Let’s cut straight to the chase− food plot screening is a major underutilized step of food plotting. It’s vital for deer to feel safe when feeding, and screening a food plot is on the top list of highly effective solutions.
Screening food plots have benefits, including daytime feeders, lower stress levels, bedding opportunities, and hunter access. The best way to screen a food plot is to use a combination of short-, mid-, and long-term screening varieties. Also, remember to test and fertilize the soil before planting.
Screen plots significantly reduce the risk and stress of feeding for the entire deer herd and create advantages for hunting. That said, let’s look at why and how to screen a food plot.
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Why Should You Screen A Food Plot?
First and foremost, deer need to feel safe when feeding, and without effectively screening your food plot, Whitetails will perceive the plot as a risk to the herd.
Therefore, the value of your food plot’s daytime attraction levels closely links to how well the deer can hide within your food plot.
Screening your food plots is helpful in several ways. So, let’s take a peek into the advantages of a visual barrier or screen plot.
A Screen Provides A Sense Of Security To Wildlife
Deer instinctively prefer staying in or close to cover areas instead of being out in the open. A screen will immediately transform your open field or food plot into a more secure opening for deer to enter.
In addition, a screened food plot will be ten times more inviting to wildlife if you have a food plot located in busy areas like close to roads or your house, especially during day time.
A Screen Allows You To Move Freely Without Spooking Deer
A food plot screen will create a visual block for deer while feeding, and it will allow you to move around your property freely without frightening the wildlife.
So, if you have a food plot for the joy of hunting, installing a screen will immediately improve your hunting chances. It will allow you to hunt during daytime (the deer will feel comfortable using the food plot during daylight) and approach the deer without them seeing you.
A Food Plot Screen Creates Buck Bedding Hotspots
Buck bedding is often an advantage few consider when screening a food plot. However, offering a variety of screening covers create a perfect buck bedding habitat.
A doe or buck feels at its safest and most vulnerable in a secure bedding area. Screening your food plots is the first step to lower stress levels for wildlife on your land, ultimately creating potential buck bedding areas for the mature buck on your food plot.
So, using your food plot screen as buck bedding creates another perfect opportunity for hunters to get a shot!
A Screen Encourages More Wildlife Movement
A food plot screen will allow doe groups to feel safe, and it will further encourage rutting buck to move across your property to survey the plot and doe.
In addition, the lush screen provides a safe habitat and escape cover for other small game animals.
All in all, screening food plots are highly beneficial for both hunters and wildlife.
What Should I Use To Screen A Food Plot?
There are three basic categories of cover to screen a food plot, namely, short-, mid-, and long-term screening. While there is no perfect variety to use, there is one crucial strategy: Allowing deer to feel safe and protected through hiding them from you and each other.
Let’s look at the three primary cover varieties:
Short-Term Food Plot Screening Varieties
There are various immediate or short-term screening covers that will create practical visual barriers; however, many are inappropriate as they potentially offer too much of a food source for deer.
For example, corn, sunflower, and attractive sorghums are inappropriate screening sourThis is because these food sources attract deer to forage in the screen, contrary to protecting them each other and from hunters.
The best short-term covers for screening a food plot mainly include annuals such as:
- Egyptian Wheat
- Earthen Berms
- Spring-Planted Winter Rye
- Sorghum Sudan Grass
- Hinge Cuts
My favorite is Egyptian Wheat because of its hardiness, drought tolerance, and astounding heights on average soil types. In addition, Egyptian Wheat is budget-friendly and offers zero nutritional value to deer so that they won’t be chowing into your screen cover any time soon.
Mid-Term Food Plot Screening Varieties
Mid-term covers generally last five to ten years after planting and include various conifers, shrubs, and grasses.
The list of viable mid-term screening options goes on and on. So, here are few examples that I prefer.
- Red Pine
- Austrian Pine
- Jack Pine
- Alder Shrubs
- Hybrid Poplars
- Switchgrass
- Ornamental grasses
Long-Term Food Plot Screening Varieties
Long-term screening varieties are sizeable, handsome, and last over 100 years! However, they take up to 10 years to fully establish. So, they need short-term or mid-term screens to fill the gaps while they mature.
Most long-term screening covers are conifers, such as:
- Red Cedar
- White Spruce
- Norway Spruce
- White Pine
How To Screen A Food Plot?
A combination of the three screening varieties is the best way to go! Consider including at least one of each variety when screening your food plot. However, it is essential to match the available options to bridge the gap and attain your end goal.
- When you plant a combination strip of screen covers next to your food plot, include the following:
- Create a screen around the area of the food plot that is most visible to roads and houses.
- Locate the first screening row 20 to 30 inches from the edge of your food plot, planting your long-term varieties 5 to 7 inches apart.
- Then, plant your second screen 15 inches from the edge of the plot with mid-term varieties.
- And lastly, plant your third, short-term solution directly adjacent to your food plot.
Remember that timing is crucial! So, ensure that you plant your food plot screen early enough to mature fully. For example, sorghum Sudan grass and Egyptian Wheat take approximately 90 days to grow and reach full height. Therefore, late spring or early summer is a great time to start planting these short-term blends.
I further recommend doing a soil test before seeding and adding the necessary fertilizer requirements. However, if you choose not to test the soil, I recommend using 200 to 300 pounds of 19-19-19 or 17-17-17 fertilizer or urea per acre.
Plant your short-term seedlings approximately ½ inch to 1 inch deep using a drill, planter, or the broadcasting method. Then, lightly cover your planted seeds with soil and pray for rain!
Wrapping Up
As you can see, screening a food plot encases many benefits from daytime feeders, lower stress levels, bedding opportunities, and hunter access that aren’t worth missing!
The best way to screen a food plot is to use short-, mid-and long-term screening varieties. However, never use food varieties as screen covers (it defeats the purpose!).
Have you decided which screen is the best for you?
Kevin is the owner of Land Lawn & Garden. In addition to taking a lot of pride in his lawn at home, he also helps manage the family land. You can find more about him here.