Food Plots Help with some food plot ideas

[gobblesandgrunts]

So we are looking to add 3 possibly 4 new plots this year. I know it's a little late to do our early plots but we are going to give it a go anyways. I have around 160 acres that I hunt. Around 100 of it is already row cropped in beans (as well as 500 acres adjoining the backside that's not our porperty). Honestly not a very big property to hunt. We are thinking of doing plot #1- Roadway 1, white/crimmson clover and chicory plot that's closer to the heart of our property that we honestly don't hunt. It is splitting open timber and bedding, this roadway is roughly 60 yards long and 10ft wide. Then the next plot- roadway #2, 70yards/10ft, that gets sun all day that is between thick cedar cover/bedding and open timber. Plot #3- Kill plot 1, smaller area, the kill plot would be around 15 yards wide/30yards long and is a corridor between bedding, a small branch and ag fields. Plot #4- Kill plot 2, circle are that's around 35 yards one side to the other. I guess my question would be what do we need to add to the clover/chicory plot, what should we plant in the roadway plot #2 that gets sunlight all day and doesn't hold a lot of water from being on a slope, and what should we plant in the kill plots and when to do it? Thought about doing corn on the longer roadway plot 2 since it gets sun all day. We will have a clover/chicory/? plot. At a loss for the smaller kill plots though. Also the circle kill plot gets sun all day as well. I know it's a lot to ask but needing some help. Thanks!

 

[Popcorn]

Roadway 1: if you want clover do t worry about planting till august. Plant at least 3 varieties to insure against soil challenges and help to achieve a good flush and season long clover. Ladino, crimson and arrow leaf make a good blend. Plant them with 50 lb of wheat 1 lb turnips, 2 lbs radishes. Get soil tests now lime if needed. Do fertilize after germination to push the wheat and brassicas. The clover will come in later.
A lot of people seem to like chicory but I see no reason to plant it.

Roadway 2: same as #1
Do not mow the wheat!
Let it head and die. Game will eat it up. After turkeys hatch mow the wheat and fertilize the clover with 6/24/24

Plot 3 and 4 wheat, turnips, radishes, annual clovers I like crimson and balansa.
Plant it end of august fertilize and hunt! Come spring mow to control weeds and turkey will love it. Replant each august

Do nt forget soil samples and lime.

You have small plots against big ag, you have to give them alternative food that they crave.

Corn is of little nutritional value. If you get bored with this look at a rotation so that every plot gets planted in a great all purpose blend at least every third year.
I like summer and winter buffalo blend and add sun hemp to the summer blend

 

[gobblesandgrunts]

Roadway 1: if you want clover do t worry about planting till august. Plant at least 3 varieties to insure against soil challenges and help to achieve a good flush and season long clover. Ladino, crimson and arrow leaf make a good blend. Plant them with 50 lb of wheat 1 lb turnips, 2 lbs radishes. Get soil tests now lime if needed. Do fertilize after germination to push the wheat and brassicas. The clover will come in later.
A lot of people seem to like chicory but I see no reason to plant it.

Roadway 2: same as #1
Do not mow the wheat!
Let it head and die. Game will eat it up. After turkeys hatch mow the wheat and fertilize the clover with 6/24/24

Plot 3 and 4 wheat, turnips, radishes, annual clovers I like crimson and balansa.
Plant it end of august fertilize and hunt! Come spring mow to control weeds and turkey will love it. Replant each august

Do nt forget soil samples and lime.

You have small plots against big ag, you have to give them alternative food that they crave.

Corn is of little nutritional value. If you get bored with this look at a rotation so that every plot gets planted in a great all purpose blend at least every third year.
I like summer and winter buffalo blend and add sun hemp to the summer blend

Wow could you just come to my property and tell me everything else i need to do to hold deer since it's not a very big tract of land so don't worry about putting anything out until august then?

 

[gobblesandgrunts]

Roadway 1: if you want clover do t worry about planting till august. Plant at least 3 varieties to insure against soil challenges and help to achieve a good flush and season long clover. Ladino, crimson and arrow leaf make a good blend. Plant them with 50 lb of wheat 1 lb turnips, 2 lbs radishes. Get soil tests now lime if needed. Do fertilize after germination to push the wheat and brassicas. The clover will come in later.
A lot of people seem to like chicory but I see no reason to plant it.

Roadway 2: same as #1
Do not mow the wheat!
Let it head and die. Game will eat it up. After turkeys hatch mow the wheat and fertilize the clover with 6/24/24

Plot 3 and 4 wheat, turnips, radishes, annual clovers I like crimson and balansa.
Plant it end of august fertilize and hunt! Come spring mow to control weeds and turkey will love it. Replant each august

Do nt forget soil samples and lime.

You have small plots against big ag, you have to give them alternative food that they crave.

