The amount and quality of preparation you do during the spring and summer months can mean the difference between success and failure in the whitetail woods come fall. That goes for getting your hunting equipment in tip-top shape, touching base with landowners or acquiring new properties to hunt, scouting and deploying scouting cameras, placing treestands and ground blinds — and if you own or lease property it probably means putting seed to dirt and nurturing the results. And that means power tools. Fortunately, there is a wide assortment food plot implements — tractors, seeders, mowers, etc. — available to fit any food plot project, big or small — that will provide the horsepower to create those food sources that will attract deer and keep them on your property, and provide the nutrition to ensure their health.
And then to supplement those efforts there are, well, supplements — such as minerals licks, salt bocks, attractants, additives, complementary feed and the like. This added “deer candy” reinforces the premise that your property is a great place to hang out — that it provides those essentials for a good life. On the micro level, placement of food pots and supplemental attractants determine the best locations for treestands and ground blinds to ensure you get the greatest return for your efforts come hunting season.
Only when you have crossed all of your T’s and dotted all of your I’s will you reap the rewards of a well-planned season that begins to unwind months before you take to the deer wood with rifle or bow in hand. With that in mind, here are some top-shelf land/deer management tools and products that will get you off on the right foot as you prepare for a successful 2020-21 whitetail season.
Tools of the Trade
Renew’s Firminator Food Plot Implement
The Firminator by Renew’s Outdoor Equipment is an all-in-one — disc, seeding system and cultipacker — food plot implement for creating vibrant food plots from start to finish. The operator can choose from a wide range of angle and pitch adjustments to perform many different functions. If a first-time site is heavy with debris, the disc angles can be set aggressively along with a heavy forward tilt for deeper penetration. If a minimal till operation is desired, the angles and pitch can be adjusted to just slightly cut through top litter without excessively disturbing the soil. With the Firminator there is no need to disc the soil with other equipment first. MSRP: $10,650/standard 8-foot model. (678) 544-4400
Monroe Tufline SF500 ATV Spreader
With a 52-inch wide wheelbase and 18x9½-inch pneumatic tires, Monroe Tufline’s SF500 ATV spreader makes it easy to spread seed, fertilizer, salt and any other granular material in any type of terrain. The SF500 comes with a 600-pound capacity large payload hopper that translates into more efficient work. It has a speed sensitive system to reduce waste and distribute evenly. Spread up to 40 feet with a 180-degree spread pattern or 90-degree spread pattern to the left or right. Built with a heavy frame, heavy cast gearbox and easy leaver control disengage system, these units are available with a stainless or poly hopper. The SF500 comes with a standard 1-7/8-inch ball coupler hitch/2-inch coupler optional. MSRP: $2,014. (662) 328-8347
Moultrie 30-Gallon Gravity Tripod Combo
Moultrie’s 30-gallon Gravity Tripod Game Feeder with included all-in-one timer/spinner kit disperses feed up to four times a day, for a duration of 1 to 20 seconds — or the feeder can be operated with the adjustable-flow gravity dispenser. The gravity kit has three feeder funnels with adjustable flow and does not require power from any source. The spinner kit will operate up to four months on four AA batteries. Built on tough square metal legs, the feeder’s 30-gallon hopper holds 200 pounds of protein feed or corn. The Moultrie 30-gallon Combo Feeder offers flexibility and flawless operation for land managers who want a dependable way to feed their deer herd. MSRP: $199.99.
