From forest to food plot, suggestions?

[Tororider]

Kbiddle,
I had thought about that originally, and now may have to rethink that as a good option again. I may just have to decide on a date that we work through and then stop at that point and seed, waiting til next year to get it to where we really want it.

It is easy to have blinders on when you are in the middle of a project. Thanks for the reminder that the solution that you are currently working on isn't always the only solution.

I will keep updating on how the project goes, and hopefully some deer that we are able to harvest from this project.

 

[EddieWalker]

If you decide to spread some seed, I'd only do one side of it. This way, while the seed is germinating, you can continue to work on it while the weather is nice.

Do you have a hunting blind or shooting position planned out? I made this mistake on my first food plot. I found an area that I saw allot of tracks and some small bucks. I cleaned it up, planted it and let it sit until deer season. Then when it came time to hunt it, I didn't have a good place to sit where I could see it without being too close, or where I'd scare off the animals!!!!

I also had just one way to get there, and if the wind was wrong, my scent went there long before I got there. hahaha

My current food plot was supposed to be ready for this years season, but it's not even close. Too many distractions got in the way, so now I'm hoping for it to be ready to disk and plant this spring. Hopefully.

One thing about new food supplies is that it might take awhile for the animals to find it and even longer for them to eat it. When you don't want them to eat your plants, they will, but when you want it to happen, it seems to take forever. My best food plot was a total bust the first year, but the second year, I had several small bucks on it almost every morning.

Keep us posted, it's a fun project and I'm looking forward to hearing how it all turns out for you.

Eddie

 

[Tororider]

Eddie,
We do have a couple stands there already that will still be in good positions and will allow us to adjust based on the wind. I may just throw down some clover this year and really finish it the way I want next year.

Once we get a little bit closer I will try to take some pictures from a tree stand view to let you know what we are looking at Eddie.

While clearing the past couple days, my dad and I have run into what we are pretty sure is poison ivy. Fortunately my family has no known allergies and so far that includes poison ivy as well. I will try to take some pictures and get opinions as to whether it is really poison ivy or a look alike. Either way, I have been making sure that I wear long pants and longsleeve shirt, along with gloves. I know that I will be more careful now as well as washing off good when done.

 

[frwinks]

couple of buddies of mine, got together one weekend and set up a couple of food plots around our property. They used the whitetail institute secret spot product.. all I did was backdragged the bucket to get the grass off and expose dirt, in less than three weeks, we had a great plot and lot's of action. The season here starts in less than a month....

 

[Tororider]

frwinks,
I would have done that, but the place we are making the plot is/was a part of our forest, so we have to clear everything out first. Should be pretty cool when we get it done, and it is going to have a better view than I thought with the pond/swamp right next to it. I will try to take more pics next time I go out, I forgot the camera last time. The seed I got is TECOMATE MONSTER MIX WHITETAIL WILDLIFE FOOD PLOT .5 AC off ebay. The description is as follows.
ｷ Tecomate Monster Mix Attracts & grows more & bigger bucks!

ｷ Unmatched Year Round Nutrition & Attraction!

ｷ Great for fall or spring planting

ｷ Perennial mixture! Provides 3 5 years of whitetail food plot!

ｷ Pre Inoculated for improved nitrogen fixation!

ｷ 4lbs. Plants up to ｽ Acre!

ｷ Perennial Legumes & Chicory


Now I need to get/make some bat boxes. The mosquitos down by the swamp are ridiculous! Anybody have any plans for some easy bat boxes?

 

[john_bud]

You will need lime and probably a lot. A guess would be 2-3 ton per acre. Buy a soil test kit and check it out.

jb

 

[kbiddle]

Tororider,
One other thing you may want to coinsider I am not sure if they have many in Michigan but would think so. If you take the list of whats in the Teco., or Biologic mix to the Co-Op or local seed store... most will do a custome blend for a fraction of the price as one of the name brands. I thought this was BS when I had heard it before... well it's true and to be honest the quality of the seed atleast for me, seems to be way better. I dont recall how big your plots are or going to be I have about 10 +/- AC and Biologic etc starts to add up quick. The other thing is it is typically a known good brand of whatever it is specific for your area.
Good Luck...

 

[EddieWalker]

I've heard this too, but don't know first hand. One thing that I found with the name brand, pre-mixed food plot seed mixes is how much rye grass seed they put in there as filler. Before you buy, be sure you know what you're getting. If the deer love rye grass, then it's allot cheaper to buy a sack of plain rye grass. Here, they ignore it.

I've been told that lab-lab and peas are the two main things that bring them in and keep them there. One guy who I talked to does this for a living all over Texas. He said Austrian Peas are the very best, but other types of peas work good too.

Eddie

 

[Tororider]

Kbiddle and Eddie,
Great suggestion! My uncle actually said the exact same thing last week when he was in from WI. I just need to find a local place and then glean every bit of info I can from them. Plus it will give me a lot more ability to customize the seasonal food that I plant. I am hoping that the plot will bring in deer as well as turkeys and other birds. Hoping to get out there this afternoon.

 

[Tororider]

Well, after making a few phone calls, I have found a seed mill not too far from here that will custom mix seed. I think I will wait until it is raining or sometime during the day when I can pack up the boys and go on a seed buying field trip.

