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Food Plot Advice Needed

jboswell

jboswell

Member
I have 400 acres that I bow hunt on a regular basis. I am planting food plots per the land owners wishes for the most part but I have a 2.5 acre plot that I can do what I want with.

The 400 acres is approximately divided up as follows:

80ac Timber
200ac CRP / Weeds
big bluestem / switchgrass buffer strips along the ditches
30ac field corn (rented out to adjoining farmer)
20ac milo food plots (2 10ac plots)
20ac Canna Maize food plots (2 10ac plots)
70ac various native grasses

So.... my question is, What should I plant in my little 2.5ac slice of this farm to maximize my chances of killing a mature buck? The plot I can plant runs along the major creek in the farm and the location is very near a good funnel area that I have killed several nice deer at before. The plot is within 30yd of water and within 300yd of a main bedding area.
 
Seems from a quick glance you've got the grain side of the food plot covered, how about adding some green like clover, rye, peas, radishes, etc? When do you plan on hunting these plots and what are your future intentions with them?
 
LoessHillsArcher said:
Seems from a quick glance you've got the grain side of the food plot covered, how about adding some green like clover, rye, peas, radishes, etc? When do you plan on hunting these plots and what are your future intentions with them?
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I hunt this farm lightly in early October and ramp up my pressure on it in late October (last weekend) usually I hunt a week and a half straight centered around the second week in November and then hit it on the weekends for the remainder of the bow season. I have roughly 12 stands on it with approximately 40 trees cleared out for my portables (hang and hunt type sits to account for pattern changes)

I dont hunt the milo plots at all and usually only hunt the corn in late season (December and into January)

I was thinking clover would be best but, from what I have read it would be best to frost seed it next spring to limit the weed pressure. Maybe the rye, peas, radishes would be best this year and seed the clover next spring.

In a perfect world this plot would be getting hammered by the does during pre rut and I could setup for a big boy checking them out from the strip of timber that skirts the plot.
 
Just plant some clover now, and re-seed it next spring if the weeds get outta control. :way:
 
jboswell said:
I was thinking clover would be best but, from what I have read it would be best to frost seed it next spring to limit the weed pressure. Maybe the rye, peas, radishes would be best this year and seed the clover next spring.
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Seeding a white clover field in August is probably Dbltree's most recommended way to do it! Really helps control the weed issues in the plots. He also has a red clover, rye, oats, and pea mix he says deer love and that could be worth a try!

If you want the field to be clover I'd say seed it this fall and you can plan on having a nice clover field for 3-5 years :way:
 
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If it were me, I'd do .5 acres in Alice clover and 2 acres in Purple Top Turnips or Ground Hog Radishes or both. You probably won't need more than the .5 acres of clover anyways and Turnips/Radishes are one amazing ticket in Nov.
 
Sligh1 said:
If it were me, I'd do .5 acres in Alice clover and 2 acres in Purple Top Turnips or Ground Hog Radishes or both. You probably won't need more than the .5 acres of clover anyways and Turnips/Radishes are one amazing ticket in Nov.
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That sounds like a good idea, split the plot up a bit. I will do some research on the turnips and radishes.
 
LoessHillsArcher said:
Here is a good source for info on turnips/radishes :grin: and clover!

http://www.outreachoutdoors.com/foodplots/
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Wow... so after much reading on that site I think I have decided on splitting the plot in half.

One Half -- Seed In Mid/Late July

3#/ac – Purple Top Turnips
2#/ac – Dwarf Essex Rape
5#/ac – Groundhog Radishes

Other Half -- Seed In Mid/Late August

8#/ac – Alice White Clover
50#/ac – Buck Forage Oats
50#/ac – Winter Rye

It looks like the seed will cost me $67+shipping from Welter. Don't know what the 200lbs of Urea and 400# of 6-24-24 for the turnips/radishes and 300lbs of 6-28-28 for the clover/rye/oats will cost me yet.

What do you guys think? Sound good?
 
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