Plotmaster Hunter 300
The smallest in the Plotmaster Hunter series, the Hunter 300 all-in-one planting system is designed for even the most rugged environments, including hard, virgin soils that have never been cultivated. It has a new heavy-duty Linear Lift System that can be used to raise and lower the unit for transport and to control proper depth for tillage and planting. It comes with a one-point hitch system so it can be pulled by ATVs/UTVs (300cc or larger) or large lawn tractors. Or the operator can change out the One-Point Hitch System with the Three Point Conversion Connector (sold separately) for use with any 20- to 40-horsepower tractor. The Plotmaster combines a flexible metal grating drag, disc, seeder and packer all in one unit. MSRP: $4,949. (888) 629-4263
Brillion Food Plot Seeder
Built on an all-welded, one-piece steel frame, Brillion’s Food Plot Seeder will not flex or slip out of adjustment. Its unique floating three-point hitch is attached to the front of the frame and the 18-inch disc blade gangs are adjustable for angle of operation and mounted rigid to the underside of the frame. The miniature S-tine cultivator segment is adjustable for depth of operation through a series of holes on the main frame and the complete cultivator segment can be removed if desired. The seed boxes are mounted to the top of the frame and are driven from the pulverizer/packer roller, also attached to the frame. Optional coil tine levelers and the utility box also have mounting positions on the main frame. MSRP: NA.
DR Power Field and Brush Mower
The DR 14½ HP PRO 26 mower comes equipped with electric-start, more brush-busting capacity, power steering and independent disc brakes for improved tracking and traction. It’s a great choice for hilly properties because it has a full-pressure oil pump that provides plenty of lubrication to all parts of the engine when mowing on slopes up to 20 degrees. Users will enjoy the convenient turn-key electric start, because they will never have to leave the operating position to start or stop the machine. This model’s extra muscle (481cc vs. 344cc for the 10½ HP model) provides the power needed to cut through saplings up to 2½ inches thick. MSRP: List/$2,899.99. (800) 687-6575
Great Plains NTS Seeder
For smaller seeding tasks that don’t require a full-on no-till drill, Great Plains offers its economical, easy-to-operate NTS Seeder. Available in 7-, 9- and 11-foot widths, the NTS Seeder makes quick work of renovating pastures and planting food plots. Each unit comes standard with a main seed box and a small seed box — or add an optional factory-installed native grass box to simultaneously plant a variety of crops from the smallest clovers to the fluffiest native grasses. A four-speed gearbox makes changing seed rates quick and effortless. A manually adjustable, spiked front roller controls how aggressively the soil is prepared, as the spiked rear packer, ground-drive roller drives the metering unit and firms the seed in place. MSRP: NA. (800) 270-9302
AMCO Wicked Warrior Disc
A well-maintained food plot can dramatically boost land managers’ odds of attracting wildlife such as deer and wild turkeys to their properties — which often translates to a more successful hunting season. While cheaper, smaller discs can’t take the abuse of repeated passes each year to clear ground, AMCO food plot discs make the case that an investment in a larger disc harrow will offer a great return. The Wicked Warrior is the ideal choice for food plot seedbed preparation. This three-point disc is sized for use with small horsepower tractors, and its true tandem design results in a smooth soil finish that’s ready for seeding or sodding. MSRP: NA. (800) 748-9022
Food Plot Seeds and Trees
Boss Buck Boss Blend Premium Food Plot Seed
Boss Buck Premium food plot seed is a great solution for turning that secluded, hard-to-reach whitetail honey hole into a lush, low-maintenance food plot. This new no-till seed blend is made in the USA using only a professionally selected mix of annual ryegrass, rape, radish and red clover and will grow in high-, moderate- and low-shade areas. Boss Blend creates a self-replenishing and highly palatable food source that will help attract and hold deer on any property. And here’s the best news: No soil preparation is required with Boss Blend. Simply scatter it directly on top of exposed soil and pray for rain. A 5-pound bag will cover ¼-acre or 11,000 square feet. MSRP $14.99. (877) 269-8490
Whitetail Institute Imperial Whitetail PowerPlant
