acre plot


This. We had "The Horseshoe Plot" on our lease for years, was BY FAR the best plot I've ever hunted on. I visited a friend's club last year and they have a plot called "The Turkey Foot", it was really neat. They had a ladder stand at the head (think about where the turkey's ankle would be) and then three loooooooong strips angling off like the turkey's toes. Each strip was probably 200 yards long and 30-40 yards wide, and it was built dead smack in the middle of a huge block of thick planted pines. Only problem is I felt like a one-eyed cat watching three rat holes rofl


Was the club you visited in Perry County? If it was I've hunted "Turkey Foot" too and it was a great place to spend a morning or afternoon.

Re: Food plot shapes [Re: Justin Brown] #2953971
11/12/19 06:06 PM
11/12/19 06:06 PM
Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 8,387
A
Atoler Offline
14 point
Atoler  Offline
14 point
A
Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 8,387
Originally Posted by Justin Brown
Originally Posted by ikillbux
Originally Posted by muzziehead
My preference would be a horseshoe shaped plot for a killing plot if I had Trees available in the middle to climb or put a lock on. But as far as planting goes I prefer A rectangular 1-1 1/2 acre plot


This. We had "The Horseshoe Plot" on our lease for years, was BY FAR the best plot I've ever hunted on. I visited a friend's club last year and they have a plot called "The Turkey Foot", it was really neat. They had a ladder stand at the head (think about where the turkey's ankle would be) and then three loooooooong strips angling off like the turkey's toes. Each strip was probably 200 yards long and 30-40 yards wide, and it was built dead smack in the middle of a huge block of thick planted pines. Only problem is I felt like a one-eyed cat watching three rat holes rofl


Was the club you visited in Perry County? If it was I've hunted "Turkey Foot" too and it was a great place to spend a morning or afternoon.



In suttle?

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