Food plots are they ruining your hunting? Becky asked Mike and Karl about foodplots hunting them locations on where and when to hunt them. Do we think they are ruining your hunt? Heck ya we think so here is why.

The consensus among many seasoned hunters is that while food plots are excellent for habitat and herd health, hunting them incorrectly or too often can absolutely ruin your hunting opportunities by educating deer to avoid the area during daylight hours. The key issue is not the food plot itself, but the hunting pressure and access/exit strategies surrounding it.

Here is a breakdown of why food plots can seem to ruin your hunt, and the general locations and times recommended for hunting them effectively:

Why Food Plots Can Ruin Your Hunt

Educating Deer: The biggest problem is overhunting, which quickly teaches mature bucks to only visit the plots after dark. Deer are highly sensitive to human presence (scent, sight, sound) and will adapt their movement patterns to avoid danger.

Poor Access Routes: If your entry and exit routes to the stand cross through staging areas or bedding cover, you will spook deer before you even settle in, making the entire area unproductive. Unrealistic Expectations: Many hunters expect deer to appear in daylight simply because a plot exists. If the plot lacks adequate nearby cover, or is in a high-pressure area, deer will not feel secure enough to use it during the day.

Focus on the Wrong Time/Location: Hunting destination plots (large, primary food sources) is often ineffective for mature bucks, who prefer to use staging areas just inside cover before committing to the open plot at dark.

Locations and When to Hunt Them

Instead of hunting directly over the main food source, experts like Mike and Karl (implied from the user's prompt context and general hunting advice) advocate for a more strategic approach: Hunt Staging Areas: The most consistent success for mature bucks is found in transition areas or "staging areas" between bedding cover and the main food plot. Set up stands in these locations (often 50-100 yards away from the plot itself) where bucks feel safer during daylight hours. Use "Sanctuary" Plots: Designate certain high-quality plots as sanctuaries where you never hunt. This gives the deer a safe place to feed, encouraging consistent use of your property. Plan Access First: Only place stands where you can access them without being detected by deer. Access and exit routes should be planned based on prevailing winds and terrain to remain scent-free and out of sight.

Match Plot Type to Season: Early Season:

Small staging plots near bedding areas are highly effective. The Rut: Focus shifts to doe bedding areas and travel corridors, with food plots being effective during specific conditions or in conjunction with these other areas. Late Season: Large, nutritious destination plots (like standing grains or brassicas) become more valuable as other food sources diminish.

Hunt Sparingly: Hunt premier food plot locations only a maximum of one or two times per season, and only when conditions are perfect (e.g., the right wind, just before a weather front). Ultimately, food plots are a powerful tool for habitat management, but success in hunting them depends heavily on managing hunting pressure and employing smart, strategic positioning away from the main food source to ambush deer in more secure, natural movement areas.

Mike and Karl, hosts of The Obsession Podcast, have discussed how fog can influence deer movement, noting that the condition of the fog—its density and duration—plays a role in hunting success. They and other hunters have observed both positive and negative scenarios for buck movement depending on the fog's characteristics. Findings on Fog and Deer Movement Here is a summary of the points discussed by Mike and Karl, supported by general hunting consensus: Positive Scenarios (Good Fog): Increased Sense of Security: Many hunters, including those sharing opinions on Facebook, believe deer feel safer and more likely to move in the fog due to reduced visibility, which they use to their advantage. Delayed Morning Movement: Deer may move later into the morning, especially as the fog begins to lift or "burn off," providing opportunities for hunters who stay in their stands longer. Enhanced Scenting Conditions: The high humidity and dampness associated with fog can increase a deer's ability to smell, potentially making them move more cautiously but also providing advantages to a hunter who manages their wind effectively. Negative Scenarios (Bad Fog): Extremely Diminished Visibility: Very dense fog significantly limits a hunter's visibility, making it difficult to spot or take a clean shot at a distance, which can decrease confidence. Secretive Behavior: Some research suggests that whitetails become more secretive and movement can be minimal during periods of dense, unsettled weather associated with low-pressure fronts that bring fog. Scent Pooling: The dense air in foggy conditions can cause scent to "pancake" or hug the ground, making wind direction crucial and increasing the risk of a deer smelling the hunter and spooking. Summary of Best Practices Based on their experiences and documented findings, the guys suggest: Stay in the stand longer, past first light, as movement may occur later in the morning. Be meticulous with scent control and pay strict attention to wind direction, as scent behaves differently in dense, humid air. Set up in locations where you anticipate deer movement once the fog begins to clear, such as field edges or transition areas, as movement often increases right after the fog lifts. What specific type of terrain do you typically hunt in when faced with foggy conditions, and would you like some tips for setting up in that environment?

