Food Plot Suggestions

[TCounty Hunter]

We have 40 acres of land that has a good bit of open land on it. My parents live there and we do more deer watching that huning on this tract. This is a Unit A property, and the deer herd is not exeptional, but there are a decent amount. We are going to plant several plots on it, and wanted some tips.

2 or 3 plots will be around 1/4 - 1/2 acre in size.

There are some good places we plan to plant long and narrow strips between woods. These strips/logging roads are about 15 feet wide and will be around 200 or so feet in length. There are several of these areas we will plant something. We had a feeder and camera in these areas last year and got some nice activity, so I think they will be productive.

I mainly wonder about he mixture for the 1/4-1/2 acres plots. I saw BSK's mix and it sounds great from what I have read. Should I go with that? (Oats, clover, dex) Do you typically mix the seed together before planting, or plant the field in sections?

I also want to plan the Austrian winter peas. I know this isnt recommended in small plots, but I really dont know how much it will matter in this area, not an abundace of deer, at least I dont think anyway. I am building a 4x6 box stand over one of these plots near the woods where we have seen a lot of activity, my 5 yr. old girl is begging to go hunting, and i want to have the best mix possible planted near it, so she can see some good deer activity.

I have some oats, but anyone know the best place to get the clover, winter peas and DEX? I am in tipton/shelby county area. Our tipton county coop no longer sells retail, but we have Stockdales. Would traactor supply carry any?

Thx for any tips.

 

[hambone]

I would suggest the mix you saw on here. I planted it this year and it has come up looking nice so far. You need to decide about annuals or perennials in your plots. I believe its good to do a little of both so there is nutrition year round. Get a soil test if possible, although putting out lime this late may not have an impact. Mix it all together real well. You will need a smaller spreader b/c the rape and clover seeds are tiny. Try Cooper seeds online they have all of these seeds. Its is better to plant several items in the plots than just one thing because they will b/c attractive to the deer at different times.

 

[TCounty Hunter]

Sounds good Ham. We also have turnips we are planting as well, my uncle dropped off a bag of it for us the other day.

I will try Cooper if i cant find locally. I have the areas tilled already and ready to seed. i was hoping to get it in the ground today before it rains, but it is looking like rain anytime now.

 

[hambone]

If possible plant before that rain. You dont want to disk in those smaller seeds. If you have a piece of fence after you have sowed the seed drag it around the fields to lightly cover.

 

[population control]

try the feed store in millington, stockdales is the same thing as the co-op just changed the name .

 

[TCounty Hunter]

thats exactly what i was thinking hambone, dragging it with a fence, like we used to do our baseball fields before playing.

i didnt know about the feed store in millington, but i did find a seed place in memphis, leathermans. they have the austrian winter peas, oats, red clover, white clover, DER, and about everything else you could want. I am heading over there in about an hour to make a haul. I just hope the rain will hold out till the afternoon so i can get it in.

so i should mix the oats, clovers, rape all together and then broadcast it out right?

Also, the seed guy mentioned that the winter peas grow best when they can crawl something, like garden peas, i use a fence. he mentioned to plant them close to wood lines if possible, and they would grow better. But did say if the get a good root, they can grow ok in open areas too. Yall had good luck with the peas in fields?

 

[hambone]

Yes pour in a little of the oats then a little der and clovers mix it together then pour in the rest and mix it again. I dont plant the peas b/c of over browsing over here. Most of my plots are between 1/2-1 acre. Dont forget your fertilizers.

 

[TCounty Hunter]

ok, an update after the store visit.

I got:

50lb oats ($25)
50lb wheat (8.79 for 50lb bag)
2lb red clover (pre fertilized with triple 13) (3.49/pound)
2lb White Clover ($3/pound)(didnt have arrowleaf or crimson
2lb DER (rape) (I think it was $5 or $6 per pound)
20lb Austrian Peas .79/pound
5lb. turnip seeds (free)

making deer fatter (priceless)

I am going to mix some as mentioned above for the main areas, and some smaller areas will probably just plant some wheat and oats by itself. First time planting anything other than oats, so i have to get a feel for this.

From the way it sounds about the austrian winter peas, i think i will need to put one of my trail cams in that area. should be fun

Thanks for the tips, hope to have some good plot pics before too long.

 

[gil1]

Sounds good. I'm about to plant my first plot ever with a similar mix. I wasn't planning on planting peas because of the freeforall factor, but I may do so now because of your idea of playing with a trail cam. Dumb question - how do you mix it all? Chunk in a wheel barrow and have at it with a shovel? I don't have any type of mixer.

 

[TCounty Hunter]

yes, i sure love my trail cams, been building my own now, have a couple of homebrews done. i built me a wooden camera stand the other day and painted it so that i can pick it up and place it anywhere, such as in the middle of a food plot. my base is a scrap 2x12, so it wont blow over easily.

well, my plan is this. I made a homemade mineral lick area, and used 4 50 pound bags of goods. I used a coffee can and filled it up with one, poured it in the wheel barrow, filled it up with the other item, and poured it in, filled with the other, poured it in etc... then mix that up, and do it all again, until its all gone.

I will do it this way just so there isnt as much to mix together at one time, instead mixing small increments at a time. I am sure some seasoned veterans here have some better ideas, but if i dont hear any, thats what i will be doing tonight. I dont want to try to mix up 150 pounds of seed at one time. good luck

 

[TCounty Hunter]

has anyone used one of them atv spreaders for clover, rape etc.. i was wondering if the seed is too small for it to spread right. the seed store guy did mention you could mix the clover, rape etc.. with sand, 60/40 mix to use in a spreader

 

[bowhunter 51]

I know them ATV spreaders are great for fertilizer but
clover seed is so small...You definately gonna have to
use sand to help broadcast it more evenly...Personally
I just sit a bag of it in my lap on my 4-wheeler a putt
around slang'n it by hand...works great...60/40 ratio?..
Shoot, I'd mix about 2 lbs of clover seed per hopper of
sand....Then just ride over your plot till the sand is
gone.............................................BH51..

 

[TCounty Hunter]

i think i will try that approach, hand slangin. my plots are all small, nothing really that requires a spreader. cant find any oats anywhere round here, all out. gonna try coop in ripley