Game Food Plots

[lakngulf]

What is everyone up to with new food plots this year? Any new ideas to nourish the game......I mean your table. I have a couple of new spots I have prepared for greenfields this year. Hope to plant a variety of items, especially put purple top turnip greens all to themselves so they do not get choked out by rye and wheat.

Last May I planted chufa in some areas that were previously deer food plots. The plants grew well, among the other grass and weeds. I ran bush hog over the top of the plants to get rid of some of the taller grass. Will be interesting to see how this works for turkey. The chufa plants are very healthy.

Anyway, what is the progress on your food plots?

 

[mooseracing]

Anyway, what is the progress on your food plots?

Still waiting to find a cheap 2 or 4 row planter :laughing:


In the meantime the animals visit my garden for extra nutrients.

 

[sweettractors]

Still waiting to find a cheap 2 or 4 row planter :laughing:


In the meantime the animals visit my garden for extra nutrients.

How about a used John Deere 2 row 71 Flex planter for $795 + modest shipping? Ken Sweet

 

[rustedduck]

Planted my fall plot about 3 weeks ago. Purple top turnips & winfred brassica.
Checked it last sunday, the turnips were up a few inchs, no brassica as yet.
Water, or lack of, as been an issue. But tropical storm hermine should have
solved that problem.

 

[clemsonfor]

How about a used John Deere 2 row 71 Flex planter for $795 + modest shipping? Ken Sweet

He said Cheap!!

This may be cheap if your a farmer but to us guys for deer that is crazy money! I see them for sale all the time for $250 for 1 row and see doubles for $600 all the time.

 

[sweettractors]

He said Cheap!!

This may be cheap if your a farmer but to us guys for deer that is crazy money! I see them for sale all the time for $250 for 1 row and see doubles for $600 all the time.

Most All of our customers are food plot guys and are working off a limited budget. When you see something at a sale or on Craigslist, You have to bring them home and start to rebuild them. We do that here, so you don't have to. You get basically what you pay for. Ken Sweet

 

[Ford tractor]

Lime, Mow, rototill, broadcast, rain, rain rain rain rain rain rain rain rain rain

Then it rained some more and some more on top of that. Averaged 2 1/2 inch a week from early June through the end of August.

The weeds and native grasses loved it, but not the clover, brassica, turnips, or buckwheat. Really p's me o as those seeds cost an arm and a leg.

Ken Sweet has a point on buying cheap and (having to) work on the equipment for a while. The extra cost may be well worth it for many. I got a cheap 7' pull type double disk this spring. Gave it a total dissasembly, a hose down with the sand blaster, prime, paint, new wood bearings, 5 new disks and all new bolts etc. It works great on turned soil, but not so good on un-turned. Needs more weight. For me, the time I got -- the money not so much. It's a good thing too, as I spent 20-30 hours diddling around with it.

 

[MarkV]

Then it rained some more and some more on top of that. Averaged 2 1/2 inch a week from early June through the end of August.

Wish we had had some of that. We started good last Spring and then someone turned off the tap. Haven't really had any good rain in over a month. Where are you at?

MarkV

 

[Ford tractor]

In the big Wisconsin woods.

 

[backdoor]

I planted 2 acres of cereal rye on Labor Day weekend. Also rolled in 15 lbs of rape seed on the patch, along with 600 lbs 10-10-10 fertilizer. My lime was okay. I'm waiting for rain, too. I have an 8 x 8 cabin built there for my blind. I have windows all around, heat, and a table and chairs. I plant a 1/2 acre pea patch there each spring for canning and freezing, and usually something different each year in the remainder of the plot for the wildlife. We have so many deer in this area that the rye doesn't get but a few inches tall before it gets eaten down. Makes for fun hunting.

 

[Storm56]

I am waiting for some rain! Praying for rain! Doing RAIN dances! We have not had a drop in 3 weeks and it is DRY. Top 12 inches of dirt is just powder.

I have about 4 acres ready to plant with wheat and clover, just waiting for some moisture.

 

[sweettractors]

Really dry here in central Ky also. Ken Sweet

 

[kebo]

Really dry here in central Ky also. Ken Sweet

Yep, it's gotten dry here in SC too. My hunt club has a work day Saturday, the plan is to put out some wheat, rye, clover, and some other stuff. If it doesn't rain soon, then it might be a waste of seed and time.

 

[klrobert]

Like many others on here, I am just waiting for some rain. I have the plots plowed, just waiting for seed, but they can't grow in the dry powder we have now. I am planning on planting some alpha-rack plus from whitetail institute if we get some rain. I keep watching the weather and hoping the rain will come before it's too late to plant.

 

[Redbug]

Hey Ken...That is not a bad price for a 71. How hard would it be to modify it to also add a fertilizer hopper to one, also. Is there an add on kit, (or whatever), to add hoppers? Sorry for getting off subject...

 

[lakngulf]

Everything is "on subject" here. The idea is to hear any idea, and the seeder is something to consider. I think in my land I would still have to bushhog and disc a bit to allow a seeder to do its job.

It has been dry in central Alabama as well, just a few showers here and there. A few weeks ago it rained quite a bit, and I was able to run the disc over the areas I want to plant. The grass and weeds I cut before should wilt in this dry weather. After (if) we get a rain I will disc again and plant rye, wheat, and not sure what else, other than the turnip greens. Got some work to do next weekend---fencing an area for a new food plot, repairing a shooting house, clearing roads, and preparing that "back in the woods, out of the way" food plot.

 

[jbooth]

He said Cheap!!

This may be cheap if your a farmer but to us guys for deer that is crazy money! I see them for sale all the time for $250 for 1 row and see doubles for $600 all the time.

I believe the price on the 71 planter to be about right. Not cheap, but about what those planters bring. You may find better deals but those deals are few and far between. Buying equipment is like buying oats. If you are satisfied with the oats that has already been through the horse, then that oats will be cheaper.

I would be interested in one of those $250 ones if it is not so far away that the freight would eat me up. Needs to be JD 71 for 2.5 square tool bar.

 

[Alpocat]

Pretty dry at our property in Middle GA. However, we planted three small plots of Forage Oats last Friday and Saturday. A cool front moved through the state and we had about 1 to 1-1/2" of rain. We've never tried Forage Oats so I guess we'll see.

 

[Bascom]

Dry as well for my place in the Georgia piedmont. Definitely need some moisture!
Burned off my plots a week ago. Looking to turn the soil and plant over the next two weekends.

Will be using wheat, oats and rye only in two plots (2x 1+ acres). Killed off a bunch of carolina horsenettle in these plots this summer with Grazon PD. The residual is likely too much for any broadleafs to grow this fall.

My third plot (1+ acre) will get a light dose of wheat/oats/rye along with a clover mix, chicory and some radishes. I tested this mix last year and had excellent results. Full on planting this year and looking to have the clover and chicory as perennials for the next several seasons.

 

[Dr_Zinj]

NH has a thing about baiting so you have to do enough to be considered as attempting to raise a crop, even if for self consumption or experimental purposes.

Working on about a half acre back in the woods for just alfalfa clover for the deer. Basically just rototil, broadcast, and sit back and watch it come up.

Been eyeing a 2 acre bog/marsh on the back of the property where the hard pan runs from 6 inches to 5 feet below the surface. Like to turn it into a wild rice paddie or two and I remember the South Koreans running tractors with some kind of paddle-like extensions on their wheels for traction. Of course I saw a lot of 2 wheeled tractors used with rototillers there too.