Angus74

Well, Ive had food plots for several years, but have never had what I wanted, since they are all back in the woods, and Im unable to get a lime truck to them, and my soil is very bad, The samples Ive done, recommended 5-6 tons per acre. This spring and summer we are having some select cutting done of our Red Oak timber, and I will be able to get a lime truck to all my plots when they are done. I have recently bought a 3 point tiller for my tractor, and it works great and also packs and drags the soil after tilling. I also just bought an atv sprayer for spraying my plots. Now,, should I use some of the log landings they are making during logging, I already have about 6 food plots on 300 acres, but will have about 4 or 5 new sites if I use the log landings, and they are about 3/4 acre each, and my existing plots or 3/4 to 1 1/2 acre each. How should I do all my plots? Should I lime, then till, or should I spray them first, before I do anything? Also I plan to try to do some ladina clover, Id like to try some different varieties of Boilogic, and/or Imperial Whitetail. What does everyone recommend? I know should have some annuals and some perrienials, but am unsure of how to decide what to put where, and when to do it all. I know I probably wont have much this fall, since they wont even be finished until late summer, but I want to get as much in this fall, and finish up next spring or next fall. I know some of the small plots wont recieve full sun all day, but will recieve a few hours of sun each day, and some of the plots get plenty of sun. How would you guys do about it, if you were starting off with about 300 acres of oak timber, with lots of white oak, and about 10 clearings ranging from 1/4 acre up to 1 1/2 acres. Also, some of the landings are right on the main logging road into the property, so giong in to hunt and going out after hunting, I will possibly be bumping deer feeding, how would you handle that too? Sorry for the long post, but Im kind of overwhelmed as to where to start, it sure would be nice to have a biologist on hand to come look things over and give me some advice. Thanks in advance for any help.

LebeauHunter

If you are going to spend that much time and effort, I agree that it would probably be worth it to get a whitetail biologist. My dad used one on his property and it was definitely worth it to us. He brought up some points that we would not have thought of (like locating plots in a way to discourage deer from going on adjacent land), and it gave us a good game plan. I just think that for all the money and time spent, and the potential for a lot of wasted or not very efficient efforts, that it is worth it.

Angus74

I wouldnt even know where to start with that, I saw the Whitetail Institute is offering a biologist to come look at propoerties, but it starts at like $2000 for the first visit! I cant afford that, Now that Ive got all my equipment, Its going to be hard for me to afford all the lime I need, and Im sure no one else in the family is going to chip in to help pay for anything, Heck, I cant even get em to help with seed, or work on the plots, but they are sure there to hunt them when season opens..lol family huh?

LebeauHunter

You sound like my dad! No one ever helps, but come holidays or the rut, they come crawling out of the woodwork. I live 2.5 hours away, so when I go visit, I get ready to work.

I hear you on costs, but we only used one visit from Grant Woods, and it was all we intend to use for a while, and it was worth it. When you factor in the costs of equipment, land, fertilizer, seed, and all the hours, 2k is not a whole lot. Having said that, I could not afford it myself, but neither could I afford the land, equipment, etc.

You could try to talk to guys locally, and try to find someone cheaper locally, especially b/c you have to pay travel costs, or maybe you can just find someone who has some experience who is willing to help out.

If you really don't want to spring for a biologist, then you should at least buy a deer management book or two, there is a new one by Grant Woods called Deer Management 101, the book can be found on the following website:
http://www.deermanagement.net/index.html

Somebody else on this forum recommended a book called "Grow Em Right."

So for about $50, you could have two books which will probably provide you with a lot more information then you could ever get off of random postings from this forum.

Good luck

falcon

Angus, where do you live? $2,000 for an "expert" to look over your place is a lot of money. Lots of folks read too much into this food plot thing. We are not raising crops for harvest. There is no need for roundup ready anything where i live. We plant the peas and beans very thick and do not have a problem with the weeds. We put on lots of fertilizer and hope for the rain. Here in OKit is best notto plant fall plots until the grass turns brown. In case of the Johnson grass we do not plantuntil it turns blue.

Rather than hire an expensive "consultant" why not just talk with some of your neighbors andlook for solutions online.

TexasOaks

Here's the book he recommended at amazon for $2; looks not to have gotten very good review by a customer who bought it.

http://www.amazon.com/Deer-Management-101-Manage-Hunting/dp/0974696803/ref=sr_1_1/103-7320298-1573469?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1178395314&amp ;sr=1-1

LebeauHunter

falcon,

It is not 2k for a food plot. It is for a complete assessment of the property.
It is for location of multiple food plots, where not to plant is sometimes as important as where to plant, especially when people hunt around you, where to locate sanctuaries, tips on what to grow and when, where to put lanes, future planning with CRP, farming, woodland, etc. We tried trial and error and it wasn't working for us. We may have learned some of this stuff, but not without a lot of wasted time and effort and maybe not as good of results. People spend 2k on accessories for their truck.

Texas, I saw the one sentence bad review on the anonymous post on amazon. I really don't buy things based on one anonymous review. It is like an article in a magazine, just a lot of them in one place.

Someone else here was raving about "Grow Em Right," I mentioned that one too.

falcon

"You don't sound like much of an expert, but if you are then you won't need to spend any money, just get out there and start clearing woodland and planting."

Never claimed to be an "expert." Neither are some of the "experts" really experts. However, a good friend did take that 181 point ten point on one of our places last season. The same lady took a 186 pointer onanother of our places in 04. Another person took a 177 pointer in 05. Maybe there is something that the "experts" have overlooked.

Do not need some ballyhooed "consultant" to come down from Wisconsin or some place to do a "complete assessment" on our places on OK. i've "assessed" every square foot in the years that we have owned or managed them.

Redclub

One of the best ways for food plot is very simple,Just disk up the land real good, grass will grow by itself. Cut this grass so it doesn't get over 6" high
All animals like new seeding,it doesn't have to be fancy store bought stuff
Do this every couple years it works,
Redclub

falcon

"One of the best ways for food plot is very simple,Just disk up the land real good, grass will grow by itself. Cut this grass so it doesn't get over 6" high
All animals like new seeding,it doesn't have to be fancy store bought stuff
Do this every couple years it works,"

Yes, it does work very well.The deer eatthat young tender grassjust as well as they eat wheat, oats, or about anything else. The deer at a place we own ignored the turnips and oats as soon as the grass, weeds and forbsturned green.