Where I bow hunt doesn't have the space for a real full blown food plot. Id love to be able to clear out some area in the woods and plant something that the deer will feel safe coming to. I understand they will probably mow most of it down but be nice to have that available for them. Use of equipment is limited so looking for ways people on here have done something like this. Sure I can go on YouTube but most eth videos the people like hearing themselves talk more than actually explain the steps and how they did it. I am located in NY so if anybody has any tips and pictures of their results it will be greatly appreciated! TYIA
Throw and Grow Honey Hole
- Thread starter Luongo43
- Start date
Catscratch
5 year old buck +
For hunting season?
I'd recommend winter rye and wheat. They are most likely to grow in poor conditions and able to tolerate grazing. Clover would be a second choice/option, but I don't think is likely to do as well as the cereals. Just to be clear... I don't think anything is going to grow great in a small wood clearing. Those are best options though.
I'd recommend winter rye and wheat. They are most likely to grow in poor conditions and able to tolerate grazing. Clover would be a second choice/option, but I don't think is likely to do as well as the cereals. Just to be clear... I don't think anything is going to grow great in a small wood clearing. Those are best options though.
Electrodigical
5 year old buck +
Working on the same thing myself (in NY). Adjacent property has a large field, but has recently changed hands and I can no longer hunt it. (no idea if I ever will be able) Besides that, I wanted a spot I could bow hunt, if my body will let me anymore. So I'm making a little staging area plot that I'm hoping they'll hit on the way to the field in the evenings, or on the way out in the mornings.
I have no tips because I have no idea what I'm doing. lol I'm working with what amounts to a couple days a year.
All woods. I've started by opening it up to sunlight with hack and squirt. I don't have the time or ability to clear all the trees by myself, so I figured I'd kill off a few for starters, then pick away at them over the years. Started last July. Looking at it now, I wish I'd H&S'd a whole lot more trees than I did. Next trip up, that's the plan. I have a little tiny clear spot now, I plan on opening it up from there, starting with killing lots of trees.
I'm sure I'll be cursing this for years, while I'm constantly having to pick up limbs, but it's my only choice. That's my biggest hurdle now, 70 years of leaves, branches and fallen trees on the ground.
I've only "planted" some clover really. Did broadcast some purple turnips as well, but not early enough it the year for how little sun it's getting. All true "no till", no nothing. Just throwing it on the bare ground and what takes takes.
I'm (live) in the suburbs, so there's no "local place" or co-op to go for seeds or advice. I started planting clover in the family yard some years ago, to suppress the weeds around the old apple trees in the yard and maybe add some feed for the deer. i used whatever I could get, at first some very expensive seed at a hardware store, other times some stuff online. The last few years I've been buying "Pasture Booster" at Tractor Supply, simply because it was available and compared to the other stuff, "cheap". My routine has been over-seed and expand every time I'm there. (not doing it in the yard much any more, now that I have my own land and working on the plot.) This summer I have a couple things to try, some different types of clover, some hybrid turnips, a small thing of daikon radishes to try...
I chose the spot simply because I was walking through the woods and came upon a patch of green. The only spot with anything growing solid on the ground, remains of an old logging path. I said "it's getting light, that's a head start." In retrospect there's two spots I'd rather have done it. lol
Last fall's start with the clover. All those down trees in frame are gone now, cleared away a few weeks ago. Funny how deceptive trail cams are and scale. It looks like a large area until you see the deer and how big it suddenly looks.
I have no tips because I have no idea what I'm doing. lol I'm working with what amounts to a couple days a year.
All woods. I've started by opening it up to sunlight with hack and squirt. I don't have the time or ability to clear all the trees by myself, so I figured I'd kill off a few for starters, then pick away at them over the years. Started last July. Looking at it now, I wish I'd H&S'd a whole lot more trees than I did. Next trip up, that's the plan. I have a little tiny clear spot now, I plan on opening it up from there, starting with killing lots of trees.
I'm sure I'll be cursing this for years, while I'm constantly having to pick up limbs, but it's my only choice. That's my biggest hurdle now, 70 years of leaves, branches and fallen trees on the ground.
I've only "planted" some clover really. Did broadcast some purple turnips as well, but not early enough it the year for how little sun it's getting. All true "no till", no nothing. Just throwing it on the bare ground and what takes takes.
I'm (live) in the suburbs, so there's no "local place" or co-op to go for seeds or advice. I started planting clover in the family yard some years ago, to suppress the weeds around the old apple trees in the yard and maybe add some feed for the deer. i used whatever I could get, at first some very expensive seed at a hardware store, other times some stuff online. The last few years I've been buying "Pasture Booster" at Tractor Supply, simply because it was available and compared to the other stuff, "cheap". My routine has been over-seed and expand every time I'm there. (not doing it in the yard much any more, now that I have my own land and working on the plot.) This summer I have a couple things to try, some different types of clover, some hybrid turnips, a small thing of daikon radishes to try...
