Danno,
I have cut and pasted this information for you. Planting food plots is a no brainer!! I live by them!!
Why do I need to plant a food plot when I have all kinds of corn, beans, and hay available to the deer?
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Without question, deer utilize many agricultural crops in their diet. The question, however, would be are these crops supplying the right amounts and the right types of nutrients the deer need for optimal productivity? Also, are these crops providing the critical nutrients all year and especially at the critical times? The answer is No. Corn for instance is used very little in the spring and summer, which is when the majority of antler growth occurs. Furthermore, corn is typically only 8% protein, which is far short in the amount needed for optimal antler growth. Deer will eat the silks in the summer but will not get the majority of the benefit of corn until September and October when deer consume the actual kernels off the cob. Unfortunately, most corn raised for agricultural reasons has been harvested by the end of October so deer receive little benefit from the corn during the more severe months of December, January and February which is when deer actually need energy the most. During these stressful winter months, deer are left to scavenge for corn left on the ground by the combine, which with modern harvesting equipment, amounts to very little. Soybeans are a better source of protein than corn and are consumed in the spring. In most cases, soybeans are consumed only in the early stages of growth. As the plants mature, consumption of the plant and protein content drops significantly. Therefore, soybeans can be a good food source for antler growth and lactation early in the spring, but is only a main part of the deer’s diet for few short days or weeks. As the soybean plant matures and consumption decreases, it becomes less and less of the nutrient supply used to grow antlers and produce milk. Deer will also eat the actual beans after they are formed and ripen. As with corn, however, most of the benefit of these beans are lost to the combine. There are few types of hay utilized by deer in the spring and summer. Grass hays such as timothy and orchard grass are used very little by deer. Grasses in general are used little by deer due to the fact that deer cannot digest grasses as well as other larger ruminants such as cattle. For the most part, grass hays are only consumed by deer when the grass is very young which will account for only a few short days of a food source. Legume hays such as hay varieties of alfalfa and clover are utilized by deer in most cases more than any other agricultural crop. These legume hays are designed for rapid growth and fast maturity to allow several cuttings per year and therefore increase total tonnage. Many times, these legume hays are grown for large ruminants such as beef cattle or dairy cattle. Because cattle have a large rumen, they are able to better utilize mature forages as compared to deer, which have smaller rumens and are less able to digest mature forages. For instance, deer will consume leaves from these forages and not the stems due to the fact that the stems have a low digestibility. What this all means is that deer utilize these agricultural legumes usually only when they are young. Like soybean plants, as the plants mature consumption decreases due to the decrease in digestibility. As stated early, these agricultural legumes are developed for rapid growth to produce tonnage. Therefore, these food sources are normally only used for short periods of time after the hay has been mowed. Again, with hays we see an inconsistent food source. In short, all of these agricultural plantings are designed for agricultural purposes, not for feeding deer. They create nutritional gaps which Imperial Whitetail products fill.
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If your goal is to provide a food source for deer to promote antler growth, lactation and to draw deer to a certain area you should plant a food source designed specifically for deer. This food source must be consistently high in nutrients and high in digestibility especially during the spring and summer. For instance, Imperial Whitetail Clover is designed to stay in a vegetative state longer than hay variety clovers. Furthermore, Imperial Whitetail Clover provides up to 30%-35% protein 12 months out of the year. And when hay variety legumes have turned brown, Imperial Whitetail Clover stays green and productive.
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The best way to sum it up is with this analogy. If a bodybuilder (whitetail buck) is trying to increase muscle mass (antler growth) he must have the right nutrients and consistently have these nutrients available for consumption. A bodybuilder needs large amounts of protein to build new muscle. If all he/she has available is potatoes he will not be receiving the protein needed for optimal muscle growth. Even if there are more potatoes than what the bodybuilder can eat, it does change the fact that potatoes are low in protein and the bodybuilder will not be optimizing muscle growth. Furthermore, if the bodybuilder has protein available 1 day out of the week or 1 week out of the month he again will not be able to optimize muscle growth. The bodybuilder must have the right nutrients at the right times just as a buck must have the right nutrients at the right time to optimize antler growth.
