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Started By
Message
Food plots 101
Posted on 7/17/20 at 10:24 am
Posted on 7/17/20 at 10:24 am
Gents of the great OB,
I started to hunt again a couple years back on some private family land but am in need of some advice/help.
My general goal is to better my odds, and improve the land on which I hunt.
I have never attempted to plant on my own before.
I've done some searching/reading, but I'm concerned with my particular conditions listed below.
My question is would it be worth my time, effort, and money to plant? If so, what do you all recommend or have found that will grow in these conditions?
What are some things I should avoid, and what are some things I could do to improve my luck? When should I plant? How much to plant before it becomes wasted effort?
General Concerns and Information:
-The location I hunt is in South Louisiana.
-The soil there is "blackjack"- heavy, dark and thick.
-A lot of the trails/stands have heavy cover and see minimal sunlight until fall/winter.
-Some places are low and hold water all winter, for those that don't they remain pretty wet.
-I am the only person that hunts this land
-The land is relatively narrow and will not so to say "hold" deer.
-Yearly for maintenance I do the general bush hogging, trimming, and clearing.
-Prior to me, no one hunted said land. It was only setup to hunt with trails and stands.
-There is one pipeline
The reason I thought of planting was because over the last two years the trails have came pretty tore up.
I plan to disk, grade, and pull ditches to improve them so I figured I might as well attempt this while I'm tilling.
Again, I am looking for any/all advice to help improve my area. For all I know planting may be a total waste of my money/time and could be spent better elsewhere.
FWIW I have the following in terms of equipment to work with:
Tractor w/ FEL, disk set, land blade, grader box, angle blade, PTO fertilizer spreader, bush hog, and harrow set.
I started to hunt again a couple years back on some private family land but am in need of some advice/help.
My general goal is to better my odds, and improve the land on which I hunt.
I have never attempted to plant on my own before.
I've done some searching/reading, but I'm concerned with my particular conditions listed below.
My question is would it be worth my time, effort, and money to plant? If so, what do you all recommend or have found that will grow in these conditions?
What are some things I should avoid, and what are some things I could do to improve my luck? When should I plant? How much to plant before it becomes wasted effort?
General Concerns and Information:
-The location I hunt is in South Louisiana.
-The soil there is "blackjack"- heavy, dark and thick.
-A lot of the trails/stands have heavy cover and see minimal sunlight until fall/winter.
-Some places are low and hold water all winter, for those that don't they remain pretty wet.
-I am the only person that hunts this land
-The land is relatively narrow and will not so to say "hold" deer.
-Yearly for maintenance I do the general bush hogging, trimming, and clearing.
-Prior to me, no one hunted said land. It was only setup to hunt with trails and stands.
-There is one pipeline
The reason I thought of planting was because over the last two years the trails have came pretty tore up.
I plan to disk, grade, and pull ditches to improve them so I figured I might as well attempt this while I'm tilling.
Again, I am looking for any/all advice to help improve my area. For all I know planting may be a total waste of my money/time and could be spent better elsewhere.
FWIW I have the following in terms of equipment to work with:
Tractor w/ FEL, disk set, land blade, grader box, angle blade, PTO fertilizer spreader, bush hog, and harrow set.
11
Posted on 7/17/20 at 10:45 am to southern686
Are you going to have to remove native browse to plant?
Posted on 7/17/20 at 10:56 am to southern686
Without seeing the woods, I would say open as much of the canopy to let light hit the ground. This will benefit especially during the spring and summer browse. Clear any areas you can, and some soil samples. This will tell you how much money in fertilizer and seed you will need to purchase.
The powerline will be a good site to add a plot.Avoid the really wet areas.
The powerline will be a good site to add a plot.Avoid the really wet areas.
Posted on 7/17/20 at 11:00 am to commode
1. Soil Sample
2. Hinge Cut some areas of trees. Plenty of videos on You Tube on how to do this and can provide immediate cover to hold deer
3. Perhaps a controlled burn could help knock back some stuff.
4. Plant according to soil sample results
5. Play the wind.
2. Hinge Cut some areas of trees. Plenty of videos on You Tube on how to do this and can provide immediate cover to hold deer
3. Perhaps a controlled burn could help knock back some stuff.
4. Plant according to soil sample results
5. Play the wind.
Posted on 7/17/20 at 11:05 am to Quatre Pot
quote:
Are you going to have to remove native browse to plant?
