Food plot for 2 grandsons

[treefarmer]

Several months back we started working on a special food plot for our grandsons. Hunting from the elevated stand at the main food plot seems a little bit overwhelming to the boys, shots out to 175 yards a possibility but not the ideal when you are 11 and 12 years old.

The grandsons helped me build a 4X6 shooting house on skids, back in April. Still need to finish it up, widows and a door. We will drag it to the plot with a tractor and slide it back against the edge of an old farm pond.

The plot is "L" shaped, each leg is about 70 yards long surrounded by very thick woods, no need for an elevated stand. This plot hasn't been planted for several years. I bush hogged it, disked it and the bottom plowed it. Then the rains came and it lay there sprouting weeds which is a good thing. As it dried out I was able to disk it several times over a period of a couple of weeks, each times destroying a fresh crop of weeds. This little plot is full of coffee weed seeds for some reason.

I bought a bag of Iron & Clay peas and put them out with the old antique grain drill, got a pretty good stand. These will grow and feed the deer till about mid October when we will disk them in and plant a cold weather crop, oats, rye or wheat. Probably will be Wren's Abruzzi Rye as I've had good success with it over the years. The rye grain a little more cold hardy than oats.

Will try to up date every week or so the progress of this plot.
A few pictures to show what is started.
Treefarmer

[Triple Creek Reaper]

Looking good, every time we put down peas they never get a chance to get that tall. Perhaps we need a bigger plot, the deer start on them right away.

[9dawgs]

That looks great! I know those boys are excited! Good job grandpa :>)

[treefarmer]

A little update on the Iron & Clay peas, they are growing, the deer are browsing but not hammering the peas.
The peas haven't bloomed yet. We'll plow them in sometime in early October and then plant a cool season crop.
Been draggin' around and haven't completed the boys shootin' house, need to get it in the woods so Bambi will not have a problem with it come Thanksgiving Day.
Treefarmer

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[Triple Creek Reaper]

Plot is looking good. You still have some time to get the shooting house completed.

[9dawgs]

Man, that's looking great Treefarmer! That should draw something in for the boys to shoot. I'd enlist their help in building that shooting house. My five year old grandson went to work with his dad the other day demoing a warehouse and he worked circles around the older folks. Just gave him a shovel and a broom and man he went to town!

Good to see you up and about brother. I was wondering where you got off to. Figured you'd be sittin' on the porch with a big ol glass of iced tea in this heat.

[treefarmer]

Almost have the boy's shooting house completed. Been at it long enough, accordin' to my wife. It's sitting just outside the back door and needs to be put in place so Bambi can get used to it by Thanksgiving Day!
It's 4X6 and will accommodate 2 old office chairs, giving a ring side seat to a little "L" shaped food plot that is now in Iron & Clay peas but will be planted to a cool season crop in October.
Treefarmer

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[treefarmer]

We finally got the boy's shootin' house in position. It's almost time to mow the Iron & Clay peas and prepare a seedbed for the cool weather planting. Don't really know what would be best in this little plot. Might be good to plant Rye grain or oats and over seed with some clover. The clover wouldn't be a draw till next season but at least it would be planted at the right time. Tried planting some white Ladino in the spring and it didn't do much.
Treefarmer

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[jtcmedic]

Awesome job, nice place to sit.

[Cr0ck1]

That looks awesome. I so need to lease some property.

2 years past and no lease yet. No wonder why im allways stressed!!!

[9dawgs]

Nice job! Going to be some great memories made there I'm sure.

[treefarmer]

Time for some progress reports on the Grandson's food plot.
Something we forget quite often is how important soil ph is to the utilization of the high dollar fertilizer we spread on the plots. I ordered a "buggy" full of Dolomite to be delivered last Saturday. There were 9520 pounds of Dolomite in the buggy, gross weight was 22860 pounds according to the ticket. The farm supply delivered it to our farm, I hooked to it with the old MF175 and proceeded to spread the dolomite on the garden plots. Then I went to the woods and did the boys little plot and the larger plot that we've reported on for several seasons. Miss Joy took a few pictures in the yard but didn't go to the woods.

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Treefarmer

[treefarmer]

This morning I bush hogged the Iron and Clay peas in preparation for disking the food plot.

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Treefarmer

[treefarmer]

Later this morning I double cut the food plot with the disk. I'll let it sit for a week and hit it again and the next step will be to plant a cool weather crop that Bambi will enjoy.

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Treefarmer

[treefarmer]

Well folks, the weather is not cooperating. Rain is not forecast, the ground has too little moisture for good germination of seed and it is crunch time for have something green growing by Thanksgiving weekend in Zone D. Wouldn't be a big deal if the grandsons didn't live on the other side of Atlanta.
Put out 400 pounds to the acre of 13-13-13 yesterday afternoon. (It is staggering to realize the 14-50# bags (700 lbs) I bought yesterday, cost the same as over two tons (4000 lbs) of fertilizer back 25 years ago!) I'm going to buy some cheap seed oats and double the rate on the little plot to see if we can get a stand by Thanksgiving. Up until a week ago the heat was a factor now it is a moisture problem. The big plot can be planted after it rains without ill effects.
Y'all have any suggestions for sweetin' up the shelled corn in the feeder or any additives that might help for the grandsons' hunt? The woods are full of acorns and peanuts are still being dug so there is a lot of competition with a special little food plot!
Miss Joy got a picture when I was loadin' the spreader.
Treefarmer

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