Hey guys I found a spot that would be excellent for a food plot. My problem is I have never messed with food plots before can anyone point me into the direction to some good dependable options that wont break the bank.
I see you found it. Let's get started... Other folks with more experience than I on food plots in your area with chime in hopefully soon... You're thinking right and starting early, that's good! Food plotting is great for learning and improving habitat, but it also takes dedication/time if you want to do it right. Some can squeak away with no soil test, no fertilizer and no lime, but I wouldn't recommend this. This, IMO, is like gambling. You're going to want to test your soil. Without that, you'll be wasting fertilizer (throwing money away, that could be in seed or hunting gear). Soil test sounds like work, but it's quite easy, and worth it. With the soil test, we can help you here to understand what your soil lacks and what type of fertilizer you'll be needing and how much. Same with lime. What's a little bit of your background? What kind of equipment do you have to work with? Tractor, 4 wheeler, disk, tiller, hand rack, etc.? Do you have to clear this area out, or is it an old field/cow pasture? I'm assuming you don't know exactly what you want to plant yet, correct? Do you have an idea of when you want the deer to eat in your food plot? Only Spring/Summer? Only late Summer and Early Fall? Only Fall and Winter? Or all the above? I personally like preparing a good seed bed, break up the soil, remove unwanted roots/weeds. Equipment makes this step easier but is by no means a necessity. My wife and I literally broke the soil of 0.2 acres last year with a 3 prong garden rake. Took a while, a LONG while, but it taught us to appreciate our technology we have today. Can you imagine how our greats/ancestors use to farm before machinery? It had to take forever! Plus a little sweat helps clear the body of stress and whatnot.
When I was starting to do mine this year I watched a lot of Dr. Grant Woods video's of growingdeer.tv. He has a ton of information on location and how to get them started and then maintain them.
To get any relevant info from anyone here you'll have to help us help you. Let us know what your goals are and what you're starting with in regards to what equipment you have and the current state of the area you want to plant.
Dr Grant is a SMART man. Great information comes from him. Especially the "new-ish" theory of mining for nutrients by rotating crops.
OK I think the little piece of ground used to be an old corn field. I have a four wheeler and my uncle owns a landscaping and seeding company so I can use the equipment from it. I am looking for a plot to hunt from early fall to late winter. What I am hoping to achieve is attracting and holding deer in this area. I located on the border of Somerset county and Fayette county in South West Pa
It sounds like you have a good start with getting the necessary equipment. How many acres is the plot going to be? If the plot is going to be for fall through winter your best bet would be to get a mix that has some chicory/clover/alfalfa for early season along with some broadleaf brassicas/radishes/turnips for when it gets cold here. Usually these types of mixes are planted at the end of July to get the clover/alfalfa/chicory up for when season starts at the beginning of October. If the plot was indeed an old corn field then the pH should be at a fairly good level. You may still want to put down some lime if it hasn't been planted in a few years. If it needs lime then you are going to want to get into the ground as soon as possible. Lime can take 6 months for effect in the soil. Pelletized lime is pretty cheap ($4.99/50 lbs). Don't be afraid to get a good amount of it to get the pH back in balance. This past year I did about 300 lbs on my half acre but it was the first application. When it comes to killing the weeds Glyphosphate is the way to go. It is in Roundup but is pretty diluted. Tractor Supply has 41% gly concentrate in 2.5 gallons which will be plenty. I would spray down the plot about 2 weeks before planting for it to kill all the weeds and for it to kind of drain from the soil. After the prep work everything else is pretty easy. You will have to get some sort of tiller or something that will ensure seed to soil contact. I would assume your uncle has tillers and seed spreaders. I prefer to hand spread the seed to ensure coverage, but that is personal preference. It is just as easy to use a pull behind spreader or atv spreader. Can you give us an aerial view of the plot?
