2013 Food Plots

This is a forum to duscuss your Food Plots and Supplemental Feeding

Moderators: GoodOyster, Cr0ck1

User avatar
sam03
Ordeal
Posts: 1235
Joined: Thu Aug 04, 2011 12:59 pm
Location: Cross Creek. Florida

2013 Food Plots

Post by sam03 » Wed Jan 16, 2013 9:21 am

Got it all hooked up this weekend but once i got it out to the plot...dam string broke. So i unhooked it and did some donuts and throw out some winter seeds and did some more donuts. Just needs some rain and it should be good to go.
Image

Image

Image
I like animals, they are tasty!

User avatar
Triple Creek Reaper
Brotherhood
Posts: 1910
Joined: Thu Jan 20, 2011 2:46 pm
Hunt or Fish: Equally Both
Location: Black Hammock

Re: 2013 Food Plots

Post by Triple Creek Reaper » Wed Jan 16, 2013 3:09 pm

I have a couple of questions for you guys that have put in plots or replanted them before. I am thinking about offering a guy a turkey membership if he will do the tractor work on our new lease. We have 6 existing plots that are overgrown, most are in the 1/2 acre size but we have a couple that are +1 acre. When I say they are overgrown, it appears they had been let go of for atleast 12 months. The grass and weeds are chest high, animals have been bedding down in them and rooting leaving some pretty uneven terrain. What would be the proper way to go about turning these around.

Should you mow then spray before discing it in or can it all be done in one session?
How long should the plot sit before planting?
Can the existing plant material, once tilled under act as fertilizer?
What type of maintenance would need to be done between spring and fall planting?

This will be my 1st go around with being responsible for the food plots and I want to make sure we are getting a fair value in trade. I do not want to make they guy make any more trips than necessary as he will be trailering the tractor over 2 hours to get there.
3rd Tine Lucky Hunt Club
Bradford County, FL & Port Washington, OH
EST 2013

User avatar
Iluv2hunt
Third Beader
Posts: 12508
Joined: Thu Nov 06, 2008 6:12 am
Hunt or Fish: Equally Both
Location: Lutz

Re: 2013 Food Plots

Post by Iluv2hunt » Wed Jan 16, 2013 4:57 pm

Triple Creek Reaper wrote:I have a couple of questions for you guys that have put in plots or replanted them before. I am thinking about offering a guy a turkey membership if he will do the tractor work on our new lease. We have 6 existing plots that are overgrown, most are in the 1/2 acre size but we have a couple that are +1 acre. When I say they are overgrown, it appears they had been let go of for atleast 12 months. The grass and weeds are chest high, animals have been bedding down in them and rooting leaving some pretty uneven terrain. What would be the proper way to go about turning these around.

Should you mow then spray before discing it in or can it all be done in one session?
I think that's going to depend on the size of his tractor and disc. If it's big enough, and the brush is not too thick it is possible to do it all in one pass. If it's too bad, then a mowing/spraying may be needed before disking. The goal is to get to bare dirt
How long should the plot sit before planting?
Depends on if you need to add fertilizer and/or lime. Once you get bare dirt I would recommend adding lime/fert (as needed) ASAP. Gives it time to balance out. You don't want to plant spring plots till all the fear of frost is over with, usually Mid March depending on area
Can the existing plant material, once tilled under act as fertilizer?
Absolutely. same as a garden
What type of maintenance would need to be done between spring and fall planting?
If the plots are done well, and you get to bare dirt the first time...little needs to be done. If everything worked well the first time, all you should need to is disc under the spring plot and plant the fall plot. It should turn under very easily

This will be my 1st go around with being responsible for the food plots and I want to make sure we are getting a fair value in trade. I do not want to make they guy make any more trips than necessary as he will be trailering the tractor over 2 hours to get there.
If they were planted you think maybe the season before, then a good tractor and disc should be able to plow it all under. Where you get into trouble is if there is sucker trees growing in it. I watched a tractor plow a standing corn field one year in GA, and when he was done you couldn't tell corn was standing there an hour before. let him be the judge
I don't hunt turkeys because I want to, I hunt them because I have to. ~Colonel Tom Kelly

User avatar
treefarmer
Ordeal
Posts: 1399
Joined: Wed Feb 09, 2011 3:37 pm
Location: LA(lower Alabama) Fl. panhandle

Re: 2013 Food Plots

Post by treefarmer » Wed Jan 16, 2013 5:56 pm

Triple Creek Reaper,
I'll 2nd Iluv2hunt's comments, if you only have a years growth in a previously prepared plot a good cutting disk should bury most of the junk. Bush-hogging 1st would also help as it is easier to bury smaller pieces.

