Food Plots Foot Plots 101 - Trying to plan now

[Gipper]

I am a long term non-resident hunter but have accepted a position at work that will bring my family to Tennessee. We have about 6 acres of food plots spread over about 265 acres of wooded area. Traditionally winter wheat has been planted in these fields. I am looking at mixing it up knowing that I can play a more active roll since I will be down that way.

Our current plan is to come down at the end of April and put down needed lime and disc it in. We plan on putting down clover & with an Oat cover at the end of summer on at least half of our plots.

Any advise on what we should be thinking about is appreciated.

One question I have, outside of disc'ing and putting down lime, is there anything else we should be doing or putting down prior to late summer plant?

I look forward to picking everyone's brain here and hopefully prevent mistakes by learning from those who have had a more strategic approach for a while.

 

[skipperbrown]

You don't have enough land for summer plots. The deer will clear anything corn, bean, sunflower or pea oriented before it gets established, but I think you know that. I would go with your plan to lime and maybe plant some clovers now. You need a soil sample analysis and, per my county extension agent, you really don't need to disk in the lime if you want to save money on fuel. I'd mow it a couple of times during the summer to keep some tender shoots coming up. If you want to soil build, you could plant some Sudan grass and/or millet. Sudan grass gets really tall and can be used as a corridor/blind to get into/out of a field. However, after a very hard freeze, it will fall down. It produces a lot of biomass, but is stemmy so it needs to be hogged down and allowed to rot some before disking. A wheat/oat/clover combo for fall plots is an easy, inexpensive (relatively speaking), and productive.

 

[TN1BUCK]

Soil test, gets your lime and fertilizer correct without wasting money.

 

[Gipper]

You don't have enough land for summer plots. The deer will clear anything corn, bean, sunflower or pea oriented before it gets established, but I think you know that. I would go with your plan to lime and maybe plant some clovers now. You need a soil sample analysis and, per my county extension agent, you really don't need to disk in the lime if you want to save money on fuel. I'd mow it a couple of times during the summer to keep some tender shoots coming up. If you want to soil build, you could plant some Sudan grass and/or millet. Sudan grass gets really tall and can be used as a corridor/blind to get into/out of a field. However, after a very hard freeze, it will fall down. It produces a lot of biomass, but is stemmy so it needs to be hogged down and allowed to rot some before disking. A wheat/oat/clover combo for fall plots is an easy, inexpensive (relatively speaking), and productive.

Thank you Skipper B

 

[Gipper]

Soil test, gets your lime and fertilizer correct without wasting money.

I will search and find a thread on getting soil tested. I know it was done years back on a few of the plots but it is again but I am sure it is time to get fresh ones.

 

[Gipper]

I promise I will try to limit the dumb questions. But I assume I would take a soil sample from each of our different plots correct?

 

[TNJones4530]

Recommend Whitetail Institute for soil samples.. each individual field needs to be sampled, with approx 10-20 different spots across one field.. mix up the dirt and put it in the bag it comes with..
If you buy several soil tests, mark the bag and paperwork appropriately and send them all off in one box. Got my results the same day as it arrived at their facility.

 

[Popcorn]

A lot more information is required before a solid plan can be devised.
Location
Terrain
Existing habitat
Populations
Term (planting for the season or the future.)
Equipment at your disposal

The more you tell us the more we can help

 

[Gipper]

Recommend Whitetail Institute for soil samples.. each individual field needs to be sampled, which approx 10-20 different spots across one field.. mix up the dirt and put it in the bag it comes with..
If you buy several soil tests, mark the bag and paperwork appropriately and send them all off in one box. Got my results the same day as it arrived at their facility.

Great advise going to order a half a dozen kits to have when I go back down

 

[Gipper]

A lot more information is required before a solid plan can be devised.
Location
Terrain
Existing habitat
Populations
Term (planting for the season or the future.)
Equipment at your disposal

The more you tell us the more we can help

We are in Beton County in the center of the state
Terrain is pretty hilly and rocky if that makes sense
There are not agricultural fields any where near us
We have a combo of Oak trees and Pine on the property
The goal is long term, we plan on doing half the plots this year in this strategy and cycling in the other half next year
We have a tractor, discs, bushhog and other basic equipment.
I will get to have more of a say on population control. There has been a hesitancy to harvest does.

