patman75

I would like to hear any opinions, suggestions or warning about our food plot project we have planned this spring. See attached arial photos.

My Dad, uncle and I are planning to add a food plot to the property that we hunt. The property is about 80 acres total. The wooded area is about 120 yards deep and creates a natural funnel for the deer moving from one larger wood plot to the other on the east and west of us. There are a few oaks on the property but most is dead ash thanks to the emerald ash borer. With all the dead ash the under growth has taken off and the wooded area is very thick and brushy. There is really not much food for them in the woods. We would like to change that. The property has irrigation ditches on the west, east and south side which are always filled with water unless it is supper dry in the summer.

This year the farmer did not plant anything in our field due to a very wet spring. So we are not seeing very many deer this year. We want to change that for future years. We want to make our land a deer destination.

There are power lines that run through about 100 yards off the west side of the property. The plan is to round up the area that is under the power lines and clear all the undergrowth. The clearing is about 30 yards wide. We don’t plan on tilling and will plant a perennial pasture mix and 10-10-10 fertilizer. Not sure exactly what yet. Any suggestions? The local grain elevators sell a clover mix.

The secondary food plot will be along an irrigation ditch that the deer like to hang around near when the field is full of corn or soybeans. We think it will be a nice spot when the deer come out to feed in the field at dusk.

There is a lot of hunting pressure during the 2- week gun season from Nov-15-30 from all the property on the west, east and south. Not so much during archery Oct 1- Nov 14, muzzleloader Dec 1-18, Late doe Dec 19- Jan 1.

As you can see from the photos there is a lot of farm land around us. Usually corn or soybeans but always changing what is grown from year to year. Apple orchards to the west. There are no hay/pasture fields anywhere close to us. Once the corn and soybeans are harvested there is not much food around other than what was left in the crop fields. Also we hunt in one of the highest deer densities in the state. Deer management is not possible due to all the other hunters around. I hunt to fill the freezer. The Apple Orchards take 20+ deer a year with varmint permits.

Thanks for reading and let me know what you think of our plan.

patman75

Oh I forgot...

Zone 5b, heavy clay loam. Powerline area gets a little soggy but there is ditches that help.

falcon

When i lived in WV we planted daikon radishes for the deer. Deer eat the tops and the roots.

A friend planted daikon forage radishes in September. The deer have been hitting them hard.

http://dbwoutdoors.com/forage-radishes

patman75

Falcon, with all the surrounding acres of farm fields with beans and corn do you think a 30X80 yard food plot would be enough to bring the deer around more?

Or should I mix it up with mixed pasture and the other half a late season food?

Kbaird83

I really don't think clover will bring you the production you are looking for. With the amount of local fall food sources (apples, soybeans, corn, acorns ect.) clover is not a huge draw. I would lean more toward late season food sources. May take a little more prep but it would be worth the time. I would go with brassica, turnips, and oats. You can plant clover with these. Both turnips and brassica will draw deer after a frost. They become sweet tasting and the deer love them. Here is what I did on my property. I planted two separate plots on in brassica and turnips on in chicory and alfalfa. I used round up along all field edges and enterance/exit routes to stands. These I planted with a perennial white clover. This accomplishes two things. 1 it's a added draw to the deer and creates a natural staging area within shooting range and 2 clover is extremely quiet to walk on so it makes getting in and out easier. Last year on our 700 acre farm I saw 2 12 pts a 10pt and half a dozen 8's over 15" wide. Largest buck was a possible high 150 12 and our neighbor shot a 8 with a 23 1/2" spread. Of course we also practice QDM, do a selective cut, create bedding areas (including 80 acres of CPR), and strict stand rotation an limited pressure. But I am also locate in Michigan which is a high pressure state. My county is 75% in QDM and produced 48 bucks over 140" in 09 and 21 in '10. Happy hunting.

marquismarc

I am going to be doing a mix of brassica, clover, and turnips in the power lines on my property this year. The best advice anyone can offer is to have a soil test done. I tried the just throw down a little 10-10-10 method and I got nothing to show for it but a waste of time and money.

Kbaird83

That's very good advice. Not only for fertilize but lime aswell. Ph balance is very important. Soil samples are cheap compared to a bunch of ruined work and seed. And not to discourage you but there is no such thing as a easy food plot. You will only get as much out of it as you put in.

bcottrill

One thing I would personally suggest is to take a couple core samples of your soil and send them off to have them analyzed. Be sure that you can get the pH where it needs to be. Without this, your fert will do very little good. Each crop may have a different pH but Im guessing in the 6.0-6.5 range or so will cover you for the most part. Also, if you go with clover you likely will not need 10# N as it is a legume, perhaps you could them bump up your P&K. Just a few thoughts to think about.

patman75

I will be running a soil test. Knowing my own PH levels at my house, same soil type and same high lime water table I going to go out on a limb and guess it is going to come back on the akaline side.

The land in this location used to be part of an old cattle pasture some 20 years ago. I'm courious to see what the NPK is.

Question on oats, when people talk about planting oats are they planting in the fall or in the spring?

Kbaird83

I plant my oats in the beginning of august. The only thing I plant in the spring is clover.