The ideal would be cut a fire line around the plots and burn them, then disk, bottom plow and disk again to provide a proper seed bed. Lime or dolomite is a plus as most of our Florida soils are sour (acid). If you go with the lime/dolomite do it after you burn as fire will destroy some of it's effectiveness. Regular agricultural lime also takes several months to do any good so it should be applied as soon as possible. Liming allows fertlizer to be utilized more effectivley but you can get by without it.

Chemicals/herbicides are sometimes tricky and do more damage than good as far as a food plot is concerned. Lots of the junk plants, weeds, etc. that come up will also be used by the deer for feed.
Treefarmer

User avatar
Bossman
Senior Patrol Leader
Posts: 1507
Joined: Fri Aug 31, 2012 11:46 am
Hunt or Fish: Equally Both
Location: Fl.

Re: 2013 Food Plots

Post by Bossman » Wed Jan 16, 2013 7:17 pm

One thing also if it is mowed first (which is the best thing to do) it need be left for about 3 weeks so it will dry out and have a chance to start the rot process.

:saluting
Bossman

User avatar
Triple Creek Reaper
Brotherhood
Posts: 1910
Joined: Thu Jan 20, 2011 2:46 pm
Hunt or Fish: Equally Both
Location: Black Hammock

Re: 2013 Food Plots

Post by Triple Creek Reaper » Thu Jan 17, 2013 2:01 pm

Iluv2hunt wrote:
Triple Creek Reaper wrote:I have a couple of questions for you guys that have put in plots or replanted them before. I am thinking about offering a guy a turkey membership if he will do the tractor work on our new lease. We have 6 existing plots that are overgrown, most are in the 1/2 acre size but we have a couple that are +1 acre. When I say they are overgrown, it appears they had been let go of for atleast 12 months. The grass and weeds are chest high, animals have been bedding down in them and rooting leaving some pretty uneven terrain. What would be the proper way to go about turning these around.

Should you mow then spray before discing it in or can it all be done in one session?
I think that's going to depend on the size of his tractor and disc. If it's big enough, and the brush is not too thick it is possible to do it all in one pass. If it's too bad, then a mowing/spraying may be needed before disking. The goal is to get to bare dirt
How long should the plot sit before planting?
Depends on if you need to add fertilizer and/or lime. Once you get bare dirt I would recommend adding lime/fert (as needed) ASAP. Gives it time to balance out. You don't want to plant spring plots till all the fear of frost is over with, usually Mid March depending on area
Can the existing plant material, once tilled under act as fertilizer?
Absolutely. same as a garden
What type of maintenance would need to be done between spring and fall planting?
If the plots are done well, and you get to bare dirt the first time...little needs to be done. If everything worked well the first time, all you should need to is disc under the spring plot and plant the fall plot. It should turn under very easily

This will be my 1st go around with being responsible for the food plots and I want to make sure we are getting a fair value in trade. I do not want to make they guy make any more trips than necessary as he will be trailering the tractor over 2 hours to get there.
If they were planted you think maybe the season before, then a good tractor and disc should be able to plow it all under. Where you get into trouble is if there is sucker trees growing in it. I watched a tractor plow a standing corn field one year in GA, and when he was done you couldn't tell corn was standing there an hour before. let him be the judge

It sounds like I am on the right track then. We traded a few messages this morning and he has 50hp and 65hp tractors with 7' to 10' implements. We are going to talk this evening and try and put the plan into motion.
3rd Tine Lucky Hunt Club
Bradford County, FL & Port Washington, OH
EST 2013

User avatar
sam03
Ordeal
Posts: 1235
Joined: Thu Aug 04, 2011 12:59 pm
Location: Cross Creek. Florida

Re: 2013 Food Plots

Post by sam03 » Mon Jan 28, 2013 11:10 am

I'm not sure how long the winter peas will last but they came up pretty good for the method and attention they got. The hogs haven't found them yet but the deer are pooring out and spending time pulling the whole seedling out and eating them.

Image
I like animals, they are tasty!

