Best no-spray foot plots?

[frlu0501]

I've never planted a food plot. I've been attempting to turn the property into all natural food sources with shrubs, fruit trees, ect. I've been hesitant to plant annual food plots because I prefer a more natural, long-lasting, perennial solution. However...

wIth that in mind, I would like to give food plots a try but I don't want to spray chemicals all throughout my soil. Looking for ideas for no-spray food plots. Any thoughts are much appreciated.

 

[Catscratch]

1st - With your general approach I would recommend some internet or YouTube searches on interseeding pasture.

2nd - Fire and soil disturbance could work for you and there's some research indicating burned native vegetation is healthier for deer than anything we plant.

3rd - Without chemicals I would focus on wheat, winter rye, and clovers.

 

[BenAllgood]

I've never planted a food plot. I've been attempting to turn the property into all natural food sources with shrubs, fruit trees, ect. I've been hesitant to plant annual food plots because I prefer a more natural, long-lasting, perennial solution. However...

wIth that in mind, I would like to give food plots a try but I don't want to spray chemicals all throughout my soil. Looking for ideas for no-spray food plots. Any thoughts are much appreciated.

What equipment do you have access to?

 

[FarmerDan]

I've never planted a food plot. I've been attempting to turn the property into all natural food sources with shrubs, fruit trees, ect. I've been hesitant to plant annual food plots because I prefer a more natural, long-lasting, perennial solution. However...

wIth that in mind, I would like to give food plots a try but I don't want to spray chemicals all throughout my soil. Looking for ideas for no-spray food plots. Any thoughts are much appreciated.

Serious question - If you have been successful with your all natural attempt, why now do you want to consider food plots? I'm curious because I want to be envious.

 

[yoderjac]

I've never planted a food plot. I've been attempting to turn the property into all natural food sources with shrubs, fruit trees, ect. I've been hesitant to plant annual food plots because I prefer a more natural, long-lasting, perennial solution. However...

wIth that in mind, I would like to give food plots a try but I don't want to spray chemicals all throughout my soil. Looking for ideas for no-spray food plots. Any thoughts are much appreciated.

I would consider min-tilling buckwheat. I'd wait until the soil temp is at least 70 degrees. If you have a tiller on your tractor, lift it with the hitch so the tines are only touching the to inch of soil. If you don't have a tiller, you could lightly disk. Then broadcast and cultipack or drill buckwheat. It will be a weedy field, but if you don't want the downside of herbicides, you probably don't want to ruin your soil with deep tillage. So, you will have to tolerate weeds. Buckwheat is very quick to germinate and it competes well with weeds. I'd probably consider adding an annual clover like crimson as well.

In addition to the buckwheat in the field, you will get new growth of forbs and weeds that are good deer food.

Light soil disturbance itself can be a productive tool to create deer food.

This is beyond just food plots, but if you are looking to go a more natural route, you might start thinking about what role fire can play in your plan. It has been a very effective tool for us in timber management. That may or may not apply to your case, but fire can be an effective natural tool.

Thanks,

Jack

 

[Bowsnbucks]

We like buckwheat for minimal tillage, as Jack mentioned above, and turning new ground into food plots. It grows on poorer soils and it suppresses weeds.

 

[frlu0501]

What equipment do you have access to?

I have access to tractor and wheeler. Pretty much anything I would need to create a food plot.

 

[frlu0501]

Serious question - If you have been successful with your all natural attempt, why now do you want to consider food plots? I'm curious because I want to be envious.

That's a good question. I really like the natural approach and it works great for early season and the rut. However, come December and winter months, the deer do not yard on our property, mostly because there is not much winter food/browse. I'd like to add a food plot to provide more winter food sources.

 

[frlu0501]

I would consider min-tilling buckwheat. I'd wait until the soil temp is at least 70 degrees. If you have a tiller on your tractor, lift it with the hitch so the tines are only touching the to inch of soil. If you don't have a tiller, you could lightly disk. Then broadcast and cultipack or drill buckwheat. It will be a weedy field, but if you don't want the downside of herbicides, you probably don't want to ruin your soil with deep tillage. So, you will have to tolerate weeds. Buckwheat is very quick to germinate and it competes well with weeds. I'd probably consider adding an annual clover like crimson as well.