Nearly none. I should have mentioned in OP.
Where I am thinking I want to plant would be on trails and in shooting lanes.
These trails/lanes have little to nothing growing from the ground. I assume with how wet it stays, and lack of sunlight causes this. If its not brush or a tree it's not there.
Off these paths and into the woods, also not much but there is more. Obviously not where I am looking to plant.
I am no expert but the deer I have seen on the property I'd say 50-60% are malnourished/underweight. I have even seen a couple so underweight they seemed sick. They will also kill a bag of rice bran or corn in zero time flat. I've thrown it on the ground, climbed into the stand, and watched 10+ eat it until it was gone and to the dirt.
Posted on 7/17/20 at 11:11 am to southern686
Your best chance to see the most deer would be to build a nice box stand on the pipeline and get a comfortable chair and sit as much of the day as you can. Disk up the 150 yards each way, spread 1 50# bag of rye grass and 1 bag of triple 13.
If you plan on hunting this land for years to come, probably ought to get some mineral licks going too. Just get a couple red mineral blocks from Tractor Supply and put them on an old stump and add a couple more blocks early each spring.
If you plan on hunting this land for years to come, probably ought to get some mineral licks going too. Just get a couple red mineral blocks from Tractor Supply and put them on an old stump and add a couple more blocks early each spring.
Posted on 7/17/20 at 11:28 am to REB BEER
So far, great replies and learning points for me.
-Open up canopy more for more sunlight. (easily could do w/ pole saw and FEL, honestly have never put a focus on it, or really thought to do so)
-Hedge cutting. (Never heard of this, but from a quick read it makes perfect sense. Will you-tube later)
-Soil sample (believe my father had LSU run one for his garden last year, will ask him for more information)
Was my original idea. Just start with something simple like rye grass. Do areas around stands that are bare and have sunlight. I could do the pipeline and canal bank as well since there are already stands. Triple 13 I will look into, never even considered a fertilizer.
I guess I would just need to read how much to spread of each in a given area and then setup the spreader to something close or use a hand crank spreader.
ETA:
Mineral blocks I actually bought 4 recently. I was planning to put them out when I make my next ride back there to check on things.
-Open up canopy more for more sunlight. (easily could do w/ pole saw and FEL, honestly have never put a focus on it, or really thought to do so)
-Hedge cutting. (Never heard of this, but from a quick read it makes perfect sense. Will you-tube later)
-Soil sample (believe my father had LSU run one for his garden last year, will ask him for more information)
quote:
spread 1 50# bag of rye grass and 1 bag of triple 13.
Was my original idea. Just start with something simple like rye grass. Do areas around stands that are bare and have sunlight. I could do the pipeline and canal bank as well since there are already stands. Triple 13 I will look into, never even considered a fertilizer.
I guess I would just need to read how much to spread of each in a given area and then setup the spreader to something close or use a hand crank spreader.
ETA:
Mineral blocks I actually bought 4 recently. I was planning to put them out when I make my next ride back there to check on things.
This post was edited on 7/17/20 at 11:30 am
Posted on 7/17/20 at 11:51 am to southern686
Soil sample first.
Don’t plant any trails or 1/8ac plots in the woods that only gets partial sunlight, the juice is not worth the squeeze.
Get hunt stand and figure out your acreage for e pipeline spend as much money planting it as you can or as big as you can.
If you don’t want to mix blends buy buckbuster premium with clover and plant last wknd of sept or first half of October fertilize based on soil samples or you can just wing it with trip-13.
March or so go and bush hog the winter mix and keep clipping all spring and the deer will continue to hit the clover thats there till it burns off in june or July.
Don’t plant any trails or 1/8ac plots in the woods that only gets partial sunlight, the juice is not worth the squeeze.
Get hunt stand and figure out your acreage for e pipeline spend as much money planting it as you can or as big as you can.
If you don’t want to mix blends buy buckbuster premium with clover and plant last wknd of sept or first half of October fertilize based on soil samples or you can just wing it with trip-13.
March or so go and bush hog the winter mix and keep clipping all spring and the deer will continue to hit the clover thats there till it burns off in june or July.