Not sure if this was some of the info needed but let me know if I need to clarify

 

[Popcorn]

Yes test your soils.
Yes 6 acres is gonna get slammed. You will need to depend on both native food sources and plots. Look for areas that you can enhance by fertilizing, mowing or burning to promote native foods. For plots I am a huge fan of multi specie blends year round. There are many things to consider when planning what to plant and multi species blends will offer soil protection, weed prevention, food for game, cover and in the end tons of matter to improve your soil and reduce future fertilizer needs. Blends also reduce being wiped out because it will spread the browse out rather than concentrating it. Annual clovers will come up quickly, provide food for game and some nitrogen for other crops.

 

[Popcorn]

Following is my favorite summer blend as referenced above.
I drill this in but it can also be broadcast and cut in with a disk.
Species lbs / acre % by weight carbon / nitrogen population

Sun Hemp 6 9% 30:1 15,000

Sun Flower 4 6% leaves 15:1 8,000
Stalk 45:1

Grain Sorghum 2 3% 50:1 18,000

Cow Pea 8 13% 20:1 4,000

Buckwheat 8 13% 35:1 18,000

Eagle forage Bean 20 32% 30:1 3,000
Tall type

Balansia Clover 2 3% 15:1 500,000

Spring Oats 10 18% 70:1 16,000

 

[Popcorn]

any fall blend that contains cereal rye, turnips, radishes and an annual clover is a good thing. Planted in late august at a high rate of 70 or 80 lbs an acre will come as close to providing as any.

 

[Gipper]

Great info, thank you Popcorn. Soil tests will take place next month when I am down there.

 

[Specializedjon]

Gipper, feel free to send all "stupid questions" to me. I usually have stupid answers.

Watching this thread

 

[deerhunter10]

Blends the majority of our food plots have usually 3 or 4 things in them with the exception of our clover we just drill winter wheat in every fall. We uses to plant early labor day weekend was our goal. But we don't any more we don't plant anything til around September 20th. We haven't had any luck with turnips or radishes as far as deer go but we have a lot of ag, but still plant them for the soil health. Soil samples are a must a local coop can send them off and get results in 2 or 3 weeks. Lime now as it takes time we fertilize when we plant or sometimes right as it's coming up. We have went away from discing and we drill everything now. But most people don't have thay luxury. With only 6 acres it's probably going to get hammered. Imo new clover needs a cover crop with it for sure.

 

[DeerCamp]

I am a long term non-resident hunter but have accepted a position at work that will bring my family to Tennessee. We have about 6 acres of food plots spread over about 265 acres of wooded area. Traditionally winter wheat has been planted in these fields. I am looking at mixing it up knowing that I can play a more active roll since I will be down that way.

Our current plan is to come down at the end of April and put down needed lime and disc it in. We plan on putting down clover & with an Oat cover at the end of summer on at least half of our plots.

Any advise on what we should be thinking about is appreciated.

One question I have, outside of disc'ing and putting down lime, is there anything else we should be doing or putting down prior to late summer plant?

I look forward to picking everyone's brain here and hopefully prevent mistakes by learning from those who have had a more strategic approach for a while.

Be careful not to plant those Oats too early!

I ended up with 2 foot tall oats that the deer wouldn't touch.

 

[Gipper]

I will definitely do my homework on the Oates. We where looking between Aug15 and Sep 25.

 

[muddyboots]

I have 4 acres on my place. I do 2 in corn and 2 in green stuff. Works for me.

 

[SALTMAN]

Pay attention to popcorn , ive seen the results , fields/ bucks that he tends to .can't say enough about Eagle beans ! Turnips apparently are an acquired taste for the deer. Took some time for them to get used to it . Now first they eat the greens and later the actual turnips, all the way through the cold months .