Need Direction on Food Plot, First Timer

[SJS]

Guys....here is a 2.5 acre field that I want to turn into a food plot for deer and turkeys and want it to grow from year to year on it's own. I think I have decided on crimson clover and rye mix. All I have is a Polaris 400 ATV, a 44" pull behind trail cutter and looking to buy a sprayer. What can I do and when should I do it? I have never done anything like this and have read a lot on doing it but there is a lot out there to try. What has worked for you with what I have and what can I expect? I live in Mich. and get down to my place every other month. Any direction would help! I'm relying on your experience!

 

[muddyboots]

Hire someone to cut it up for you.

 

[348Winchester]

Spray it, disc it thoroughly, lime it heavily, fertilize, sow your seed. In the late winter frost seed some extra varieties of clover. Since you want a perennial use red and white clovers. Think about a little chicory for good measure.

 

[Boll Weevil]

Cutting up 2.5ac with an ATV will take awhile and from the photo there appears to be quite a lot of grass that will render your disc almost useless. If you can find someone to hit it with a turning plow that'd be a real good start.

Otherwise, spray it with a potent concentration of glyphosate to get a good kill for upcoming planting but remember...there's likely a ton of existing seed bank that will germinate for quite some time into the future. You'll have to control it by mowing and selective herbicides.

 

[SJS]

Thanks for the info!

 

[warpheagle]

in my opinion, the best advice you got here is to get a friend with a tractor or rent one. That is a big field for an ATV, especially one that contains that much grass. It can be done, but it will take lots of time. Good Luck and best wishes.

 

[SJS]

Thanks....maybe I will start with just an acre and see how that goes with spraying, dragging and spreading.

 

[BlountArrow]

SJS,
Are you opposed to planting some hedge/shrubs that would offer deer both beneficial browse and cover that you could mix in with your food plot? Might be good to break it up a little bit; 2.5 acres is pretty good size food plot for a first timer. Someone may disagree with me, but there's a lot of different ways to do this and a lot of opinions.

 

[SJS]

BlountArrow - not at all. As a matter of fact there are some persimmon tress down along the edge of this field that you can't see in the picture. What type of hedge/shrub browse is best?

 

[TS_13]

I like wild plum, and hazelnuts.

 

[BlountArrow]

Like TS_13 said, Wild Plum would be an excellent choice, also some great trees/shrubs that provide excellent browse/cover are: Crab Apples, Hawthorn, Winged Sumac, Blackberry, Small Cedars , & Strawberry Bush (although deer tend to devour strawberry bush so it might be hard to maintain). I don't like honey suckle as it tends to take over which is why I would go with the black berry over the honey suckle. Deer do forage on honey suckle but you would have to control it with spray possibly as it might take over.
Don't count out your naturally occurring weeds/forbs like Ragweed, Golden Rod, Bagger's Lice. We hate this stuff but deer don't. Ragweed is LOADED with protein.