In 2015, I plan on putting the plot back to soybeans. In Mid August, I am going to put the northern 2 acres (circle like area with 8714 in it) to Winfred Brassica, regardless of what the beans look like. If the beans are decimated again to the South of the "8714" area, I plan on making that portion that to into 2 separate fields of approximately 2 acres each: 1/2 Winfred Brassica (east side) and 1/2 forage radishes/purple top turnip mixture (west side).
I have a 1/2 acre white clover plot close to the North boundry in the pitch point by the river. I also have a 2 acre plot just South of the pond that I put in rye or wheat in August. Lastly, below the "4258" number on the page, I have a 3/4 acre Durana clover plot.
My ultimate goal is to have something left in the food plot come late hunting season. I do not hunt near the main plot, but do hunt at the pitch points to the NE and South of the main plot. Approximately 6 acres of trees in the NE corner of the property (to the right of 2321 number) is a sanctuary which I never enter except to retrieve a deer, but haven't been in it for over 2 years.
Any suggestions.
That, overall is a blessing, as he only has 2 archery and 2 rifle hunters on it during the year, and it is basically a large sanctuary.
It also is problematic as the deer pile in on my plots...until the plots are all gone, then the numbers go almost to nothing. Great early hunting, not so good later. Hence, that is the situation I am trying rectify.
That, overall is a blessing, as he only has 2 archery and 2 rifle hunters on it during the year, and it is basically a large sanctuary.
It also is problematic as the deer pile in on my plots...until the plots are all gone, then the numbers go almost to nothing. Great early hunting, not so good later. Hence, that is the situation I am trying rectify.
If the latter, I would highly suggest looking into putting up an electric plot fence. You will have to grow enough beans that they can't eat them all, or you have to keep them out of them until they can mature.
I have been using the electric fence system for 6-7 years & am a total believer in it. If you have standing soybeans during late season, you will have tons of deer.
You can also broadcast oats/wheat/rye into the beans in late August/ early Sept. & if you get some rain they will grow decently after the bean canopy drops.
I would not able to monitor/repair the fence daily for the time it takes deer to become acclimated to what an electric fence is/does. That is the main reason I haven't done it.
I know farmers/ranchers in the area put up their electric fence a few weeks before they expect to actually put cattle in the stalks. This allows the deer to become accustom to it. The tape I would use is more visible than the wire farmers use and I guess, I could have the fence up in March/April so the deer become accustom the fence.
My property has a slightly larger than 2 acre triangle shaped plot that I try to plant corn and beans on every year. Typically, I will make 2 passes with a 4 row corn planter, then skip 2, then plant 2 etc... then I will come back and plant the in-fill with soy beans. Then, the following year beans go where corn was and corn over the old beans.
Some years the weather is hard on the beans or the deer hit it pretty hard and by the time August rolls around we'll work up whatever has been browsed out, fertilize and drill in a brassicas blend over it. All summer the deer forage the beans but the corn is reasonably untouched until hunting season. Also, even in the food plots the corn produces at least 2x the bushels/ac of feed. Most years, we'll still have corn left all the way into December. If the brassicas does well the deer will be in that into January/February - well after the season ends which is great for sheds too.
Other years, we have planted the whole field into beans, then planted the corn in strips right over the top of the beans too. The beans will grow well in the understory of the corn if you get good rain. We'll still replant the beans with brassicas in any browsed out areas.
Another benefit of this, is that the deer often use this plot earlier in the day. I think the corn provides enough cover that they are willing to come out earlier. Its not uncommon to see deer milling in and out of the corn rows at any time of the day during the hunting season.
Eventually, I am going to try it anyway. I just purchased a John Deere 494A 4 row planter that I am refurbishing for fun, if indeed that can be considered fun.
I have planted an acre of milo with great growing results, but the deer ate every head within, literally, 3 days when the seed reached a "milky" stage sometime in late July or early August. I was left with great stalks for pheasants, but nothing else.
Thanks for the comments.
Your biggest maintenance issue will be keeping the weeds mowed under the fence so it doesn't ground out & lose it's snap. One thing that I have started doing is planting durana or other ladino clover in strips directly under where my fences are & mow them occasionally. The clover doesn't get too high & provides another food source as well.
