A Message from RAY SCOTT Founder of the Whitetail Institute of North America
Happy Food Plotters
O …food plotting goes well beyond just planting and even hunting. It creates a satisfying and gratifying lifestyle... planting food plots is work, but it’s fun work and that makes all the difference.
ver the past 30-plus years we have had the pleasure and privilege of watching the Whitetail Institute grow and help greatly improve deer hunting across North America through improved nutrition and responsible whitetail management. At the same time, it appears we have also improved the personal lives of many hunters and land managers. Specifically, we have heard many heartfelt accounts of lives changed for the better through spending more time on the land and the enjoyment and pride of watching food plots grow. It’s pretty basic, I think. There is something about the hum of a tractor slowly disking soil under a blue sky. A man can think... or just relax... or get away from the stresses of modern life. And there’s the ultimate thrill of watching those first green sprouts peeking through the dirt... and feeling the satisfaction of a job well done and the anticipation of the hunt to come. This food plot revolution began in 1988 with the introduction of a single product — Imperial Whitetail Clover. It was the first product developed specifically for the very unique needs of whitetail deer. Since that time the Institute has developed several dozen additional deer nutrition products. And along with those products came countless articles and planting instructions, sending enthusiastic (and hopeful) hunters and
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managers to the woods and fields, many for the very first time. These hunters and land managers were necessarily introduced to the basics of planting. And most have made it clear they loved getting their hands in the soil and watching their plots grow. It was nothing short of a revelation and a revolution. It became obvious we had created a parallel universe of dedicated, near-professional farmers with avid hunters/planters watching weather conditions from their desk jobs and workplaces, anticipating their next step in the food plot and habitat improvement process. I think that’s why I really appreciated the upbeat article by Mark Olis, “Plotting for Work or Fun” on page 7. In his assessment, food plotting goes well beyond just planting and even hunting. It creates a satisfying and gratifying lifestyle. He concludes that planting food plots is work, but it’s fun work and that makes all the difference. He also states that “food plotters are happier people.” I can’t say that was our mission in 1988 but we’ll happily own it.
Ray Scott
www.whitetailinstitute.com
