Food plots for this year.

Discussion in 'Bowhunting Talk' started by Keep_Calm_And_Bowhunt, Jan 14, 2016.

  1. Keep_Calm_And_Bowhunt

    Keep_Calm_And_Bowhunt Weekend Warrior

    Joined:
    Oct 12, 2014
    Posts:
    77
    Likes Received:
    1
    Dislikes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Cherryville, North Carolina
    I was wondering what a good food plot seed it, but that is also affordable. Last year I bought a mixture blend that was about $40, which only covered maybe 3/4 of an acre. This year I wanted to plant maybe 5 small food plots, non of which would be over an acre. But i don't want to pay about $200 dollars for just a few small plots. And a question to yall down here in the south, I live in north carolina and I wanted to know about a time when I should plant. Because I planted last year about August, and hardly any of it came up for the deer and turkeys. So it was a waste of $40.
    But any advice and help would be greatly appreciated!
     
  2. elkguide

    elkguide Grizzled Veteran

    Joined:
    Jan 9, 2012
    Posts:
    8,936
    Likes Received:
    15,773
    Dislikes Received:
    10
    Location:
    Vermont
    Go to a farm and garden store and buy a forage seed that they recommend for your area.

    Do NOT buy a seed package with a deer on the bag. You will pay a lot for that picture!
     
  3. foodplot19

    foodplot19 Grizzled Veteran

    Joined:
    Sep 28, 2014
    Posts:
    9,242
    Likes Received:
    11,409
    Dislikes Received:
    8
    Location:
    West Central Missouri
    Elk is right. Those pictures are very expensive.
    First thing is you may want to check your pH. That is the most important step.
     
  4. PushmatahaHunter

    PushmatahaHunter Newb

    Joined:
    Jan 6, 2016
    Posts:
    33
    Likes Received:
    0
    Dislikes Received:
    0
    Location:
    SE Oklahoma
    Go to your local feed and seed store and you can make your own seed mix. My favorite blend includes peas, clover, radishes, and oats or winter wheat. I like to have my seed bed ready to go by late August and I normally plant sometime in early to mid September right before a good rain if possible. Also I would suggest spending a little of your money on fertilizer. It's better to plant 2 food plots that produce well then 5 plots that don't come up.
     
  5. Sota

    Sota Legendary Woodsman

    Joined:
    Jun 28, 2014
    Posts:
    31,114
    Likes Received:
    21,201
    Dislikes Received:
    127
    Location:
    Minnesota
    Get a soil test done if you want to have better than a 50-50 shot of it being worth the time you invest.
     
  6. Mckaax

    Mckaax Weekend Warrior

    Joined:
    Mar 16, 2011
    Posts:
    437
    Likes Received:
    2
    Dislikes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Kentucky
    Back up and do your research. The first thing you need to do is soil samples. If you don't you will waste more money on seed.
     
  7. CoveyMaster

    CoveyMaster Grizzled Veteran

    Joined:
    Aug 7, 2013
    Posts:
    9,888
    Likes Received:
    3,077
    Dislikes Received:
    18
    Location:
    MO/KS state line
    $200 budget for 5 acres +/- is a pretty tight budget. Winter wheat, rye or oats will keep you under that if you skimp on fertilizer and lime. You could do a strip in each plot in white clover for reliability and then the rest of the plots in the above mentioned for that kind of money.
     
  8. elkguide

    elkguide Grizzled Veteran

    Joined:
    Jan 9, 2012
    Posts:
    8,936
    Likes Received:
    15,773
    Dislikes Received:
    10
    Location:
    Vermont
    I like to plant my food plots in mid June.

    Once they get established, usually in late August, I will bush hog them and then begin hunting over them in October.
     
  9. marcuswagner12

    marcuswagner12 Newb

    Joined:
    Jul 19, 2015
    Posts:
    35
    Likes Received:
    0
    Dislikes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Wisconsin
    Sota! Glad to see you didn't get your undies in a bunch for this topic not being in the correct forum.
     

Share This Page