Obviously your deer densities are high enough that you are going to have a hard time getting the row crops to reach maturity. I would highly recommend giving the plot fence system a try at least on a portion of one of your plots. You won't be disappointed!
Good luck with the 494A too! 38'' rows? I may have some planter plates I could possibly hook you up with if needed too.
As early as i could i'd plan, a spring greens mix i had great success with and it builds up the soil, scavenges nutrients and gives deer high quality forage. There is spring triticale, swiss chard, radish, winfred brassica and a multi graze/high sugar brassica.
Then august 1 i'd come back in with a 4 bean mix that contains two types forage beans, lablab and cowpeas. This mix will mature in 45-60 days. Huge protein package and flexibility on all soil types. I'd underseed at that time triticale or barley to help set up your plots for 2016, adding green manure.....
This program is what helped me score once again on a 150 class buck in my test plots...
I believe in asking about 10 questions and then coming up with a recommended formula based on the answers provided to me. Mixes are great but if people are looking to tilt the table in your favor, people should buy seed that targets these factors:
Has this plot ever been planted before? What equipment do you have? Have you pulled a soil test yet? If a soil test was done, what was the results? What was the previous crop grown if there was? What type of weeds and amount of weed pressure is there? What is your deer density per mile in the area? What is the soil type? What area of the country are you in? When do you want to plant your plot?
1)I have planted this plot to soybeans (spring) and then winter wheat or rye (fall)of each year. 2) I have 45 horse front wheel assist tractor, 10 foot Van Brundt drill 7 inches between rows, 12 and 8 ft. disk, 6 foot wood bearing roller/packer that also has two 3 foot roller/packer wings I can attached, 250 gallon 3 points sprayer w/10 wings, 570 4 wheeler, 4 wheeler sprayer, 80 lb. capacity broadcast fertilizer/seeder "cone shaped" spreader for 4 wheeler, manual hand seed spreader for clover and small plots. 3) I have a soil test done every year in the spring and fertilize what the local COOP advises 4.) PH around 6.5, usually I need potash/sulfer. Most of the time I am putting on something called "MAP" 5) See number 1 answer. 6) Not much for weeds in spring. First spray of Roundup cleans it well. Field has some spotty weed problem after tearing up beans in Fall, wheat/Rye can get "grassy" and I have a few spots of Yellow Nutsedge and sandburs. 7) Complete guess here, I would say 30 plus deer per mile. 8)Northern 5 acres is coded: 8414 - Boel loam Class IIIw, lower 2 acres is Inavale loamy fine sand Class IVe. 9) I usually plant the beans June 1st to 15th, fall plantings are August 10 through 20th.
So many crop agronomists are n-p and k guys and don't consider soil salts. I also tend to focus less on nitrogen and more on sulfur and potassium. I want explosive growth, as weeds are a huge challenge for many food plotters. I want to feed the forages and not the weeds. Also, too many areas of the US are sulfur deficient due to the clean up of the power plants.
I posted a couple weeks ago how much n-p-k is removed yearly by various food plot forages. It's not just about today and this year but looking ahead and what your hoping to plant next year.
I love coming in with a fall grains or fall grains and brassica combination after a forage bean/bean blend crop. I want to capture the nitrogen and then get the ground covered to keep weeds at bay in the fall and early spring. I also want fresh, fast growing forages early spring for getting those deer built back up.
I like splitting plots into : 1/3 clover/legumes 1/3 forage beans or annual legume crops 1/3 into brassicas
I like to have a winter grain growing in the spring then turn down that green manure and then coming back in with forage beans or a spring greens mix, or a 4 bean blend, I then come back in with overseeding of brassicas, a blend of berseem clover and radish or fall seed your perennial legume mix.
On the perennial legume plots, i like to work on those annually by frost seeding, overseeding or interseeding.
On the brassicas, if seeding in June, i'd use a multi graze/high sugar brassica blend. If fall seeded, then you could use multigraze brassicas or a mix of winfred, turnips, hunter, forage turnip and another mid maturity brassica.
I do love canamaize for a corn source if needed. The 4-5 foot tall corn works well to hunt in and the ear height, means less stalks laying on the ground.
