From forest to food plot, suggestions?

[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.