In order to attract and retain deer, improve herd health, and provide superior nutrition for antler growth, hunters plant crops called food plots on lands owned, leased, and permitted for deer hunting.

Food plots need to be established using either an ATV or Tractor. Very few people use ATVs since they are so limited in power and utility. The compact line of tractor McCormick sells is perfect for this task. The bigger rowcrop tractors are too big for hunters. The sweet spot will be the 28-55HP models with a loader and probably not the cab versions since a lot of work happens in trees.

Establishing food plots is the same as establishing any crop field. You use a tractor to plow, till, seed, fertilize and lime the field. The only difference is the size of the plots and the plants that are grown. “Food plots” are generally small, like <5 acres and use crops that are specifically designed or suitable for whitetail deer.  Once the plot is established, the tractor is utilized to maintain the plot. This includes cutting, spraying for weeds, and application of fertilizer and lime as needed.

Other uses by hunters are the creation of new habitat which typically starts with a chainsaw and skidding logs out, trail maintenance, and general land chores which can include pulling stumps and rocks with a backhoe, loading fertilizer into a spreader with a loader, digging drainage trenches, putting up fencing on borders and around food plots, etc. The list is endless and limited only by the HP of the unit and your imagination.