I could use some assistance on some ideas. I hunt on my parents farm in MN. I have about 40 acres of lowland/ river bottom woods, and a 13 acre grass field that is in CRP. I am attaching a picture so you can see what I am talking about. I am pretty limited in what I can actually do to improve my property as of right now. Black is the property outline. In the small red circle I have the ok to put in a small food plot in the woods, and along the red line I was thinking I might plant some kind of fruit trees. The red circle is a small partial clearing that I can chop a few trees down and put in a food plot. The blue lines are trails I know deer use. Any suggestions on how to go about doing this, and if there are any fast growing fruit trees that produce a lot of food? I was thinking some crabapples or apples, but i have no idea if they can handle occasional flooding. Secondly, what are some potential food plot ideas on something that could handle some shade. Anything else I can do to increase my deer holding potential? My neighbors to the South shoot about anything that moves, and my neighbors to the North are only a little better. In general this is pretty low soil, does flood every couple of years (basically the entire field up to the red line floods, then it goes uphill, so that stays dry). Yellow is off limits. The equipment I have at hand is a small tractor with a brush mower, and a couple hand rototillers and chainsaw/ handsaws. Other equipment ideas are welcome as well, but for now budget is pretty limited.
Do you get at least 4 hours or so of sunlight in the red circle? Whitetail Institute has a couple products you could put in there with minimal effort. No Plow and Secret Spot are designed for making small "kill plots" like what you are looking to do. All you would need to do is clear the ground with some hand tools and you could get something going.
Crabapples on b-118 rootstock per your climate. 5 footers, bareroot are $30/each, plant in May, cage them for deer and screen the trunk for voles in the winter. Wolfraths in Hortonville, wi. have a late bloom, late drop rut candy crab. Avoids those late frosts from killing your blooms. White clover for the foodplots wet areas=spicebush, buttonbush,hb willow rootstock, all from MDC(missouri state nursery) cheap for bedding areas. Plant in early May. We can learn a bunch on the QDM forums, foodplot and tree/habitat.
Appreciate the input so far.. I have been reading up some on the QDM forums as well, but the vast majority of what I find is for more southern climates (I am in growing zone 5 I believe, Southern MN). I like the idea of clover for the food plot, as it is a perennial and a N fixer. Should I plant some crabapples etc near the plot to benefit from the extra N or will competition with the clovers make it hard for the trees?
I live in southern MN and have had a lot of success with whitetail institutes clover. I also plant WI wintergreens deer go nuts over it.
Crabs need full sun. Go to your local feedmill and buy white clover bulk for $3.99/lb. vs, lee and tiffany @ $8/lb. BOB seed is a joke.
Have you had good luck with Wolfraths deer candy apple trees. Planted four this summer and would like to plant at least 6 more a year for the next 5 to 6 years.
I am in SW MN and planted Antler King Mini Max clover blend this summer. It's looking pretty darn good so far. It's in a spot that gets minimal sunlight in a river bottom. I would consider something like that if you have a spot you'd like a kill plot.
It has both perennial and annual seeds in it. If i'm not mistaken there are 4 types of clover, ryegrass and some brassica in it. Went from this on August 16: To this on September 15 with very minimal rain the first two and a half weeks. This area gets at the very most a half a day of sunlight. I only hunt deer in the SW part of the state. Lyon, Cottonwood and Redwood counties.
Also like to add that all of this clearing/raking/planting/fertilizing, everything, was done by hand so there is no real need for equipment if you have the time and patience.
Looks really good. I am going to have to clear a spot for it this fall, and plant first thing in the spring. I just hope it doesn't flood in the spring, because I don't think the clover appreciates standing water.
Good luck! I was going to plant this in the spring but we got a ton of rain and by the time we got in the field to plant it was too late to work on the plot so I ended up planting late summer.
Thanks! Right now I am still in school so the budget is pretty limited, but I want to try and add a little bit here and there in order to improve my parents farm a little bit year by year. Things like this that aren't super expensive move right up to the top of the list. The spring is going to involve a bunch of trees I think, just starting as seedlings. Does anyone have any experience with the "Rapid Mast" seedlings from mossy oak? Nativ Nurseries
