Plot shape and trails connecting them?

[wisconsinteacher]

Is there a preference of food plot shape? I and L better than a straight north and south plot? Also if you have multiple plots, do you connect them with a dozer or would you take a saw and make a less obvious trail connecting them for the deer to use?

Lastly, what is the narrowest and widest you would make a plot?

 

[Troubles Trees]

As far as I have seen Deer don't care what shape your plot is, plant it and they will come. Once you introduce a new food source the (deer) travel routes will change if they use the new food source.
The biggest factor I personally consider is hunt ability, location/proximity/prevailing wind direction to treestands/blinds.

 

[Natty Bumppo]

There's a lot of variables to consider in your questions. Are you talking small, hidey hole plots...or large destination plots? For small hidey hole plots I prefer lots of inside and outside edge as opposed to big rectangles. Big rectangles are much easier to cultivate and move around with a tractor or ATV. But for small plots it's not a big deal to have irregular shaped plots. I do not think deer have any preference for the shape of plots...hourglass, boomerang, etc.

Connecting plots with trails...for the deer to use or for you to use? If the former, yes a small trail will facilitate the movement of deer from plot to plot if that is your goal. A bulldozer would be overkill. Or, just give it a year or 2 and the deer will make their own trail...then hunt that.

Narrowest and widest...again, that goes back to small hidey hole plots vs. destination plots. I don't have an answer for widest as I don't have large destination plots. Mine are all small hidey hole. I like narrow plots so the deer will be in bow range...but narrow comes at a cost of less light hitting the plot unless you do some serious thinning on the southern edges.

 

[Bassattackr]

Hourglass shapes are popular for food plots - With a stand being erected at the pinch point (center) of the hourglass. Inside corners, low corners are also great sets. Great reference:



My food plots would be based on:

1) Access. Enter, hunt, exit without being detected.
2) Seclusion. An "interior" field or plot sees a lot more action, especially daylight, compared to a field along a road or closer to human activity.
3) Size. Depends on your use, you need to analyze this yourself. Personally, I like 2-4 acre sizes. Large enough to plant beans ( I have ag around me) but also small enough to keep many within bow range. If you aren't planting beans, you can go to a smaller clover/cereal "kill plot" with potentially more increased benefits of daylight use.
4) Terrain. If you're in hillier country like I am. Locating the plot at the intersection of multiple terrain features - Where a ridge logging road meets a draw, etc can be a great strategy as well.

Good luck!

 

[rocksnstumps]

My smallish plots are all connected by a common trail but that is only because that's the only real way to get equipment to them. Think of a wavey string with bulges in spots. That being said the deer do not follow the trail from plot to plot much, they make their own trail which is usually the shortest distance or following some terrain feature which is easy enough to walk thru but I had to loop around for the tractor.

I plot for turkeys as much as deer and do think they following a path or logging road between plots more than deer and maybe a benefit in that instance. Not saying the deer dont follow part of a trail but usually not the entire length. They play using the hill more than a meandering trail.

Just some observations. How flat is your ground?

 

[wisconsinteacher]

My ground is fairly flat. I have smaller benches with small valleys (30-50 yards wide) on my land. The valleys are maybe an elevation change of 20-40 feet. I was thinking about putting the plot on the benches. I walked the potential areas Friday and came up with one that is long and skinny while the other is like a fat L shape. One is 3/4 acre and the other is 1 acre.

 

[Bassattackr]

My ground is fairly flat. I have smaller benches with small valleys (30-50 yards wide) on my land. The valleys are maybe an elevation change of 20-40 feet. I was thinking about putting the plot on the benches. I walked the potential areas Friday and came up with one that is long and skinny while the other is like a fat L shape. One is 3/4 acre and the other is 1 acre.

Both great options, good/easy sizes to work with as well. You can put a stand on the end (or anywhere along an edge) on the long skinny one where you have good access and deer not downwind of you.

The L shape is a prime opportunity for an inside corner set or one at the intersection on the outside (with a view both directions) depending on your access.

 

[PatinPA]

Mine is a hidey hole plot. It's longer and narrow. Probably 60 yds long and 10-20 yds wide. I'm kind of limited by the topography and equipment. Most of my property slopes. This is a bench about 1/2 way down. I'm in the process of making another small plot that I plan on connecting with about a 4-5' wide trail. It's already a natural travel area, I'm just going to give them a better option of travel that's also easier for me to hunt.

 

[yoderjac]

Is there a preference of food plot shape? I and L better than a straight north and south plot? Also if you have multiple plots, do you connect them with a dozer or would you take a saw and make a less obvious trail connecting them for the deer to use?

Lastly, what is the narrowest and widest you would make a plot?

It is really finding the right balance and meeting your objectives. First, if I know where deer bed and how they travel, I want to make sure I an approach the plot without alerting deer with the prevailing wind provided I plan to hunt the plot. I'll often hunt travel routes between bedding and the plot. So, in that case, I need to make sure I can get to a stand in that travel corridor without deer winding me. If I plan to actually hunt the plot, then size and shape matter to me if I'm an archery hunter. For a compound I don't want to shoot more than 25 yards and with a crossbow not more than 35. So, I'd like to be able to identify a stand location where I can reach most of the field. Keep in mind that wind will change, so designing a plot that you can have more than one stand and approach from more than one direction can be helpful. Topography and vegetation have an impact on how deer approach and use plots as well.

So, there is no one answer from a hunting standpoint. Beyond hunting, there are other considerations. How do you plan to plant and maintain the plot? If you plan to use a tractor and implements, you will need a trail that accommodate it. If you plan to plant and maintain by hand, a trail that can accommodate an ATV or UTV is sufficient.

Each place and situation is different. That is where the planning comes in. Spending more time understanding your property and how deer relate to it really helps. Some of my habitat improvements have benefited deer but made them harder to hunt. So identifying objectives is important as well.

Thanks,

Jack

 

[Bill]

No expert but my most effective clover plot is a long winding plot that comes through the timber and ends at a small bean field. 30 yards wide at the widest and maybe 200 yards long. Deer just feed down the clover on the way to the beans. We catch them at the transition.

bull dozer starts building another one this week.