Breaking off this subject from the brush hog and disc harrow thread since the food plots are kind of a different subject. I will be moving stuff from there over here.
The purpose of food plots it to provide nutrition to the deer and other animals. Good nutrition stimulates antler growth and helps the bucks grow big and strong. It also helps the does produce more and healthier fawns. Planting a number of food plots with different plants provides a variety to their diets which keeps them moving from plot to plot. Of course this also draws them to your property and increases your chances of seeing/getting deer. You draw in the does and the bucks will follow.
I didn't plant anything last year and didn't see many deer on the cameras or in person. Between 6 hunters we only got one doe and one small buck last year.
Hopefully that will change this year with 4 different food plots going.
The first and biggest is the field which is currently buckwheat but shortly will have forage radishes planted in it.
The second is the plot by the road with brassica which is a mixture of wild leafy veggies including turnips, radishes and a number of other wild leafy plants.
Third is the powerline planted with winter rye and crimson clover. Crimson clover grows quite high and provides forage through the winter depending on the snow depth. It dies in the spring then the other clover takes over to provide late winter, early spring forage.
Forth is a the clearing which I planted with rye, some brassica and clover. Its a small area, maybe 30 yards square intended as a "kill plot" for bow hunting.
Food Plots
Food Plots
Last edited by Mac66 on Tue Aug 29, 2023 6:40 pm, edited 3 times in total.
Re: Food Plots
The buckwheat is coming up pretty good. Just starting to blossom over the weekend.
The clearing/food plot is coming in...
Last week
This week...
Also the yard is getting there...
This past weekend
Still some bare spots but it's filling in. We've had rain every 3-4 days which helps.
The clearing/food plot is coming in...
Last week
This week...
Also the yard is getting there...
This past weekend
Still some bare spots but it's filling in. We've had rain every 3-4 days which helps.
Last edited by Mac66 on Mon Aug 28, 2023 8:46 am, edited 2 times in total.
Re: Food Plots
Was checking out the field. The buckwheat is getting pretty high.
It'll be cut down and plowed under in 2 weeks to plant radishes.
It'll be cut down and plowed under in 2 weeks to plant radishes.
Last edited by Mac66 on Mon Sep 11, 2023 5:32 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Re: Food Plots
The buck wheat field is about a foot higher than in the last pics. It is being hit pretty hard by the deer now. It will be cut down next weekend and forage radishes planted.
Radishes will have 2 foot wide leafy tops which the deer love and eventually wide foot long tubers that poke out of the ground. The deer will hit the leafy tops through October, November into December and then will start digging at the tuber tops. Eventually in the spring the rest of the tubers under ground will rot and leave holes which aerate the soil.
Radishes will have 2 foot wide leafy tops which the deer love and eventually wide foot long tubers that poke out of the ground. The deer will hit the leafy tops through October, November into December and then will start digging at the tuber tops. Eventually in the spring the rest of the tubers under ground will rot and leave holes which aerate the soil.
Re: Food Plots
Cut the buckwheat field and plowed it under today. Planted the radishes. Should be interesting to see what happens.
Doing the cut
Doing the cut
Last edited by Mac66 on Sun Sep 03, 2023 8:04 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Re: Food Plots
I planted crimson clover in the power line plot last wednesday. It's already starting to come up...teeny tiny little leaves are showing. The clover I planted in the yards about a month ago has just started to pop. Very little showing last week, but 2-3" high this week. I also planted some of the crimson in the lawn last week and it's started to show just like in the power line. I guess it's true what they say about planting clover in the spring or the fall.
Re: Food Plots
Back up at the woods house.
The clover on the power line is really showing now.
The radishes on the field are just starting to show. Just planted them last Thursday.
Have deer in the front yard(same doe and fawns) every night munching on the clover.
My riding lawn mower is screwed. Hit a rock and a log which bent both blades and jammed them into the deck causing the belt to burn up. Didnt realize the damage until I pulled the deck off to replace the belt.
Little bit dull and bent...
I banged out the deck but am going to have to replace both blades.
The mower is an early 80's Craftsman I picked up free on trash day a couple years ago. I cleaned the carb, put a new battery and spark plug, changed the air filter in it and got it running (the big three, spark, fuel and air). It burns oil but can't complain for the price. My wife is after me to get a better one but as long as I can keep this one running, I don't see the point.
We're a about 10 days away from my daughter's wedding at the house so are rushing to finish everything.
The clover on the power line is really showing now.
The radishes on the field are just starting to show. Just planted them last Thursday.
Have deer in the front yard(same doe and fawns) every night munching on the clover.
My riding lawn mower is screwed. Hit a rock and a log which bent both blades and jammed them into the deck causing the belt to burn up. Didnt realize the damage until I pulled the deck off to replace the belt.
Little bit dull and bent...
