Compartmentalization of food plots????

[StucknAz]

My big Ohio food plan was shot down by family so back to the drawing board. I have 6 acres of plantable in my main plot which I planted corn and greens in this year for year one, also put in a good 25 fruit trees and have more coming.

Anyone have any luck with breaking up plots into smaller sections that are screened with switch in the 1/10 to 3/10 acre size- lapratt style? I’ve been following Higgins stuff on WMA and this completely goes against his approach.

Adding mocks to each section, breaking up sight lines and since in Ohio have a couple gravity feeders on opposing sides.

Curious if anyone has had success using this approach. Anyone have any aerials of what’s worked on a piece of tillable in the 5 to 6 acre range?.

 

[StucknAz]

For reference yellow would be switch, purple are established fruit trees. Larger chunk of switch in upper pic is on knob and approximately 1.5 acre block to assist with possible knob bedding.

 

[StucknAz]

Stand/blind locations will be on outer edges of plots with solid access leaving interior sections completely to the deer.

How would you guys reccomend me attack this? I’m absolutely open to criticism if this is insane!

 

[Sligh1]

I haven’t done that but sure doesn’t mean it won’t work!! Looks awesome!!!
If every plot has a grain, clover area, brassica area & rye mix area….. u r so far ahead of the game it’s crazy. I use a lot of corn as it acts as a screen as well & I have a lot of plots surrounded with natives.

I’d say try above…. It’s wild!!!! But I sure don’t see a thing wrong with it if u are willing to put in the effort & then adjust based on results. Go for it!!! U r a mad scientist and I like it!

 

[StucknAz]

I haven’t done that but sure doesn’t mean it won’t work!! Looks awesome!!!
If every plot has a grain, clover area, brassica area & rye mix area….. u r so far ahead of the game it’s crazy. I use a lot of corn as it acts as a screen as well & I have a lot of plots surrounded with natives.

I’d say try above…. It’s wild!!!! But I sure don’t see a thing wrong with it if u are willing to put in the effort & then adjust based on results. Go for it!!! U r a mad scientist and I like it!

Thanks for the insight. After messing with this I changed it up again but same general concept, just made single larger blocks instead of two and I'll compartmentalize them with EW for now for ease of planting. Perhaps all the broken up food will allow for an additional doe group to call home.

Idea is to have "time waster" not allowing them to see through the entire plot forcing them to check sections. Equip each section with a mock. Add water in a couple spots.

I'm torn between the "big" food plots vs smaller broken up ones. The smaller allows for better screening from road, that's main reason behind the idea. Have to see what the cams say and go from there.

What would you think about adding edge by means of long line of pear trees along the water drainage running length of field, will deer treat this as an edge to move on?

 

[Bassattackr]

You may consider something more basic, and easier to work with. IE - Just a center strip of switch down the length of the center, to push deer into the plots on either side, up tighter to your stands.

Fixes the visibility, adds to daylight use and pushes deer closer to stands on either side. Otherwise, that much micromanagement is going to be a huge time commitment to plant each year. Our main field is right at 6 acres. Personally I don't think micro plots hold value over a larger field, as long as they don't hesitate to use in daylight..

Good luck!

 

[Snail3496]

You may consider something more basic, and easier to work with. IE - Just a center strip of switch down the length of the center, to push deer into the plots on either side, up tighter to your stands.

Fixes the visibility, adds to daylight use and pushes deer closer to stands on either side. Otherwise, that much micromanagement is going to be a huge time commitment to plant each year. Our main field is right at 6 acres. Personally I don't think micro plots hold value over a larger field, as long as they don't hesitate to use in daylight..

Good luck!

Bingo^^

 

[StucknAz]

You may consider something more basic, and easier to work with. IE - Just a center strip of switch down the length of the center, to push deer into the plots on either side, up tighter to your stands.

Fixes the visibility, adds to daylight use and pushes deer closer to stands on either side. Otherwise, that much micromanagement is going to be a huge time commitment to plant each year. Our main field is right at 6 acres. Personally I don't think micro plots hold value over a larger field, as long as they don't hesitate to use in daylight..

Good luck!

Thanks! Daylight movement was somewhat limited this year after Oct 20. We have an old highway on the open face side of field just beyond the ponds and field has no hard edge other than ponds to block view and a sloppy neighbor who controls bedding. I’ll be dropping a few trees strategically close to the food as well as a few pockets back in the woods to try and help that issue. Switch project was to add a larger pocket on elevated knob and compartmentalize food to encourage day time movement and possible bedding on the elevation.

I agree, I’ve made it a little less complicated and will add switch lines to break up the view. These are final two ideas.

 

[Snail3496]

If deer not bedding on you is your hurdle, then strips and screens and broken up plots most likely wont change that. Thickening your timber or one larger continuous switch field adjacent to your thickened timber most likely would though.

Depending on the roads elevation relative to your ponds/field, from my experience miscanthus will do a much better job giving you a total privacy wall from the road. Just something to consider.

 

[Bassattackr]

If deer not bedding on you is your hurdle, then strips and screens and broken up plots most likely wont change that. Thickening your timber or one larger continuous switch field adjacent to your thickened timber most likely would though.

This. Spot on..

Also, if you add a switch planting on those high points and hillsides. Be prepared for deer to bed there when winds are leeward, overlooking below..

IE - Watching you as you enter your stands.

 

[StucknAz]

If deer not bedding on you is your hurdle, then strips and screens and broken up plots most likely wont change that. Thickening your timber or one larger continuous switch field adjacent to your thickened timber most likely would though.

Depending on the roads elevation relative to your ponds/field, from my experience miscanthus will do a much better job giving you a total privacy wall from the road. Just something to consider.

My family is keeping me pretty grounded with these projects but a couple small bedroom sized cuts on strategic sites will be done. If SG is 7 to 8 foot tall wouldn’t deer have issues seeing down into plots? I like the idea of miscanthus planting, any recommendations for where to buy other than real world?

 

[Snail3496]

If SG is 7 to 8 foot tall wouldn’t deer have issues seeing down into plots? I like the idea of miscanthus planting, any recommendations for where to buy other than real world?

Rarely is it solid, can't see a thing through it up to 7/8ft. Maybe to 4 or 5. There will inevitably be thin spots in it too. Simply put, they will see you sooner or later if that's all you got.

Maple River Farms in MI has good miscanthus, but if you are buying any decent volume I'd find a real world dealer near you and combine demand from some guys in the area. Will get a small bulk discount and save a boat load on shipping if you're getting several thousand. That works best from my experience. All of the places are basically the same price anymore.

 

[SB3]

I tried this approach and while you can offer a buffet and cover, it just got to be too much. I'm 3.5 hours from the farm, to be changing out chemicals, fertilizer etc. on long weekends I couldn't keep up with it. Something to think about. I settled in on larger alfalfa plots and corn/bean rotation with occasional WW / brassicas where summer plots fail.