Posted on 7/17/20 at 12:07 pm to Ol boy
Take all the money you would spend trying to make grass grow in the swamp and buy a good feeder.
Win
Win
Posted on 7/17/20 at 12:08 pm to southern686
Burndown the area with glyphosphate and 2-4D. 2 oz of each per gallon of water. With the 2-4D wait at least 30 days before planting.
Disc/Till area for good root development, and till in 13-13-13 fertilizer, and lime.
Plant Clovers: Dixie(Crimson) clover inoculated seed(winter clover) and Arrowleaf(white) clover inoculated seed. Both are perennials meaning they will last 3-4 years betwenn re-plantings if managed properly. Thus you will have a foodplot of clover(20-30% protein)year round for forage. After the clovers have gone to seed, just bushhog them back(not to low during th ehot summer months though) and you will have seeds on the ground for regrowth.
To maintain/control grasses in the clover foodplots, spray with a post emergent herbicide called Clethodim 2EC at a rate of 1 oz per gallon of water with 1 oz of mineral oil. Then every spring and fall fertilize and lime the plots. The white clover is a spring into summer growing variety clover, and the crimson clover is a fall into spring variety.
Arrowleaf clover
Crimson Clover
Note: Ryegrass is easy to grow but has very little nutritional value. Plant pasture/forage oats with the ryegrass
Disc/Till area for good root development, and till in 13-13-13 fertilizer, and lime.
Plant Clovers: Dixie(Crimson) clover inoculated seed(winter clover) and Arrowleaf(white) clover inoculated seed. Both are perennials meaning they will last 3-4 years betwenn re-plantings if managed properly. Thus you will have a foodplot of clover(20-30% protein)year round for forage. After the clovers have gone to seed, just bushhog them back(not to low during th ehot summer months though) and you will have seeds on the ground for regrowth.
To maintain/control grasses in the clover foodplots, spray with a post emergent herbicide called Clethodim 2EC at a rate of 1 oz per gallon of water with 1 oz of mineral oil. Then every spring and fall fertilize and lime the plots. The white clover is a spring into summer growing variety clover, and the crimson clover is a fall into spring variety.
Arrowleaf clover
Crimson Clover
Note: Ryegrass is easy to grow but has very little nutritional value. Plant pasture/forage oats with the ryegrass
This post was edited on 7/17/20 at 12:19 pm
Posted on 7/17/20 at 12:13 pm to southern686
quote:
Tractor w/ FEL, disk set, land blade, grader box, angle blade, PTO fertilizer spreader, bush hog, and harrow set.
You got the right the equipment. I wouldn’t plant anywhere where it holds water. Also consider how much activity the property sees on these trails and how places you plant would be accessed.
If you plant and get it established, deer will be drawn to it night and day. If you have to drive through that planting every time you go to the property, the deer will only use it at night. I agree to plant the pipeline if it’s not too wet and you don’t have to drive through it every time you hunt or if family is riding trails all winter.
Cheapest thing to plant is rye grass ( minimal nutrition), wheat, and crimson clover. If you want more information on how to physically plant and information on types of plants I would recommend Craig Harpers book.
You can find a free older version online:
Craig Harper Book PDF
Posted on 7/17/20 at 12:38 pm to southern686
quote:
Do areas around stands that are bare and have sunlight.
If there are areas that are bare dirt with nothing growing, there is probably a reason why and trying to force plants to grow there might be hard. Planting is not a silver bullet and should probably be considered last if you are trying to improve herd health. However, it’s a great tool to attract deer in the open to shoot.
The native browse is far more important. This can be encouraged by opening the woods up to allow sunlight to hit the ground. Also you don’t have to bushhog all the openings like a manicured lawn. Deer like overgrown fields waist high and up. A cheap way to improve cover and food is to just cut some openings every 2 years to keep trees from taking over, but allow the opening to get high enough for deer to use it.
You also mentioned malnourished deer and seeing 10+ destroy a corn pile. If no one is hunting the area, you probably have more deer than the land can sustain at a healthy level. You can work on this issue two ways. Increase food and decrease the amount of the deer. Increasing browse by opening the woods up, planting, allowing fields to grow up increases food. Shooting deer especially does will bring down the deer numbers.
