A FOOD PLOT IS:

• Is a planted area set aside to act as a food source for wildlife.
• Generally consists of legumes such as clovers, alfalfa, beans, etc or forage grasses.
• Is used by 8.7 million people spending $699 million across the country for the sole benefit of wildlife according to 2001 United States Fish and Wildlife Service statistics.
• Will provide higher nutritional value plants than what nature had supplied, therefore a higher density and diversity of animals will thrive near a food plot.

• In New York deer populations exceed the carrying capacity of the land.
• Deer have food available to live but not to thrive. This is evident by observing the regeneration of their favorite foods.
• In Central New York the deer will often eat every budding branch tip of preferred winter foods such as hemlock, apple, basswood, maple and oak; effectively pruning the tree into a “bush” that will eventually die from damage.
• As this continues deer will destroy the favored species to the point that non-favored species will begin to dominate; leaving even less food for the deer every year they over-browse.
• The deer start to seriously degrade their habitat if they eat more than 50 percent of the forest browse.
• Plants such as clover and brassica also produce two to three times the protein of woody browse. 
• High-quality mast crops like acorns, apples and grapes provide a good boost in nutrition which helps the deer fatten up for winter.
• The table below displays approximate yield rates.

• If your deer have a lot of prime food they will be healthier and weigh more. This also enables them to raise healthier fawns and grow bigger antlers.
• Having a food plots will also allow your property to accommodate more deer.
• By converting 2% to 5% of your property to food plots you can increase your deer’s body weight and antler size by up 25%.

• Providing cover and water will keep the deer from living on neighboring properties and coming to your property solely for a food source.
• Optimum is about 30% cover to hold maximum numbers of deer. 
• Cover needs to be thick enough that you can't see through it to the other side. This helps deer feel secure and protects them from predators as well as the elements.
• Cover can be:
• Regenerating saplings
• Treetops left from logging or TSI (Timber Stand Improvement)
• Dense evergreen stands.
• Dense young evergreens are one of the best. Evergreens are always taking water from the soil which keeps their trunks well above freezing, meaning that an evergreen stand is warmer in the winter than other areas. Evergreen stands of Hemlock and White Cedar provide good winter browse that can help sustain deer through hard times.
• There is usually enough water around Central New York that it isn't much of a concern. If you don't have a stream or pond on your property you can dig out a spring hole or dig a catch basin to hold runoff. These don't have to be very big, just something to provide an occasional drink
• Food, cover and water are the primary necessities for all life.  Providing them on your property decreases the distance your wildlife has to travel. They use less energy and are less exposed to predation this way. This will allow them to rebound faster from the rigors of the rut and make it through winter without using up all of their fat reserves. When spring comes, your deer will now have a head start; being more able to funnel their energies into fawn and antler growth!

• Cover provides bedding for deer.
• Cover blocks the deer from seeing you.  If they do not see you and you are scent-free and quiet, they are less likely to run out of your hunting area.
• Optimally deer will sneak out just before dark to head towards the food plots - offering you shooting opportunities.
• It is beneficial to have several areas of cover so when you do spook deer they don't run onto your neighbor’s property.
• Deer are very territorial and you can hold more bucks when they aren't confined to the same stand. When bucks know each other they will still bed facing different directions to avoid making eye contact with each other. A dominant buck could run off all the subordinates that he feels are "eyeballing him", so provide them ample cover with more bedding options.