I banged out the deck but am going to have to replace both blades.
The mower is an early 80's Craftsman I picked up free on trash day a couple years ago. I cleaned the carb, put a new battery and spark plug, changed the air filter in it and got it running (the big three, spark, fuel and air). It burns oil but can't complain for the price. My wife is after me to get a better one but as long as I can keep this one running, I don't see the point.
We're a about 10 days away from my daughter's wedding at the house so are rushing to finish everything.
Last edited by Mac66 on Mon Sep 11, 2023 5:27 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Re: Food Plots
I fixed the lawn mower, replaced the blades and belt. Runs and cuts pretty good now. About $50 for the blades at Tractor supply and $15 for the belt. About twice what they cost on Amazon but what 'ya gonna do when you need to cut the grass today and can't get Amazon delivered to the woods house? 
That's more than the tractor is worth.
-The radishes are coming up in the field
Some bucks in the buckwheat in July
I think this is spike I've been seeing all over the place. I walked out to the field the other day and he was standing there
-Been seeing 7 or 8 deer in the small food plot along the road including one big spike horn.
-The clover in the powerline plot is really popping. Seeing a lot of tracks but when I checked the trail camera the batteries were dead. I know it's being hit, just can't prove it.
The upper part of the poweline is brassica, i.e, deer salad. The lower part is winter rye and clover.
View from a pop up blind at the upper end. The powerline plot is about 20/25 yards wide by 150 yards long. That's a power pole in the center of the pic out by the road at the far end.
A buck within the last couple of days in the pow err line plot shedding his velvet. Pay no attention the date, time. That's the cam that had dead batteries. I forgot to reset it when I changed the batts.
-The small clearing AKA kill plot has lots of tracks in it as well but I forgot to replace the SD card the last time I checked it so no deer pics. Duh!
Trail cameras are a PITA. It's always either the SD cards are bad or the batteries. Or I forget to reset them, or forget the SD cards, or have the settings wrong. It's enough to drive me crazy.
That's more than the tractor is worth.-The radishes are coming up in the field
Some bucks in the buckwheat in July
I think this is spike I've been seeing all over the place. I walked out to the field the other day and he was standing there
-Been seeing 7 or 8 deer in the small food plot along the road including one big spike horn.
-The clover in the powerline plot is really popping. Seeing a lot of tracks but when I checked the trail camera the batteries were dead. I know it's being hit, just can't prove it.
The upper part of the poweline is brassica, i.e, deer salad. The lower part is winter rye and clover.
View from a pop up blind at the upper end. The powerline plot is about 20/25 yards wide by 150 yards long. That's a power pole in the center of the pic out by the road at the far end.A buck within the last couple of days in the pow err line plot shedding his velvet. Pay no attention the date, time. That's the cam that had dead batteries. I forgot to reset it when I changed the batts.
-The small clearing AKA kill plot has lots of tracks in it as well but I forgot to replace the SD card the last time I checked it so no deer pics. Duh!
Trail cameras are a PITA. It's always either the SD cards are bad or the batteries. Or I forget to reset them, or forget the SD cards, or have the settings wrong. It's enough to drive me crazy.
Re: 2024 Food plot update
The clover and rye on the power line never really did much last year. Never got very high, neither did the brassica along the road. After I cut the field and planted radishes they never grew very much.
Having said that, I had planted leftover crimson clover and rye in my yard last august and it stayed small in the fall. But it came up big in may. The clover was over a foot tall and bright red. The rye was at least 3 feet tall.
I did throw out some left over clover seed in the small clearing a couple weeks ago. It was just starting to come up last week. Probably 6" tall this week when I checked it. So I guess the time to plant clover is in the spring.
So... the plan was to plant clover and rye along the road, the power line and half of the field. This weekend. The other half of the field I planted buckwheat again and will plant radishes in late July/early August First to see if it grows this year and then compare it with the clover and rye. I'm changing up the fertilizer this year as well.
The clover and rye are perennial so I shouldn't have to plant again next year.
Having said that, I had planted leftover crimson clover and rye in my yard last august and it stayed small in the fall. But it came up big in may. The clover was over a foot tall and bright red. The rye was at least 3 feet tall.
I did throw out some left over clover seed in the small clearing a couple weeks ago. It was just starting to come up last week. Probably 6" tall this week when I checked it. So I guess the time to plant clover is in the spring.
So... the plan was to plant clover and rye along the road, the power line and half of the field. This weekend. The other half of the field I planted buckwheat again and will plant radishes in late July/early August First to see if it grows this year and then compare it with the clover and rye. I'm changing up the fertilizer this year as well.
The clover and rye are perennial so I shouldn't have to plant again next year.
Re: Food Plots
I haven't seen any deer at the farm. Seen lots of signs of deer (lots of hoof prints) but haven't spotted any wandering around.