Corn is of little nutritional value. If you get bored with this look at a rotation so that every plot gets planted in a great all purpose blend at least every third year.
I like summer and winter buffalo blend and add sun hemp to the summer blend

Great stuff, thank you

 

[Popcorn]

Food does not hold deer. Cover holds deer A good summer crop that is multi purposed may help but its hard to do on small acreage. I really like the Buffalo summer blend of seed for a summer crop, it provides cover, food and soil improvement all in one bag. I would plant this in at least some plots to see how they treat it. wit small acreage and small food you have to do 2 things to get as many deer as possible to use your property, grow food year round and provide as much cover / bedding area as possible, Turn as many acres as possible into a bedroom for deer. Clearings in native grasses and forbs, wooded areas into thick undergrowth and more. Use hinge cuts to do some of the work and help funnel deer. Small properties can be great with some work. If your neighbors are food be cover with better snacks.

By the way Biologists (which I am not) charge thousands of dollars to come out and tell you what you can find right here for the cost of an internet connection.

you wont know if you dont ask...

 

[BSK]

Food does not hold deer. Cover holds deer

Ding! Ding! Ding! We have a winner!

This is especially true once deer season starts, and deer become very human averse.

 

[DoubleRidge]

"If your neighbors are food be cover with better snacks"

Great advice!

 

[BSK]

"If your neighbors are food be cover with better snacks"

Great advice!

Deer can and will travel great distances at night to access food when the hunting pressure is on. By only focusing on food, you might be a property deer only visit at night during deer season. Be the property the deer spend their daylight hours on - the one with all the best cover to hide from hunters in. A Popcorn said, by being cover but providing some "snacks," you give even more reason for deer to stay on your property during daylight.

 

[gobblesandgrunts]

Deer can and will travel great distances at night to access food when the hunting pressure is on. By only focusing on food, you might be a property deer only visit at night during deer season. Be the property the deer spend their daylight hours on - the one with all the best cover to hide from hunters in. A Popcorn said, by being cover but providing some "snacks," you give even more reason for deer to stay on your property during daylight.

I have an area on the farm that we will not enter at all. It is just grown up cedar trees and there are absolutely no places to hunt and that's what we leave it for. But you are saying create even more cover than just one area? Id be glad to send a topo and kind of give you a better idea of the set up.

 

[Popcorn]

How big are the cedars?
Ideal cover is 3 to 4 ft tall!
Walk into those cedars , knell down, can you see 10 ft, 30 ft, 30 yards?
Young cedar can and do contribute to a sanctuary. Overgrown cedar are a wildlife desert!
Imagine hiding in comfort with the ability to flee unhampered.
Cedars also block and swirl winds and big cedar block the sunlight.
Cedar needles are very acidic for soil
You might consider some selective thinning

 

[Popcorn]

I have an area on the farm that we will not enter at all. It is just grown up cedar trees and there are absolutely no places to hunt and that's what we leave it for. But you are saying create even more cover than just one area? Id be glad to send a topo and kind of give you a better idea of the set up.

Id be glad to send a topo and kind of give you a better idea of the set up.


Take a pic and post it here

 

[BSK]

I have an area on the farm that we will not enter at all. It is just grown up cedar trees and there are absolutely no places to hunt and that's what we leave it for. But you are saying create even more cover than just one area? Id be glad to send a topo and kind of give you a better idea of the set up.

I sent you comments on your PM.

When it comes to cover habitat, I'm a big proponent, although it can make hunting difficult when deer have many places to hide. But if someone gave me a piece of property and gave me cart blanche to do whatever I wanted, I would want 10-20% in agriculture and 30-50% in cover habitat, and the remainder oak hardwoods. The cover habitat would be a mixture of overgrown brushy blackberry filled fields, early-stage regrowth, and young cedar/pine thickets. Deer use all of these. I would also spread that cover habitat around instead of having one big chunk in the center. Habitat diversity (lots of little patches of habitat mixed together) is your friend!

 

[JAY B]

Food does not hold deer. Cover holds deer A good summer crop that is multi purposed may help but its hard to do on small acreage. I really like the Buffalo summer blend of seed for a summer crop, it provides cover, food and soil improvement all in one bag. I would plant this in at least some plots to see how they treat it. wit small acreage and small food you have to do 2 things to get as many deer as possible to use your property, grow food year round and provide as much cover / bedding area as possible, Turn as many acres as possible into a bedroom for deer. Clearings in native grasses and forbs, wooded areas into thick undergrowth and more. Use hinge cuts to do some of the work and help funnel deer. Small properties can be great with some work. If your neighbors are food be cover with better snacks.

By the way Biologists (which I am not) charge thousands of dollars to come out and tell you what you can find right here for the cost of an internet connection.

you wont know if you dont ask...

Would you happen to have any suggestions on the best place to order this buffalo summer blend?

 

[Popcorn]

Would you happen to have any suggestions on the best place to order this buffalo summer blend?

Some coops will order from Eagle seed for you. You can also call them and order it yourself. They have a website.