BigBuck28

Has anyone tried Whitetail Institute Secret Spot or Imperial No Plow? I was thinking about making some small food plots way back in the woods where you cant get any equpiment? Any other seeds that might work?

the kidd

i have tried no plow but i didnt have any luck some 4inch rain came down on it and it grouped up into little bowls and then we forgot to put fertilizer on it s it didnt grow any...i am goin to try extreme this year though that is also made by whitetail institute

GRIZZLYMAN

I used Secret Spot a couple of years ago and it came up, just not as much as I expected. I didn't do a soil Ph test and added some lime and fertilizer (but not a lot). If your soil is good, it should do well.

LebeauHunter

We have 2 plots in the woods (though accessible by 4 wheeler).

After a lot of trial and error we have learned a few things:

(1) You need a lot of sunlight. We have gotten more aggressive in our clearing efforts (our land) (also use hack and suirt method).

(2) Weather and planting time are key. Like, Kidd, 2 years ago we had no rain for weeks, then a flood and lost the seeds.

(3) Buy or rent a commercial gas blower. You need to get all that debris off of the ground so the seeds can make soil contact and raking and picking up is a big pain.

(4) Buy or make a drag and pull it behind your 4 wheeler/Mule. Even though it is "No Plow," if you can break up the surface you will get better results.

(5) We've had decent results with No Plow, as well as cheaper things like Throw and Go (Wal-Mart). But the seed won't matter too much if you don't do things like I mentioned above.

I'm going to use No Plow again and hope that this year it all comes together. Good luck.

TROPHYHUNTER25

i used no plow but only made a 1/4 acre plot and the deer ate it down to nothing

chucker34

I did some small similar spots last year with biologic hot spot. It came up pretty good in partial sun areas but not in the way I would have liked it. I got what I expected though without soil prep, etc., and the conditions.

If minerals are legal in your area, and even if they aren't, you might want to consider creating some mineral sites (meaning you can remove any leftover minerals before hunting season). My mineral sites got pounded pretty hard during the spring and summer last year.

They won't draw deer in during hunting season, but they do provide some benefit to the deer during their recovery periods and do help establish travel routes. The deer still take the same paths, just not as frequently to use the minerals.

BigBuck28

guys thanks for all the input. im going to def make a few small plots this year. Does anyone know when is the best time of year to plant this stuff so it come sup in oct

Capt416

I have tried it and I didn't think much of it. I limed and fertized the plot. It didn't come in thick and what grew was mowed down by the deer before I had an opportunity to hunt it. This year I went toSouther States and bought Latindo clover and it hasjust started togrow. It was much cheaper than secret spot.

LebeauHunter

As for when to plant, check the bag or WI website, they have prime planting dates by region. Ideally you would like to plant it right before a light to medium rain, but that obviously is not always within your control.