When To Plant Buck Forage Oats: What You Need To Know For Healthy Deer

When it comes to hunting deer, then it’s best to begin setting up and preparing a few things to attract deer! This doesn’t only mean trying out tactics such as a deer decoy or hiding in a hunting blind, but to also use food as a way to keep deer healthy while having a sure space to keep them in one area for hunting. One effective grain to plant would be buck forage oats, which are great for deer. But it might be confusing as to when to plant buck forage oats, especially if you don’t have a green thumb!

So read on as I show you what you need to know about these types of oats and how you can plant them yourself!

What Are Buck Forage Oats?

Buck Forage Oats aren’t your typical type of oats. This is a winter hearty oat which is known as one of the best to feed deer no matter the time or season. It’s been tested against other forages and is the most preferred by deer. These oats are bred to produce plants that are more tolerant of cold weather compared to other types of oats. That means deer can eat these during the winter!

Buck Forage Oats are genetically designed to grow slowly, which results in more tender, tasty, and protein-packed crops that are beneficial and preferred by deer. Another huge plus is that it’s extremely easy to plant!

When To Plant Buck Forage Oats

Buck forage oats are a great type of food to feed deer, but when should you be planting them?

I recommend that you begin planting Buck Forage Oats in the summer, as this is the growing season for deer. Once it is ready by fall, more adult deer will be attracted to the oats, feeding on it to get ready for the winter season. Plus, you’ll be able to save a lot of money when planting these oats during the summer, as it’s a bit difficult having to begin planting during the colder season.

You also won’t need to worry about planting Buck Forage Oats and having it perish during the winter. It can withstand the cold weather, which is why many prefer to plant this for deer. You lessen your expenses of buying food for deer, deer will benefit from its protein, and the oats will continue to grow large and tender throughout the harsh weather conditions, making it appetizing for deer! And did I mention that it’s a cover crop, which can destroy weeds and help maintain your soil’s quality?

Read more: Chicory for Deer: The Facts You Need to Know and How to Plant It

How To Plant Buck Forage Oats

Now that you know about buck forage oats, how do you begin planting them? Here are a few tips to help you out:

1. Choosing A Spot

Make sure that you choose a nice place to plant your oats, where there is a good amount of soil moisture for rapid germination. The area should also be situated somewhere deer would be able to see since there’s no point in planting something where your game won’t be able to visit!

There should also be a lot of wind in the location, so it covers your human scent as you tend to the oats.

2. Preparing The Spot

Before you plant the Buck Forage Oats, remove all existing vegetation by spraying herbicide and disking the soil for up to two weeks. Fertilize the soil as well, using ground lime to increase the pH levels, or elemental sulfur to decrease it if needed. The soil pH must be as close to 7.0 pH as possible for best results.

3. Planting The Oats

Scatter or drill about 100 to 200 pounds of seeds per acre. The plots would have to be disked about four inches deep if you choose to scatter it. If you will be drilling, then it should be two inches deep in the soil. After you have placed the seeds in the area, cover the seeds with about two inches of soil and water. This will spur germination and ensure a balance seed-to-soil contact. And you’re good to go!

Discover more: The Best No-Till Drill For Food Plots: Attract and Help Deer Grow Now!

In Conclusion

Hunting deer isn’t just about using the best scope mounts or guns, but it’s also about strategizing and caring for your game to ensure that they are big and healthy to use as meat or displays when you capture them! And through planting and feeding them buck forage oats, you’ll have an easier time keeping deer in the fields while they grow up for your future hunts.

I hope that this article on when to plant buck forage oats helped you become more knowledgeable on feeding deer. So don’t wait any longer and begin plotting out your crop today!

If you have any questions or would like to share your tips and experiences on planting various types of food for deer (like when to plant turnips!), then comment down below. I would love to hear what you have to think.