If you live in a suburban or rural area near a park, forest or game reserve, you might find periodic deer sightings one of the more charming features of where you live. By creating an oat foraging plot on your land, you can help ensure the deer come straight to you every autumn, perhaps continuing into the winter and early spring. All you need to do is choose the right spot, sow your oats and then wait for the leaves to start changing colors.
Mark the corners of your oat forage plot by driving stakes into the ground with a rubber mallet. Choose a reasonably flat area that has consistent moisture and receives full sunlight for much of the day, such as a flatter, lower slope facing the sunrise.
Dig out all the weeds inside your plot with a mattock. Get the blade of the mattock under the root, and pull the entire plant out of the ground.
Cultivate the ground down to a depth of 6 inches with a rototiller.
Scatter oat seed around your forage plot, in much the same fashion as you might spread grass seed. If you have a seed spreader, use that instead.
Rake the seed into the soil with a garden rake, so the oat seed is buried about 1 inch deep.
Tamp the soil down with a lawn roller.
Things You Will Need
- Rubber mallet
- Oat seed
- Seed spreader (optional)
- Garden rake
- Lawn roller
- A logical spot for an oat forage plot is on ground that has already seen a late summer or early autumn harvest. This eliminates the need to break new ground.
- Deer may become attracted to more than just your oats. If you have a flower, fruit or vegetable garden near the oat plot, the deer will munch on those plants as well. On the other hand, if you have a large property, planting an oat forage plot far away from your garden, vineyard or orchard can serve as part of your strategy for steering deer away from your more desirable plants.
- In USDA Hardiness Zones 10a and 10b, freezing damage to your oats is unlikely, so they may remain viable through the winter and into early spring.
- Since deer will eat certain flowers, fruits and vegetables, you may wish to consult with your neighbors before sowing an oat forage plot. You might love the deer, but they might not.
- Planting oat plots to attract deer for hunting is illegal or regulated in some areas under state hunting regulations. Check with your state fish and game agency regarding local rules.
- Ablestock.com/AbleStock.com/Getty Images