I hunt in South Central Missouri, pretty close to the Arkansas Missouri state line. I just threw up a ground blind the week before rifle season on the property I hunt on. This is my first year hunting in Missouri, I’ve hunted in Arkansas all my life. I’m hunting on 420 acres that my father in-law owns. My spot consists of a flat surface in the holler of 2 steep hills. As I walk in I’m walking through a really thick cedar thicket then it opens up about 3 acres, that has a little brush and under growth. I will be cutting it out this spring and cleaning it up a lot to grow a nice food plot. What do y’all recommend planting? The soil is fairly good with just a Rock here and there. Thanks in advance and happy hunting!
You can't go wrong with clovers. Maybe for the first year try something like Antler Kings Game Changer. The varieties of clover in the blend are made for soils that aren't perfect. As long as its decently drained and you get good seed to soil contact you are fine. I would do this around late March or early April. That'll give it time to establish before the summer heat. If not no worries wait till the fall. Clover the first year might not fill out. If all else fails in early fall you can overseed with oats and winter wheat.
Great! I was definitely going to do some clovers, just wanted to give them a variety. Being from Arkansas, you can bait year around with soybeans or corn and I use to fatten them dudes up forsure lol. I’m going in late March early April to cut some small trees and knock out the under growth and remove what rock I can. I plan on spraying it with round up then go back in a week or two later and hit it with a small disk and do some seeding.
Clover will grow, but do a soil test and go to the local feed mill to get seed not a package with a buck on the cover.
That’s my plan. Although I did get some throw and grow a few years back and threw out 5 pounds on 1/2 acre or less in the woods and surprisingly it did come up. It came up about a 1 inch but I seeded it way too late and that’s all it produced. Thanks for the input
Like Sota said you don't have to get a bag with a buck on it but read the labels and find out what varieties of clover to plant. Check the throw and grow ones and that will give you a clover variety to work with for potentially harsh soil environments. Also like you said variety is key mix in several varieties of clovers and such and maybe a little Chicory. Once it comes up keep its mowed and spray with a grass killer and it'll last a while. Good luck and keep us posted on how things worked for you.
I sure appreciate it. I will post some pictures Spring 2019 on what I planted and the results. I have a lot of young bucks that are decent where I hunt, but I’m going to let them grow a bit. I’ve had multiple opertunites to let my arrow fly but just see slot of potential. As far as mineral blocks go, what will make the horns have good gains?
The title confused me,a rock here and there? Hahaha I was thinking Oh man, another poor guy like me! I battle shale. It's 4-6 inches of Sandy soil over feet of shale. Though over the years with a disc it's broken shale /sand over shale. That's only on some sites. Clovers like moisture, chicory can handle dried ground and alfalfa the same. You really have to know your PH when deciding. Then time and effort you want to put in. Mono cultures take up less time and cash. This is if your a weed freak. Mixed plots take more effort and cash in spraying if you are. Years of doing this has taught me a few things. So many of those crazed perfect plots have become mixed legume /grass hay plantings. With a couple of small interior special mixed plots. One species that you can't beat is sm. Burnett, at least here(NE). All my best year around pics are on that.
