Food Plot Costs

[foggy]

Was driving back from my land today and considered what I will spend for my 8 acres of plots and clover trails this year. Wonder what other folks spend...both total and per / acre costs? Not including tree costs and any equipment maintenance (which could be a huge variable).

I spent about $625. this way: $150 gas and diesel fuel. $75 weed chemicals. $250 seed (my seed bill included some spendy RR sugar beets). $150 Fertilizer. I suppose I have a tad over 6 acres planted....(and a few more acres of clover to maintain with chems)......so I run just about $100 per acre. Seems like "enough".

How about you?

 

[THunter]

Don't even want to know. I imagine close to $1000, but that's 13 acres. Biggest problem is the largest is two acres so lots of equipment time and fuel involved.

 

[foggy]

Don't even want to know. I imagine close to $1000, but that's 13 acres. Biggest problem is the largest is two acres so lots of equipment time and fuel involved.

+
Yep....not sure if it cost more that I would do less. Still.....fun to do the math.

 

[SD51555]

I intentionally keep my head in the sand on this. If I quantified it, I'd slap myself. But, this is the whole reason I bought my land. To improve the habitat, specifically winter food and cover, and to see/harvest more deer. It's really my only vice so I let it slide.

 

[THunter]

I just looked at my credit card statement from my trip the last weekend in June. $110 and it's just 60 miles away!!!

 

[Steve Bartylla]

I actually have to budget this stuff out for clients. It ranges from $350 an acre (corn later top seeded with cereal rye and horse oats) to as little as under $50 an acre for new clover planting (assuming good soil).

 

[sandbur]

I had to cut back on foodplotting expenses with the arrival of children in our family. Now one is off to college and another is close and money is still tight.

I try not to figure it out. I spend more on fruit trees and other more permanent things for the land. Maybe more elbow grease than money.

My wife says I need a hobby and habitat gives me a break from work.

 

[Riggsgwp->]

Food plot costs have been a drop in the bucket compared to my land/habitat improvements the last 4 years. If everything was added up I could've probably bought more land. Oh well it's what we do right?:)

 

[browndog]

I have never kept track of the costs and I'm sure it's quite a bit....but I sure get a lot of enjoyment out of doing it and to me that is priceless. My wife has always told me that there are a lot of worse things I could spend money and time on. I look at food plotting as cheap therapy sessions.

 

[bryant]

We are roughly $100 per acre seed cost. Fuel and fert gets run through the farm so not sure on that.

 

[j-bird]

I don't keep track. It isn't that bad as I only do about 4 acres and I live on the property so no travel costs involved. I also get most of my corn and bean seed for free - farmers will sacrifice a bag for a few more dead deer in my area. I tell my wife when she starts to question my spending - She knows where I am (less than 1/2 mile from home) and I'm not spending money on the other things that typically are issues - I'm not a drunk, don't smoke, never done drugs, don't frequent "hardware stores" or hang in bars or chase women. Yep - I don't know how to have fun - I'm marries and have kids! My biggest costs would be fuel and chemicals.

 

[dipper]

It depends on the year and where I am in my rotation, but my cost ranges from $5-40 acre. Food plots are one of the things where cost doesn't reflect quality. It is all about understanding the plants you are growing and having your management reflect that.
Fuel is of little cost in a no till system. Weed and most importantly grass control is where the majority of my cost goes. Seed is cheap if you stick with old reliables. Time.....I save a ton there.

 

[biglakeba$$]

Plot costs............. Its one of those things I choose to ignore in the end. I know its more than I really want to spend. But the time spent doing all of it is very satisfying.

I still think the equipment is part of the cost at the end of the day. Tractor, planters, disc, plow, drags, fert spreader, and whatever else.
Spreading out those costs over years of use lessens the financial blow a little..... But when the day is done, the venison we eat is very very expensive. But I don't really care.

 

[Freeborn]

Hard to say exactly but around $800- $1000 for my 6 acres. Here are my numbers from memory.

$250 Soil amendments
$200 Urea/Fertilizer
$250 seed
$75 chemical
$100 fuel, does not include cost to get to land

Not cheap but I planted corn this year so that added allot.

 

[foggy]

Funny how hard it is to track our costs. I always have some surplus seeds and chemicals which I will use next season.....and invariably buy a "large jug" of herbicide which may last a couple of years. Fuel costs are higher when I clear new plots or de-stump my land. I top dress much of my fertilizer....depending on conditions, rainfall, etc. My lime amendments last a few years.

As was said....I don't pay allot of attention to my costs, as this is a great hobby. Still.....I try to get the best bang for my buck.

 

[Jordan Selsor]

I keep receipts but won't add them up till tax time. I would guess this yr, fuel included, it will be close to 1k but I broke allot if virgin ground so hope it gets cheaper over time

 

[bueller]

Other than travel costs to and from, which I don't count because we go to our place for more than just deer and food plotting, fertilizer is my #1 cost. My plots aren't very big so even buying BOB seeds wouldn't be that costly for me.

 

[SD51555]

Other than travel costs to and from, which I don't count because we go to our place for more than just deer and food plotting, fertilizer is my #1 cost. My plots aren't very big so even buying BOB seeds wouldn't be that costly for me.

I keep seeing people talk about "BOB" seed? What is that?

 

[bueller]

Buck on bag

 

[SD51555]

Is that code for fancy overpriced stuff?