farm hunter

This time of year, hunting season has ended in many areas, like minded hunters have decided that food plots might be the "answer" for next year's season - But how to go about it?, where do you start?, What's it cost?, Whats the maintanence involve?, Where can I find information??????????


Since this is the most common type of question asked this time of year, and really, NOW is when you should start planning for Spring Planting, I thought it might be helpful, if the members with some experience in the process could post links, tips, pictures, etc. on this thread.

I'll start, with a couple links, and a picture of a plot before/after. PLEASE, those of you with experience, post your favorite tips, and links - I still learn ALOT every year through experience, and the unselfish help from others on this board, every year - I hope to pick up some tips from this thread - as we plan to do alot of rotating crops, this is our 4th season of serious plots.

http://www.qdma.com/articles/detail.asp?ID=126

http://www.qdma.com/articles/detail.asp?ID=92

http://www.qdma.com/articles/detail.asp?ID=91

http://www.dfr.state.nc.us/stewardsh...dnotractor.htm

The following pictures were from a fall planted plot - BUT Preparation for the plot started In June 2000. Pics were taken from roughly the same spot: - You get the idea that clover is NOT a quick propsition - but once established - becomes a GREAT plot.

Pic 1: After planting - Sept 2000



Pic 2: Same Plot - April 2001



Pic 3: Same plot Late June 2001 - after one mowing.



Please - POST AWAY!

Dan O.

I'm going to beat lunchbucket to the punch: get a soil test.

Dan O.

lawnfarmer

FH, Thank you very much for the links. I printed all that stuff up. I notice you have a few rocks growing in your field. That's the only thing I can grow better than you. And mine are bigger. Much bigger. Am anxiously awaiting a corn story from you, I think I'm do'n o.k. with the alfalfa, clover. Just sent in a soil sample. Would really like to give you, Dan, and Lunchbucket some competition this year. Useing your own advice against you. &lt; Humor terry<img src=icon_smile_clown.gif border=0 align=middle>

LIVE FREE OR DIE

1sagittarius

Farm hunter, very cool. In the pictures, types of clovers are in your mix?

On the bow-site they did a food plot from 1998 through 2001 with seasonal reports with pictures. Due to the distance from the plot, the plot was not mowed/maintained as well as needed. But the history and progression of the plot is a great learning tool. Word is the plot will be redone and continued again in spring 2003. check it out....

http://www.bowsite.com/bowsite/features/misc/food-plot/

sometimes when the above site is mentioned, the post get deleted due to fear of competion.

farm hunter

1sagittarius -

The plot in the picture is straight Imperial Whitetail Clover, no nurse crop, no other seeds. I forget, but I think IWC is Giant Ladino, and a couple other White Clover's in the mix - its a good plot. You'll notice that there are weeds in the plot in the last pic. After several mowings, it was almost a Pure clover stand. 3 years later its starting to thin out some, and this year we are replanting the field this year mostly into corn to take advantage of the Nitrogen in the soil, but with 2 hidden clover patches in the corn, totaling 2 acres with a white clover.

I've tried several Mixes, My favorite is Ladino and White Dutch. The White Dutch grows low, the ladino higher (but not as high as Red Clover or alfalfa). I assume that eventually the white dutch will take over the plot, since its so hardy - but so far (2 years) I've had the best results with this blend. I also like to use a Nurse crop like oats, or rye when planting now (40-60 lbs/acre). I mow it off when it goes to seed. I used Dwarf Essex Rape once as a nurse crop, and it did great as a nurse crop, but the deer didn't like it, and it was difficult to get out of the feild by mowing, it took two years.

