Food Plots

[archerystud]

Hey guys,

Is there anything I can still plant in August (maybe Sept.) that would be ready for deer season this year? I did some clover plots a few years ago but now I have some new land to plant on.

I hunt Southern MN and it's taking me a while to acquire all of the tools I need for food plots. I'm pretty much looking for something that will draw the deer in after the fields are out.

I was hoping to try some rape if it's not too late to plant.

[Mark Christianson]

If you have a plot prepped, or ready to prep right now, you have time!

I am planting a rapeseed/turnip mix and winter rye Labor Day weekend. That might be a tad late for the rape, but if I can get 6 weeks of growth, it will be pretty darn good.

In 8-9 weeks this spring, I had turnips with leaves 18-24 inches tall, and heads bigger than kitten balls.

You are in good shape.

[archerystud]

Cool.

I'm shooting for the middle of August. I should have all my tools by then. It will be at least worth while to do a test plot or two.

[BLACKJACK]

Has it been worked at all or is it still grass/weeds? Do you want an annual plot or a perennial plot?

You still have plenty of time to plant rye, oats, or even clover.

Think about adding some fertilizer, it really helps.

Do a search on these forums; there has been a lot of food plot talk.

[Code-Man]

I'd go get your self a bag of triple 19 from your area CO-Op and incorporate or spread it out and plant it with your seed it'll help especially if your using a spinner type spreader by mixing the two. Pray for rain I am..

[PerchJerker]

You are really pushing too late to plant rape but you could give it a shot. Best bet is cereal grains like oasts, wheat, and rye, if in Southern MN I would wait until mid Sept to plant them.

[archerystud]

I'm probably looking at an annual plot. It's river bottom land that floods out nearly every Spring. The land used to be mostly fields. Two of the three fields are mostly willows now, the third field had a burn a couple of years ago, so that's all grass now.

If I don't get anything planted this year it wouldn't be a huge deal. I'm looking to buy a four wheeler and a small disc in the next couple of weeks. If I do, I'll probably plant a little something, maybe clover or oats. I can always try other stuff next year.

Thanks for the info guys and Good Luck this season.

[BLACKJACK]

Once you get a spot worked up and planted into a rye/oats/whatever, start working up another spot or three, with your goal being to plant it next spring. By working it several times now (with a couple weeks timelapse) and a couple times next spring, you'll cut down your weed competion. Spraying Roundup is the best way to go but you can get some pretty good weed control by multiple tillage passes.

If you're planting a perrenial spot next spring, think clover (BLB can get you some clover at a good price!), it will attract deer spring, summer, and fall.

Once you plant clover, think about getting a mower, because you will need to mow it (or spray it) in order to keep the weeds down.

Good luck!

[Code-Man]

Food plots I think could be a novel on how to do them and what should I plant. When looking to do food plots your easiest battle is where I am going to put it. After that decision the hard part is. How Big is it going to be? Will I be hunting over it? And Finally What the heck am I going to plant.

I think the biggest thing is what you are going to plant. If you have the agricultural suroundings (FOOD SOURCE) for them you wont have to plant Soybeans/Corn and I would look at something with a tap root something like a beet or some of the broad leafs that will be turning into sugar come Nov when it's deer season. But if you don't have the Agriculture around you one should look at planting a early food plot of Soybeans. WHY? Soybeans are full of protein and nutrition that the deer will need while growing and especially helpful when they are putting energy towards those antlers. But Soybeans will be dried up by the end of the year not saying deer wont go to them but they wont be there as much as something a little bit greener or with more nutrition to them. I would plant some corn along with the soybeans to have something there standing when we get some snow so the deer will have something to munch on during the season and after so when God finally gets us back for all those nice winters we've been having and really knocks it to us they have something they can try to sruvive on. And if you can't get a machine back to an area to do some work to an area look at just spreading out some sort of grasses. You don't have to spend the money for Biologic and some of those you can make your own up especially if you have friends that farm. Ask for a buck of wheat/oats/Wwheat/Barley or even go in and get a bag of alfalfa. You plant alfalfa and it grows it'll be there for 3-5 yrs without replanting. And without cutting it, it should be nice and tall come November/Dec for deer hunting with some snow they will know where the plots are at. DOn't expect the hunting to be differnt just by planting food plots.