2025 end of year discussion the good and the bad from this season things we learned, and some things we want to forget! Karl and Mike discuss the season. We also hit on a couple of your questions and thank you all for watching this season. We share the success from many of our listeners. Happy New year to all of you, and as always we appreciate each of you. Thanks for watching.

The biggest whitetail mystery? The guys are asked in thier minds what is the biggest whitetail mystery? Karl and Mike sit down and discuss a few of the major things they have seen over the last 30 plus years of hunting that has been the hardest to understand, or to try and figure out why the whitetails do what they do. Let us know what you think is the hardest thing to figure out when you are hunting your areas. Put it right here in the comments lets have a discussion we want your opinions. As always thanks for watching we apprecaitae each of you, and we hope you had a Merry Christmas. 2026 is just around the corner.

The Core Contradiction of letting deer grow and holding them on small properties? The conflict lies between the goal of growing mature bucks and the reality of small property limitations.

"Letting Them Grow" (The Goal):

To harvest mature bucks (often 3.5 to 5.5+ years old), you have to pass on younger bucks.

The mantra is "Let them go, so they can grow."

This requires a long-term investment of time and restraint. "Holding Them" (The Problem):

Home Range vs. Property Size: A mature whitetail buck's home range is typically much larger (often 640+ acres or a square mile) than most small hunting properties (e.g., 20, 40, or 80 acres).

The Risk: You cannot physically "hold" a free-ranging buck on a small property 100% of the time. When you "let him grow" and he wanders off your property (which he inevitably will to feed or breed), he is at risk of being harvested by neighbors who may not share your management goals.

The Paradox: By improving your land to hold more deer, you may attract more bucks, but you also risk feeding and housing them only for them to get shot the moment they cross your fence line.

Common Discussion Points on This Topic

Becoming the "Core" Area: Accepting that you can't hold a deer 24/7, but striving to be the place where he spends his daylight hours (bedding) or feels safest.

The Sanctuary Concept: Designating a large percentage of a small property as a "no-go" zone for humans so deer feel virtually unpressured, encouraging them to stay during daylight.

Neighborhood Co-ops: Trying to build relationships with neighbors to get everyone on the same page about age-structure goals (though this is often difficult).

Attraction vs. Pressure: The balance of improving habitat (food plots, timber stand improvement) without pressuring the deer off the property with too much human activity.

"We discuss the self-defined 'hunter' versus 'killer' labels on social media. Honestly people, what the hell is with the killer labels in social media? The word 'killer' should never be associated with hunters or hunting. A killer is in jail! A good hunter is a totally different thing!

The guys talk about this label that many hunters nowadays think is a sign of excellence. In reality, it's disrespectful to hunters in general and makes us all look bad in the public eye. Being a good hunter starts with respect for the game you are hunting. We talk about excitement, respect, and remorse—the three main things we think every hunter in the world experiences with the harvest of any animal he or she pursues.

As always, we want to hear your thoughts. Leave them right here in the comments. We appreciate each of you! Have a great week and good luck out there if you are still hitting it hard." #theobsessionpodcast #hunting #deerhunting #outdoorlife #bowlife #hunting #landmanagement #huntingtips #whitetailhunting #whitetailhunting #huntingtips #outdoorlife #huntingethics #rushoutdoorswi #iamatthegymwhereareyou #iaminthewoodswhereareyou #bowandarrow

Social media and how much worse it keeps getting our rant on this subject. The guys sit down and talk about what they have seen change this year even more then the past few years on social media. We discuss what we see happening good and bad in our industry. Is all of this B.S killing hunting? Are you actually learning anything, and most importantly. How do you guys feel about what you are seeing here on social media? We really want to here your views so leave a comment here in the comment section on our Youtube channel. As always thanks for watching and we appreciate each of you. Have a great week we will see you next Saturday.

Deer gun season starts and the Wisconsin DNR puts out deer #'s in the state. Well its gun season here in Wisconsin. We wish everyone good luck and be safe out there. The guys are heading to North Dakota to chase whitetail with a bow. But before they left that talk about the crazy number the Wisconsin DNR says we have for deer they also hit on gun deer season in our state. Expectations and thoughts for success. Besafe and we appreciate each of you. Good luck. #theobsessionpodcast #deerhunting #bowhunting #huntingseason #huntinglife #deerseason #huntingtips #whitetail #whitetailhunting #huntingtips #iminthewoodswhereareyou #strengthinthehuntpowerinthegrind