By Bill Graves
Maine deer hunters, particularly Aroostook whitetail enthusiasts, mark time for 11 months in anticipation of November — prime time to tag a bragging-size buck. Pine Tree tradition indicates tracking, still-hunting; also referred to as stalking, and waiting on stand as the most popular tactics for spotting or intercepting a whitetail in forest or field. Over the last decade, however, a technique that’s been very productive in Central and Western states for many years is gaining popularity and providing great success for regional gunners.
Man-made food plots planted with specific grasses, vegetables, and mast products began springing up several years ago in southern Maine. It’s no secret that deer hunters have set up tree stands and ground blinds overlooking wild apple trees, acorn ridges and raspberry brambles for many seasons. Any tasty, easy-to-access natural food sources that attract whitetails also attracted smart whitetail hunters. Aroostook’s plethora of second-growth pastures, winter cover crops and harvested grain fields all draw hungry deer, and gunners in field edge brush blinds prosper by taking advantage of cold weather and the animals need to feed.
Harsh winter weather decimated the northern deer population and led to bucks only for many zones and then a limited number of doe permits were issued dependent on each year’s census. Since urban edge and rural agri-land offers a better food supply and fewer predators in the form of coyotes than the “Big Woods,” whitetail numbers are increasing in woodlots and small forested areas nearer communities. A growing number of hunters have noted this change and the increased number of sightings throughout the year, so are concentrating their efforts in these regions.
Since natural food plots are somewhat limited, hunting pressure and overcrowding in prime locations may occur. Downstate where many fields and farms are either posted or strictly controlled, obtaining access to prime whitetail locations can be a daunting challenge. The answer for many “dyed in the wool” deer hunters is to create their own personal food plots. To create these special deer feeding locations requires the hunter either own a small piece of land or be able to lease or at least obtain permission from the landowner to plant and cultivate a deer garden.
Whitetail may be found pretty much everywhere throughout Maine, occasionally even perusing the streets of towns and cities. They are no longer solely a deep woods inhabitant, so it’s not necessary to drive long distances to create and maintain a small food plot for hunting purposes. While some outfitters across the U.S. plow and plant several multi-acre fields to attract whitetails, a simple 60- x 120-foot parcel planted with the right crop will work fine for an individual hunter here in Aroostook. I’m aware of more than a dozen such locations being maintained between Mars Hill and Fort Kent and their creation and use are entirely legal and in no way considered baiting as they are a natural food source.
A wide variety of commercially manufactured annual or perennial seeds for various clovers, alfalfa, tubers, winter greens, oats and peas are available from dependable national distributors with years of experience. Spring plantings work best due to our local climate, and as plants grow throughout the summer, roving deer will discover the delicious new food source, just as we humans find a good restaurant. A well-placed trail camera with a field scan mode will provide dates, times and location for deer, moose and even bear that visit each food plot.
Lucky hunters may have a number of deer visiting randomly and by setting up a tree stand or portable ground blind, the shooter may actually pick and choose a buck visiting his own small shooting preserve. As weather conditions deteriorate with cold and snow, easy nourishment will become even more enticing and random traveling deer may also visit the food plot.
While personal food plots require far more work and time investment than just locating a random wild apple orchard or acorn grove, it’s your own to use as desired without interference. While large-scale plots require heavy equipment to set up, a quarter-acre plot can be established and maintained with a chainsaw, rototiller and a rake and will provide thousands of pounds of supplemental nourishment for area deer.
Deer hunting techniques are changing for a multitude of reasons. Many cling to their grandfathers’ tactics, but a growing number are adapting to current conditions and thereby improving their odds of filling their annual buck tag. Food plots are a proven tool that deserve full investigation; facts, figures and information for getting started may be found on the Internet, in most modern deer hunting books, and in regular articles in the foremost monthly outdoor magazines.
Just a small portion of land, the right seeds, a modicum of desire and a fair amount of physical exertion can catapult your deer season into the future of whitetail hunting as well as more and larger bucks.