I think a lot of people plant the food plots and think hey I'm going to have 30 deer every night here. It may take a year or two to get the deer to come to your plots. Take 3 stakes out and put up some chicken wire and make acouple areas only 2 foot di. and see if the deer are eating it. If the grass is the same in the closed area as the other stuff the deer haven't found it yet and be patient. Sooner or later the deer will find it and they will tell there buddies. Biologic is a good mixture because they have broadleafs that turn to sugar when we get that first batch of cool weather which is really nice for bringing in the deer. But please use some planning with where your putting them and what you are planting. Make it big enough to make it worth your time but it don't hurt to have acouple small ones around the area and don't put your eggs all in one basket. Make a Corn, a Soybean, and acouple alfalfa/grass and wait and see what the deer like.

[slopmaster]

Good tips Code Man that is what we did whe live on a farm and our area has a lot of corn and soybeans so we planted some clover and a beet type plot

[Code-Man]

Did you see results with the food plots? I think you gotta be aware of whats around your hunting area and plant something that will stick out and make it noticed. And just so you know it's not too late to plant those grasses if people are thinking of making a food plot before the Deer Season. This time of the year is the perfect time to get some winter wheat and spring wheat from farmers who are finishing harvest and with Wheat at 5 dollars a bushel a bushel will do a pretty good chunk for someone experimenting with some kind of food plot. It's sometimes a lot better to have a farmer as a friend then to have one as your enemy.

[rippinlips]

Well I'm putting in my plot tonight I'm planting the bio logic full draw excited to see what comes of it. The plot size is going to be 3 acres.

[BLACKJACK]

Let us know how it turns out, lots of people on this site putting in plots, always nice to know what works best.

[rippinlips]

I will be finishing it tonight and will definitely let you guys know how it turns out.

[Mark Christianson]

I am headed up this weekend to nuke probably 3/4ths of my plots. Deader than dead, and just weeds growing.

So RoundUp is the plan. Then till it all Labor Day weekend and plant winter rye, winter wheat, and some oats....

[PerchJerker]

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Then till it all Labor Day weekend and plant winter rye, winter wheat, and some oats....

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Sounds like an excuse to use some of that equipment you're stockpiling up there

[Mark Christianson]

Well,,,, er,,,,, I like to work up a sweat... Really I do!

I plan to let the gear sit idle, and grab the hoe.... No, not the wife, the garden hoe!!!!!!!!!

[PerchJerker]

I have the feeling your hoeing days are over (in more ways than one)

[BLACKJACK]

Better hope your wife isn't reading this site on the side!!!!

[BLACKJACK]

Too bad about the plots drying up but just remember, this is just a hobby, think of the poor farmers in your area!!!

[rippinlips]

The plot ended up 5 acres and now we are getting this rain it couldn't have bing more perfect.

[iffwalleyes]

I need to get up and check mine this next weekend. At the 4th of July my clover and turnips were looking awesome. I had quite a bit of White Tail Institute No Plow and that was looking good to. I didn't mow this year so it might be ok time will tell. Hopefully she is still doing her job otherwise some oats and rye might be in the mix.

[Code-Man]

I did a soybean/Alfalfa mixture on acouple spots and I see the deer found them. The piles of excretions were full of my seed. looks like they ate the seed before they had a chance to germinate. The alfalfa though looks really promising. Next weekend I'm going to check my 3 other food plots back home. I'm doing acouple experiments with soil textures and assortments of seed. I'll post my results next week.

[rippinlips]

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The plot ended up 5 acres and now we are getting this rain it couldn't have bing more perfect.

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I checked the plot last night and all 5 acres is thick with the new growth it's about an 1" inch high.

[rippinlips]

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The plot ended up 5 acres and now we are getting this rain it couldn't have bing more perfect.

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I checked the plot last night and all 5 acres is thick with the new growth it's about an 1" inch high.

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cHECKED IT AGAIN LAST NIGHT AND IT'S SEEMS THE TURKEYS AND DEER HAVE ALREADY FOUND IT. DON'T KNOW IF THAT IS SUCH A GOOD THING OR NOT. wHAT DO YOU GUYS THINK.