East Texas 2012 Food Plot

   / East Texas 2012 Food Plot #1  

EddieWalker

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Joined
May 26, 2003
Messages
25,141
Location
Tyler, Texas
Tractor
Several, all used and abused.
I've been doing food plots on my land every year for almost a decade now without any real success. Red Top Turnips seem to have worked the best, but the deer just seem to eat and walk on through them. My goal is to find something that they will stand there and eat, bring them out of the thick jungle and become a place to hang out. I don't know if it's possible, but that's my goal.

I'm running late this year in getting my food plot in, so that might affect my results too. I didn't fertilize or test the soil, so another thing to consider.

I also plant food plots in the spring, so that, along with all the grass that took hold over the summer had to die. I sprayed roundup last weekend, and disked Tuesday night. I'm sure glad that I have spotlights on my tractor, because with work and the shorter days, I was out there for a couple of hours in the dark.

After trying to figure out what seed to plant, and not succeeding, I decided to go with a mix this year from Walmart. I chose two different brands and planted them on either side of the plot. Mega Plot on the left, Biologic on the right. My theory is that they make a living off of this and they spend more time then I have researching what will work. If they can stay in business selling it, then I'm guessing people buy it for a reason. I also planted some rye grass seed in front of the food plot that was left over from reseeding my lawn for winter.

2012-10-24 17.11.54.jpg

Eddie
 
   / East Texas 2012 Food Plot #2  
Eddie - I can't really answer your question as I am just trying my first food plot this year. I bought a blend of seed from the local feed store that contains oats, clover, and one other plant I don't remember right now. Tore an area up with my pulverizer and planted about 2 weeks ago, and the oats are already up about 4".

The real reason I am replying to your post is to mention that TBN member "hrcarver" is in the foodplot business, and he may be a good source of info... maybe a search under his posts or a pm to him would get some good info. He lives fairly close to me and also runs a sod farm... that's how I know him. Super nice guy and very knowledgeable. Good luck!
 
   / East Texas 2012 Food Plot #3  
Eddie, good luck with your food plot. I know you have deer in the area because of all the game cam pictures you have. Definitely get a soil sample when you can. I put this off and put this off, and finally got a soil test of my three or four areas. Amazing what it showed, and how different the areas were in lime and fertlizer needs. The one thing I know, from growing up on a cattle and hay farm, and from years of food plots......lime makes the grazing more desireable to the deer. This year, after the soil test, I did not have time to get ag lime out on the areas that needed it, but did put out some Pennington Fast Acting Lime (Lowes and Home Depot, along with Coops, have it). It costs a bit but takes less and supposedly lives up to its name. The areas where I put it, along with some 13-13-13, are being grazed heavily. Now this is close to bedding areas, but I imagine your deer bedding areas are nearby as well. Here is a picture of how heavily my wheat, oats and clover are being grazed (and by the way, this is feed oats, and feed wheat, from the local feed and seed store. I have planted that for years)

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   / East Texas 2012 Food Plot
  • Thread Starter
#4  
I did a soil test a few years ago and was surprised that they said I only needed to add half a ton of lime per acre. I'm told two tons per acre is pretty common with the red clay, highly acidic soil that we have here in East Texas. It's raining right now, so it looks like the forecast was accurate and I was just in time. Of course, I should have done this a month ago!!!!

I'll look at Lowes for the fast acting lime. I never heard of it. I was thinking about spraying a liquid fertilizer on it once the plants emerge, but I'm still on the fence on the benifts of that.

I'm told that regular ag lime takes several months to be effective and really needs to be a part of the spring food plots for the best benifit of a fall food plot.

You're food plots look amazing, really nice that the deer are enjoying it too!!!

Thanks,
Eddie
 
   / East Texas 2012 Food Plot #5  
I have had the best luck splitting my food plots into 2 separate plots. I would plant half in summer plants, beans, lab-lab, millet, wheat,clover, the other half in corn ( I would leave corn standing . You could bush hog occasionally throughout the season if legal in your area.) Austrian winter peas, turnips, wheat,clover. I liked planting in ribbons so I could keep the weeds out. The last few years Have been so dry that this year I didn't spend much money or time on my food plots (except my dove field) I only planted winter wheat for the deer. Some of last years clover made it through the summer also.
 
   / East Texas 2012 Food Plot
  • Thread Starter
#6  
It's been over a month and I haven't seen a deer yet. My food plot is barely coming up and there isn't any sign of anything using it. I'm experiencing a very good acorn crop, so I'm guessing they are stickign with acorns over what I'm offering. The deer are not eating the corn either.

Eddie
 
   / East Texas 2012 Food Plot #7  
I don't think there is anything you can plant that will compete with acorns.
 
   / East Texas 2012 Food Plot
  • Thread Starter
#9  
Too funny!!!! I don't think a monster like that was ever seen in East Texas.

Eddie
 
 
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