Boy I am glad to be finally writing this about the food and bedding plots we had been planning to do for some time down in Ohio. They're in as of last Sunday!! Talk about underestimating the job. After lugging and spreading around 60 bags of ag. lime, 10 bags of fertilizer and all the seed the 5 plots we had planned were finally done. We had sprayed the plot locations two weeks prior and when we arrived this past weekend we were happy to find they were good and dead. However, all the dead stuff was too long to till under without getting all tangled in the tiller. So we had to brush hog first. My buddy Ed had made the trip down late Thursday night and had planned to till all day, however he couldn't get started until I brought the brush hog down Friday evening. So he went and got all of the fertilizer and lime and did what he could until I arrived. Saturday started at 7 am and other than grabbing a sandwich in the midday we finally made it back to the house around 10 pm. We brush hogged all the plots and then tilled them all first, then spread the lime, fertilizer and seed. We were able to get the Old Saw food plot done and the Sanctuary Stand food plot as well. Sunday started at the same time and we think we had everything done and all the equipment loaded for our trek back to Michigan by around 3 pm. The last 3 plots were finished at the sanctuary bedding area. As I wrapped up those plots Ed went on and brush hogged paths around the property and even a path down through the big holla. To say we both were exhausted was an understatement. So, here is the results of our hard work so far. This is the Old Saw food plot location. It's a small field tucked back in a corner behind a bigger agricultural field, not sure what they are planting there yet. The field is separated from that big field with a thin strip of brush and trees, very secluded. Here we planted Whitetail Select Infinity Clover. This is what it looked like 2 weeks ago right after spraying. Here we are spreading the lime....heck I can still taste it! The final results........
The next plot we did was the Sanctuary Stand food plot. Here we also planted the same clover but one extra thing we did was to plant a wide strip of sorghum to separate the food plot from the rest of the field and sanctuary. We did this to give it a more secluded feel, just hope it works. Left to right, the stand is in the second picture if you can spot it.
The last 3 plots all are in our sanctuary. We have never been satisfied with how well the sanctuary has held deer over the years but an agreement with my uncle on our land contract was to only keep the main field in grasses or a crop, and to not to let trees grow other than the crab apple, etc. that are already there. So, here we decided to plant some switch grass for bedding and one strip in sorghum and soybeans. Here is Ed putting the final touches on these plots with the brush hog. Pictures of the 3 strips are from left to right. The left most strip is all switch grass. The middle strip kind of joins the left most and here I planted mostly sorghum on the left side of the strip and soybeans on the right side. Seed did overlap and will be interesting to see how it grows. We realize the beans will be eaten fast and likely will not grow much. That is OK if it keeps the browse down on the clover plot by the treestand. Also, if we have open ground by September we will go over it with a brassica mix. The right most strip runs parallel to the middle strip and has a section of grass between the two. Here I planted all switch grass. This sanctuary bedding is within sight of the stand we have where we planted the clover. Will be interesting to see how they utilize the whole area. Our plan for next year will be to add more strips of switch grass, provided it works like we are hoping.
Plot Updates (6/22 Pics) and a few more pics Well, last night I remembered that I took a few pictures while down 6/22 for the weekend but never posted them up. So here are some updates on the farm. Here is the Old Saw food plot location. These pictures were exactly 2 weeks after we planted. It's all in Whitetail Select Infinity Clover. The next is the Sanctuary Stand food plot. Again we used the Whitetail Select Infinity Clover and around the perimeter (the taller grassy looking) is the sorghum. Here is what it looked like after 2 weeks: This picture is the plot where we planted soybeans (on the left) and sorghum (on the right). To say I wasn't surprised is true when I noticed that the beans have been eaten as soon as they sprouted. In the picture you can see all of the deer tracks and that's exactly what they were doing there. Here are a few of the crop fields on the farm. This field has never seen corn planted like this. It has always been a hay field, except for one year many years ago they tried to do a no-till corn, they got it in late and it didn't grow hardly at all. Since then they never tried it again. So this should really change things around the farm this year. This is the field that we were unsure of what they were going to plant. Well, the day after we left from our planting weekend they planted it in soybeans. Here they are after less than 2 weeks. Boy was it nice to get down in the stream that weekend!! Not to mention it had to be 10 degrees cooler down there. Dad and I rock hounding. Found some good petrified wood and some other neat stones too. Not sure what to make of this stone. There is a perfect hole through it that looks like it was drilled through, maybe by hand.....
Don't be afraid if you get a deal through a local forestry department or nursery on white pines to plant those throughout the sanctuary between switchgrass rows...thermal cover in the winter and diversity in the bedding areas Looking good though man!
tynimiller that's exactly what I hope to do some day. The problem is we have a land contract with my uncle and in it we are not allowed to plant trees.... His big fear was that we would let everything grow up or plant pines all over the place while he was still alive. Even now when we just made our final payment he still has rights to what we do there. Crazy I know but it also was a no interest land contract so for me for now LOL. It's a great feeling to be able to do stuff on your own property. Keep us posted on what you do with your 88!!
im gonna make a thread with some picture of the area to see what guys think i should do. im completely lost when it comes to stuff like this. lol but this looks like i wanna do thanks for posting Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Chuck that LC sounds great, who cares if no planting can occur. Between hinging, clearing sections and planting switch and such you can transform the property and plant later (Perhaps he'd be willing to allow a small 4-8 tree apple "orchard" first...good way to please both sides maybe?). I am starting a new job in September with a new business venture and plan with busting my *** for the next few years I'm in position to hopefully have 20-80 acres of whatever ground I can get so I can live the dream as well. Right now I live through our small family place and the countless others I help each year....it's an addiction and I don't have any land of my "own" even...can't imagine how addicted you guys are and will become! Excited to see your land development in the coming years!
It was a mixture of Round-Up and 24D with a small amount of diesel fuel mixed in. It is a mixture recommended by a farmer up here in Michigan to help get rid of some of the sumac and multiflora rose we had growing along with the grasses.
I haven't updated this in a while so while we were down this last weekend I took a few pictures to show how things turned out. The first pic is from the treestand at the sanctuary food plot. The actual sanctuary is just to the right and the lower end can be seen by the end of the sorghum in the far background. This plot is the clover with sorghum surrounding it on most sides. We have a few openings that deer can use to get into the little secluded spot. Been sitting at my desk just looking at that picture thinking about my first sit there for the season!! The next few pics are of the switch grass and sorghum we planted on the southern end of the sanctuary. Basically where I am at taking the pictures is the S border of it looking North. The first picture is of one variety of switch grass, to the left of the sorghum and furthest to the West. Here you can see the sorghum and the row of beans that got annihilated this year. Yes, the weeds took over the bean section pretty good. The last row is another variety of switch grass which is the furthest East row. All of these are in sight from the sanctuary food plot stand. Here is the old saw food plot. It's all clover and has had it's share of weeds this year but the last mowing did it real good. Mostly clover now with a few sprigs of sorghum that we tried planting for a small screen. My buddy Ed is on the left right in front of the ladder stand. Oh and here are the beans on the field next to the old saw food plot.
