I thought this would be a good time to go back and talk about our goals with our food plots�.why we do what we do and the realistic effects that we can accomplish. One of the big goals for me besides reducing inputs is improving the output of my fall cereal grains. Many of us, including myself, have small plots of maybe 1-2 acres or less and in the winter it doesn�t take long for the deer to eat the plots down to a nub. This is the time of year when small food plots play a much more significant role for us than during the summer. If there is any time of the year when I want my food plot to be productively producing forage�its FAR more during hunting season than during the summer.

This is why I choose to spend my summer months trying to turn my soil into the same stuff that many of us saw in Mama�s garden beds. I can�t really take a half acre or acre food plot and grow enough summertime deer forage to make a significant difference other than providing the deer with an expensive snack. It does me little good or gives me little return for my investment. However, I can take that same half acre or acre plot during December and January and create a major draw for the local deer herd�..if I can make the plots wintertime output keep up with the browsing. This can be greatly improved by spending the summer months working more on soil health rather than worrying with trying to make the cover of Farmer�s Digest with a � acre of peas.