When is a high-protein food plot most likely to see low usage from white-tails, according to land management considerations?

Answer

If the natural forbs are booming that year

A critical analytical consideration for landowners implementing food plots is timing relative to the availability of native forage. While food plots supplement the diet, they should complement natural habitat, not simply replace it. If a high-protein food plot is planted and deployed during the summer months when native forbs are experiencing a peak growth period—meaning natural, highly digestible, high-protein food is abundant—deer usage of the artificial plot will likely be low. The true, measurable value of such a plot often manifests when it targets a specific nutritional deficiency in the native diet, which is frequently the late winter protein shortage that occurs after mast crops have been depleted.

When is a high-protein food plot most likely to see low usage from white-tails, according to land management considerations?

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