I still think trial and error is the best, when it comes to the best mix, each area seems different. Whenever I plant a plot, I'll purchase a few pounds of another seed type (red clover, alfalfa, birdsfoot trefoil, or other varieties of the same seed type, etc.) and plant sections of the plot with the different mix. Sometimes it shows no difference in usage, other times its obvious. Thats how I came on the Ladino & White Dutch blend I use most often now.

whitetail1

heres some pictures from my plots. the site needs updating so bear with me. www.michiganhunteronline.net/midplot

lunchbucket

Book him Dan O... I'll just say it louder... SOIL TESTS, SOIL TESTS, SOIL TESTS!!!!! Also, take a post hole digger to the site and dig at least 3 holes to a depth of about twenty-four inches and inspect the soil types, especially noteing the depth of the top soil. It is quite possible to have good soil for a few inches and gravel underneath it. This will change the equation. The ladino clovers require at least a sandy loam with a top soil depth of eight inches. This is crutial with the more targeted clover blends. The IWC requires an at least GOOD quality sandy loam with a top soil of a minimum of eight inches, preferrably 12 inches with a soil pH value of at least 6.5... If you don't have this for the IWC, I guarantee you will fail... The heavier the soi the better, to a clay... different rules.
Don't be in a hurry to fail!!! The better you prep the soil and rid it of weeds and grasses the better and the longer your plot will last. Grasses will always overtake a forage crop. Spray when they first appear with a product meant for the clover/alfalfa that is planted, the manufacturers usually have a recommendation for their product. It is usually best to spray after the product has been mowed and fertilized. Spray at a half strength with the recommended herbicide and then respray 2-3 weeks later. It just seems to work better and kills off more of the grasses than spraying at full strength once. It may take a year or better o get the soil in line. During this time you may plant some soil builders like rye or buckwheat.
Lime may take a year or more to work in the soil... The fields you see in the different manufacturers adds are METICULIOUSLY groomed and prepped. Believe me, I know!!! Anyone that tells you they have the stuff that &quot; All ya gotta do...&quot; and 180 calls bucks start growing along side their product is either a liar and/or stupid, don't have anything to do with them... This stuff takes time.
Also the more targeted seed products are usually quite tempermental to get started. They do NOT respond well to the average farming methods. They require more attention in the prep mode's and the first 40-60 days after planting. A Mercedes is more expensive and requires more attention than a Crown Vic, both of which are quality cars. However, following instructions you should get a minimum of 300,000 + miles out of the Mercedes, 1,000,000 miles is not unheard of, and at best 200,000 miles out of the Crown Vic. You get what you pay for.
Your a farmer now, and there is no greater gambler than a farmer. A farmer may do everything right and if mothernature dosen't give the right weather conditions guess what... It won't work!!! Few farmers buy new Aston Martins every year, there's a reason!!! Look at weather forecasts. If there is a predicted drought, don't plant... predicted unseasonably cold weather, don't plant. There is nothing more dangerous to a young plant in the first 30 days than excessive cold or heat/drought.
Label every plot and keep a ringed binder of your different plots. Put every bit of info you can think of into the plot log, such as the size of the plot, humidity/rainfall, spring and fall soil samples(this allows for a more even keel on the fertilizer and lime line), before and after pictures, the seed/fertilizer/lime tags/reciepts, the type/types of soils with grid directions, soil Ph, seed type and amount, fertilizer type and amount, prepping procedures, dates of plantings and modifications(cultipacking, harrowing ect...) and so on. This will become a legal document and will allow you to make a bar graph within a year or so. Not to mention a selling point, God forbid, you have to sell your property.
So there DanO... tehehehehe...

Romans 10:9 Psalms 42

Dan O.

I thought you'd agree with my suggestion lunchbucket.

By the way; you never did say what crop you hunted over last fall and if it was successful.

Dan O.

RonM

Sean those are some great links you gave us,showing the importance of soil testing, liming and working the plots. In Delaware we try to get the clover in during the middle weeks of March, I try to look for a forecast for rain within a few days and seed it then, the rain will set the seed. I have planted clover in a woods a couple times but lack of sunlight impedes it. Keep up the great posts... Ron

lunchbucket

Dan, my hunting was limited for several reasons. The main was my cousin that I hunt with had a back operation and could not stay out long and I was his primary care giver in the great Michigan Up North. That's OK... I measure success by seeing deer. No, I did not see anything worth harvesting. The area we hunted was a Bovine TB area an had the heck shot out of it the last two years. But I seen some deer. I guess the neatest thing I seen was an owl that flew into a tree about 20 feet from me. It sat there opening morning for about 30 seconds or more. What a sight. That in itself was worth the season.

Romans 10:9 Psalms 42