Darron

I just received my Cabelas Visa statement and found out I have $30 towards my next purchase. Since I am getting ready to buy a fall food plot seed, I decided to buy from Cabelas since I can get my seed for almost nothing. I have narrowed it down to Biologic Green Patch, Tecomate Ultra Forage or Cabela's Seclusion Blend. The area I am planting is a gasline right-a-way that runs through the North end of my families 100 acre property. I am planting an area that is about 110 yards long by about 20' wide. This plot receives filtered sunlight of about 3-5 hours a day due to tree canopy (I have cut some over hanging limbs down, but I don't know how much it really helped). If I can get something to grow in this it would make a phenominal fall/winter plot to hunt over due to its location. Out of those three, which one would you recommend? The tecomate mix and Cabelas mix both claim to grow well in deep wooded plots. Thank you for your recommendation.

I was down today and overseeded the thin spots in my clover plot. My jap millet is still growing, but has not began seeding yet. Is this normal? The seed has only been in the ground for about 35 days. On a side note, the deer sign in that plot has tripled from a week ago and the clover is now reaching about 3" tall.

If I went that route, wouldn't I be better off planting Biologic Full Draw which contains wheat, annual clovers, and brassicas?

Well..............with so many food plot mixes and blends out there, I was a little overwhelmed. After talking on here and looking at companies on-line I think I am going to go with Pennington Seed's Refuge Mix. It is a mix of brassicas, clovers, and chicory. Anybody use this refuge mix? I plan on getting it in the ground by mid August. I went on seedland.com and they had the % on their website for this mix. 50% brassicas 41% Clover 5% Chicory From these %, I'll have a good stand of brassicas for fall/winter with the clover and chicory returning in the spring for turkey season.

I'm going down tomorrow to reseed those thin strips in my plot. I found Evolved Habitats clover and chicory mix on sale at Dick's, so I will overseed with that mix to fill in the holes. It rained Sunday and it is suppose to rain tomorrow afternoon and Friday. The ground should be soft, so hopefully I get a good take.

I have a few broadleaf weeds, but I'm not going to worry about it too much. The deer have actually been nipping at the "weeds" as well as the clover. Since I have a couple thin spots I plan on coming back through here in the next week or two with a clover/chicory mix, probably try biologic since I can get it at the local store, to cover them up. I'll wait before it is suppose to rain and get it in. The thin spots are located toward the middle of the plot where it is low and tends to stay wet. I have put down several hundred pounds of lime and I recently put down a low N fertilizer on the clover (9-23-30). So hopefully this will give it a boost. I would like to put down something like 0-20-20, but I can't find it anywhere around me.

I have a seven year old english pointer that I do not have time to hunt with anymore. I would like for someone to take him and make him a good home. He does take medication, but it is very inexpensive. He is very good with kids and is a loving dog (unless you are a bird).

so.... is a brassica/clover/chicory blend not worth planting?

I plan on getting my fall food plot in around August. I've been going back and forth with what I want to plant. I have decided I want to plant some sort of brassica. That's one part out of the way. The area I am planting my fall food plot in is a great place to spring turkey hunt as well. I have a nice stand of pines next to my plot that serves as a great roosting area. I have decided I would like to plant a mix that will draw the deer onto my property during hunting season (brassicas), but at the same time have another seed in there that will benefit the turkeys come April/May. Would a brassica/clover mix be the best bet? After researching several food companies. Evolved habitat has a Prograze mix that includes brassicas, clover, and chicory. Any suggestions? I was hoping to make up my mind and buy the stuff in the next week or so and be done with it:D

Does anyone have any experience with Cabela's food plot mixes? I was browsing the web and came across these. They actually have a couple nice mixtures, one in particular sounds like a great fall plot consisting of brassicas, turnips, and chicory. They also have another one that suppose to do well in shade consisting of wheat, clover and brassica.

from what I have read, arrest will only kill grasses, not broadleafs, so you should be ok. In my case, I have several spots in my clover plot that has some broadleaf weeds. Since clover is a broadleaf as well, I'm just going to have to bight the bullet on it. I don't get uptight about having weeds in my plots, just as long as they do not take over. This is why I usually over seed to try and choke out the weeds.