User avatar
Iluv2hunt
Third Beader
Posts: 12508
Joined: Thu Nov 06, 2008 6:12 am
Hunt or Fish: Equally Both
Location: Lutz

Re: 2013 Food Plots

Post by Iluv2hunt » Mon Jan 28, 2013 12:45 pm

Sweet man. This warm weather has me itching to get my plots done. I know as soon as I do it will come a hard frost. I tilled all 4 of ours and worked in 250lbs of fertilizer over the 4 plots. In Feb when I go up I will probably need to spray 3 of them with round-up. I will probably plant around the end of turkey season
I don't hunt turkeys because I want to, I hunt them because I have to. ~Colonel Tom Kelly

User avatar
davedirt
Ordeal
Posts: 1391
Joined: Tue Jul 07, 2009 7:52 pm
Hunt or Fish: Equally Both
Location: springhill Fl

Re: 2013 Food Plots

Post by davedirt » Mon Jan 28, 2013 2:36 pm

10 10 10 ?????????
STAY HUNGRY MY FRIENDS
DUG IN TIGHTER THAN ALABAMA TICK

ROLL TIDE

Last year I was a hunter and not a harvester........

User avatar
Iluv2hunt
Third Beader
Posts: 12508
Joined: Thu Nov 06, 2008 6:12 am
Hunt or Fish: Equally Both
Location: Lutz

Re: 2013 Food Plots

Post by Iluv2hunt » Mon Jan 28, 2013 2:42 pm

davedirt wrote:10 10 10 ?????????
Yeah
And I got one bag of 13-13-13 to specifically fertilize a stand of oaks by one of my stands
I don't hunt turkeys because I want to, I hunt them because I have to. ~Colonel Tom Kelly

User avatar
sam03
Ordeal
Posts: 1235
Joined: Thu Aug 04, 2011 12:59 pm
Location: Cross Creek. Florida

Re: 2013 Food Plots

Post by sam03 » Mon Feb 11, 2013 8:20 am

Went to GA Friday night to pick up a set of king kutter discs.
Image

Saturday we disced in turnips on my my buddy plot.
Image
Image

Sunday we disced up a couple of my plots and put out some clover on one of them. I need to get some 10-10-10 on it this week so it has a chance to grow. The deer at all the peas i put out last month...

If anyone is thinking abt buying a set of discs do it. They work great i wish i had bought a set last year.
I like animals, they are tasty!

User avatar
Iluv2hunt
Third Beader
Posts: 12508
Joined: Thu Nov 06, 2008 6:12 am
Hunt or Fish: Equally Both
Location: Lutz

Re: 2013 Food Plots

Post by Iluv2hunt » Mon Feb 11, 2013 9:22 am

Exact same discs I bought a month ago. I love them. I did have to add a couple concrete blocks to mine. But I was breaking ground, not just retilling established plots
I don't hunt turkeys because I want to, I hunt them because I have to. ~Colonel Tom Kelly

User avatar
sam03
Ordeal
Posts: 1235
Joined: Thu Aug 04, 2011 12:59 pm
Location: Cross Creek. Florida

Re: 2013 Food Plots

Post by sam03 » Mon Feb 11, 2013 3:11 pm

We added 80lbs on Saturday when we were cleaning a new plot, it made short work of 4' bushes and palms. We are going to go back over it a in a couple weeks once its dead
I like animals, they are tasty!

User avatar
sam03
Ordeal
Posts: 1235
Joined: Thu Aug 04, 2011 12:59 pm
Location: Cross Creek. Florida

Re: 2013 Food Plots

Post by sam03 » Mon Feb 18, 2013 8:37 am

We out yesterday to put out some fertilizer to try and keep the deer out and give the clover some time to grow. The plots was completely turned up but the deer. Last weekend after we disced and planted it we compacted it with our 4 wheelers. There were only a couple spots where you could still see tread marks in the plot. I'm putting out a camera tonight hopefully i will get some pictures and it will not walk off.

Image

Image
I like animals, they are tasty!

User avatar
Iluv2hunt
Third Beader
Posts: 12508
Joined: Thu Nov 06, 2008 6:12 am
Hunt or Fish: Equally Both
Location: Lutz

Re: 2013 Food Plots

Post by Iluv2hunt » Mon Feb 18, 2013 10:25 am

Give a bag of Milorganite a try. You can either do a band around the edge of the plot, or broadcast spread the whole thing. It works and will last till you get substantial rain. It's made from human waste
I don't hunt turkeys because I want to, I hunt them because I have to. ~Colonel Tom Kelly

Post Reply

Return to “FOODPLOTS - SUPPLEMENTAL FEEDING”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 4 guests