In addition to the buckwheat in the field, you will get new growth of forbs and weeds that are good deer food.

Light soil disturbance itself can be a productive tool to create deer food.

This is beyond just food plots, but if you are looking to go a more natural route, you might start thinking about what role fire can play in your plan. It has been a very effective tool for us in timber management. That may or may not apply to your case, but fire can be an effective natural tool.

Thanks,

Jack

Thanks Jack, this is very helpful. I will consider buckwheat.

We've been lightly disturbing the soil in certain areas for years, usually to plant trees and shrubs. I currently have a couple areas we cleared/disturbed from last fall. One will be used for planting chestnuts and oaks, the other I've went back and forth between planting shrubs and grass for bedding, or creating a food plot.

We live/hunt in a somewhat populated area, fire has always been on my mind, but not sure it would be appreciated by the neighbors or approved by the city. I think disturbing the soil with our tractor is our best option.

 

[yoderjac]

Thanks Jack, this is very helpful. I will consider buckwheat.

We've been lightly disturbing the soil in certain areas for years, usually to plant trees and shrubs. I currently have a couple areas we cleared/disturbed from last fall. One will be used for planting chestnuts and oaks, the other I've went back and forth between planting shrubs and grass for bedding, or creating a food plot.

We live/hunt in a somewhat populated area, fire has always been on my mind, but not sure it would be appreciated by the neighbors or approved by the city. I think disturbing the soil with our tractor is our best option.

You are right. If you are in a metropolitan area, fire is a non-starter. How much acreage total are we talking? There is probably a difference in how one would manage a large property where you have enough scale to impact the local deer herd, and a small property. One can make a small property more wildlife friendly and more huntable, but without scale there is no measurable impact on the deer herd. Food plots on a small property can be enjoyable simply be cause you can get more observation of deer and other wildlife.

I was one of the founders of Suburban Whitetail Management of Northern Virginia years ago, so I'm pretty familiar with suburban deer. They can be very different creatures behaviorally than deer in rural areas.

One more thing to consider is browse tolerance. In cities and suburbs, where there are more restrictions on hunting (bowhunting only for my suburbs), deer densities are usually high. You will want to avoid small plots of very attractive foods like soybeans. Buckwheat is still a good choice. Deer seem to use it but don't abuse it unless the plot is very small and deer densities are very high.

Thanks,

Jack

 

[bigboreblr]

Weed control old farmer method........

Till your soil, turn those roots up to kill whats there, wait 2 weeks to a month, depending on rain. Then lightly disc or harrow that new growth to kill it. Seeds can be dormant in soil for many many years, sometimes century or centuries. Bring in up to the top, they get warm (65 deg+ soil temp) and wet, they sprout. While you do weed supression, you can add more desireable seeds too.

Put up some pics on the spot. Overall, close up of whats growing there, closeup of the soil.

At my camp in the adirondacks, I do a combination lawn / foodplot. I've been playing with it for years. I call it the lunchable lawn. IT would do better if it wasn't mowed as often, but this is the cabin area, around the firepit, and the parking lot. I take the time to collect dandelion, crabgrass, and plantain from my house. While I collect, I also pick up what clover seeds heads are brown n black and throw them in there too. Deer enoy the lawn, but the snowshoe hares and turkeys really like my 1/4 acre area I have made over the years. I also mix in dutch white, ladino, and whitetail imperial clover. Imperial clover has one variety in there that does well.

Dandelion you might be hard pressed to find as commercial seed. However, plantain and crabgrass is commercially grown in dryer southern climates. I know of a farmer in PA that grows plantain when corn has failed, or switching to pasture.

Geen cover might be a good place to get seed.

A few options for weed supression. Canola, mustard, hemp, vetch, even cowpeas might smother, large balsana clover, and of course grains especially winter rye. In the spring Barley can be a good option.

Your could just mow it once a month and throw clover in it.


