Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Shooting and Hunting => Topic started by: TrevorM on October 08, 2019, 01:37:01 pm

Title: Food plot
Post by: TrevorM on October 08, 2019, 01:37:01 pm
Me and my two boys did a lot of work over the weekend seeing up or first plot. It's not totally clear but it was a good start. We seeded what we've cleared so it'll be interesting to see how it's doing when we go back.
Title: Re: Food plot
Post by: Hawkdancer on October 09, 2019, 01:58:21 am
Good luck with the plot!  That boy could probably clean and jerk that log!
Hawkdancer
Title: Re: Food plot
Post by: bjrogg on October 09, 2019, 05:52:34 am
That should let a little sunshine in. What type trees were living there? The old timers could tell a lot about what kind of land it was by what type of trees were growing on it. Around here they liked were the hardwoods grew for the best dirt. Needed some drainage though. The popul and birch weren't as productive but usually better drained. A lot of pine might need to check ph with soil test.

Just opening it up a little and letting some light in might already make it attractive to the wildlife. Spreading some clover or a food plot mix might really put you in the right spot.

Congratulations on your property. I'm so happy for you and your family. I wish you many generations of pleasure and respect for the environment. It's  great being a kid with some property to explore. It's even better being an adult with kids with property to explore.
Bjrogg
PS there might be someone at your county soil bank that can give you some very helpful advice about how to help create a really productive property for all types of wildlife. They have lots of ideas about how to remove or plant certain trees to create mini environments within a property.
Title: Re: Food plot
Post by: TrevorM on October 09, 2019, 08:22:59 am
Thanks guys! Nearly all those trees were already very dead, as you can probably tell from my son carrying that log. In fact I just pushed most of them over.

All the dead trees were pine, and it seems the lower down part of the property is mostly pine too, but there are a lot of other types around too. Several very large oaks and quite a few I'm not sure about. We had rain on the forecast so I wanted to get some seed down so I got a deer mix from the local hardware store, it probably won't do too well but I figured it wouldn't hurt. I'll get a soil test for next years planting. What's a soil bank? I know there's a big co-op near by I thought I'd go in there and see what they think (if I can find it again).

As we were clearing I found a turkey feather so there's at least something around. I've got a few trail cams so hopefully I can get an idea of what's around.

Exploring sure is a lot of fun, we've probably only seen half so far, if that. Just got to watch out for the snakes and spiders.
Title: Re: Food plot
Post by: Pat B on October 09, 2019, 10:14:52 am
It would be a good idea to get a soil test and let the testing agency know what you'll be planting, ie. food plot.
 Deer are browsers, they eat the local vegetation. Just liming and fertilizing the existing vegetation will draw deer. Adding a salt/mineral lick to your property can also be a draw, depending on where you like. Some places have natural salt/minerals so adding more is not necessary. And if you do add a salt lick do it away from the food plot.
 We very rarely hunted on a food plot but we hunted the trails leading to the food plot. And hunting over salt is considered hunting over bait in some areas and is illegal. Most states allow hunting near food plots because they are considered "proper agricultural practices" like hunting on a corn or bean field.
Title: Re: Food plot
Post by: TrevorM on October 09, 2019, 12:02:44 pm
Ah I'm glad you mentioned the salt lick, I'm not sure if I need one or not but I got a couple and put one right in the middle of the plot. I'll be sure to move it when I go back down this weekend.

Is there anything you do to help attract turkey?
Title: Re: Food plot
Post by: Pat B on October 09, 2019, 12:48:27 pm
Turkeys will eat most anything you plant for deer. Clover is one thing, nut grass(chufa) and probably any of the brasicas(kale, rape, mustard, etc). Grains would probably come later in the year for turkey hunting but would attract them during the off season.
Title: Re: Food plot
Post by: PEARL DRUMS on October 09, 2019, 02:09:16 pm
I have no first hand experience with it, but I hear planting chicory will get them excited. 
Title: Re: Food plot
Post by: TrevorM on October 09, 2019, 03:44:12 pm
Gotcha, I think there was mustard in the mix. I'll see if I can get some of the others too.  Chicory would be worth it even if they didn't care for it, add it to my coffee in the morning :)
Title: Re: Food plot
Post by: bjrogg on October 09, 2019, 09:03:49 pm
Trevor I think it's called something else now. I think the acronym is NRCS. Our county has a place where conservation programs are assisted. I buy trees from them in the spring. We also get nitrogen soil test done there.

