There is an old field this farmer used to hay back about 15 yrs ago back in the hardwoods. The field is 5-6 acres. It now consist of brush. Nothing is more than 2 inches in diameter other than maybe 6 trees that are like 5 inches in diameter and 6 feet tall but I plan on leaving those. I plan on bringing in a skid-steer with a mulcher attachment to clean the field up. After it’s mulched, I’d have the guy attach the sweeper to it to clean up the mulching so I can get good seed to soil contact. I still have to soil test and I’m sure lime so I’m not sure what I’ll be able to plant. Most likely plots that tolerate low PH for the first year . My question is, do you think it’s better to clean the field up in say early March when the snow is gone and ground still frozen or wait until Spring once things green up and are growing? Has anyone had any experience doing this and do you have any advice.
Overgrown hayfield turn to food plot
- Thread starter BobinCt
- Start date
Bill
Administrator
My brother and I did something similar on a piece we lease. Wasn't one big plot but rather the hilly edges of farm fields that the farmer stopped planting. We used a chainsaw and Tordon on the bigger stuff then brush hogged high and sprayed heavy with gly. Threw down clover and oats with no tillage. It came up decent but we have high PH naturally in this area. Mowing kept the brush in check and after a few years everything but the locusts gave up and died. I still mow locust but they can't get ahead of me :)
Converted one of these areas that grass was taking over to brassica's this fall but brassica beetles found it and wiped it clean. I plan to go back to clover this spring.
Converted one of these areas that grass was taking over to brassica's this fall but brassica beetles found it and wiped it clean. I plan to go back to clover this spring.
Smallplot
5 year old buck +
I would be cleaning it up well before greenup. Be ready to terminate grasses or at least control them by mowing until ready to terminate and plant.
The reason for the early action is due to some grasses being bunch grasses that can make the transition tougher later in season. Another reason to terminate early if your using conventional tillage is to terminate the root structure so the root structure releases dirt easier making tillage more efficient pass for pass
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
The reason for the early action is due to some grasses being bunch grasses that can make the transition tougher later in season. Another reason to terminate early if your using conventional tillage is to terminate the root structure so the root structure releases dirt easier making tillage more efficient pass for pass
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Peplin Creek
5 year old buck +
If you could do it when the ground is still frozen, that would be ideal. I think that window would be pretty short though and running equipment on newly thawed ground would probably cause more harm than good, the second the ground warms you could have ruts, get stuck, etc. I would for sure wait until green up if that window is missed.
jsasker007
5 year old buck +
I agree with trying to hit it when the ground is frozen----you could scrape everything off with a blade or bucket or still mulch it up but mulching is no better if you are removing the mulch anyway. I've done projects myself on frozen ground and had good results. Frozen ground gives you a chance to clear trails or future foodplots in swampy areas too just don't push your luck when things start to thaw----don't ask me how I know! jmho. You could maybe do a burn off also? That usually cleans things up pretty good.
Thx for advice guys. Looking forward to getting this done but probably won’t be excited once I get my soil test results. Our soils here are acidic but I will be getting the lime down ASAP . This farmer let me use a 5 acre portion of his field last year and I planted the LC Mix. Plot came in well but the problem was these two woman always walked their dogs around the property and of course through the plot AND always pm hunting hours. Spooked deer many times off the plot. They were walking their dogs there for 10 years and they were there way before me, so I kept my mouth shut. I still ended up taking a nice 10 point off the farm but the woman walking the dogs was very frustrating. This 5 acre plot is back in the hardwoods and will be dynamite for a plot.
jsasker007
5 year old buck +
I had a similar issue with my neighbors dogs on my property----I think the deer actually get used to it and if you know when she will be walking dogs you might be able to let them bump the deer to you. The deer usually move away just enough to avoid dogs but it is still frustrating. Kind of like using the neighbors movement to make a subtle deer drive. Lemon aid out of lemons you know. Ideally would be best if nothing was out there but when dogs are bumping deer the deer are focused on the dogs and may not notice a person sitting still.
j-bird
Moderator
I hate to be "that guy" but I will add 3 things:
1 - Make sure you are not destroying beneficial habitat in the process. I have seen guys do this before. They see an area they could put a plot and make it one.....and then their deer sightings drop and they don't know why. Turned out that thicket they removed was a bedding area and now the deer are bedding on the neighbors.
2 - I would not clear the entire area. I would keep an edge buffer of some of this brush AND keep some of it to break up the large plot into smaller ones. This will encourage more daylight use and the deer can rub and browse on the brush as well.
3 - lastly if your going to hunt over this area (and I assume you are) - make sure you set up the plot and your access to your stand so that you are not educating deer in the process.
You may have already considered all these things - and if you have, good for you. I just know I have been guilty of acting first and then thinking...and it doesn't turn out so well. Good luck and share your progress with us.....with lots of pictures!
1 - Make sure you are not destroying beneficial habitat in the process. I have seen guys do this before. They see an area they could put a plot and make it one.....and then their deer sightings drop and they don't know why. Turned out that thicket they removed was a bedding area and now the deer are bedding on the neighbors.
2 - I would not clear the entire area. I would keep an edge buffer of some of this brush AND keep some of it to break up the large plot into smaller ones. This will encourage more daylight use and the deer can rub and browse on the brush as well.
3 - lastly if your going to hunt over this area (and I assume you are) - make sure you set up the plot and your access to your stand so that you are not educating deer in the process.
You may have already considered all these things - and if you have, good for you. I just know I have been guilty of acting first and then thinking...and it doesn't turn out so well. Good luck and share your progress with us.....with lots of pictures!
