Food Plot Size Calculator
Kill plots work best at 0.25–0.5 acre, destination plots at 1–3 acres — and almost every seed and lime rate on the bag is per acre. Outline your plot on the satellite map below to get its real acreage, or size a new plot before you ever clear ground.
Why plot acreage is the number everything else hangs on
Seed rates, lime tons, and fertilizer bags are all quoted per acre, so a wrong acreage guess compounds into every input you buy. Eyeballed plot sizes are notoriously generous — a “half-acre” kill plot is often 10,890 square feet of actual dirt (a quarter acre), which means half the clover seed and half the lime you were about to spread. Measure once and the rest of the plan is arithmetic.
- Search the property or pan to it on the satellite map.
- Tap the corners of the plot — openings in timber are usually easy to see against the canopy.
- For a plot you're planning, sketch the shape you intend to clear and check the acreage before the tractor shows up.
- Read the result in acres, then apply the per-acre rates below.
How big should each plot be?
| Plot purpose | Typical size | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Kill / hunt plot | 0.25–0.5 acre | Small and tight to bedding — deer feel secure entering in daylight |
| Destination / feeding plot | 1–3 acres | High-volume forage on field edges; draws and holds deer on the property |
| Total program | 1–3% of the property | Common land-management rule of thumb across whitetail habitat guidance |
For scale: a half acre is 21,780 square feet — a square about 148 feet per side. Several small plots spread across the property beat one large one for huntability, because deer travel between them during shooting light.
Seed and lime rates per acre (typical)
Typical broadcast rates for the common deer plot plantings. Blends print their own rate on the bag — use that when it differs — and drilled seed goes in at roughly two-thirds the broadcast rate.
| Planting | Seeding rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| White clover (perennial) | 6–8 lb/acre | Frost-seed or fall plant; mow to maintain |
| Red clover | 10–12 lb/acre | Faster establishing, shorter lived |
| Brassicas (rape, turnip, radish) | 4–6 lb/acre | Late-summer plant for fall/winter draw |
| Cereal rye | 90–120 lb/acre | Most forgiving fall grain; grows in poor soil |
| Oats | 80–100 lb/acre | Sweet early draw; winter-kills in the north |
| Winter wheat | 90–120 lb/acre | Fall draw plus spring green-up |
Lime: soil-test first — it's a few dollars through your county extension office. Wooded ground that's never been amended commonly needs 1–2 tons of lime per acre to move pH toward the 6.0–7.0 range where clover and brassicas actually use the fertilizer you spread. Multiply tons per acre by your measured acreage: a 0.4-acre kill plot needing 2 tons per acre takes about 0.8 tons — sixteen 100-lb bags, which is worth knowing before you commit to hauling it in on an ATV.
Worked example: a measured 0.35-acre kill plot in white clover at 7 lb/acre needs about 2.4 lb of seed. The same plot in cereal rye at 100 lb/acre needs 35 lb — one 50-lb bag won't cover it.
Measuring plots with no cell signal
Plenty of plots can't be measured from imagery at all — new clearings that aren't on the satellite photos yet, or narrow lanes under canopy where the opening never shows. That's the case the iPhone app is built for: download the map for your property before you leave home, then walk the plot's edge and hands-free GPS drops points as you move, phone in your pocket. Cut out the rock pile or wet spot you can't plant, and the net acreage is what you take to the seed dealer.
Related tools
Frequently asked questions
- How big should a food plot be for deer?
- Kill plots hunt best at 0.25 to 0.5 acre — small enough that deer feel secure using them in daylight and any shot is in range. Destination feeding plots run 1 to 3 acres and do the volume work of holding deer on the property. A common rule of thumb is to put 1–3% of your total acreage into plots, split across several locations rather than one big field.
- How many acres of food plots per deer?
- Common guidance is that an acre of quality, well-maintained plots contributes meaningfully to the feeding needs of several deer, but the real number swings widely with region, natural browse, mast crops, and surrounding agriculture. That's why the useful starting point is measuring what you already have: most hunters overestimate their existing plot acreage, then wonder why plots are grazed to dirt by October. Measure first, then expand toward the 1–3% guideline.
- How much seed do I need per acre for a food plot?
- Typical broadcast rates: white clover runs 6–8 pounds per acre, brassicas 4–6 pounds, and cereal grains like rye, oats, and wheat 80–120 pounds per acre. Multiply the rate by your measured acreage — a half-acre kill plot in clover needs only 3–4 pounds of seed. Overseeding at double the rate wastes money and, for brassicas, produces crowded plants that never bulb.
- Can I measure a food plot from my phone in the woods?
- Yes — the Field Area Measure Map iPhone app is built for exactly this: download the map area before you leave, then walk the plot's edge with GPS and the app drops boundary points automatically as you move, no cell signal needed. That's the practical way to measure a plot under canopy where you can't see the boundary on satellite imagery. Your measurements save with notes and photos so you can plan seed and lime orders at home.