farm hunter

It doesn't seem possible that its really 2005!

Well, I'm starting to plan my spring planting - Not so much what to plant - but WHAT ARRANGEMENTS. By that I mean - I already know what I plan to plant - generally - but what to plant together - and in what type of configuration?

Every year I plan the plots out - I end up making rectangular plots - because they are already that way. This year I want to make the plots a little more "user freindly". I'd be real interested in hearing what others do to help the deer use a plot more effectively.

I plan to make some Strips of Beans, Brassicas - and clover in corn plots. Also I plan to dogleg the corn plots for screening from roadways.

Does anyone have any thoughts on how to make the layouts of the plots - more attractive to the deer?

Keep in mind - that I am planting many plots in 2 large "fields" - here is last year's layout of my biggest planting area - the "old Field" is 20 acres.

This will give you an idea of what I'm working with -last year'splot layout -

The dark green - unlabled sections are younf spruce/pine plantings that are about knee high - to hip high right now. Our Cabin is the little white square on the top (north)edge of the field.

ir655

Ah, great to see you back in busines. I wish I could give you some ideas, but I am learning off of you so I am being a student at this time. Overall it looks like a nice layout. Lets see what some of the other members have to say.

Good luck!

Dan O.

Farm Hunter; It would be great it you tried a small plot of Chufa on a corner of your plot. I know that you're methods are refined enough to give it a good try but I don't hear much about it the northern areas.

Don't forget that Russ Otten swears by his peas rather than soya beans.

Dan O.

timbercruiser

The idea of variety of foods for the deer sounds like a plus. In our food plots we like to leave a few trees in the plots if possible.

RonM

Sean, it's going to be tough for us to look at a plot and give you idesa, the only thing I suggested to you last year was overplant those beans in 15 in rows, I think you understood what I was talking about, maybe make your strips of corn narrower, just make the entire patch wider, so you have the same amount., I would leave wider strips around the perimeter, maybe 20 ft or so , however wide your mower is times about 3 passes. this for driving around looking at wildlife without tearing up the crops, Try some sunflowers, deer love young sunflowers and they are good for the birds as well later on, On those corn strips , fill them in the middles with soybeans, I meant to say. Put in a small patch of sweet corn for the family and when it is gone in the summer, disc that up and seed it in turnips. Seems like you already had success in the past. RonM

farm hunter

Ok - Thanks so far -

What do you think about putting corn up tight to cover? Do you think the deer will bed in it better? They have not bedded in our corn plots (not alot anyhow) in the daylight hours. I always used to worry that the deer would eat the corn to nothing on the edges - but with roundup corn - I think we can probably do that.

Also - What about Irregular (s-shaped, etc) plots - do they add enough benefit (like what) that it might be worth the hassle of making/maintaining them?

I like the idea of leaving some trees - and one place I plan to put in a mini-plot 3/4 acre for hunting over - I'll leave several trees. Maybe in the bigger plots - I'll mix in some fast growing hardwood plantings and plow around them?

I'm definitely going to give a couple Brassica mixes a try. Does anyone have a good source for a mix - that will ship to NY? I'd like to try a mix with at least several seed types.

Maybe I'll look at Chufa for a try? I always thought it was a southern planting like crimson clover is.

FH

RonM

S shaped plots if you have to contour plant, but straight rows are a lot easier, corn up to clover would be good, corn gives the deer a little security , our fields are full of deer in the summertime. My suggestion of fewer rows was based on giving them a place to hide yet allowing you to drive them out in an early season hunt, if you have one in NY before the corn gets picked. Never had any luck with Brassica, and had bad luck with chufa, but I have learned that I planted the chufa wrong, needs to go into the ground pretty deep. at least an inch or more..

Wild Work

Hello farmhunter,
Ditch the soybeans and plant powerplant from Whitetail Institute. more protien, cover browse tolerant and produces tons of food. I own a habitat improvement company in South Jersey. I'm a union carpenter by trade, farmer, hunter, trapper, fisherman by choice. I hunt all over NJ, DE, MD, PA, NY, NH, and ME. What a variety of habitat. I have hunted deer in some awesome spots that you would never hear about in print. The pheasant shooting preserves that i trap, deer hunt and run my beagles on produce the biggest bucks, hold the most deer and even with all the upland bird shooters on adaily basis produce the most deer sightings per hunt average about 20. THey are planted in sudan grass, grain sorghum which would replace your corn. They are planted in wavy strips with new growth clear cuts( edge effect ) on all sides. In my opinion a chain saw is the best investment to a deer mangement program, selective cutting of junk trees to open up the forest floor for new growth. Remember deer are browsers not grazer they eat a little then go lay down to chew there cud. Usaully not far from food source. That is where the edge effect come into play. It produce ground cover between food and big woods security. Contact me if i can help in anyway! good luck and keep it simple.
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lawnfarmer

Farmhunter,
I haven't been around for a while and its nice to see you, and some of the old timers are still here. I can't give you any advice but I will follow yours anytime. Still have 50# of good seed corn but will try the RR if you give me the scoop on how you do it. Your pictures clearly show it is superior to what I've been using. Now is a good time for planning.

RonM

Lawnfarmer good to hear from you again, got a little break from all that mowing , snow up to the windowsills eh. Try RR corn plant it like Non RR , but spray it with the roundup before it gets about halfway up the shinbone, ankle high is a good time to apply the material before the corn gets too high, if it gets too high it will get a little burn..