Any suggestions for midwest seed, or Michigan specific. I am looking for perrenial as I would rather avoid having to replant year after year.

 

[Tororider]

By the way,
I got a price on a Wallenstein 700 series backhoe that can dig 7' deep. Price with tax included, subframe, and a 12" bucket is $5376. We have to install.

I was told that prices for next year are going to rise, not only because of the price of steel, but because the dollar isn't doing so well with regards to the candadian dollar eh?

Any thoughts on whether this is a good deal, and what kind of projects I can do with it to justify the purchase???

 

[john_bud]

I have the local feed mill custom mix for me. Also use some of thier mixes. Nice thing is that the plants are KNOWN to do well in the area. Also, you can get some of the more exotic stuff cheap at Wally mart at the end of fall. Usually 50% off.

I would QUICKLY plant a mix of clovers. 30% medium red, 20% White Dutch, 30% Alsike and 20% yellow blossom sweet clover. Add a 50# bag of 0-0-60 and 2000# of lime to a 1/2 acre plot. You'll need about 10# of seed if you are broadcasting it. Not a real efficent way, but cheap and easy.

If you want add 1/2# of rape, 1/2# canola and 1# of chicory to the clover mix. Spread that well mixed with the clover. Make sure the clover is inoculated!!!

If it were August 15th, I would tell you to add buckwheat, field peas, oats, wheat to the mix. The buckwheat will come up and be 3" tall in about a week. Amazing stuff and the deer love it. But, it dies at the first frost. That is bad if you are planting now, but great for a layered food plot. The Buckwheat comes up first, grows fast and protects the struggling clovers, peas, wheat and such under it. Then the first frost kills it, exposes the stuff under it and they take off and grow into late fall/early winter.

You will have weeds no matter what you do, so plan on spraying (2,4-DB --MUST BE "DB"!! -- for broad leaf weeds and sethoxydim for grasses). Clovers need to be cut 3-4 times to knock the annual weeds out.

jb

 

[Tororider]

JB,
Thanks for the advice. It was suggeste to me to add some blue stem grass. Any thoughts on that?

 

[Tororider]

OK, we were able to get out there for a about 5 hours tonight. Got a bunch more chipping done and then decided we were beat so no time like the present to start stump busting.

The stumps actually came out easier than I thought they would. We were able to get a bunch pulled out and it was nice to see the ground actually cleared off. There are still the small stumps from the 1-2" trees, but not too bad I don't think.

Let me know if you think these are poison ivy.

 

[john_bud]

JB,
Thanks for the advice. It was suggeste to me to add some blue stem grass. Any thoughts on that?

There are two blue stems, little and big. They are native prairie grasses that grow quite tall and have very deep root systems for excellent drought resistance. The don't really have any special place in food plots for deer. However, they (or switch grass) can be used to create cover and travel corridors from woods into fields and to "hide" food plots from prying eyes.

This is a plot seeded about August 11th. It was probably very similar to your area. Except with logging residue, stumps and rock rocks rocks. The Top one shows the length and the next shows the feeding done to it. The area looks mowed with everything a uniform 3-4" tall. If you look close you can see the wide tall stuff. That is wheat. They love it. The thin tall stems are what is left of the buckwheat. About 99% of it was eaten down to just a stem. They more than love it. BUT, first frost and it's dead dead dead. The saw tooth edged leaves are canola, there are some smooth edged leave that are chicory, hidden in there are some field peas and under it all are small clovers. A mix of medium red, white dutch and alsike. Come spring, there will be no trace of buckwheat, wheat or canola, but the chicory and clover will be doing well.

This photo is a similar plot in an area with much less browse pressure. It was planted 10 days after the top ones. The buckwheat is 12-16" tall. Under the buckwheat is canola. That area will be tilled in spring so it is just annuals.

This is a plot in my back yard. Medium red clover and yellow blossom sweet clover, chicory in leaf and in flower (blue) and alphafa. Seems to be doing well....

 

[Tororider]

Got all the stumps out that we are going to this year out last night. Now we need to boxblade, disc, and plant.
Hoping to be done by early next week.

I will try to post pictures later today

 

[Tororider]

Here are some pictures from our most recent work. Have all the stumps out that we are going to for this year, need to clean it up with a brush hog/box blade and then disc and seed.

Eddie, you had asked about tree stands. The last couple pics are from one of the tree stands, you have to look through the brush in one of them, we will cut it down here quickly, and then we will move one more so that we can choose where we sit depending on wind.

 

[TC29-dude]

Here is a pix of my food plot...as you can see the drought got to it big time.
We have re-seeded with turnips for this fall...

Once deeer season is over and I get a trail cut to the plot that will allow my tractor to
get to it you will see some big time improvement to this plot.

 

[Tororider]

TC29-Dude,
Nice pictures. I have to get my trailcamera back out. Last fall I had a couple nice bucks, I think I posted those earlier, and a bunch of does and year and a half olds. I am hoping to draw in some turkeys next year. The neighbor said he saw some this spring. Where are you located and did you use any seed, or just feeders?

 

[Tororider]

My dad is going to pick up a brush hog and boxblade this evening so we can star the next phase. Both International Machinery I believe. I won't be around this weekend, so
I am hoping he takes some pics for me to post.