New North Georgia food plot

[HawkinsHollow]

So this is my first food plot. I cleared this land in the spring and have been slowly using my Branson 3015R to clean it up and get it ready. I plan on spreading lime in the next week or so. My plan is to have it ready to pant Durana clover by first week in September. I will also plant some annuals in this plot as well, thinking turnips and/or radishes. I will keep you updated on the progress.

 

[Thomas]

Looking good. :thumbsup:

 

[morris lipham]

So this is my first food plot. I cleared this land in the spring and have been slowly using my Branson 3015R to clean it up and get it ready. I plan on spreading lime in the next week or so. My plan is to have it ready to pant Durana clover by first week in September. I will also plant some annuals in this plot as well, thinking turnips and/or radishes. I will keep you updated on the progress.
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You might want to consider a good mix. I have tried just about everything you can think of in the past 20 years, Buck Busters mix out of Louisiana is the best all around in my opinion. It has clover, rape, winter peas,oats, wheat ,rye,Thats all I can think of right now. Go to their website and find a dealer near you, and see what all is in it. It has 3-4 different types of clover. It grows well in places without a lot of sunlight, which I see you don't have a lot of. I tried turnips and radishes with little success. Also very economical compared to other brands. Be sure to put up an exclusion cage to see how well they browse it, deer love it. By the end of the season here it will be growing out of the top of cage, mowed down everywhere else. It also has chickory in it.

 

[HawkinsHollow]

It's coming along nicely. Spread about 1000 lbs of lime, a mix off pellets and that barn grip stuff they have at TSC. Then after a few good rains ran the box blade through it with the rippers all the way down to break up the dirt and get some of the roots out. As you can see in my first picture there was still tons of woody debris from my bobcat bushhoggin'. I bought a landscape rake and took out every other tine and it did a great job of taking care of that problem(see attached picture). In hindsight I would have done this BEFORE I spread lime as the landscape rake did move some dirt. No big deal though as I am about to spread another 700lbs of lime this week. I decided to go with Whitetail Institute clover and some chickory added to the mix. I will keep the updates coming.

 

[HawkinsHollow]

So it has been insanely hot and dry here in the southeast. It is awfully hard to plat a winter food plot when it is hot and dry so I had to take matters into my own hands. I have a creek running just a few feet from my plot so I thought I would irrigate. Bought a HF irrigation pump and intake hose and set up some sprinklers.

The sprinklers can reach about 70 percent of the food plot. I figure it is a good start. Planted whitetail institute clover and chickory. I hope it works!!

 

[nyone]

I also planted imerial clover for the first time this year. My pot is alot smaller and shaded. It was a slow to start but really taking hold now. The deer have found it but isnt bringing in moster bucks.

I didnt do a soil test or water it. My property was logged and i basicly planted this clover to keep the sticker bushes from taking over.

 

[HawkinsHollow]

It's working!!! Been irrigating every day, got a little help from mother nature Friday night in the form of a nice little rain shower.





Looks like 1 more week of record heat and drought and then it's taking a turn for the better. Can't wait!!

 

[HawkinsHollow]

MY WORK IS DONE HERE! Planted this plot September 21st in the middle of a pretty hardcore drought/record heat situation. Clover, chickory and a strip of brassicas down the middle (Rapeseed, turnips and kale). The middle of the plot is doing great because I irrigated almost every day from the creek right next to the plot. The rest of it has now sprouted due to the recent rains and cooler weather. The forecast looks great for continued survival/thriving. I have been spreading corn this whole time to keep the pressure off the new sprouts and bring deer into the area. Now that I am done irrigating I have set up a bucket feeder with a timer on it to dispense about 1/2 pound of corn 2x/day to keep them interested and hopefully keep the grazing pressure down a bit. My plan is to let this area rest until I hunt it in a month or so. The camera has been showing a couple doe/fawn familes and a couple random does w/o fawns. Only one buck. I have a Spypoint Micro cellular camera in there to continue taking pics. This is my first food plot and I am excited to see where it is going to take me. I will continue to update.

 

[lakngulf]

Good job on the food plot. Water is Life! Good Luck. Hope the Spypoint sends a picture that gets your blood boiling

 

[HawkinsHollow]

Good job on the food plot. Water is Life! Good Luck. Hope the Spypoint sends a picture that gets your blood boiling

THANK YOU SIR!! You must be good luck because this feller came over the airwaves last night.

 

[lakngulf]

THANK YOU SIR!! You must be good luck because this feller came over the airwaves last night.
View attachment 625028

THAT'S THE TICKET!!

 

[hunt4570]

Things are looking good and nice deer! So how is it all doing now? Any fresh pics?

 

[HawkinsHollow]

Things are looking good and nice deer! So how is it all doing now? Any fresh pics?

Hi thanks for asking, the plot is gorgeous. I need to get the bush hog down there and mow it very soon.

View attachment 654517

The plan was to rip up where I put the brassicas and plant some cowpeas, but got too busy with other projects. Overall it was a success. Harvested 2 deer and a coyote out of there last spring.

 

[3gunr]

Food plots have become addicting to me ,This yr it will be about 6 acres worth. My implement list keeps growingevery yr also. Up to at least a dozen so far. Cant wait till fall, i am putting in some buckwheat some time in may, first time for that.

 

[hunt4570]

Food plots have become addicting to me ,This yr it will be about 6 acres worth. My implement list keeps growingevery yr also. Up to at least a dozen so far. Cant wait till fall, i am putting in some buckwheat some time in may, first time for that.

I'm the opposite, food plots are losing interest for me! My soil is pretty much beach sand and nothing grows worth a darn! Buckwheat did pretty well though. I planted some ladino, white and crimson clover late last fall and it is doing pretty well, we will see how it survives the summer..