Newbie - Recommendations!

[CrippleCreek]

Hi all,

First time poster and a newbie on food plots. I’ve really enjoyed reading through the forum so far, there is a lot of wisdom on this website and it has already tremendously improved my understanding and game-plan. I thought I’d share my scenario and see if any of you’d like to chime in and offer a pointer or two.

I own a 50 acres in PA, approximately 35 acres of hardwoods and 15 open. My property is positioned between two private farms with a combined total of 600 acres or so (limited crop, one is a tree farm and the other is a hunting camp property), and 2500 acres of public land.

My property sees a ton of traffic of deer passing through between the two farms. My goal is to provide a little forage to entice some of the deer population to swing through my property and hopefully establish a little staging area that they’ll visit prior to moving out into the larger properties. I’m hoping to start this year with two small plots, one along a hay field and pipeline on the lower end of my property and one in a blow down area in the woods. I’ve included some pictures below. Each plot being approximately 0.5 acres which I bow hunt on.

My initial plan was to attempt two clover plots, durana white clover in the wooded blow down area (receives a lot of sunlight) and imperial whitetail clover along the hayfield/pipeline. I like the idea of a perennial plot that I can manage year to year. I've considered brassicas as well but have been leaning toward clover (or maybe a little mix plot) as of now. I have some light equipment (small tractor, brush hog, ATV, sprayer, lawn roller) but no specialized equipment (seed drill etc). As I get more equipment and knowledge I can refine and expand this substantially (ultimately I’d love to have the entire 5 acre hay field designated for forage but that will come in good time).

I have the lower plot sprayed with Glyphosate now and hope to plant when the weather permits (no till techniques). Soil samples are out and should receive the results soon. Generally speaking, it’s dark loamy soil that I’d anticipate to be quite fertile but I anticipate needing some lime and/or fertilizer. I’d love any suggestions/feedback from you all.

Thank you!

 

[SD51555]

Before you pick a planting plan. What are the competitive food options around you at the time you want to hunt? You wanna be equal to or slightly better than what is available elsewhere. You wanna make sure they’re eating when u want them to, and not too soon, and not too late.

Also, account for deer density. An acre is decent, but can go fast if you have 30+ deer per sq mile and they all love what you have.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[CrippleCreek]

I don't know exactly what the deer density is, but there are plenty. I may expand the lower plot substantially if the weather cooperates the next few weeks.

One neighbor is a tree farm with no crops, they actually actively repel deer from their farm due to damage from them browsing on the pine tree buds. The other property does have some food plots on their property but I am not sure what they've got planted. The public land behind is 2500 acres of hardwood forest up a large mountainside. Both of the areas I've mentioned routinely see plenty of deer activity even prior to any planting, my goal is to funnel a little of their movements to areas I hunt often.

I just purchased this property approx 1 year ago. My goal is to continue to refine the plots and habitat over the years to a substantial degree to develop nice hunting grounds (it is also my primary residence). This is just step 1 of hopefully many to come.

 

[bigboreblr]

Looks like you got some thatch to work through, expecially if it's been grass for years. You may need something to improve seed/soil contact. What implements do you have? Any discs or harrows for the atv. You may be able to lift that thatch up and get seed below it with some chain harrows for that atv. Spring harrows / field cultivator are easy of tractor HP. Discs that can be angle adjusted are easy on tractor HP.

Best to put seed in, then roll, then mow.

PA soil is typically clay and typically need a good bit of lime. Got a affordable local source for lime. Got a way to spread it. If using boradcast spreaders, go pick up a respirator. Much better than dust masks.

Clover takes time to develop, like a year. Plant that with some winter rye or oats. No till wheat is a tough task. Oats can be done with adequate contact and moisture. Rye is about as easy as it get for no-till.

OVerall, I see some grass / weed control ahead of you. Perhaps some clethodim should be used. Stubborn broadleaf weeds sometimes need 2,4D. ID your grasses, take close up pics. Sedge can be mistaken for grass. Clethodim does nothing for sedge. Sedge is kinda like clover, gly kills the leaves, but it grows back. IF sedge is an issue, you need other treatments. However, gly will cut competiton down for a year or so.

Chcikory, daikno, raddish, and brassicas like kale can grow some before the deer are interested in it. Needs some frosts to sweeten it up.

