The Making of a Food Plot

[willy]

Natty that is some kick arse work. The pics really give one an idea of what you had to do to put food in that spot. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Tree Spud]

Natty great work ... should pay with some venison in the near future.

BTW ... love that trailer. Any issues with wheel bearing if you exceed 5 mph? How do you lube them?

 

[Natty Bumppo]

Any idea why I can't see pictures? This is what I see.

Weird Bowman....I see all of my pics. Even when you posted "this is all I see" I see the exact picture I posted of my land? Have you tried different browsers? I use Chrome.

 

[Natty Bumppo]

Natty that is some kick arse work. The pics really give one an idea of what you had to do to put food in that spot. Thanks for sharing.

Thanks willy.

Natty great work ... should pay with some venison in the near future.

BTW ... love that trailer. Any issues with wheel bearing if you exceed 5 mph? How do you lube them?

Thanks Treespud. Looking forward to getting in my stands and seeing what shows up. In the 5 years that I've owned that trailer I have never looked at the wheel bearings. Haven't had any issues. It's not intended for road use, so I rarely get it going above 10 mph. I always take it slow on my land. The double wheels on each side are on a kind of bogey so each one operates independently on rough terrain. That mechanism is maintained with grease fittings.

 

[Tree Spud]

Thanks willy.



Thanks Treespud. Looking forward to getting in my stands and seeing what shows up. In the 5 years that I've owned that trailer I have never looked at the wheel bearings. Haven't had any issues. It's not intended for road use, so I rarely get it going above 10 mph. I always take it slow on my land. The double wheels on each side are on a kind of bogey so each one operates independently on rough terrain. That mechanism is maintained with grease fittings.

Thanks, thats what I wanted to hear. Bought a trailer out AgSupply that was for ATV and farm use. Had to replace 2 of the wheels after 30 days because the bearing were shot. There was a grease zerk, but only a single 3/4" low speed bearing that I cannot replace. Was supposed to be rated for 800 lbs load. Have note replaced an entire wheel 6 times at $75 each in 3 years.

 

[Bowman]

Greetings. No explanation, but I now see the pictures. Outstanding work. How about an update on PH and lime that you spread? Future plans?

 

[bbcoach]

It is so Gratifying to create something with blood and sweat. The avatar to the left is a half acre plot cleared, limed and planted in planted pines. The plot was planted in Sept 2015 and the PIC is taken in Oct 2015 when the rye, oats and durana clover was just starting. Here's a PIC of the clover in May 2016. When the deer and turkeys are getting there fill, it really makes you feel like you have accomplished what God had engineered in your head. Great work Natty!!!!!

 

[Natty Bumppo]

It is so Gratifying to create something with blood and sweat. The avatar to the left is a half acre plot cleared, limed and planted in planted pines. The plot was planted in Sept 2015 and the PIC is taken in Oct 2015 when the rye, oats and durana clover was just starting. Here's a PIC of the clover in May 2016. When the deer and turkeys are getting there fill, it really makes you feel like you have accomplished what God had engineered in your head. Great work Natty!!!!!

Thanks bbcoach.

Greetings. No explanation, but I now see the pictures. Outstanding work. How about an update on PH and lime that you spread? Future plans?

My initial soil test 3 summers ago after I completed the logging and had the beginnings of a food plot showed a pH of 4.8 and really pathetically low nutrients. I brought in 1500 lbs of bagged lime and spread it by hand one bag at a time. I got some rye to grow that first fall. A year later I did a soil test and it showed a pH of 5.4. I brought in another 1500 lbs of lime and put some fertilizer down. Late summer I planted rye and it really grew well. This past summer I never got around to lime or a soil test...but I planted buckwheat for a summer crop and then overseeded it with rye late summer. The buckwheat only did O.K. The rye keeps going strong.

Future plans...I've got 2 other small areas that I'd like to do the same thing....small little food plots. On this one I am going to simply keep bringing in lime and fert. and growing covers crops to build up the OM. I'd like to get to a point wit the pH that I could do a Lick Creek rotation.

