Smallest food plot you’d split in half

[H80Hunter]

All my “main” plots (0.5 acres or more) I split half and half and do half brassicas and half cereal grains.

I have a small kill plot that’s only about 0.1 acres. I’m thinking of just doing cereals but it just got me wondering what the smallest plot you’d bother trying to split in half would be. Any thoughts on seed blends for micro plots?

 

[SD51555]

All my “main” plots (0.5 acres or more) I split half and half and do half brassicas and half cereal grains.

I have a small kill plot that’s only about 0.1 acres. I’m thinking of just doing cereals but it just got me wondering what the smallest plot you’d bother trying to split in half would be. Any thoughts on seed blends for micro plots?

I wouldn't focus on splitting. I'd focus on timing the forage preference of the deer.

The smaller the plot, the lower on the desirability scale you need to go. For me (far northern MN) that means rye. Rye will be the last thing deer target on my place, and that is perfect because the last two weeks of foraging happens to be rifle season. Then the feet of snow fall and it all goes to sh*t.

I would also add a forage cereal. Pay the few extra bucks per back for an improved cereal that gets taller, has wider leaves, and resists maturing much longer as the temps cool. It's a combo of tonnage and delayed attention by the deer. Get that right, and you'll have deer there late in the season.

 

[SD51555]

On my place, the forage timings go something like this:

Labor day: acorns
Sept 15th: alfalfa
October 1st: chicory and plantain
October 15th: Clover and forage cereals
November 1st: Rye
December 1st to spring: Browse

 

[TWalter91]

I think a lot of that depends on deer density and food available in your area. I know for me if I were to split a half acre plot with brassica on one side and grains on the other, the brassica side would get demolished before it even has a chance to grow. I would have to have atleast a 2 acre plot for me to consider doing that. I am more of a fan of mixing everything and planting a diverse blend.