 

[Native Hunter]

Go ahead with the plots, but I would recommend the following along with them:

* Plant a good mix of proven fruit trees that drop during hunting season in your area.
* With your acreage you can have a sanctuary area set aside.
* Set the above up with the food plots so that you can have undetected access to you stands between the sanctuary and the food.
* Do this and in a few years you can set and watch a deer circus every time you go hunt.
* Go with the clover but add some chicory in at least one of the plots. Learn how to overseed in the fall with grains and brassicas to sweeten it up for hunting season.

Good luck

 

[Bowsnbucks]

^ ^ ^ ^ This.

Our camp is also in Pa - NC mountains. Clover planted along with winter rye (grain rye - not rye grass!) is about as easy as it gets. Rye is also good for the soil, since it gets a deep root system / scavenges N. We usually plant a clover/rye plot around Labor Day. The rye will attract deer in the fall & winter, but the clover won't really get rocking until the following spring - when it will take off if the soil pH is good. Your soil tests should help you get your soil right. We plant our brassicas (purple-top turnips, Groundhog radishes, Dwarf Essex rape, and Pasja hybrid brassica) around July 20th, so they can grow big, lush tops & big bulbs before fall cold weather. You can then just broadcast rye into such a brassica plot with no tillage - rye will grow just from soil contact. (We grew a lush patch of rye where a camp member spilled some seed on bare dirt!!! No sweat.) Rye will be the first thing to green up in the spring after snow melts - if you get any snow. Deer will dig through snow to get at the rye & brassicas all winter. We also plant a plot of just clover & chicory. The chicory gets a long tap root, so in hot dry weather - it still stays green from seeking deep soil moisture. Our deer love it!

As Native Hunter said above - plant a couple good DR (disease resistant) apple trees along a south edge so they get lots of sunlight. 3 DR varieties that will grow well for you are Liberty, Enterprise, and Sundance.

 

[CrippleCreek]

Wow, thank you all for the thoughtful responses. Most of the thatch is cleared up I don’t anticipate much issue getting seed/soil contact as the lower field is nearly bare at the this time. Waiting on soil sample results still but will lime and fertilize as needed.

Spent a good portion of the past two days clearing the blow down in the woods. I’ll attach photos below. It’ll be interesting to see if I can get something growing there, it’s a little wet in some places but hoping now that it’s cleared out it’ll dry out better. I plan to spray that tomorrow and seed both plots in the coming weeks when the weather cooperates.

I planted 6 apple trees just outside the lower plot last year, as I expand in the coming years they’ll be within the food plot itself. The upper plot in the woods is surrounded on all 4 sides by mature oaks that drop a ton of acorns. Between that and the fact that this area sees a lot of deer traffic already I hope even with a modest or poor grow in that area it’ll still be a good place to sit come archery.


Again, thank you all for sharing your wisdom. I plan to keep this thread updated as I progress.

 

[TreeDaddy]

.........I think of The Band every time I read one of your posts

bill

 

[splitbrow]

Wow, thank you all for the thoughtful responses. Most of the thatch is cleared up I don’t anticipate much issue getting seed/soil contact as the lower field is nearly bare at the this time. Waiting on soil sample results still but will lime and fertilize as needed.

Spent a good portion of the past two days clearing the blow down in the woods. I’ll attach photos below. It’ll be interesting to see if I can get something growing there, it’s a little wet in some places but hoping now that it’s cleared out it’ll dry out better. I plan to spray that tomorrow and seed both plots in the coming weeks when the weather cooperates.

I planted 6 apple trees just outside the lower plot last year, as I expand in the coming years they’ll be within the food plot itself. The upper plot in the woods is surrounded on all 4 sides by mature oaks that drop a ton of acorns. Between that and the fact that this area sees a lot of deer traffic already I hope even with a modest or poor grow in that area it’ll still be a good place to sit come archery.
View attachment 65206
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Again, thank you all for sharing your wisdom. I plan to keep this thread updated as I progress.

looks like a great place for a plot when finished!

 

[CrippleCreek]

Got my seed ordered today. Durana clover going in the wooded plot and Northwoods Sweet feast/Imperial Whitetail clover blend going in the field/pipeline. I'm considering throwing some of the brassica on the wooded plot as well just as an experiment to see if it'll take. I know hauling and spreading lime/fertilizer there will be a tough task. The wooded plot is very isolated and difficult to get to, I can hardly get my quad there.

 

[bigboreblr]

Imperial clover has a few different clovers in it, but both imperial's main clover and durana are improved ladino clovers. You'll do good with either.

You mentioned oak trees. Take a good look at them and cut down or girdle any undesirable trees around them for more light. Some debate whether to lime or fertilize them on here.