I used to be very weary of spraying. Whats your concerns? Up north, another member is weary of spraying chemicals in his little hunting spot. He sprays vinegar to kill vegetation. Very doable with a backpack or ATV spreader. I hot rodded a basic $100 (probably more now) 1.1 gpm 15 gal spreader. I bought (2) fan nozzles (grey ones I think) and spread them 3ft apart on the back of the atv. It does about 10-12 gallons per acre. Buy a few gallons of cheap vinegar. Or, do your weed control, if you got something you dont want in there, spot spray it with vinegar.

A fallow area with a variety of weeds with good soil health surrounded by fruit trees and desireable shrubs deer browse can be a great spot for wildlife. Check your states encon site for disred deer browse.

Winter Deer Foods

www.dec.ny.gov

 

[yoderjac]

While there are downsides to herbicide use, deep mechanical tillage where you turn over the soil is no more natural than herbicides. It does even more damage to the soil tilth and introduces O2 burning OM much faster.

There are highly fertile soils that can handle tillage abuse for more than a lifetime, but the more marginal soils that most food plotters have show the negative impacts of deep tillage much faster.

In most cases, I'd highly recommend against it. I abused my soil with a 2-bottom plow and it has taken quite a few years of min-till/no-till techniques to rebuild the natural nutrient cycling abilities of the soil and microbiome.

THanks,

Jack

 

[brushbuster]

You want to think about no till drills and they are not cheap. But the concept is to grow cereal rye in the spring, then mow it to knock down the weeds a couple times. And then let it grow and before it grows to seed, plant your turnips or another late crop. Then you crush the rye over to form a mulch bed that will crowd out any more weeds. I tried it with buckwheat years ago with an old Tyme drill (no really no till) and it was not bad at all. I crushed the rye back blading with a small dozer but they have special crimp rollers you can buy or build

 

[yoderjac]

You want to think about no till drills and they are not cheap. But the concept is to grow cereal rye in the spring, then mow it to knock down the weeds a couple times. And then let it grow and before it grows to seed, plant your turnips or another late crop. Then you crush the rye over to form a mulch bed that will crowd out any more weeds. I tried it with buckwheat years ago with an old Tyme drill (no really no till) and it was not bad at all. I crushed the rye back blading with a small dozer but they have special crimp rollers you can buy or build

If you have big money, for a big-boy no-till drill and crimper this can be a pretty natural way to grow deer food. The cost is prohibitive for most folks. We have over 20 acres of planted ground and I could not justify the cost. I did get a use 4' Kasco No-till Versadrill for 3K. It has plenty of issues and does not handle debris well enough for this approach, but has been a good tool for some kinds of plotting.

If you google "Ray the Soil Guy" and watch his videos, you can see the underlying principles and how commercial farmers with big equipment can benefit. The Crimson n Clover T&M Thread on this forum takes these principles and shows how guys with small equipment can implement these principles. Unfortunately for those who want to avoid herbicides, it can be much more difficult.

Thanks,

Jack

 

[bigboreblr]

I think I am mixing this with another thread on here, but crabgrass and plantain is a good choice. Also, check out green cover. They have alot of annual solutions.

However, almost all of us had to steer our food plots in the right direction off the bat. Removing undesired brush, dead tree, leveling out holes n lumps, rocks, etc. Just making a spot workable with a tractor and being able to mow if needed.

Improved fallow is a method some use. Get the pH right with lime, maybe adding some seeds of your liking to the mix, and lightly discing or harrowing the spot annually, or every few years.

What size of a spot are we talking here. Pictures of what you have there already would be nice too.

I have a few "at-risk" food plots up at my camp up north. We lease the land from a logging management company. At any time a logger could find my food plot the perfect place to put a thousand logs and rut the heck out of it with 18 wheelers and bury it with dead branches and waste wood chips.... So, I dont want my spots too well invested.

