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Post by dblungem on Jan 30, 2014 21:05:07 GMT -6
Ok, who plants food plots and what are you planting? I'm looking to make some changes for next hear and just trying to plan ahead. I've had clover in for a few years and it does ok, but to look I to something else. I haven't had any luck with turnips at all - deer. My deer barely touch em. I'm looking to provide supplemental feed and funnel deer to the plot...not necessarily hunt over the it. I thought about soy beans and planting them late (so they are up when the fields are out). Any suggestions?
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Post by 5milecreek on Feb 3, 2014 7:18:12 GMT -6
I have some ideas I will share with you. Looks like I am gonna have a snow day tomorrow and won't be able to leave the house. I will be mapping all of my spring and fall plots this week. I will share what I am doing. Maybe it will help you.
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Post by 5milecreek on Feb 4, 2014 9:00:17 GMT -6
I will attach a bunch of maps in the next post but first I will explain my theory on food plots. First of all you Can't outfeed Mother Nature. With that in mind we offer a 30% protein pellet gravity fed with a corn feeder slinging about 2 pounds of corn all year long. It is more of a fall back to supplement what the deer are lacking in times of drought, or plant dormancy. Our Ranch is in Southwest Kansas (very dry) and is almost all grass with a few fields. With that being said we can't get too crazy with our seed varieties, but by using seeds that grow well and not pressuring the deer we have had good success. Around March 1st we will start planting some spring oats. The deer love them and they grow well. They also keep the food plot clean for later in the summer when we go in and plant wheat. In our area few things are more dangerous to a big deer than a secluded unpressured wheat field. I like putting in plots that are different (more palatable) than the neighboring crops, but if it doesn't rain then it won't work, so instead we make our plots attractive by isolation and supplementation through the corn and protein feeders all year long. If you can get away with planting "anything that will grow" and you have a big enough area I would suggest trying to plant a grain source that gives cover and breaks into a foliage heavy crop that you can hunt. An example of this would be standing corn along a creek that opens up into a wheat field or maybe clover. On our ground we use Feed to give the cover (corn won't grow on our place). It is tall and dense and gives a lot of cover and grain in the late winter. They love bedding in it. Just remember that "You can't outfeed Mother Nature!" All you can do is direct traffic.
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Post by 5milecreek on Feb 4, 2014 9:01:55 GMT -6
Here is what we will start working on in about 30 days.
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Post by 5milecreek on Feb 4, 2014 9:04:20 GMT -6
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Post by APAsuphan on Feb 5, 2014 20:49:39 GMT -6
Man I wish I had a spot where I could plant some food plots.
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Post by 180py on Feb 5, 2014 21:03:17 GMT -6
how big of a place do you want cody?
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Post by 180py on Feb 5, 2014 21:04:13 GMT -6
seth you gotta show me how to do those fancy maps too
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Post by APAsuphan on Feb 5, 2014 21:08:09 GMT -6
how big of a place do you want cody? Depends on the place.
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Post by dblungem on Feb 5, 2014 23:54:59 GMT -6
I will attach a bunch of maps in the next post but first I will explain my theory on food plots. First of all you Can't outfeed Mother Nature. With that in mind we offer a 30% protein pellet gravity fed with a corn feeder slinging about 2 pounds of corn all year long. It is more of a fall back to supplement what the deer are lacking in times of drought, or plant dormancy. Our Ranch is in Southwest Kansas (very dry) and is almost all grass with a few fields. With that being said we can't get too crazy with our seed varieties, but by using seeds that grow well and not pressuring the deer we have had good success. Around March 1st we will start planting some spring oats. The deer love them and they grow well. They also keep the food plot clean for later in the summer when we go in and plant wheat. In our area few things are more dangerous to a big deer than a secluded unpressured wheat field. I like putting in plots that are different (more palatable) than the neighboring crops, but if it doesn't rain then it won't work, so instead we make our plots attractive by isolation and supplementation through the corn and protein feeders all year long. If you can get away with planting "anything that will grow" and you have a big enough area I would suggest trying to plant a grain source that gives cover and breaks into a foliage heavy crop that you can hunt. An example of this would be standing corn along a creek that opens up into a wheat field or maybe clover. On our ground we use Feed to give the cover (corn won't grow on our place). It is tall and dense and gives a lot of cover and grain in the late winter. They love bedding in it. Just remember that "You can't outfeed Mother Nature!" All you can do is direct traffic. Thanks for all the info!! Unfortunately, I can't place any food out in IL - none, so that's out. I do like the idea of oats. The two plots I want to change are very isolated and very much out of the way. They are small but do get good traffic so I know I can't actually provide enough to establish a feed program, but I know I can shuffle the deer around a bit. And I agree, I can't out feed Mother Nature or what the farmers produce...every property I hunt is surround by what seems to be thousands of acres of corn and soy beans - that's part of the problem. I have also heard a lot about sunflowers, believe it or not. I might give some thought into seeing if I can plant enough just to see what happens. Thanks for all the info!!
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Post by dblungem on Feb 5, 2014 23:57:04 GMT -6
Sorry I screwed up the quote there - too tired to go back and fix. Thanks again, 5mile!
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Post by 5milecreek on Feb 6, 2014 8:05:58 GMT -6
dblungem, Check out www.evolved.com/products/food-plots/maximize.html#.UvOWIsqYbIUThis is one I am going to plant on my quarter section lease this summer. It is surrounded by corn, milo and soybeans and just like you I am trying to provide a better/different food source to hold the deer on my lease. I used the throw n grow, and the winter peaz mix this fall and it worked well.
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Post by 5milecreek on Feb 6, 2014 8:07:56 GMT -6
seth you gotta show me how to do those fancy maps too The way I do it is to build most of it in Google Earth. Then I take a screen shot (ALT+Print Screen) and copy into Paint. There I add all the symbols and labels. Doesn't take too long and looks OK.
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Post by 5milecreek on Feb 6, 2014 9:36:55 GMT -6
I just found this link that may help anyone who looking at a cheaper, highly palatable custom blended bait/supplement. May help you with your ingredient selection. www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/livestk/01615.html
I have an idea of some ingredients that may be very nice. I will share when I get some more info put together.
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Post by hydiseka on Feb 6, 2014 10:17:23 GMT -6
Nice looking setup
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