April Dirt Work: Food Plots & Gobblers

Written by: Ryan Reading, Fall Obsession Field Staff

April may not fall within deer season, but don't let that fool you—it's one of the most important months for hunters serious about stacking the odds in their favor come fall. As gobblers hammer from the treetops and green shoots push through thawed soil, April gives us a rare opportunity: to chase longbeards at sunrise and build better habitat by lunch.

At Fall Obsession, we believe in year-round whitetail preparation—and spring is where that foundation is laid. From food plots to turkey hunts, April offers a window too valuable to waste.

Mornings for the Birds, Eyes for the Bucks

There's something about an April sunrise. The woods shake off winter's grip. Turkeys thunder from the roost. Dew clings to your boots as you slip along a field edge with a call vest strapped tight.

If you're chasing longbeards this spring, you're already ahead of the game. But don't overlook what else the woods are telling you. Every silent pause between gobbles is a moment to scout. Trails beaten down by late-season movement still linger in the mud. Rubs from rut-crazed bucks mark travel corridors that deserve a second look. Fresh green shoots along the treeline show you where deer will feed first.

Spring turkey season is more than just a call-and-response game. It's boots-on-the-ground time that reveals critical patterns for fall. At Fall Obsession, we talk a lot about making your time in the woods count—and turkey season is a golden scouting window that shouldn't be wasted.

Midday Muscle: Planting Plots That Work for Both Species

When the woods quiet down and the turkeys hit the shade, it's time to shift gears. April is prime time to turn dirt. The soil is warming. Rain is steady. Weeds haven't taken hold yet. If you're looking to build a better deer season, now is the time to act.

Start with a soil test. It's not glamorous, but it's foundational. Your pH and nutrient levels will make or break a food plot. Once you've got that data, you can dial in your fertilizer and lime needs to get the most out of your seed. Most pelletized lime should be implemented a minimum of two months prior to planting. Freeze thaw action can help work the lime into the substrate.

Cool-season blends like clover and chicory thrive in April/May. They establish early, grow deep roots, and provide critical nutrition through summer and early fall. These plots are a magnet for whitetails—but here's the added bonus: turkeys love them too.

Young clover fields are hotspots for spring gobblers. The soft soil draws in bugs. The open layout gives birds a strutting zone. And hens love to feed through these plots in the mornings. If you're strategic, you can build plots now that serve double duty: feeding your turkey hunts in the short term and drawing deer come fall.

Whether you're planting small kill plots or larger nutrition fields, your goal should be the same—strong seed-to-soil contact. Clean your plot of debris, spray early, and work the ground. Even with minimal equipment—just a sprayer, spreader, and drag—you can get great results.

Strategic Builds: Laying a Fall Blueprint

Deer season may be months away, but the decisions you make now can shape how bucks move through your property this fall.

Use what you've learned from shed hunting. Where you found antlers tells a story—who survived, where they wintered, and where food was available late. Let that information influence your plot locations and access routes.

This is also the ideal time for light habitat work. Hinge-cutting, opening up browse lines, or even creating mock scrapes now can influence deer behavior months down the road. Early trail camera placement on mineral sites if allowed or green plots gives you a jump on summer intel, especially when bucks begin growing velvet and showing back up on the grid.

Balance the Load: Chasing Gobblers, Growing Giants

April isn't about choosing one passion over another—it's about embracing both. Mornings are for listening to gobblers thunder across the ridge. Midday is for sweat equity—dragging implements, spraying fields, and laying seed pending how many acres of food plots you incorporate and what location you reside in.

The beauty of this season lies in the rhythm: a call at dawn, a shovel by noon, and a camera check before sundown. So don't waste the window. April is the start of something bigger. It's where your fall obsession begins.

Final thoughts

Many times you’re able to implement plots that will serve for turkey hunting and whitetail hunting. If so, that is great.

If you're not able to do that for any number of reasons, feel free to cater to your turkeys and spring deer through summer. You always have the option later during summer, around August, to replant a new plot for winter whitetails. You can till or crimp and drill new seed for winter plots. It will all depend on where you hunt and how your habitat is set up

On a side note, I’ve always been a fan of dirty plots. What do I mean by dirty plots? Glad you asked. What I mean by saying this is, I stay away from manicured food plots. I prefer sectioned off plots tall grasses or sorghum. I create plots that are surrounded or have cover walls. This will always attract bucks because there is more cover and during early breeding season while the bucks are making scrapes they will have to visit all your sections of food plots looking for does. If a buck can stroll down a ridge and see everything, he has no need to enter into that plot until last light or dark. If he has to cruise 3-4 acres of plots all broken up by high grass or plot screens, your chances of taking him increases He is spending more time on your land now because he’s searching for doe in late October and November, so let’s keep him there traversing these multiple screened plot. The more time that buck stays on your land, the better the off the hunter is. This will allow more chances at harvest. 

Use your intel from where and when bucks traversed the landscape the year prior and use that as a guide for the following years sets that need to be moved. Strap on your boots and start this season right!

 Lastly, I also recommend having all your stands and sets placed by July 1st. That may seem a few months away but it will approach fast. One reason is because less intrusion and mainly because come August, most are handling fall plots and don’t have time to handle both situations without gumming up the woods to much. Good luck…