Screening food plots with switch

[dreambig@84]

Whats everyone's thoughts on the need to screen food plots with switchgrass?
I'm limited by 3 acres of food and wondering if just simply edge feathering or double girdling trees inside of woods would be enough to create the desired thickness to hold mature deer and does?

If I screened with switch it would considerably eat into my food plot space.

Thoughts?

 

[Oct-Lull]

Whats everyone's thoughts on the need to screen food plots with switchgrass?
I'm limited by 3 acres of food and wondering if just simply edge feathering or double girdling trees inside of woods would be enough to create the desired thickness to hold mature deer and does?

If I screened with switch it would considerably eat into my food plot space.

Thoughts?

What is your goal? Screening for access?

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[dreambig@84]

What is your goal? Screening for access?

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Access and keeping bucks from seeing into plot and forcing them to enter plots and hold does

 

[Oct-Lull]

Access and keeping bucks from seeing into plot and forcing them to enter plots and hold does

In similar size plots I have either used a taller food source on the with a half acre greens then set a scrape tree in a desirable spot. Works great but it can't be to confining. They need multiple ways in and out. I have also used that same layout with beans and greens relying on the scrape tree to get the bucks in range and that has also worked well

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[dreambig@84]

Access and keeping bucks from seeing into plot and forcing them to enter plots and hold does

In similar size plots I have either used a taller food source on the with a half acre greens then set a scrape tree in a desirable spot. Works great but it can't be to confining. They need multiple ways in and out. I have also used that same layout with beans and greens relying on the scrape tree to get the bucks in range and that has also worked well

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Were you meaning to say you use taller food on outside like grain sorghum? Then the heart of food in the insde?

 

[Oct-Lull]

Were you meaning to say you use taller food on outside like grain sorghum? Then the heart of food in the insde?

Here is a picture of how it was set up the year it was the best setup. Outer was corn, inner was brassicas with a scrape tree. Ended up needing to cut a few more paths in and out to make the bucks comfortable with cruising to the scrape tree. Used it all hours of the day and night

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[dreambig@84]

You think that would work with 3 acres in central iowa?

 

[Oct-Lull]

You think that would work with 3 acres in central iowa?

I am in NE Iowa and have used it on several farms here and a couple others i set up farther south. This year the side away from the woods will be 24' sorghum band, then the bulk soybeans with a small green plot.to draw them closer. The outer strip is more for access than anything. I have another large plot but that one i may try alternating strips of sorghum and soybeans with a green plot on the end where the strips meet

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[Bassattackr]

I had this exact scenario, as my wooded edge was too "open" to see into the field. Hunter access, limited buck use in food plot both factors I wanted to improve.

- Year 1: I established switchgrass on a 15 yard buffer along the hard edge along the woods.

- Year 2: Edge feathered. Dropped trees along the edge into the switchgrass. By the end of this year (2024) I had a nice stand of second year switch (4'-5' tall), growing up through the tangled mess of cover of the tree tops.

As a bonus, this creates some great small game habitat. You also end up funneling deer into the openings you prefer as they walk around the tree tops.

 

[dreambig@84]

I had this exact scenario, as my wooded edge was too "open" to see into the field. Hunter access, limited buck use in food plot both factors I wanted to improve.

- Year 1: I established switchgrass on a 15 yard buffer along the hard edge along the woods.

- Year 2: Edge feathered. Dropped trees along the edge to drop into the switchgrass. By the end of this year (2024) I had a nice stand of second year switch (4'-5' tall), growing up through the tangled mess of cover of the tree tops.

As a bonus, this creates some great small game habitat. You also end up funneling deer into the openings you prefer as they walk around the tree tops.

What do you do when you need to burn the switch or don't you burn and just let it go?

 

[Bassattackr]

What do you do when you need to burn the switch or don't you burn and just let it go?

Have a few options.. but likely going to wait for a couple years to evaluate. Trees are going to be more broken down and it may lose some of it’s structure.

I also didn’t do any weed control so I have dirty switch. Ragweed, Goldenrod, Foxtail etc mixed in. I’m not super worried about the stand suffocating itself.

Depending on how broken down the trees are, I may disc up the area tight to the woods to create a fire break and burn the section away from it toward the field. Could move a few in the way with the grapple on the FEL.

(Keep in mind, you’re only dropping a few to create structure, funnels. You still want the switch to see sunlight).

Or just run the disc through the area in a few places to break up and reset the early successional habitat.

Pic from last winter after year 1. Need to get a recent pic. The growth response is impressive.

 

[IowaBowHunter1983]

I had this exact scenario, as my wooded edge was too "open" to see into the field. Hunter access, limited buck use in food plot both factors I wanted to improve.

- Year 1: I established switchgrass on a 15 yard buffer along the hard edge along the woods.

- Year 2: Edge feathered. Dropped trees along the edge into the switchgrass. By the end of this year (2024) I had a nice stand of second year switch (4'-5' tall), growing up through the tangled mess of cover of the tree tops.

As a bonus, this creates some great small game habitat. You also end up funneling deer into the openings you prefer as they walk around the tree tops.

Yes! Perfect.

 

[dreambig@84]

Have a few options.. but likely going to wait for a couple years to evaluate. Trees are going to be more broken down and it may lose some of it’s structure.

I also didn’t do any weed control so I have dirty switch. Ragweed, Goldenrod, Foxtail etc mixed in. I’m not super worried about the stand suffocating itself.

Depending on how broken down the trees are, I may disc up the area tight to the woods to create a fire break and burn the section away from it toward the field. Could move a few in the way with the grapple on the FEL.

(Keep in mind, you’re only dropping a few to create structure, funnels. You still want the switch to see sunlight).

Or just run the disc through the area in a few places to break up and reset the early successional habitat.

Pic from last winter after year 1. Need to get a recent pic. The growth response is impressive.

@bassthank you very much. I'll give that a shot I appreciate it

 

[Snail3496]

Speaking of switch, what is the difference between RC BR and new (i think) RC Sundance?

 

[Bassattackr]

Speaking of switch, what is the difference between RC BR and new (i think) RC Sundance?

RC Sundance is a cross between Sunburst and Cave n Rock. Might be well suited for those in upper Iowa. Supposed to be extremely tall, similar to RC BR..

I would bet however, that RC Big Rock is still a lot quicker out of the ground.. Still better for early summer plantings. But I've never tried..

The biggest difference seems to be maturity between the two varieties:

- RC Sundance: Maturity approximately 10 days earlier than Cave-in-Rock.

- RC Big Rock: Maturity approximately 9 days later than Cave-in-Rock.

As you get farther north, I'd be more concerned about the best standability between the varieties in late season (heavier snows, etc).