I am brand new to this site and also brand new to food plot creation. My situation is this:
I have just recently been given permission to hunt a 60 acre block of woods shaped like an inverted trapezoid with the north half being wider than the south half that is devoid of farm crops and will remain so indefinitely that I have yet to set foot on but have been going over it non stop and very thoroughly by way of satellite pictures at Google maps . It's old Peabody coal company land. Per the land owner it is 90% thick woods with a lot of heavy undergrowth.
Its western border is what is referred to as a "blade road" that is used to allow coal mining equipment to travel from area to area that the land owner still maintains by keeping it cut to ankle length or a little higher. The blade road averages +/- 70 yards in width. It is where it meets the woods of my property that I plan on making my food plots. Judging from the sat pics there are dozens of excellent sections of open areas that cut into the woods that would make excellent food plots and I will have to do quite a bit of on the ground scouting to allow the deer sign to dictate where to put my food plots.
Now for the particulars of my situation as factors that will have the greatest affect my food plot attempts.
#1-I live 3 hours and 20 minuets from the land and when combined with my work schedule and the fact I am basically on my own and have no mechanized tools at me disposal will obviously limit the size and complexity of any food plots I attempt.
#2-I will be headed down to the land for 3 days and are in need advice on which would be my best course of action. I wish to begin with creating some frost seeding food plots, but I also have read it is strongly advised to get the soil tested prior to any planting so as to determine if the soil needs lime and what other fertilizers, to plant without performing this test is to invite failure, but I can AT BEST only get to the land for two days at a time 2-3x a month and at least 7 days between visits.
Based on my limited time is it a wise course of action to go ahead and create 1-2 areas suitable for frost seeding, seed and fertilize them, get the soil tested and if it needs lime come back and add it a week later.
I also plan on creating some fall food plots basically next to my frost seeding plots as well.
I plan on planting mostly clover for now as all my research point to it as the most green for your buck. For my first year I plan on keeping my entire food plot ambitions VERY simple and conservative to hopefully give me the highest chances for success.
So what I need is recommendations on what brand clover to buy and what fertilizer to use for frost seeding. I could also use some tips on how to use hand tools or a very powerful weed wacker to remove the present growth to expose the soil, as weed killer is out this time of year. If anyone knows of a source for clover in or near the northern half of Indiana please by all means share it with me as the only other one I've found in in Iowa. Based on reading it in several places I am going to avoid Berseam clover as per all the info I have read Berseam clover will not frost seed.
I could use a recommendation of a great spray weed killer for use in creating my fall food plots for bow and gun seasons as well as the mix ratio for killing 1/4=1/2 acres of weeds. As I said save for a commercial grade Stihl weed wacker and Ariens lawn push mower I am strictly limited to non mechanized hand tools. I do have a very good broadcast spreader and back pack weed sprayer so that should help me out.
Lastly if anyone knows of a great book on food plots still in publication please recommend it.
Thanks
Arthur.
I have just recently been given permission to hunt a 60 acre block of woods shaped like an inverted trapezoid with the north half being wider than the south half that is devoid of farm crops and will remain so indefinitely that I have yet to set foot on but have been going over it non stop and very thoroughly by way of satellite pictures at Google maps . It's old Peabody coal company land. Per the land owner it is 90% thick woods with a lot of heavy undergrowth.
Its western border is what is referred to as a "blade road" that is used to allow coal mining equipment to travel from area to area that the land owner still maintains by keeping it cut to ankle length or a little higher. The blade road averages +/- 70 yards in width. It is where it meets the woods of my property that I plan on making my food plots. Judging from the sat pics there are dozens of excellent sections of open areas that cut into the woods that would make excellent food plots and I will have to do quite a bit of on the ground scouting to allow the deer sign to dictate where to put my food plots.
Now for the particulars of my situation as factors that will have the greatest affect my food plot attempts.
#1-I live 3 hours and 20 minuets from the land and when combined with my work schedule and the fact I am basically on my own and have no mechanized tools at me disposal will obviously limit the size and complexity of any food plots I attempt.
#2-I will be headed down to the land for 3 days and are in need advice on which would be my best course of action. I wish to begin with creating some frost seeding food plots, but I also have read it is strongly advised to get the soil tested prior to any planting so as to determine if the soil needs lime and what other fertilizers, to plant without performing this test is to invite failure, but I can AT BEST only get to the land for two days at a time 2-3x a month and at least 7 days between visits.
Based on my limited time is it a wise course of action to go ahead and create 1-2 areas suitable for frost seeding, seed and fertilize them, get the soil tested and if it needs lime come back and add it a week later.
I also plan on creating some fall food plots basically next to my frost seeding plots as well.
I plan on planting mostly clover for now as all my research point to it as the most green for your buck. For my first year I plan on keeping my entire food plot ambitions VERY simple and conservative to hopefully give me the highest chances for success.
So what I need is recommendations on what brand clover to buy and what fertilizer to use for frost seeding. I could also use some tips on how to use hand tools or a very powerful weed wacker to remove the present growth to expose the soil, as weed killer is out this time of year. If anyone knows of a source for clover in or near the northern half of Indiana please by all means share it with me as the only other one I've found in in Iowa. Based on reading it in several places I am going to avoid Berseam clover as per all the info I have read Berseam clover will not frost seed.
I could use a recommendation of a great spray weed killer for use in creating my fall food plots for bow and gun seasons as well as the mix ratio for killing 1/4=1/2 acres of weeds. As I said save for a commercial grade Stihl weed wacker and Ariens lawn push mower I am strictly limited to non mechanized hand tools. I do have a very good broadcast spreader and back pack weed sprayer so that should help me out.
Lastly if anyone knows of a great book on food plots still in publication please recommend it.
Thanks
Arthur.