When it comes to maximizing antler size, it’s critical to provide deer with an abundant source of protein during spring and summer that’s highly palatable and able to withstand heavy grazing pressure. PowerPlant from Whitetail Institute is carefully designed to do just that. It includes drought-tolerant, highly attractive forage soybeans and peas, along with sunn hemp, another legume variety that’s extremely attractive to deer. PowerPlant can be sprayed with Whitetail Institute’s Arrest MAX herbicide to control grass if it appears in the plot shortly after planting. It is designed specifically for spring and summer, and should be planted only after spring soil has reached a constant temperature of at least 65 degrees day and night. MSRP: $64.99/25-pound bag/plants 1 acre. (800) 688-3030
Chestnut Hill Dunstan Chestnut Trees
Dunstan chestnut seedling trees, available from Chestnut Hill Nursery & Orchards, are the most widely planted chestnut trees in America. They combine excellent nut quality and tree form with blight resistance (not immune). Dunstan chestnut trees have been grown successfully from Maine and New York, west to Illinois and Wisconsin and south to East Texas and Florida. They are a great choice for commercial and backyard orchards and are great for attracting deer and other wildlife to a property. Dustan chestnut trees are easy to grow, begin to bear nuts at only 3 to 5 years of age and produce heavy annual crops (never skipping a year like oaks) of very large, sweet tasting (no tannin) nuts. MSRP: $24.95/each. (386) 462-2820
Supplemental Feeding
MonsterMeal Feeder Pellets
Protein plays a critical role in weight gain, milk production and bone matrix development in deer. But protein levels can be deceiving. High levels of protein do not ensure that a deer’s body uses it efficiently. Some proteins might be too rich or lack palatability, which might cause digestive distress or reduced feed intake. MonsterMeal Feeder Pellets have been formulated to provide optimal levels of digestible protein and include necessary vitamin and mineral supplements for improved nutrition. They are specifically manufactured to be weather resistant for less waste and sacrifice nothing when it comes to attraction and palatability. The pellets have a sweet apple aroma and high-energy output to promote a healthy deer herd. MSRP: $27.99/40-pound bag.
Big & J Pour-It-On
Corn is a popular go-to for hunters who use feeders to attract and hold deer on their property. But what if they could make their feeders work even better and draw in more deer? Pour-it-On from Big & J creates a nutritional benefit and strong aroma that attracts deer and keeps them in the area. Simply mix the granular attractant with corn at bait sites or in feeders or use it by itself. It can be used any time of the year but provides a critical benefit to herd health during the post-rut when deer are in need of vital nutrition to survive the harsh winter weather. MSRP: $12.99/6-pound bag; $19.99/20-pound bag; $36.99/40-pound bag. (866) 210-7781
Evolved Habitats Deer Cane Black Magic Rack Rock
Evolved Deer Cane Rack Rock is a great product for attracting and keeping deer on a property. This 100 percent natural mineral rock supplement and attractant provides all of the essential and trace minerals that are vital to antler growth, digestion, reproduction and muscle development in deer. And all of those benefits can be applied without any fuss with this easy-to-use mineral rock with long-lasting drawing power. Rack Rock works year-round and won’t wash away — in fact, a good rain will allow it to saturate the soil for a longer life. It’s ready to use with no mixing required. MSRP: $12.99. (225) 638-4016
Lucky Buck Mineral Supplement
Lucky Buck Mineral supplements a deer herd’s diet with minerals that not only make them healthier, but also provide the boost bucks need to develop bigger, better racks. Lucky Buck Mineral was developed with ratios of minerals that deer love, mixed with an ingredient that will limit the amount they want to eat — unlike attractants that include grain or molasses, which cause deer to overeat. For the best results, Lucky Buck Mineral should be used year-round, and it couldn’t be easier to apply. Just dump it on a stump, log or even on the ground. Be sure to follow local regulations for baiting/feeding deer. MSRP: $48 for two 20-pound buckets (minimum order). (888) 816-2786
Red Trail Outdoors Monster Rack Evolution
Monster Rack Evolution from Red Trail Outdoors is a granular attractant formulated to draw deer from great distances. Developed by hunters for hunters, extensive field testing on wild deer herds resulted in a product that produces real-world results. Packed with essential vitamins, minerals, Omega-3s and protein makes MRE an essential supplement for the year-around overall health of deer. Use as an additive/topper to an existing feeding station or clear a small area and spread MRE over the ground. Once deer get a taste they will keep coming back for more. Monster Rack Evolution comes in two flavors: apple and persimmon. MSRP: $15.99/ 10-pound bag.
