aharley1

Here where the woods are like a jungle, feeders and food plots are both legal. I've used a feeder but was trying to build a food plot. With the undergrowth and acid soil, it's been tough. Is it worth it or do you think a feeder will produce the same results?

halfbakedi420

well....feeder will work..the whole idea behind food plots..imo..is that ya dont have to keep fillin them up..they last 3-7 years..vs fillin a feeder up 2-5 times a year..
fixin the soil can be a great feat...but in the long run, i think its worth it...i have both in the same place...a feeder at the top of my plot, which doesnt throw much...but i just want the deer to have another option.

aharley1

I have to fill my feeder every week!
It's been a struggle getting a place cleared & getting the soil PH up to where feed will grow. I'm working with a 4 wheeler & a homemade till made of 2X4s with lag bolts thru the bottom to scratch up the soil.

halfbakedi420

i feel ya man..i have been there...did ya try a hog pipe....can clear out a perty big area in one night sometimes..if ya have hogs.. i thought you were in florida..both ends are capped by the way..and ya dont want to big of a hole..the slightest amount of corn to get out is what ya want...by the time they get it all, you will have 12 inches of tilled soil..

salukipv1

poll it!

food plot all the way!

deerdust

We do foodplots, as you can hunt over them in most states. Whereas baiting is illegal in many areas. We also do licks where it is legal to hunt over them. Getting a food plot to what you need it to be can be costly and time consuming though.The results are well worth it though and will last for years if properly maintained. With a plot, you also have the option of planting different things that will benefit the deer and you at various times of the year. Turnips make a good late season crop that the deer will come to when everything else has died out. They will come to dig up turnips to feed on. Sugar Beets are another good crop to get the deer in. There are many good forage crops that will help with antler growth during the summer. What you get will be what you are willing to put into it via cash and your time to maintain it.

Mojotex

A timed feeder would be far simpler. I am not sure if any more cost effective in the long run or not.

I prefer a good food plot over a timed feeder. It is there 24/7 and does not require me to make numerous trips to keep it going.

However, it seems that in your case a good food plot will be very difficult to establish with what you have .readily available. That is the case for me. How about looking into hiring someone to make you a great plot and then you keep it going? Could be a heap of "one-time" cash lay out, but if this place is yours to hunt for years to come, should be worth it. Check with the USDA extension agent for free, solid info on "how to" and what to plant in your area.

aharley1

I've been using a feeder. I've bought a few ph testers. One will say soil is too acidic, the other says it's not. I haven't been able to find anyone who has a tractor to do the tilling. I even considered renting a bush hog then a tiller. BTW what is a hog pipe?

halfbakedi420

i put a pic up...
its a pipe capped off on both ends...
staked to the ground on 1 end...
it has holes on the top of the pipe so a lil bit( 1 kernel at a time, probably 1/2" hole,) of corn can get out at a time when the hogs throw it..
the hogs will throw this thing in circles, clearing out an area, for a food plot..
remember to have the seed, cause when ya move the pipe to the next area, ya want your plot to grow up instead of weeds in the new tilled area..

ps..your ph test is going off the type of seed you are putting down..if your plantin bushes vs plot, the ph requirements are (could be) different..why your getting conflicting ph results.