FULLRUT409 Posted February 8, 2011 Report Share Posted February 8, 2011 Me and my buddy are planning on putting a food plot on the farm thats about 2-3 acres. Wonderin if anyone knows what would be best to plant. Im trying to get a plot that will benefit the deer herd year round.... Looked into BioLogic.... not really sure whether or not that is the answer looking to keep them bug bucks off the neighbors a lil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PotashRLS Posted February 9, 2011 Report Share Posted February 9, 2011 You may want to try half in a perennial legume like clover/alfalfa and the other half in a high protein brassica for fall attraction/nutrition. We use Whitetail Institute products like Imperial Whitetail Clover and AlfaRack for perennials and WinterGreens, PureAttraction and No-Plow for the annual brassica mixes. The legumes will provide warm season nutrition and the brassicas will provide high protein for the fall/winter months. Turkeys will also be in those plots, especially the clovers. You can also provide a couple mineral sites between the plots and bedding areas pending it is legal in your area. View some examples at this link http://s636.photobucket.com/albums/uu82/PotashRLS/Food%20Plots%202009/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhunt Posted February 9, 2011 Report Share Posted February 9, 2011 For a perennial I would go with a mix of clovers and chickory. Beneficial to many animals. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FULLRUT409 Posted February 9, 2011 Author Report Share Posted February 9, 2011 thanks guys.....looking into that imperial clover for in the woods that were gunna clear a spot for....think that would work well or just stick to the fields? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FULLRUT409 Posted February 9, 2011 Author Report Share Posted February 9, 2011 those plots in the pictures look really nice....i would love if they turned out like that!!! how successful were those plots during ur season? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhunt Posted February 9, 2011 Report Share Posted February 9, 2011 Our clover plots are somewhat "small field" plots that border woods. I have planted annual clovers mixed with rye in small wooded plots with decent results, you will want a shade tolerant clover for those wooded plots. My favorite clover mixes are from hamann farms and pennington. Have used biologic's clover mix and it is just ok, not personally a fan of biologics stuff after my experience with their full draw. Have not tried imperial's stuff but have heard good things about them. We used to get a lot of deer in our clover plots, especially in the afternoons well into our season, was not uncommon to see a dozen or more deer come in to feed in the plots, but herd numbers have taken huge hits here with liberal doe limits and we just don't have the deer around like we used to have. The 2009 season I killed the buck in my avatar cutting across the plot in the pictures below. Some pics of our 1 acre grower plot at different stages, most from the spring. Youth hunt produced for my oldest daughter over clover plots back to back years, here is a clip from the 2008 youth hunt http://s103.photobucket.com/albums/m149/wtnhunt/?action=view¤t=2008youthhuntcutversion.mp4&mediafilter=videos. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PotashRLS Posted February 11, 2011 Report Share Posted February 11, 2011 those plots in the pictures look really nice....i would love if they turned out like that!!! how successful were those plots during ur season? As with any food plot, human intrusion/hunting pressure dictates their usage. Summer patterns have them using any time of the day. Fall patterns have most utilization at last light and during the night. When managing deer, you must also manage people. Knowing what your neighbors are doing is also beneficial. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogdoc Posted February 12, 2011 Report Share Posted February 12, 2011 Dividing up your plots into perennial and annual is the way to go. Just remember though that perennial plots require a lot of upkeep. Preperation is very important in making sure you get a clean plot. Spring planted perennial (clover), without proper preperation, will get infested with weeds and the young clover has a hard time competing. I like to start the prep work in the spring by either planting a round up ready plant such as soybeans--this enables me to spray the plot through the late spring and summer so that when I plant the clover in the fall the weeds will be eliminated. Then in the spring the clover will have much less competition and have a good root foundation since they were planted in the spring. Eagle Soybeans IMO are the best warm season annual. Just make sure you plant several acres because the deer will eat them up in a hurry. For the fall I love a mixture of Brassicas, cereal grains such as wheat, and winter peas. Stays green throughout the winter and draws deer all winter. Plots that are cleared deep in the woods usually have a very acidic pH. So you might want to get a soil sample and determine how much lime needs to be added to the soil for optimum plot production! good luck todd Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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