Old Plot Restoration

[bowhunterfanatic]

This is a small kill plot in a dynamite spot that we first planted 5-6 years ago. The first year we put it in was incredible. We saw a boatload of daylight buck activity in it but never saw the deer we were after. The second year I killed a solid 8 in it the first time I hunted it. It used to be a crop field but the culvert used to access it washed out of the creek nearly 10 years ago and it's not been touched since. Most of the field is just a jungle comprised mainly of gum trees. We quit planting it after the third year when A) my brother nearly burned down the entire farm trying to burn the plot off B) what we planted never came up.

We decided that it's too good of a spot to just let go so we got started clearing it this morning. I cut probably 45-50 saplings out of it with a saw and we weedeated a good bit of it. Going to finish clearing it in another week or so and get it sprayed with gly. As long as we get adequate rainfall I can almost guarantee that my brother or I will be watching that plot the very first afternoon we get a W or S wind and I can't wait.

 

[BSK]

Nice work!

 

[DoubleRidge]

Nice! Looks good! Sounds like a great plan!

 

[Antler Daddy]

View attachment 328865This is a small kill plot in a dynamite spot that we first planted 5-6 years ago. The first year we put it in was incredible. We saw a boatload of daylight buck activity in it but never saw the deer we were after. The second year I killed a solid 8 in it the first time I hunted it. It used to be a crop field but the culvert used to access it washed out of the creek nearly 10 years ago and it's not been touched since. Most of the field is just a jungle comprised mainly of gum trees. We quit planting it after the third year when A) my brother nearly burned down the entire farm trying to burn the plot off B) what we planted never came up.

We decided that it's too good of a spot to just let go so we got started clearing it this morning. I cut probably 45-50 saplings out of it with a saw and we weedeated a good bit of it. Going to finish clearing it in another week or so and get it sprayed with gly. As long as we get adequate rainfall I can almost guarantee that my brother or I will be watching that plot the very first afternoon we get a W or S wind and I can't wait.

You need a bridge and a mulcher

 

[bowhunterfanatic]

You need a bridge and a mulcher

Agreed, but the bridge isn't happening, so we will just have to keep doing the best we can.

 

[bloodtrailing]

Are you treating the cut stumps? If not they will sprout. How do you plant with them in the ground or are you top sowing?

 

[bowhunterfanatic]

Are you treating the cut stumps? If not they will sprout. How do you plant with them in the ground or are you top sowing?

Just top sowing. I'm hoping the deer will take care of the sprouts for us. If they don't we will eventually spray them

 

[Popcorn]

You can stump treat with Tordon when you cut and be done with those or wait for them to flush and spray them with crossbow or crossroad (off brand) and burn them down. Gly may not kill the roots.
I love those little "special" plots like that. I keep them going with annual clovers, wheat or cereal rye, turnips and radishes

 

[yellalinehunter]

Good information on the game keeper podcast on this very thing.

 

[yellalinehunter]

Disc and burn. Rinse and repeat. Mix up the burns, early and late season. The seed bank is full of natives.

 

[DoubleRidge]

Good information on the game keeper podcast on this very thing.

I recently listened to the podcast #461 on old field management then #460 on re-wilding the landscape...interesting stuff. I enjoy food plotting but there is so much more oppurtunity to provide tons of native forage to wildlife through managing native forage. Not to mention fawning, nesting and brooding cover, etc.

 

[yellalinehunter]

I recently listened to the podcast #461 on old field management then #460 on re-wilding the landscape...interesting stuff. I enjoy food plotting but there is so much more oppurtunity to provide tons of native forage to wildlife through managing native forage. Not to mention fawning, nesting and brooding cover, etc.

Going back native and having diversity is monumental in habitat management

 

[bloodtrailing]

Going back native and having diversity is monumental in habitat management

That is all the current rage among the experts.

 

[BSK]

That is all the current rage among the experts.

It is, and for many, it has been for a long time. I'm big fan of food plots in certain situations. But most of the time, I see them as attractants instead of primary food sources. Through trial and error, I've found improvements in herd performance don't start displaying themselves notably until food plots (agriculture) get up around 10% of a property. Most landowners/managers don't have that much of their property in agriculture. That would mean 10 acres of food plots for every 100 acres of property. Below that level, I see food plots as a nutritional plus rather than a primary food source. And below 5% of a property, they are just attractants. I want the native habitat to feed the deer. Food plots are usually just an attractant, or at best a nutritional supplement.

 

[Popcorn]

It is, and for many, it has been for a long time. I'm big fan of food plots in certain situations. But most of the time, I see them as attractants instead of primary food sources. Through trial and error, I've found improvements in herd performance don't start displaying themselves notably until food plots (agriculture) get up around 10% of a property. Most landowners/managers don't have that much of their property in agriculture. That would mean 10 acres of food plots for every 100 acres of property. Below that level, I see food plots as a nutritional plus rather than a primary food source. And below 5% of a property, they are just attractants. I want the native habitat to feed the deer. Food plots are usually just an attractant, or at best a nutritional supplement.

I pretty much agree with everything above but my method may vary somewhat. I have been blessed with properties that either rich in natural/ native sources or properties that have neither! I love food plotting as much as anyone but it becomes something more when you are able to transition from forest or thicket thru a soft and varied perimeter of natives / habitat ending in that sweet spot plot. When it works it is a thing of success. A hard edge where crop meets timberline just isn't as successful or as appealing. I must add that there is always a place where no crop is needed but you can improve on that to via limited mowing, rotational burning, lime and fertilizer applications. Then there is that place where nothing is needed except for us to stay out of it till the day we hunt it.

 

[BSK]

I pretty much agree with everything above but my method may vary somewhat. I have been blessed with properties that either rich in natural/ native sources or properties that have neither! I love food plotting as much as anyone but it becomes something more when you are able to transition from forest or thicket thru a soft and varied perimeter of natives / habitat ending in that sweet spot plot. When it works it is a thing of success. A hard edge where crop meets timberline just isn't as successful or as appealing. I must add that there is always a place where no crop is needed but you can improve on that to via limited mowing, rotational burning, lime and fertilizer applications. Then there is that place where nothing is needed except for us to stay out of it till the day we hunt it.

Absolutely true. I have a bunch of data show daylight deer sightings are much higher in plots with soft edges versus hard plot-to-woods edges.