 

[CrippleCreek]

Got the lower plot mowed down really tight after work today. I think with one more spray with roundup and another tight buzzcut with the zero turn I should be pretty darn close to bare ground. I don’t have access to a plow yet but I think I may try to drag it with the back blade on my tractor or DIY a harrow of sorts to expose a little more dirt.





I plan to seed brassica and clover in the next few weeks when weather cooperates. I’ll roll in with a quad and lawn roller after.

I’ve got fertilizer lined up and will lime as needed pending the soil sample results.

I welcome any input or suggestions.

 

[Derek Reese 29]

Might want to add some mammoth red (I get it from Merit..it’s cheap!) to your mix..I am in PA as well and that stuff, along with alsike, medium red and rye are my fool proof fall mix…it grows in most ground and the clover will grow enough to get some green in there and the rye will grow fast and continue growing into November/December..add a brassica mix to this and you will not believe the results! I am a few days behind you as I am planning to plant a strip of field with mammoth, ladino, some crimson and a brassica mix here in a few days after I get it sprayed well..best of luck!!..also don’t let that well-sprayed field sit too long..you can plant the same day you do your last spray!

 

[CrippleCreek]

Might want to add some mammoth red (I get it from Merit..it’s cheap!) to your mix..I am in PA as well and that stuff, along with alsike, medium red and rye are my fool proof fall mix…it grows in most ground and the clover will grow enough to get some green in there and the rye will grow fast and continue growing into November/December..add a brassica mix to this and you will not believe the results! I am a few days behind you as I am planning to plant a strip of field with mammoth, ladino, some crimson and a brassica mix here in a few days after I get it sprayed well..best of luck!!..also don’t let that well-sprayed field sit too long..you can plant the same day you do your last spray!

Thank you for the recommendations, as a rookie I appreciate the feedback, I've got a lot to learn. This field was 6ft+ tall grass a few months ago, it might be overkill but I plan to mow the duff once more and maybe spray it down one last time to ensure I get good seed/soil contact and minimal competition. Also, I'm still waiting on soil sample results (hopefully this week) so I'm in a bit of a holding pattern until I get an idea for how much fertilizer and lime to get on the ground.

 

[Tree Spud]

Got the lower plot mowed down really tight after work today. I think with one more spray with roundup and another tight buzzcut with the zero turn I should be pretty darn close to bare ground. I don’t have access to a plow yet but I think I may try to drag it with the back blade on my tractor or DIY a harrow of sorts to expose a little more dirt.


View attachment 65272
View attachment 65273

I plan to seed brassica and clover in the next few weeks when weather cooperates. I’ll roll in with a quad and lawn roller after.

I’ve got fertilizer lined up and will lime as needed pending the soil sample results.

I welcome any input or suggestions.

FWIW ... I have never limed a plot in 25 years of food plotting. I would skip this step unless you have acidic soil. You can always do later once you see initial results.

In the fall, I would broadcast 60-100 lbs of winter rye and medium red clover. Both will be early spring green up for nursing doe food and fawn cover. The WR will also add OM when terminated on the spring.

As you have only sprayed gly once, you still have the seed bank to deal with. Discing is always good to turn soil so you get the seed bank to grow faster so you can accelerate it's regrowth. Long story sort, what ever you plant this year may be sacrificed to additional gly sprayings to deal with weeds & grasses.

One area you should focus on is deer funneling and access points to your plots. You can hinge cut back into the transition area around the plots to funnel deer where you can have optimal stand locations.

By the way, you have all the tools you need. I wouldn't focus on a drill. Huge investment that will take $$ away from other things. Remember, clover & brassicas only need 1/4" - 1/2" of planting depth. I would add a disc for your tractor. You can either deep till, or just surface till for a loose seed bed for clover & brassicas.

Remember, you are not ag farming for an income, you are food plotting. As this is your 1st year, start small, monitor results, then adjust as necessary. Too many Too many newbies write a list of everything that can be done and get frustrated when they realize the process takes time.

Don't let perfect be the enemy of good

 

[CrippleCreek]

FWIW ... I have never limed a plot in 25 years of food plotting. I would skip this step unless you have acidic soil. You can always do later once you see initial results.

In the fall, I would broadcast 60-100 lbs of winter rye and medium red clover. Both will be early spring green up for nursing doe food and fawn cover. The WR will also add OM when terminated on the spring.