I'm sure you can get ideas from you tube or tv shows to. I don't watch much but I have seen shows. I think mossy oak has done some on food plots. I'm guessing their seed might be pricey but you probably can get some good advice for something that would work for you.
Bjrogg
Title: Re: Food plot
Post by: Eric Krewson on October 10, 2019, 05:47:30 pm
You can use salt in Alabama but I wouldn't put in the middle of your plot because the salt will leach into the soil and nothing will ever grow there again.

You could put a feeder up in the middle of the plot if you wanted to as they are legal in Alabama starting this year. You do have to buy a special permit to put out a feeder.
Title: Re: Food plot
Post by: TrevorM on October 11, 2019, 09:07:02 am
Looks like there are a couple of those NRCS's not too far from me I'll have to go check them out.

It was a nutrient block so it might be OK for the soil, but I'll move it just to be sure.
Title: Re: Food plot
Post by: Hawkdancer on October 11, 2019, 10:44:34 am
Might want place that block somewhat near a water source, if you have one, or near a trail leading to water.   
Hawkdancer
Title: Re: Food plot
Post by: TrevorM on October 11, 2019, 01:19:03 pm
There's a creek at one end that I haven't actually found yet. I'll see if I can find it and put it near there.
Title: Re: Food plot
Post by: Eric Krewson on November 01, 2019, 05:25:59 pm
We talked back and forth about food plots, I started a small one on very poor ground in the woods several years ago. It gets some sunlight but only about 50% coverage at any given time.

I put up an electric fence to keep the deer out until the wheat, oats and rye got established, I took the fence down today, the deer will be in the plot tonight. The combined green stuff is about a foot tall at this point, the deer will mow it down quickly. I put about 2 tons of barn yard fertilizer on the plot last year in the fall. This didn't make a difference last year because the stuff was very green, right out of the cows, after it broke down in the soil it made a huge difference this year. This is a small plot of about 25 yards square.

The view is from a ladder stand about 25 yards off the plot, I set everything up for a flintlock shot.

Title: Re: Food plot
Post by: DC on November 02, 2019, 10:27:28 am
Do you have to seed that every year Eric? I know nothing about grains.
Title: Re: Food plot
Post by: Pat B on November 02, 2019, 12:15:22 pm
DC, most grains are annual, they will grow all winter and develop seed heads in the spring then die.  Clovers, red, crimson and white(Ladino) are perennial and will come back year after year, reseeding themselves each year.
Title: Re: Food plot
Post by: Eric Krewson on November 03, 2019, 07:13:43 am
I buy a cheap deer plot mix of wheat, rye and oats, the deer aren't picky, any green stuff that has been fertilized will draw them in, I till and reseed every year.

Usually I have deer in my plot the day I take the fence down. I had 6 or 7 deer hanging out in my 4 acres of woods all summer but they have apparently moved off to other feeding areas and haven't found my plot yet. I have seen no activity in it so far.
Title: Re: Food plot
Post by: TrevorM on November 04, 2019, 08:27:36 pm
That's a great little plot you've got there Eric! My plots coming up well even though I didn't do a whole lot to it. I might have to do the fence next year, deer are all over it already.
Title: Re: Food plot
Post by: Eric Krewson on November 06, 2019, 07:59:07 am
My neighbor across the hollow has a deer feeder about 150 yards from my plot down by the creek. I hadn't heard it running this year so I walked down in the hollow to check it out. On the way down in the hollow it looked like a tornado went through on my neighbors land, there were 5 or 6 big oaks down in a line that completely blocked the side hollow that borders my place.The trees have completely blocked the normal deer trails the feed into my property, this explains the lack of deer movement on my place.

I can cut one of the treetops out of the main deer trail and possibly get more deer movement on my place.  There was no battery in the feeder so there is no corn to draw deer off of my place like it did last year.