Cool Season Food Plots Considerations

Cool-season species are not susceptible to drought or weed competition, in most cases, unlike warm-season plantings. One exception may be legumes, which may require delayed planting if rainfall is deficient in the early fall months of September and October. Cool-season species can be planted on either upland or bottomland sites because of cooler temperatures and increased water availability during fall and winter periods. 

Cool season forages commonly consist of oats, rye, ryegrass, wheat, arrowleaf clover, sweetclover, subterranean clover, Austrian winter peas, and brassicas. Various seed companies provide a plethera of cool-season seed mixes that incorporate a number of plants into a single food plot mix. These are often good choices because of the variety of seeds in the mix, at least some of them will be very conducive to the soil type on your property. However, always get a soil test and perform necessary measures to ensure your planting under optimal conditions. Otherwise, you could just be wasting time and money.