Plots are in!

[deadeye]

I sprayed all the plots a month ago and again a week ago.  Because they predicted rain, I planted them all today.

300 Pounds of fertilizer.
56   pounds of Winter Rye.
9    pounds of various Clover types.
4   pounds of Turnips.
50 pounds of various plants (oats, peas, beans, milo, buckwheat, sunflower)

Three plots are in the woods and I just planted Clover and Turnips there.  The other three are in open fields along the woods.  These were planted with Clover as well as all the other stuff.  Now I need a good pounding rain to help get the seed started. 

While I was there, I put out three trail cameras.  Deer flies were not too bad.  They should be gone in a couple weeks.

[dakids]

Very nice. The deer will be very fat and happy. How was your ph?  We had to add a lot of lime this spring.

[deadeye]

PH what's that - Professional Hunter?  No, contrary to the recommended method, I did not test the soil.  I use about 150 pounds per acre of 17-17-17 fertilizer and hope for the best.  Being I have plenty space to use for plots, I don't need to have each one produce at maximum capacity.  I broadcast seeds at a heavy rate knowing that I will not get the germination that would be expected on a tilled and drilled field.  But, I do need rain to make it work.

[glenn57]

this maybe isn't any  of my business but, how much do you guys invest in putting in these plots??? I hunt all woods so it is useless to even try. unless someones got ideas of stuff that will withstand all shade and getting covered with leaves every fall!!

[Boar]

glenn i know guys that just open up thier trails realnice and plant barsicas all down the trails, turnips basicly, when the first good frost hits them the sugars gose thru the roof on them and the deer pile in to consume. but on has to plant them late june early july I think at the latest. deer digg on the till their gone, great for late season muzzy hunting.

[deadeye]

 glenn57,
Yes, it is your business.  That's what this forum is for.  Hunting all woods does not preclude food plots.  Nor do you need to invest a lot of $$ to have a successful food plot.  I attached several pictures of small "in the woods" plots.  These can be made with minimal effort and expense.  Most woods have some openings big enough (50 X 50 foot works) for a food plot.  I simply clear the brush, dead falls etc. and spray the the area.  Once the vegetation is dead, you can but it's not required drag an old bed spring or other device to level and clear dead stuff.  (I usually broadcast directly into the dead grass.  It take a few years to develop the plot this way but it is effective and the cost is very low.

 

[glenn57]

Thanks guys for the info. The land is owned by the U of M as a conservatory and I really don't have any even small clearings to plant something.

[ray634]

I have been opening up about an acre by the stand my son uses. It had 2 - 8 foot by 100 foot lanes that I could get the tractor through. I logged everything except a white oak clump and 3 red pines. Yesterday I ran the cutaway disc over it after pushing as much brush off as I could manage with the tractor and loader. Got it seeded to rape, turnip, and sugar beet mixture. It started raining as I left the plot and had 2 inches in the gage this morning.
My 3 other plots have black oil sunflowers in them and the deer are mowing them down like crazy. Got my camera on a Trophy Rock lick and have a big doe with 2 fawns on it for an hour at a time, Also a wide 6, a fork and 2 8's. With the lottery in my area for the first time in a long time it is good to see there are bucks around, even if only at night so far.

[deadeye]

Well, my plots got some rain, around an inch or so since Thursday.  Funny, I live 45 miles away and got eight (8) inches since Thursday.