As you have only sprayed gly once, you still have the seed bank to deal with. Discing is always good to turn soil so you get the seed bank to grow faster so you can accelerate it's regrowth. Long story sort, what ever you plant this year may be sacrificed to additional gly sprayings to deal with weeds & grasses.

One area you should focus on is deer funneling and access points to your plots. You can hinge cut back into the transition area around the plots to funnel deer where you can have optimal stand locations.

By the way, you have all the tools you need. I wouldn't focus on a drill. Huge investment that will take $$ away from other things. Remember, clover & brassicas only need 1/4" - 1/2" of planting depth. I would add a disc for your tractor. You can either deep till, or just surface till for a loose seed bed for clover & brassicas.

Remember, you are not ag farming for an income, you are food plotting. As this is your 1st year, start small, monitor results, then adjust as necessary. Too many Too many newbies write a list of everything that can be done and get frustrated when they realize the process takes time.

Don't let perfect be the enemy of good

Thank you for the input! I do not have high hopes, I fully expect humble results this year but look forward to learning and developing more, you’ve got to start somewhere I suppose. I know it’ll be a learning curve. As a fly fisherman, I am well accustomed to long hours and big efforts over the course of years to achieve even a modest level of proficiency . Worst case scenario it’s just an excuse to play outside and I’m okay with that.

Both these plots are in natural geographic funnels which is exactly why I chose to plant here. I’ve got to move some stands around for logistics before next season but both should direct deer traffic through a pretty tight corridor.

 

[CrippleCreek]

Spray #1 was about 2 weeks ago, this is a picture as of today. Starting to see a little regrowth from the seed bed and recent rain.

Hit it with another round of gly today. Exposing a little soil with the back blade and planting Friday morning. Rain on the forecast Fri night.

Fingers crossed I end up with something other than weeds and grass, we’ll see.

 

[Derek Reese 29]

You will be surprised how quickly it will green up! Best of luck!

 

[PatinPA]

Hi all,

First time poster and a newbie on food plots. I’ve really enjoyed reading through the forum so far, there is a lot of wisdom on this website and it has already tremendously improved my understanding and game-plan. I thought I’d share my scenario and see if any of you’d like to chime in and offer a pointer or two.

I own a 50 acres in PA, approximately 35 acres of hardwoods and 15 open. My property is positioned between two private farms with a combined total of 600 acres or so (limited crop, one is a tree farm and the other is a hunting camp property), and 2500 acres of public land.

My property sees a ton of traffic of deer passing through between the two farms. My goal is to provide a little forage to entice some of the deer population to swing through my property and hopefully establish a little staging area that they’ll visit prior to moving out into the larger properties. I’m hoping to start this year with two small plots, one along a hay field and pipeline on the lower end of my property and one in a blow down area in the woods. I’ve included some pictures below. Each plot being approximately 0.5 acres which I bow hunt on.

My initial plan was to attempt two clover plots, durana white clover in the wooded blow down area (receives a lot of sunlight) and imperial whitetail clover along the hayfield/pipeline. I like the idea of a perennial plot that I can manage year to year. I've considered brassicas as well but have been leaning toward clover (or maybe a little mix plot) as of now. I have some light equipment (small tractor, brush hog, ATV, sprayer, lawn roller) but no specialized equipment (seed drill etc). As I get more equipment and knowledge I can refine and expand this substantially (ultimately I’d love to have the entire 5 acre hay field designated for forage but that will come in good time).

I have the lower plot sprayed with Glyphosate now and hope to plant when the weather permits (no till techniques). Soil samples are out and should receive the results soon. Generally speaking, it’s dark loamy soil that I’d anticipate to be quite fertile but I anticipate needing some lime and/or fertilizer. I’d love any suggestions/feedback from you all.

Thank you!

View attachment 65122View attachment 65123View attachment 65124

Ew that looks like stilt grass. Be prepared to spray that back every year. I just gave up on mine as it's mostly confined to the roads. But it creeps in on one of my plots. What a PITA. What part of PA are you in? I'm in central. My deer really like cereal grains, specifically oats. As most have said, whatever you put in top it off with winter Rye mid-september. I have a pretty high deer density where I am and it holds up through the winter and into spring.

 

[Wind Gypsy]

Not sure if it's too late but I'd include some oats as a nurse crop and chicory in your clover plantings. I wouldn't plant brassicas in june but rather broadcast them in late July or august before a rain if possible.

A sept broadcast of rye over the top of everything will help keep competition down from unwanted grasses and then next year when your brassicas and rye are dead, the clover and chicory should flourish.