So, the wife and I pulled the trigger on buying a new home and it came with 20 acres. Dead center in the middle of the 20 acres is a small trail, (it's tight to get the wheeler threw it) and it opens up into a nice 3/4 of an acre opening with the tallest grass and weeds I've ever seen like 7 plus ft. Jumanji looking stuff!!! I am wondering what I can do to knock that grass down being I can't get a tractor or even a skid steer back there, I don't want to sound lazy but I am looking for the easiest way to clear that jungle. Any good ideas are greatly appreciated! This plot is going to be brassicas on one side oats and rye on the other. P.s. this is not my first rodeo with food plots we have 80 acres that I have 3 plots on I've just never had to wait until this late in the plot season to start my prep work.
You could walk over it with a string trimmer, or just drive all over it with your wheeler and nock everything down, churn it up with the wheeler or whatever else you were going to stir it up with. You could also spray it with round up and then nock it down and plant.
That's not a bad plan it's so tall and so thick I would have to knock it down to be able to spray it and hopefully get a good enough kill to burn it off.
Not so sure I would knock down it all, it is cover deer like cover. I once thought I was going to burn off some canary grass and then till it up with a reartine tiller. I have never had my ass kicked by a machine like I did that day trying to till up that mess. I would put a little 1/4 acre plot along the treeline in that meadow rather than opening it all up.
7' tall grass is going to be problematic to burn, probably looking at 10-12' flame heights and lots of heat. Would take lots of prep and serious water handing to pull off that burn. Just saw you are from Minnesota, what part of the state? I could help you get a permit and pull off the burn.
I'd consider leaving that for cover, but if you're dead set on making it a plot, a sickle may be your best bet.
I like elk guides plan. Run it over with the ATV to lay it down. Spray it with glyphosate, give it 10-14 days and tie your push mower behind the ATV and drive around again. I would use an old mower if possible as there might be some stuff you don't see. I would do that now so you can do little by little and not have to do it all at one time. Good luck.
I rented a walk behind brush hog and took that in there to mow it down and it made fairly short work of it. I was even able to widen the trail out enough to get equipment back there to disc, lime, and fertilize. I'm going back tomorrow to spray round up, and get soil samples. I can't wait to get this plot done! Some of you recommended I leave the grass for cover and if the surrounding area wasn't some the best cover/bedding habitat for deer I've ever had the privilege to hunt I would but there is plenty of cover nearby and the plot will act as a primary food source to deer coming up from the river bottom in the late season. I put 2 cams in there on minerals and I'm excited to see what deer call that area home!
So I haven't had a chance to do anything else with this plot since my last update I came down with a nasty infection and have been on the couch for the last 2 weeks. I was able to get back there last night and I see the round up did it's job. If we get some dry weather the next few days I'd like to burn off all the years of old vegetation before I fertilize and disk. I am going to try plot start in place of conventional field lime and I need to put down a lot of fertilizer according to my soil sample especially on the side I plan to do in brassicas. I will post pics of the finished product!
I still haven't gotten this food plot done but I did get a chance to check both trail cams back there and I have a good 11 point with both split g2s all over it. And a really nice 8 has been around a few times. I'm really looking forward to learning this land. The 11 point I named R2G2 on account of his split g2's. Still haven't come up with a clever name for the 8 yet.
I decided to only plant half of the open area and leave the rest for this year. I'm still battling with an infection in my intestines and it was about all I could muster to get this done. Today I was able to burn, lime, fertilize, and plant the plot.
