Help for a first timer

[gundog870]

I am going to be planting my first food plot this year and really need helpp on what to plant.

Little Backround: the whole timber is about 130 yards wide and maybe 350-400 yards longe, and is surrounded by beans on one side and corn on the other. There are oaks all throughout this and they produce a good crop. this timber is about 1/2 mile through open corn field to the river and about 700 yards from a big chain of timber. So it is like a giant food plot but it is kinda in the middle of nowhere but the bucks love it.

what I want to plant is a "L" right in the middle. like 20 yardes wide and 60 yards long.

I need this to be a good forage in october and maybe early nov, because after the rut the deer dont come up there and I dont hunt it.

I dont have any equipment, but the L was cleared out this fall by a skidloader and if really prepared quite well.

So what Seed should I use? I was also thinking off putting in a small water source at the end off the food plot, I have an old garden pond liner.

PS: also needs to do well in the shade, as it wont get a lot of light. soil is great, and should recieve ample water I hope....

Also would like to be able to plant it fairly early since the reason I have had so much luck here is because I have started staying out of here as much as possible.

Thanks

Nick

 

[dbltree]

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also needs to do well in the shade, as it wont get a lot of light. soil is great, and should recieve ample water I hope....


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I would suggest any combination of white clovers, they do best in shadier logging roads or lanes.

Check thru the thread on clover for seed sources and planting info.

 

[gundog870]

has anyone had any succes with like shot plot or hot spot, anything?

 

[dbltree]

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has anyone had any succes with like shot plot or hot spot, anything?

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Shot Plot is a blend of brassica seed which doesn't grow well in shade or dry areas.

You can learn more about them in this thread: Brassicas

One complaint about Shot Plot is that the % of different types of seeds can vary widely.

In most cases the average person doesn't know whats in the bag or that they are often paying $4.00 a lb for $1.50 seed....otherwise in open areas with good soil moisture, it will do fine.

Hot Spot is a blend of buckwheat and winter peas niether of which I would reccomend for the spot your refering to.

In a small area in most cases deer would eat both to the ground before they got a few inches high.

Buckwheat is not a fall foodplot as it will die at the first wiff of a frost and be flat on the ground.

Peas are an excellent fall food plot but they are delicacies for deer and unless you have very few deer and/or plant a very large area...they'll never reach 3" high

If your question is referring to an open area type food plot, then brassicas alone are a great fall food plot.

Austrian Winter peas are better off planted with a fall cereal grain like rye or mixed with a light seeding of brassicas.

They aren't that expensive if you know where to purchase them minus the fancy labeling.

Austrian Winter Peas

You can learn more about planting AWP's and rye here:

Cereal Grains