Best Food Plot For Turkeys [Breakdown + Ranking]

Food plots are excellent for attracting and maintaining wildlife and game for the best hunting opportunities. Food plots are effective for many species, but most of all, turkeys. The trick is to use the right food plots to attract turkeys and maintain a healthy turkey population.

The best food plots for turkeys are clover, soybean, and cereal grain food plots. These plants offer the most nutrition for turkeys and provide an excellent environment for the population. Planting a combination of these plants will be the best option for a turkey food plot.

Turkey food plots are even more effective than food plots for other game. Planting the right seed at the right time is essential for turkey food plots. Let’s look deeper into the best food plots for these birds and rank the most commonly used plants to find the best options.

How Effective Are Food Plots For Turkeys?

Most hunters consider planting food plots for game such as deer, but food plots are even more effective for attracting turkeys than they are for deer.

A good turkey food plot will attract several birds, and if the plot is really good, it will maintain a good population of turkeys in the area and keep them relatively close by.

Food plots are extremely effective for turkeys for several reasons:

Plants for food – food plots provide tender shoots for turkeys to eat, which they are more than happy to do, especially in the spring. Most species of plants that produce green shoots are a treat for turkeys after the fruitless winter.

Insects and worms – lush food plots are a magnet for all types of insects and worms. These critters will multiply in such an area, and in turn, will become a significant food source for turkeys. This is especially attractive for hens in the breeding season.

Strutting – open food plots, especially plants that grow low to the ground, such as clovers, make perfect strutting areas for toms.

Nesting areas – hens like to build their nests on the edge of bushy areas, which will be the edge of a food plot. The hens will build nests along the shrub line and be even more attracted by the good source of food and strutting toms. Food plots are the perfect environment for turkey hens.

Which Food Plots Are Best For Turkeys?

We have established that turkeys are very attracted to good food plots. However, not all food plots are as effective for turkeys as others so which are the best food plots for turkeys?

Clover – all varieties of clover are excellent for turkeys, but their preferred type is Pennington Durana. These plants are perennial; this means they will provide a year-round food and insect source for turkeys. The low height of these plants provides excellent strutting grounds as well. Clover requires much more maintenance and preparation than other food plots.

Cereal Grains – plants such as wheat, oats, and rye are ideal for turkeys, and they can even become a food source for you. These plants are easy to plant, very easy to maintain, and require almost no preparation pre-planting.

Sorghum – sorghum produces large seed heads, which are favored by turkeys. This plant draws more turkeys than corn due to the seed head size. Sorghum is drought tolerant and only grown around 3ft tall, which makes it accessible for turkeys.

Millet – this annual warm-season grass is good for turkeys due to the high insect population that it attracts and the large seed heads that it produces. All millet grasses are good for turkeys, but the best varieties are the quick-growing grasses, as these yield the best results in the shortest time. 

Soybeans – these legumes are an excellent food source for turkeys, particularly in the fall and winter months. Plant soybeans for a winter food plot for turkeys to keep them around your favorite areas all year long. These plants offer more protein than almost any other turkey food plot, which helps to keep the birds healthy.

Corn – this is another winter season food plot option for turkeys. Corn is not the most nutritious plant, but it will help turkeys pack on fat due to its high levels of carbohydrates. Corn can be a challenge to maintain and grow well, but it does grow quite quickly compared to other food plot plants. 

Chufa – another inter food source for turkeys, are the tubers that grow underground on the root system of the Chufa plant. These tuners are similar to nuts and provide a good source of nutrition for turkeys. Turkeys thoroughly enjoy these plants, but they have to scratch the food up from underground to access it.

Buckwheat – This is a great plant to combine with other food plot plants. Buckwheat takes more time to fully mature than other food plots plants, but it does improve soil condition, which helps other plants to yield more crops. Buckwheat is still a good source of food for turkeys on its own and will attract many insects. 

Turkey Food Plot Plant Rankings

There are so many good food plot plants for turkeys, so we have taken the time to compare the most commonly used and most effective turkey food plot plants and rank them according to 10 categories:

• Height – how the plants grow, which limits how well the turkeys can utilize the plant. Turkeys like low plants.

• Maintenance – how challenging the pant is to maintain.

• Preparation – how much land prep must be done before the seed can be panted. Low amounts of preparation score higher rankings.

• Food Yield – how much turkey food the plot produces.

• Nutrition – how nutritious the plant is for turkeys.

• Longevity – how long the food plot will last and how many years it will yield a crop. A longer lifespan earns higher rankings.

• Accessibility – how accessible the food is for turkeys. More accessibility earns better rankings.

• Resilience – how resilient the plant crop is.

• Insects – how many insects and insect varieties are attracted to the food plot for turkeys to eat.

• Preference – how well turkeys like the food source and prefer it over other food plots.

Here is a table of the turkey food plot ranking results:

Category	Clovers	Cereals	Sorghum	Millet	Soybean	Corn	Chufa	Buckwheat
Height	10/10	7/10	5/10	6/10	9/10	4/10	7/10	5/10
Maintenance	5/10	10/10	8/10	8/10	8/10	4/10	8/10	6/10
Preparation	3/10	10/10	8/10	7/10	5/10	6/10	8/10	7/10
Food Yield	10/10	8/10	7/10	6/10	10/10	7/10	7/10	6/10
Nutrition	8/10	7/10	7/10	6/10	8/10	5/10	7/10	6/10
Longevity	9/10	7/10	10/10	7/10	9/10	5/10	7/10	7/10
Accessibility	7/10	6/10	6/10	6/10	10/10	4/10	5/10	6/10
Resilience	7/10	10/10	10/10	6/10	10/10	5/10	7/10	7/10
Insects	7/10	8/10	8/10	9/10	7/10	5/10	4/10	10/10
Preference	8/10	7/10	7/10	8/10	7/10	6/10	7/10	6/10

Wrapping Up

According to the rankings, the best food plots for turkeys are clover, soybean, and cereal grains. 

Each of these plants has its own strengths and a few weaknesses, but the best possible option is to plant a variety of these plants in tandem. 

Turkeys enjoy variety, and planting a variety of these plants in the same food plot will keep the turkeys fed all year, last through droughts and cold winters, and keep plenty of turkeys living, nesting, and strutting in the area for as long as the plot has food.