As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
In Alcorn County, a good deer season starts long before opening day — it starts with a well-planted food plot. And the difference between a patchy, weed-choked plot and one that pulls deer in all fall often comes down to one thing: how evenly the seed went down. A good broadcast spreader lays clover, wheat, or brassicas out in a consistent pattern instead of dumping it in clumps, and it saves your back compared to a hand-crank bucket and a prayer.
The five spreaders below are all well-reviewed on Amazon and built for the kind of work Alcorn County hunters actually do — from a chest-mount hand crank for small kill plots tucked in the timber, to a 130-pound tow-behind that can cover half an acre in one fill. Prices on Amazon move around, so always check the live price before you buy.
1. Agri-Fab 45-0463 130-Pound Tow Behind Broadcast Spreader — the big-plot workhorse
If you’re planting plots measured in acres instead of yards, this is the one. The Agri-Fab 45-0463 holds 130 pounds of seed or fertilizer in a rustproof poly hopper — enough for roughly half an acre (about 25,000 square feet) per fill — and hooks to any ATV, UTV, or lawn tractor with its universal hitch. It throws a 10- to 12-foot pattern, and the seat-operated flow control lets you adjust the spread rate without getting off the machine. The enclosed gearbox keeps dirt and dust out of the drive gears, which is exactly the kind of thing that matters on a dusty farm road in late summer.
Capacity: 130-lb rustproof poly hopper — covers ~1/2 acre per fill
Spread width: 10-12 feet, with seat-operated flow control
2. Moultrie ATV Food Plot Spreader (50 lb) — the affordable ATV mount
For the hunter who already owns an ATV, the Moultrie food plot spreader is the simplest way to put seed down evenly. It’s a 50-pound tapered poly hopper that mounts to your ATV with a quick-release universal bracket, driven by a heavy-duty 12-volt motor — wire it to the battery and you’re rolling. The adjustable manual shut-off gate lets you dial in the flow for anything from tiny clover seed to pelleted fertilizer. At around $110, it’s the cheapest powered option in this roundup, and it’s sized right for the half-acre plots most North Mississippi hunters plant.
Capacity: 50-lb tapered rustproof plastic hopper with quick-release bucket
Drive: Heavy-duty 12V motor with adjustable manual shut-off gate
The Boss Buck is built like it was designed by people who plant plots for a living — because it was. The 80-pound hopper bolts to any 2-inch receiver hitch on your ATV or UTV, and the standout feature is the wireless remote: push a button on the handlebar control and the spreader starts or stops. No leaning back over the rack to work a gate while you’re trying to drive a straight line. The adjustable nozzle and hopper slide valve handle everything from fine seed to corn-size material, and a 4-prong tail light adapter is included in the box.
Capacity: 80-lb hopper; 2-inch receiver hitch mount for ATV/UTV
Control: Wireless push-button activation from the seat
Adjustability: Adjustable nozzle + hopper slide valve for seed to corn-size material
When you need to cover ground fast, the UTVS16’s 30-foot spread width cuts your passes in half. This 15-gallon (150-pound) rust-proof poly spreader mounts to a 2-inch receiver hitch and runs off a sealed 12-volt motor, with an adjustable shut-off gate so you can dial the rate from light seeding to heavy fertilizer application. The 8.5-foot wiring harness reaches the battery on most side-by-sides, and the lid keeps moisture out of your seed on a humid September afternoon. It’s the premium pick for hunters planting multiple plots across a lease.
Capacity: 15-gallon (150 lb) rust-proof poly hopper with lid
Spread width: Up to 30 feet — the widest pattern in this roundup
5. EarthWay 3100 40 lb Chest Mount Hand Crank Spreader — the backcountry pick
Some of the best spots in Alcorn County aren’t reachable with an ATV — a small clearing deep in the timber, a logging road pinch point, a kill plot tucked behind a creek. That’s where the EarthWay 3100 earns its place. It’s a 40-pound poly hopper you wear on your chest with a backpack harness, driven by a hand crank, throwing an 8- to 15-foot pattern. The 3-hole dual-port adjustable shut-off gives you 180 degrees of precision control, the gearbox is sealed and maintenance-free, and a rain cover is included. EarthWay markets it specifically for wildlife and deer food plots, and it’s the right tool for places a machine can’t reach.
Capacity: 40-lb rustproof poly hopper; chest-mount with backpack harness
Match capacity to your plots: A chest-mount hand crank is perfect for small kill plots under a quarter acre. Once you’re planting half an acre or more, a 50- to 80-pound ATV spreader saves hours — and if you’re working multiple plots across a lease, the 130- to 150-pound tow-behind or receiver-hitch units are worth every penny.
Seed size matters: Tiny clover seed needs a precise, low-flow gate; corn-size material needs a wide-open valve. Every spreader above has an adjustable gate or slide valve, but dial it in with a test run on the driveway first — calibration beats guessing.
Don’t skimp on the drive: Food-plot work is dusty work. Spreaders with sealed gearboxes and enclosed motors (like the Agri-Fab and the Buyers UTVS16) keep grit out of the moving parts and last more seasons.
Timing is everything: In North Mississippi, fall food plots typically go in from late August through early October, when rain chances return. Get the seed in the ground before a rain and let nature do the watering.
The Bottom Line
For most Alcorn County hunters, the decision comes down to plot size. Big plots and multiple sites? The Agri-Fab 130-pound tow-behind at around $250 is the best value per acre you’ll find. ATV-only and want the easy button? The Moultrie at around $110 gets you spreading this weekend. Planting deep-woods plots a machine can’t reach? The EarthWay chest-mount at around $170 is built for exactly that. Whatever you pick, even coverage is what grows the plot — and the plot is what grows the deer.
Jon R Myers is the executive editor of Alcorn County News and the founder of the Mississippi News Group, which he started in 2013 to cover communities across North Mississippi. He also founded the Mississippi Sports Group in 2006, which grew from a single community publication into a statewide network covering high school and college athletics. He reports on local government, public safety, schools and community life in Corinth and Alcorn County, working from public meetings, agency records and interviews with the people involved. Contact him at editor@alcornnewsms.com with news tips or corrections. For a correction, include the article link and supporting source material.
Stay connected
Your community. Wherever you are.
Follow Alcorn County News on Facebook for local news from Corinth and across Alcorn County.
