About J. Wayne Fears

Deer love corn, so I want to plant corn in all my food plots.”

I hear this a lot from first time deer managers who are new to planting and managing food plots. It is true that deer do love corn – a warm-season annual grass – and under the right conditions, corn can be a good food plot crop. However, just because deer love it doesn’t mean it’s the best food plot crop for you and your deer management program.

Pros & Cons of Corn

Before we discuss the “how” of planting corn (Zea mays), let’s first take a look at some of the advantages and disadvantages of corn as a deer food plot crop. This may help you decide if corn is right for your food plots or not.

Advantages:
• Deer love corn, so it is an attractant.
• Corn provides deer with carbohydrates and fat, the energy they need when going into winter.
• Corn not only provides deer with high energy food, but standing corn also provides deer with cover for bedding, travel lanes, and protection from cold winds.

Corn provides deer with carbohydrates and fat to survive hard winters.

Disadvantages:
• Deer love corn, and where their population is high, they will eat small food plots of emerging corn to the ground. If corn is used in food plots, the plots should be at least five acres or larger in size.
• Other species of wildlife also love corn, so the food plot may be eaten by other critters as well as deer. Raccoons have been known to wipe out the corn grown in small food plots and to dig up most of the newly planted seed in small plots.
• Corn is drought-prone and requires a lot of water.
• Corn is low in protein (5% to 9%), and protein is what deer need to produce large antlers and healthy fawns.
• Corn requires a lot of fertilizer, especially nitrogen, making it a more expensive food plot crop.
• Corn, in its early stages, does not compete very well with weeds.
• Corn is hard on soil and needs to be rotated out of a food plot every three years or so. Check with your county agent.
• Food plots with rough land, poor drainage, or low fertility will not grow a good corn crop. Corn requires well-drained, fertile soils that farm equipment can get into easily.
• Corn requires more farm equipment to plant and manage than most food plot crops.

Corn does not do well in areas of low rainfall or where soil is not fertile. A good rule of thumb when considering corn is that if farmers in the area grow corn, then you probably can too, on large food plots with good seedbeds and following good farming practices. If in doubt, visit the local Cooperative Extension Service office and get advice from the county agent.

	Corn left standing in a food plot all winter provides deer with cover and food.

Type and Variety to Plant

Many deer managers like to plant sweet corn as a food plot crop, so they can eat some also, but based on my experience, you have to plant a lot of sweet corn in order to get a good mature crop, because raccoons and other pests love sweet corn and will eat it before it fully matures. This leaves little for fall and winter deer food.

The best corn to plant for deer food plots is field corn. Choose late-maturing varieties if you want to leave corn standing in the plot for winter feeding. Avoid white corn and silage corn. There are many varieties of field corn and many that are designed for the region of the U.S. where you plan to plant. The best way to select a variety is to visit corn farmers that farm near your property or visit the local Cooperative Extension Service office and get a recommendation from the county agent.

Size of Food Plot

Size makes a difference when planting corn for deer food plots. First, if you plan on planting in rows, and doing a good job of weed control, the larger the field the better. Also, if there is a heavy deer population in the area, small plots may not withstand heavy feeding from deer, raccoons, crows, and so on when the crop is first planted.

I have seen the best results in food plots that are at least five acres or larger.

Seedbed Prep & Planting

Small food plots of corn in areas of heavy deer populations seldom do well.

Corn should be planted in spring when the soil temperature reaches 60+ degrees. Corn does best with conventional row planting. Plant at a rate of 5 to 10 pounds of seed per acre, at a depth of 1½ inches. Space seeds about 8 inches apart; rows should be about 36 inches apart. If broadcast planting, prepare a clean, well broken-up seedbed and broadcast at a rate of 15 pounds of seed per acre. Cover at a depth of at least 2 inches.

Following the recommendations of a soil test is a must for corn because it requires a lot of fertilizer, especially nitrogen, and a pH of 6.0 to 7.0. Be sure to fertilize according to your soil test, and have a goal to produce 100 bushels of corn per acre.

Depending upon the variety, corn usually germinates in about 6 to 10 days and matures in 80 to 120 days.

Weed Control

If corn yields are to be high, weed control will be a must, but this requires specialized equipment such as cultivators or boom-sprayers. If herbicides are not used, plan on cultivating the corn about three to four weeks after seed germination. If you plan on using herbicides, consult with the local county agent for recommended herbicides for the variety of corn you have and the region where your plots are located, and ask about available spray equipment.

	Raccoons, squirrels, crows and other pests love corn and will compete with deer for the crop.

Managing Your Plot

Corn takes a lot out of soil fertility, so plan on rotating your plots planted in corn every three years or so, depending upon the recommendation of your county agent. Rotation also helps prevent corn diseases.

Corn also requires a lot of water. If you live in a drought-prone area or your soils are poor at holding moisture, you may want to consider a food plot crop other than corn.

Consider Working With a Local Farmer

Corn is not a throw-and-grow food plot crop, so if all the conditions are right on your property for growing corn, but you do not have the farming experience or equipment to plant and manage corn, consider contracting with a local corn farmer to plant your food plots. His experience and equipment can go a long way toward growing 100+ bushels of corn each year, and feeding deer well into the winter.