Got food plots?

[Hand Skills]

Just talking about food plots in general. Not sure I understand your context here.

Thank you, I think that answers my question. I understand this to mean 'wildlife non specific', as opposed to specifically cultivating for deer.

 

[Deputy819]

Well, I posted the thread in the Deer Hunting forum. The first part of your post threw me off a little. No worries.

 

[Hand Skills]

Cheers, I have never inoculated clover. These days we typically get forages premixed. I've heard inoculation can cause complications when seeding a cocktail and thus have never tried it. When selectively seeding clovers in the past I've only dealt with small areas. Didn't seem worth the hassle to inoculate but it's really simple process and if seeding a large area I would probably run it through the seed treater.

One species I haven't seen mentioned yet is alfalfa. Growing up and hunting in the foothills it became quickly apparent how much deer (and elk) love the stuff. I hear it's tricky to grow, but may see if I can get some to take after we are a little farther along on remediation. Our next 'experimental acre' is going to be 'aimed' at pheasants. Crested Wheat, Oats, Corn, Sunflower.

 

[Deputy819]

If you want to try something new give Tropic Sunn Hemp a shot. I planted some a couple years ago and the deer loved it. What they don't eat you can cut down and plow under (before it turns fibrous) for a very good green manure. The seed I planted came from Molokai Seed Co.

 

[Phil Lee]

In central MS, we plant cowpeas and soybeans for Summer. They usually nip the beans off right after they break ground. Wheat and clover works well for winter.

 

[Hand Skills]

Interesting, thanks for the suggestion. I have a friend who produces hemp. The biomass conversion is staggering, I bet it would do really well as a green manure. We have been trying a no till approach the last couple of years, broadcasting seed and then mowing to enhance competition. The results have been slow, but surprisingly good. I should say low-till because typically we'll send hogs in first to cultivate and fix some nitrogen. I get the sense that we are a bit backwards though - hogs are the solution and deer are the problem. It's not uncommon to see a herd of 100-200 deer during the winter months. We are about 100mi north of Glasgow, MT

 

[Deputy819]

get the sense that we are a bit backwards though - hogs are the solution and deer are the problem

That was pretty funny right there...

 

[Deputy819]

Where I hunt the pigs are so bad that a food plot is out of the question.

Do farmers openly welcome the hunting of the pigs or are they so overpopulated that hunting doesnt do much to help? Wild pigs have popped up in a few counties here, but they're not too common......yet.

 

[J E Custom]

Do farmers openly welcome the hunting of the pigs or are they so overpopulated that hunting doesnt do much to help? Wild pigs have popped up in a few counties here, but they're not too common......yet.

Some farmers are capitalizing on the hogs and selling hunts cheep, Because it benefits them both ways,Others that can trust there hunters allow them to take as many as possible for no charge.

We shoot every hog we see all year long and still cant seem to control the population. Large traps seem to be the best way to manage them because you can catch 30 to 40 + at a time.

Hogs populate at an alarming rate and require intensive hunting/trapping to control them.

J E CUSTOM

 

[The Badger]

On our place in GA, we plant a mix of Sunn Hemp, Iron & Clay Cowpeas and Buckwheat that will run until late Sept. The Buckwheat and Sunn Hemp are fast growers that give the I & C peas time to establish and stand up to browsing. Fall planting will be Grain Rye, Oats, and Annual Clovers. Crimson, Arrowleaf and Red clovers. Most the clovers are already coated with innoculant.

Hogs are a problem in some years and not others, depends on rainfall. Not fully established in the area yet thankfully and seem to just wander through.

 

[Deputy819]

Walked down to take a look at my 1/4 acre soybean plot last Thursday and just as I stepped to the edge of it I noticed about half of it was completely decimated. As I looked for deer tracks along the edge a great big ole FAT !@#%!$# Groundhog stood up right in the middle of it. Of course, I had no rifle with me and he scurried away unscathed (and no doubt laughing to himself) while I stood there cursing his very existence. He has destroyed that food plot!!

 

[ATH]

Here in Indiana I use about an acre of corn. It's useless for early season, but once the thousands of acres of corn/soybeans around me are harvested I can be pretty sure there are a few deer bedded near it on the property each morning.

This year the weather somehow screwed me, I got massive seeding from the prior year's cobs and it all died due to over-crowding.

 

[otisdog]

i used a QDMA recommendation this year for summer forage. Heritage corn, rattlesnake beans, butter neck squash broadcast and covered. Corn for shelter and squash holds moisture and helps with weeds. Fall plan will be to mow strips in in and use my normal mix of wheat, arrow and red clover in the mowed strips Worked good for summer forage we will see how fall does Im in Tennessee

 

[Deputy819]

I got massive seeding from the prior year's cobs

What variety of corn did that happen with?