I chose the spot simply because I was walking through the woods and came upon a patch of green. The only spot with anything growing solid on the ground, remains of an old logging path. I said "it's getting light, that's a head start." In retrospect there's two spots I'd rather have done it. lol
Last fall's start with the clover. All those down trees in frame are gone now, cleared away a few weeks ago. Funny how deceptive trail cams are and scale. It looks like a large area until you see the deer and how big it suddenly looks.
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Shearwood Forest
5 year old buck +
SD51555
5 year old buck +
Two big things I’d solve for is:
When do u want to hunt?
What is geared to grow there?
If you’re hunting early, brassicas could be a banger but will get wiped out in a few days. Mix it with what Cat is saying. If it’s late, do exactly what Cat is saying.
Radishes, yellow sweet clover, and winter wheat in a mix could nab you extended attention all season.
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Foggy47
5 year old buck +
Not sure how long any crop can hold up to regular deer use in such a small plot....with little light. May be best to add a salt lick in a spot like this....and I get Alice white clover to grow in some pretty shady ground. Add some new each fall....along with some winter rye. If this spot could retain a water hole....that would be super.
The thing about salt licks is....they become a regular stop for every deer in the area.....and then become a social gathering point. My deer will stop at a salt lick every day.....and sometimes multiple times each day. Same goes for a water source....especially if it is near a salt lick. Almost like opening a bar for deer.
The thing about salt licks is....they become a regular stop for every deer in the area.....and then become a social gathering point. My deer will stop at a salt lick every day.....and sometimes multiple times each day. Same goes for a water source....especially if it is near a salt lick. Almost like opening a bar for deer.
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Electrodigical
5 year old buck +
It would, but "contrary to the laws of this state..." (as the man in The Good, The Bad and The Ugly said)
Foggy47
5 year old buck +
Why trophy rock was created. ;)It would, but "contrary to the laws of this state..." (as the man in The Good, The Bad and The Ugly said)
Bowsnbucks
5 year old buck +
Alsike clover grows well in soil that's less than ideal. Shade hasn't bothered Alsike or red clover at our camp in NC Pa. mountains. Cereal rye mixed into those 2 clovers would be where I'd start. Keeping at it every year, adding more seed - will help build your soil too. Rye roots burrow down into the soil, and clovers add nitrogen. I'd also toss down some lime a couple times a year. Minimal work involved.
Prairie Acres
5 year old buck +
In an area that small in addition to a food plot maybe you could add a water source? A stock tank or a cheap kids pool.
Stubborn1VT
5 year old buck +
I made a plot about that size in Vermont. 30 yards by 45 yards. I started by cutting some trees around a natural clearing. I have a tractor and used a box scraper and chain harrows to rough up the ground. This could have been done any number of ways: spraying, burning, raking, walk-behind rototiller, dragging something behind a 4 wheeler. The first year I planted winter rye as a nurse crop for clover and chicory. I added some small Burnett (a forb) and at times have added a very few brassicas.
Over the years I have added pelletized lime with a bag spreader, which I think is important for success. Leaves are an issue. I clear them off in the spring with a leaf rake and a tarp, then I frost seed and add lime. The plot has been a success as far as getting pictures, but it doesn't have great access. I am probably going to add a ladder stand for a very small number of rut hunts.
Attached is a bachelor group of bucks that showed up last fall. Feel free to ask any questions here or message me. I'm not a professional food plotters, but I have a background in farming and tree work. A "staging plot" can be better than a big destination plot with the right planting and access.
Over the years I have added pelletized lime with a bag spreader, which I think is important for success. Leaves are an issue. I clear them off in the spring with a leaf rake and a tarp, then I frost seed and add lime. The plot has been a success as far as getting pictures, but it doesn't have great access. I am probably going to add a ladder stand for a very small number of rut hunts.
Attached is a bachelor group of bucks that showed up last fall. Feel free to ask any questions here or message me. I'm not a professional food plotters, but I have a background in farming and tree work. A "staging plot" can be better than a big destination plot with the right planting and access.
Attachments
Bowsnbucks
5 year old buck +
How has the small Burnett (Delar?) done as a forage there? Get much attention? I always wondered about Burnett in a mixed plot.
Stubborn1VT
5 year old buck +
It's hard to tell how much they like it, as it's a small percentage compared to the clover/chicory. I will say it grows well, requires little moisture, stays green a long time, and lasts years.
bigboreblr
5 year old buck +
I was trying to remember burnet. Making a top notch lunchable lawn blend. That stuff tolerate mowing / traffic? Buying crabgrass and plantain. Used to not mow a section of my backyard for about a month and hand harvest seeds.