I agree with this whole heartedly. When we had our consultation with Dr. Woods, I thought he was going to blow a gasket when he found out my entire farm operation was already based in the soil health initiative and zero-till based. I can personally testify that the no-till and soil health practices work as advertized. Less fertilizer, better yields and better tasting food plots. We, as a culture, have completely been missing out on taking advantage of natural soil systems and it works much better to work with the system than trying to force it. Healthy soil is unbeatable. As far as a new food plot/food plotter, given the circumstances...I'd be inclined to recommend soybeans planted late spring and about the time leaves turn yellow to drop, then walk through and over seed via hand seeder with a mix of wheat rye, purple top turnips and crimson clover (or berseem clover). Just leave the beans standing and the over seeded crop will green up and create a nice green winter understory browse to companion the beans.
I would like to give you an aerial shot if you could teach me how. Sorry for the long reply time I was at the gym.
I will add this little tidbit based off of the following quote from you: Now plotting is a part of nearly every single property where deer hunters practice land management, however in order to "hold" deer, one must do more than just provide food. I mean think of it this way...deer have the concealment of night, and that is HOURS long, if they gotta travel to get food they will. What you gotta do is provide a reason for them to be there outside of merely a food source. Cover, bedding, transitional cover and the security of cover inside the food sources (not talking on destination or large plots/fields). Many a client or friend has come to me and had this idea that food plots = more deer sightings and easier chances at a buck they desire...to be honest if I had to choose planting plots or being given just a chainsaw, I choose chainsaw every single time. With a chainsaw, native browses can be encouraged, bedding can be built, transitional cover and corridors can be made....all are things that hold deer for longer terms than any food source ever can. Now, strictly speaking of plots a lot of the guys here have already chimed in with great things. My advice is think overall how you desire your food source or sources to interact with the property surrounding it that you can hunt and how it will interact with the properties out further beyond your control or hunting pressure. A land plan needs to work like a ton of little cogs that affect every single one on the property by working.
Just to clarify it is the rectangular plot that runs from SW to NE? If it is it is in a very good location between 2 patches of woods.
I was debating on whether or not to let it grow up for a possible bedding area or try to plant some apple trees
Roughly how many acres is this field??? I'm seeing a segmented layout with some growing up, plantings of evergreens, screen plantings and a progression or layered effect with smaller plots encouraging movement throughout.
In addition to food plots don't forget that improving your existing habitat is crucial when trying to hold deer on your property. Try setting up good bedding areas, a sanctuary that you will not hunt all season, and if possible hinge cut designated trees at 5 ft tall for good browse and bedding. Hinge cutting designated trees on my property made a bigger difference than the food plots here in nebraska because of an abundance of ag crops to eat. If i could do it over again I would have improved the existing habitat and saved a bunch of $$. The only time I saw a difference with food plots was winter plots with brassicas planted. I kept that plot and replanted the others with tall native grass for cover and bedding.
Looks like you have quite a bit of decent cover already. I'd go ahead with the plot and then move on to improving the quality of the cover. As it stands, it looks like your neighbor is providing the groceries and you the cover. A food plot there is going to achieve your goals well enough to start. If you want to expand your efforts from there than you'll have a good base to start with. The points about cover are very good ones and not to be ignored but if you have good cover to begin with and no food then you're starting in the right place.
Based on the labeled area and the scale on the image, I am guessing the area is about the size of a football field or ~1 acre give or take a bit. Other people have covered most of what to do so I will be brief on that. I would hit it glyphosate 41%, till it, wait and see what grows after tilling and spray it again. Come august, give it a light till and broadcast Winter Rye(grain), crimson clover,purple top turnips and groundhog radish then drag over it. If you want more info, I can find a seed ratio for you. The other option that will likely be a bit more expensive is plant Eagle Seeds Broadside Blend. This is assuming you want an annual crop for fall.
Hey guys sorry for the long delay I just got back from an extended goose huning and ice fishing trip with my family in ohio. But I talked to the land owner and he plans on planting soybean in them fields, he didn't last year because of problems getting the time to make a road to the field but looks like he is making the food plot for me