 

[bbcoach]

Natty, This plot had a PH of 4.7. I brought in 3 trailer loads (about 3 tons) of pulverized lime and hand spread it. Cut back and sprayed the grass and weeds with glyphosate. Disc the plot multiple times and planted in the fall of 2015. The plot met all my expectations and more. The most gratifying part of the blood and sweat that was put into it, besides seeing it grow, is watching the deer and turkeys get their fill one mouth full at a time. Keep up the GREAT work and Good Luck with your future plans.

 

[Bowman]

Sounds like a a good plan to me. Getting lime in is a lot of work. Continued success.

 

[Bowman]

Getting the itch. How about an update?

 

[Natty Bumppo]

Getting the itch. How about an update?

Hey Bowman....things were looking almost like spring here in NW mass...no snow, sunny mild days. I was out doing some apple pruning. But still way too early to think about getting lime down or soil testing. Busy now with boiling sap every day. Probably won't get out there with lime until June. We just got about 12 to 14" of snow today so our early spring last week was short lived.

 

[Bowman]

Thanks for the response. I don't know if I should be surprised about the snow. I am impressed with rye too.

 

[Prof.Kent]

Hope you enjoyed.

Wow. I'm impressed with all the work that went into that. I don't burn wood at home so I just get rid of it as fast as I can. My neighbors all love me.

 

[Bowman]

Too late update. Just scrolling through and now I see the pictures. Very nice work. Gorgeous. Plans for this year?

 

[Bowman]

Must be having computer problems.

 

[Natty Bumppo]

Very nice work. Gorgeous. Plans for this year?

Thanks Bowman.

I do have plans for this year. More lime. That's a big one. Dig as many stumps as I can with my JD 40hp 990 backhoe. I can get the smaller ones. But the stumps of the big trees I may have to let rot some more or hire that work out. I have wild apples all around the perimeter of the plot that I am going to prune back quite a bit and lime and fertilize. I did a little bit of edge feathering around the perimeter. So I have some trees to buck up and stack and let dry in the woods. And I have one last massive brush pile waiting to be burned.

That will do it for this plot. I can't make it any bigger. So, lime and build OM....probably buckwheat this spring and then rye late summer.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

Natty - Did you plant buckwheat there before ?? If you haven't, I think you'll like it. Great for "new broken" ground. If you have turkeys - they'll find it and hammer the seeds. Grouse too. Our deer love BW when it's green.

 

[Natty Bumppo]

Natty - Did you plant buckwheat there before ?? If you haven't, I think you'll like it. Great for "new broken" ground. If you have turkeys - they'll find it and hammer the seeds. Grouse too. Our deer love BW when it's green.

I tried it last year for the first time...but it was kind of a casual test in the detritus of my logging operation. I didn't get great seed to soil contact....a lot of trash and stumps. I disked where I could gently and then threw some seed down and then drove over it with my tractor tires. It germinated but didn't grow that well. I did notice that the deer were destroying it by early Sept. I am hoping with better soil prep and a pass with my new cultipacker that I'll have better success. The rye grows like crazy...vigorous and green and 4' tall if I let it go. I've wondered if my soil has some limiting nutrient missing that buckwheat requires? Maybe my pH is too low.

Going to try it again anyway. I have a blast doing this stuff and seeing how wildlife responds.

Bownbucks, if I do get BW to grow decently this summer what's my next move late summer when I want to plant rye? Can I simply broadcast the rye into the buckwheat and then just terminate the BW somehow? Drive over it with my tractor or cultipacker? Love to find a roller crimper around here.

 

[Bowman]

I would not worry about terminating buckwheat. If it reseeds, I am Ok. Frost knocks it out. Deer hit it hard for me. Cultipacking buckwheat will knock it out. I do not know what your long term plan is for the field. Ed Spinnazola recommends planting brassicas with rye to measure soil improvement. Spring planted annual clovers build nitrogen for fall planted brassicas. Brassicas have not been a big success for me yet. I have spring planted (after frost date) buckwheat and oats. A summer mowing will let them reseed. If you are ready or if you are considering clovers for a perennial field, I would fall plant with rye. Clovers will build roots in the fall and be ready in the spring. Then mow the rye.

Scuffing the ground and cultipacking buckwheat and cereal grains is a plus. Clovers too.