Club president wants t play with his tonka toy again at camp. Just seeded half the place in early may from his shenanigans around the clubhouse.
stubborn1 basically told you a good plan. LEave stumps kind of on the high side, so you can see them clearily and possibly knock them down easy eith a tractor or bulldozer. 3-4ft tall works good. When decieding what to clear, bring a compass. Directly south is not always best. Southwest I think is a toucb etter than south east. Time of year and time of day sun is only so high. Good thing about most cereal grains is they still put on growth when the leaves are gone. What s the predominate tree over there? Some trees shed leaves quicker than others.
If you feel safe doing so, make a few burn piles. Make 2 or 3 small ones that are a bit on the long side than round. Burn the downwind side 1st. Then next weekend spread those ashes. That stuff is like a turbocharger for a foodplot.
Tire drags work great around tree stumps, if you have a small tractor or ATV. Even a zero turn can be good.
Think of the whole picture. Make a path coming from a logical place a deer would be, then going towards another logical place. Try to make a different path for you to walk there.
Foodplot aren't the only draw. MAke some nice bedding. Make a T shaped windbreak with brush and logs, but not too high. Got some pine or spruce trees here n there, make a wind break just under the edge of the drip line. Very often deer like the thermal and rain cover of those trees, and the comfortable dry needles underneath. Ideal wind break is probably just under 2 feet. That can lift their head and see over. Predominate winds are from the west going east, so a west and a north side windbreak woud be good.
A week before muzzleloader season, knock down a few maples and chop te hgh branches down toward the ground. Its a tree bud salad buffet for them. Probably got 7 or 8 doe tags filled over the year with that trick. IF using for firewood later on, cut the trubk and main branches like every 6-8ft to dry out better. Ive done that mid day before going back in for lunch and still see deer that evening.
Cant find rye? Use feed oats. Ladino clover, medium red clover, winter peas, I make my own mixes these days, but every year think about using plotspike forage feast . Jstbuy some ladino clover to add to it. Think they use medium and crimson clover in there. whitetail institue is good stuff, jput a portion of it in, then spread some more over the winter. Should still have some of a 1/2 acre bag for next fall too.
Remember, you can improve lawn areas t camp with clover. You can clearance nice oak and hickory trees, as well as lime and lightly fertilize them too. Make travel trails for deer.
Look for a local county that has a spring seedling sale.
Don't get discouraged. For many of us, foodplots are doe factories. Doesn't make buck hunting any better, some may think it could make it worse.
A good harvest for me is a good shot on a clam deer at a reasonable distance your your equipment and skill. Foodplot covers that ticket well.
Club president wants t play with his tonka toy again at camp. Just seeded half the place in early may from his shenanigans around the clubhouse.
stubborn1 basically told you a good plan. LEave stumps kind of on the high side, so you can see them clearily and possibly knock them down easy eith a tractor or bulldozer. 3-4ft tall works good. When decieding what to clear, bring a compass. Directly south is not always best. Southwest I think is a toucb etter than south east. Time of year and time of day sun is only so high. Good thing about most cereal grains is they still put on growth when the leaves are gone. What s the predominate tree over there? Some trees shed leaves quicker than others.
If you feel safe doing so, make a few burn piles. Make 2 or 3 small ones that are a bit on the long side than round. Burn the downwind side 1st. Then next weekend spread those ashes. That stuff is like a turbocharger for a foodplot.
Tire drags work great around tree stumps, if you have a small tractor or ATV. Even a zero turn can be good.
Think of the whole picture. Make a path coming from a logical place a deer would be, then going towards another logical place. Try to make a different path for you to walk there.
Foodplot aren't the only draw. MAke some nice bedding. Make a T shaped windbreak with brush and logs, but not too high. Got some pine or spruce trees here n there, make a wind break just under the edge of the drip line. Very often deer like the thermal and rain cover of those trees, and the comfortable dry needles underneath. Ideal wind break is probably just under 2 feet. That can lift their head and see over. Predominate winds are from the west going east, so a west and a north side windbreak woud be good.
A week before muzzleloader season, knock down a few maples and chop te hgh branches down toward the ground. Its a tree bud salad buffet for them. Probably got 7 or 8 doe tags filled over the year with that trick. IF using for firewood later on, cut the trubk and main branches like every 6-8ft to dry out better. Ive done that mid day before going back in for lunch and still see deer that evening.
Cant find rye? Use feed oats. Ladino clover, medium red clover, winter peas, I make my own mixes these days, but every year think about using plotspike forage feast . Jstbuy some ladino clover to add to it. Think they use medium and crimson clover in there. whitetail institue is good stuff, jput a portion of it in, then spread some more over the winter. Should still have some of a 1/2 acre bag for next fall too.
Remember, you can improve lawn areas t camp with clover. You can clearance nice oak and hickory trees, as well as lime and lightly fertilize them too. Make travel trails for deer.
Look for a local county that has a spring seedling sale.
Don't get discouraged. For many of us, foodplots are doe factories. Doesn't make buck hunting any better, some may think it could make it worse.
A good harvest for me is a good shot on a clam deer at a reasonable distance your your equipment and skill. Foodplot covers that ticket well.