Posted on 7/17/20 at 12:41 pm to Purple Spoon
quote:
Take all the money you would spend trying to make grass grow in the swamp and buy a good feeder.
I actually plan to purchase one soon, and a friend of mine gave me one of his earlier this year.
It's pretty wet, but not all of it. Hell very little actually holds water. It's just the lack of sunlight I guess.
I still would like to provide them something during the off season if possible as well. Even like now, there really isn't much vegetation on the ground around said stands and trails.
Or even something more permanent during the fall/winter. As said I have seen a lot of what seems to me as Underweight/malnourished deer.
quote:
ABucks11
quote:
boudinman
Thanks, notes taken. Something like that is more what I am hoping to accomplish.
Luckily the property where I am sees pretty much no traffic. The only time it does is during hunting season and is only me.
If anyone goes during the off season its either me or my grand father, and it isn't often (2-3 times at most).
I think I need to get back there soon, get a good hard/deep tillage done on the trails. Pull some shallow ditches with the angle blade to bring the trails up slightly more. This will help keep some of the low spots from holding water among other things. Then later on come back, do a very light tillage to plant where I'd like to. At that time go ahead and try to open up the canopy more to allow more sun in.
The pipeline and canal bank I for sure plan to plant. It also would be the easiest.
Before anything though I will have a soil sample ran to see what it is I need.
Posted on 7/17/20 at 12:41 pm to southern686
If it was allowed, I would disk and plant the power line as my food plot, put up a box blind for rifle, and if you’re a bow hunter, set up lock ons on trails leading to the food plots. Most mature bucks will hardly ever get out in the plot during daylight but they will scent check does skirting the edges.
Posted on 7/17/20 at 12:54 pm to ABucks11
quote:
The native browse is far more important. This can be encouraged by opening the woods up to allow sunlight to hit the ground. Also you don’t have to bushhog all the openings like a manicured lawn.
I 100% do not want to destroy native browse.
It seems I need to help improve it greatly, and If I could supplement it, do so.
Aside from fixing trails, it seems one of my main "needs" is to open of the woods to allow more sun in. I see now that it's a massive problem. The only place anything grows naturally really well is the pipeline and canal bank. The only difference I can see is sunlight obviously. If the trails don't grow naturally, then I don't see much of anything else growing either that I could plant.
IE: Pipeline (as of 2 weekends ago) currently is grown up around 4 feet tall. 30-40 feet into woods on trail from pipeline, very little to nothing grown.
This thread 100% has opened my eyes to a lot of things I need to look at and do.
Luckily I have the equipment to do so, just need to get back there when I find the time.
This post was edited on 7/17/20 at 12:58 pm
Posted on 7/17/20 at 1:19 pm to southern686
Your property fits the description of property I hunt in the St Charles community. Narrow, dark soil, thick vegetation, holds water, limited area to plant food plots, etc. I have an area cleared out where I will put a food plot as well. Won’t be the biggest plot because of standing water but it should be big enough. Will use a couple of feeders in areas where food plots can’t be planted.
Curious to know if you are in that area or anywhere on 308 between Laf Crossing and Raceland.
Curious to know if you are in that area or anywhere on 308 between Laf Crossing and Raceland.
Posted on 7/17/20 at 1:28 pm to southern686
quote:
The only difference I can see is sunlight obviously. If the trails don't grow naturally, then I don't see much of anything else growing either that I could plant.
“Daylighting” roads is also a good way to increase browse and helps dry our roads. Cutting trees or just knocking over small stuff with the FEL will allow sunlight to hit the trails. This will help them dry out quicker and be less tore up and allow browse to grow on the edges .
Posted on 7/17/20 at 1:39 pm to southern686
Any briars at all? If so, I’d hinge cut around them and spread triple 13 to boost them. Any feed trees at all? Fertilize them as well. Use something better than corn or bran when you go to feed, if you can swing it. For me, water softening salt over a pile of rotting logs gets hit way better than the salt blocks. You’re on the right track.
Posted on 7/17/20 at 4:12 pm to southern686
Corn feeders
Posted on 7/17/20 at 5:02 pm to southern686
Get your ph tested by the state. First thing you want to do when you get it cleared.
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