Overall, I have planted clover with an annual grain, then mow it at the end of the summer so clover can get some light. Deer enjoy the other stuff in there. The one plot with the pineapple sign grow 5ft tall monster goldenrod. Which I think is a good OM builder. Birds enjoy the seeds heads too. End of the summer, you'd think everything below it would be dead...... Gets a nice stand of clover the deer enjoy. Then in the spring, the weeds go nuttry. Some years just mow it, some years steer it a bit with some small grains or turnips. Deer are in there in the summer eating clover n weeds. After a few years, the clover adds nitrogen and it gets too weedy. Dsic it up some, add clover and grains. I basically do the same thing at home. I have sprayed here n there, but can be easily done without it too, just got to tolerate weeds. Deer eat alot of weeds we think are useless in a plot. Sometimes they pass u what you plant for the weeds.


Tried to get a picture of the plantain in my food plot a few days ago, couldn't find a blade of it. They ate it all! I go back n forth debating whether to spray it out of there or not too. It's in there, and I thin Ill let it go.

I do frost seed every usable spot I have every winter. Sometimes before the 1st snow around christmas. I think it's better to spread seed at that time, than it is to spread seed over snow. Some of us are hit n miss when we can get to our hunting spots in the winter / early spring. Time schedules / or for some just being able to get there with deep snow, or locked out by a logging company locking a gate because its too muddy.

 

[jsasker007]

I've never planted a food plot. I've been attempting to turn the property into all natural food sources with shrubs, fruit trees, ect. I've been hesitant to plant annual food plots because I prefer a more natural, long-lasting, perennial solution. However...

wIth that in mind, I would like to give food plots a try but I don't want to spray chemicals all throughout my soil. Looking for ideas for no-spray food plots. Any thoughts are much appreciated.

I don't spray any chemicals on my plots and have had decent results with clover and chicory going heavier on the chicory because the clover will out compete the chicory and eventually be dominant. 70-80% chicory when planted or broadcast seeded. Throwing buckwheat with it doesn't hurt but the buckwheat is an annual so only one season. In the fall throw some winter rye over the plot and let it grow. It will be growing in the spring and feeding deer as fast as anything.

 

[Natty Bumppo]

I'd like to add a food plot to provide more winter food sources.

If this is your goal then you're looking at something like rye, oats, brassicas, turnips, kale, radishes, etc. Clover and buckwheat are great for spring and summer. But the clover will be dormant and the buckwheat will be dead by fall, unless you're in the south somewhere I suppose.

 

[Bassattackr]

I guess I never got the memo - Why do you need to spray to create food plots? If you have a tractor and a disc, you can create any plot.

I disc in plots every year, never use a drop of herbicide.

Cereal grains, brassicas, annual and perennial clovers, Milo, beans, early successional strips, etc you name it.. 10-15 deer in this field nightly. Limited only by your knowledge and imagination.

 

[omicron1792]

I guess I never got the memo - Why do you need to spray to create food plots? If you have a tractor and a disc, you can create any plot.

I disc in plots every year, never use a drop of herbicide.

Cereal grains, brassicas, annual and perennial clovers, Milo, beans, early successional strips, etc you name it.. 10-15 deer in this field nightly. Limited only by your knowledge and imagination.

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That looks awesome. Thanks for sharing

 

[bigboreblr]

Frlu0501,

What size area are we talking? Also, you may have the same problem I do, getting busted your attracting deer.

Any news is good news....... Not with food plots. IF you make your spot too apparent, you run the risk of certain neighbors knowing and complaning. In my case up north. I am near the road. Road hunting is a real thing up there. Especially seeing nice big buck tracks in the snow on the road. You want to make something that provides, but does not look like its a magnet to the casual asser by. My plots are old log landings right next to the road. I've transplant spruce trees and leave the edges brushy. What I plant doesn't look clearly like food. Just grass n weeds. IF it;s looks too monocrop and organised, it looks like a food plot.

I used to hunt my mom's property. But, every gunshot would have the neighbors complaining. MY solution was either bow hunting, or using a 24" 357 magnum lever gun with a custom bullet mold to make it subsonic. If I remember right, it was a 220gr mold with 10grs of H110. Sounded like a hammer hitting a tin roof.

You could brushy it up around the trees with red dogwood, then make walking lanes.

Bedding areas and small parcels rarely mix well. Although city deer really expand their posiibiliites when it comes time to find a place to sleep.