haystack

Yep, Crenth I forgot about the metal plates even though the planter I have came with some 16 cell metal corn plates, I've just always used the plastic plates.

It looks like your plates are the 20 cell soy plates, which as a plastic plate I think is called a B-SOY. Either way, the #310992 is all its going take when I go to the co-op and ask for a favor They'll let me use whatever size I need and if it works out as good for me as it did you, I'll probably go ahead and buy a set.

Thanks a lot Crenth for the pictures and the help, I hope it wasn't to much trouble. And good luck with your plots and that nice buck that's been showing up!!

crenth

It was no problem haystack!! Glad I could help!

4evrhtn

Here are some pics of my plot from April till now. I planted a 1/2 acre of clover and chicory right next to the bushline where my stand is. Then I planted a 1/2 acre of soybean next to that and then 1 acre of corn in the shape of an L around the bushline from where the deer approach the field to provide a staging area in cover and food near to my stand sites.
I had attempted the soybeans in the past after heavily treating the ground with herbicides. No weeds grew but my soybeans were eaten faster than they could grow. The corn was also heavily browsed early and produced half of what I had anticipated. This year I tried a different approach. I knew from having disked the ground in other years I have an abundant ragweed seed bed in this field. This year i disked the field prior to planting and did little with herbicides. The ragweed grew up thick and has provided some protection to the soybean plants. The deer are browsing on the ragweed just as much as the soybean and Ihave a much healthier crop than before which already has produced more food than before. I was worried about the ragweed choking out the soybean and robbing it of nutrients but it is thicker than it had been other years. I am also seeing more birds (turkey, quail and pheasant) coming to the field now that the ragweed was left to grow.

This year has been more of an experiment of sorts and so far I am having good results with having spent alot less on weed eradication. It isn't as pretty as those plots in the Whitetail Institute Articles but the deer don't seem to care any less than when the plot was weed-free.

SWThomas

That plot looks awesome!

crenth

Nice setup!!

4evrhtn

Thanks guys, I was waiting to get bashed for having "too many" weeds. Like I said, it isn't the prettiest but so far it has been effective especially at drawing in turkeys and other game birds. They seem to hang out in the thick stuff probably for security and once the ragweed seeds they will have more food.

As far as the setup I have every shootable area of the food plot covered with a maximum of a 40 yd shot. Where the beans and corn meet on the upper right side I will be putting in my ground blind to cover those two areas while the stands at either end will provide a shot at either the clover/chicory or the deer traveling to and from the corn and their water source- 2 ponds located 50yds from the far end of the corn. Now I just have to play the wind and thermals. Thanks Again!

crenth

So we went out today to spray to kill the weeds. Saw 2 deer down in the woods on the drive in and then busted 2 of them eating on the food plot. So that was good!! Then found out that they have been nipping at our beans pretty good. Also been nipping on the corn too.

But anyway, here are some updated pictures for you guys. They haven't touched the cowpeas though.



Beans



Corn



Cowpeas

4evrhtn

Have you had much success with the cow peas? I was wondering what the nutrient content was and how much it costs per acre to plant. I will do a search online. Your plot looks very neat and orderly compared to mine. Do you think your soybeans will withstand browsing long enough to produce beans. In Ohio where I hunt, they plant acres of soybeans and they get hammered long before they have a chance to produce beans, by september they are just bare stalks. I am excited to see how things go for me this year and how my bean crop does with this added cover. Your plot looks great. I will post more pics throughout the rest of the year until winter. Next year I may designate an acre of the unfarmed portion of my field to winter greens. I had too many other things going on this year and didn't prep the area for it. From here on out I will only be going to my plot to fill my feeders and check the cameras. I want to leave it as undisturbed as possible until hunting season.