I just went down and checked on my clover plot and I noticed I had a couple "thin" spots either because I didn't hit them good when broadcasting the seed or they just didn't grow. I put down some more low N fertilizer and lime today. Can I top seed these thin spots with chicory or clover with success?

Turnip and rape is an annual plant that establishes very quickley giving lots of forage with large wide leaves. Due to this, the plant should not be mowed. Deer begin to eat on the plant after the first frost.

some more pics

Below is a pic of my creek bottom food plot on the south side of our 100 acre property. The food plot consists of japanese millet for game birds (particularly turkeys) and a clover mix for deer. The food plot is 1/2 millet and 1/2 clover. I have a couple bare spots in my clover plot (you can see in the one pic. I don't know if it is because of the soil or I just didn't get any seed in that area). Can I come in August and top seed this plot with a clover to fill in the bare spots or should I just leave it? Also, this plot has been in for a little over a month (May 17) and the weeds have been kept to a minimum. Hopefully they stay that way.

Here in Ohio, the leasing bug has not caught on big yet. I am an avid waterfowl hunter and I have 20+ spots to hunt on private land and only one I lease. The only reason I lease that farm is because he hasn't let anyone hunt his farm for over 15 years and I was the first one to offer any money. Some of the spots I duck hunt on I am also allowed to deer hunt on. I own 35+ acres that butts up my uncle's 65 acres in SE Ohio, so I have 100 acres that only me, my dad, and uncle hunt on. Our farm has a great turkey and deer population. I am looking to buy another 17 acres that borders my uncle's land if the guy would ever sell it to me. I also have access to 400 acres in Adams County. The owner is a heck of a nice guy and allows anyone who asks to hunt. I don't know how many guys he lets deer hunt. Here in Ohio, you can find private property still, but when you do be ready to share it with several other guys. In my years of door knocking I have came to this conclusion. 99% of the time it is either "I'll let anyone who asks" or "no hunting at all" for various reason. Some of the private property is worse than state land:eek:

After ML season, I got a decent deal on a T/C Omega for $215. I spent an extra $100 and put a midgrade bushnell scope on it. I have been shooting a Remington Model 700 ML and have killed many deer with it. I thought I might as well own two incase pops wants to go with me sometime. For $215, I coulnd't pass it up (orginally they go for atleast $250). I went out to the range today after having it bore sighted. I used 100gr of pyrodex and T/C's 250gr shockwave bullet (yellow tipped). I was very pleased with the results. After 5 shots, I was 1" high at 50 yards. I then went over to the 100yd range and after one shot, I decided to pack it up:D Below are the pics. The first pic if the 50yd target and the second is the 100yd target. I might leave my 870 at home this year during gun season and pack the ol' smoke pole.

I use the pelletized lime and can get it for $3 a 50lb bag. I just use a regular spreader. The powder form, from what I have been told, takes a special kind of spreader.

In fact, I just got back in from our timber hole. The water is finally back to normal after the storms a week ago. I had 25 pounds of jap millet left over and I went through and broadcasted some on several mud flats next to the holes we hunt in. Hopefully the stuff will take off. They say Jap millet grows well in muddy areas, so it should take off. All I need is a light rain to soak it down in the mud.

dogdoc, I keep seeing you refer to weeds in the spring. Wouldn't you have weeds as well if you planted in the late summer (August)? Also, if you tilled the soil up right (using a tiller), wouldn't this kill some of the the weeds in your plot? I know when I tilled mine up, the tiller was churning soil 6" deep.

Yes, all hunts in Ohio on private properties.

some more

more pics

Here are a couple pics from the past year or two....

I plan on buying me a new crossbow. I have been hunting with an older Horton that has seen its better days. I would like a bow that shoot at least 300fps. I would like to keep the price at no more than $500. Any recommendations? I have looked at Horton, Parker, and X-Caliber.