Best food plot seed.

[arrowdem]

that would be awesome if you could send me some pics of what you have set up for your trees Kirk! and yes that makes sense with the turnips as a nitrogen fixer, but do they attract the deer as well? and with the clover already being in the mix of what im going to plant would that be enough of a nitrogen fixer?

- - - Updated - - -

oh and also, there are a bunch of different types of clover? what is the best one to use? some areas i have ok light some places i have a lot of light and some areas i have little to no light

 

[ndlongshot]

I would also like to see some pics if its not too much to ask KDM. I am in the process of putting in a few tree plantings right now and the more examples I can see the better.

 

[Kentucky Windage]

A soil test wouldn't be a bad idea for those who have been doing plots year after year in the same place.

 

[Vollmer]

A soil test wouldn't be a bad idea for those who have been doing plots year after year in the same place.

That is a good idea. Soybeans are also great for deer, and nitrogen, but there are plenty of soybeans around now. Turnips would be a nice change for the deer imo. In plots, I think it is always good to give them something they don't already readily have.

 

[Kentucky Windage]

That is a good idea. Soybeans are also great for deer, and nitrogen, but there are plenty of soybeans around now. Turnips would be a nice change for the deer imo. In plots, I think it is always good to give them something they don't already readily have.

I plant soybeans in my plot even though there are thousands of acres grown all around me. They like the new tender trifoliates throughout the summer. It's not until the late season where they begin to shine. The deer hit them like a Mac truck in the late season. One needs to think about what will stand above the snow line in the late season too.

 

[Vollmer]

I plant soybeans in my plot even though there are thousands of acres grown all around me. They like the new tender trifoliates throughout the summer. It's not until the late season where they begin to shine. The deer hit them like a Mac truck in the late season. One needs to think about what will stand above the snow line in the late season too.

Do you plant the soybeans later than the farmers? Just curious.

 

[Kentucky Windage]

Do you plant the soybeans later than the farmers? Just curious.

Last year I waited till I had moisture to plant into. A lot of the crop went into dry dirt last spring, that's why I waited. I haven't late summer/ early fall planted soybeans, but I'm thinking about it. I like peas and wheat for fall planting. They grub the green.

- - - Updated - - -

Sorry, to answer your ? Directly, plant when the conditions are right. Farmers go when they can because they might not get another chance. Something as small as a deer food plot is small potatoes compared to putting in a real crop.

 

[KDM]

I would also like to see some pics if its not too much to ask KDM. I am in the process of putting in a few tree plantings right now and the more examples I can see the better.

Sure thing!!! I'll crack some pics tomorrow morning for you guys.

 

[arrowdem]

i did the same when i went in and planted some late season turnips, with the dry spell we had we had a weekend full of rain coming so i got in there i believe it was either the day or 2 days before the rain and got everything i needed to planted and they came up like wild fire, then about 2 weeks later got about a half inch... couldnt have asked for a better deal for them to really get a good jump start!

 

[KDM]

As promised. Here is what I do in my yard to protect my apple, cherry, pear, and plum trees. Keep in mind that I put a T post on opposite sides of the fence ring in my hunting area to support the fence for snow burden. The hog fence is 48 inches high I think and I try to leave 3 feet of clearance from the edge of the tree to the fence along with adding some drain tile to discourage the damn mice from girdling the tree under the snow. It's a bunch of work, but after you have 5 years of time into a tree it SUCKS BIG DONKEY NUTS to find it girdled by mice and dead or find that the fence was pushed down and the deer got at the tree. The second pic is what happens when you forget to put the fence up around your trees and the deer find'em. Hope this helps.



And the Deer Damage....

 

[arrowdem]

what do you mean about the drain tile? im not seeing it in these pics?

 

[5575]

I like to seed my corn food plot about a day or two before the opener.
And you don't need allot of expensive equipment!

 

[KDM]

what do you mean about the drain tile? im not seeing it in these pics?

I only put drain tile on the trees in my hunting area. The chickens kill all the mice in the yard, so girdling is less of a problem. LOL!! This is basically what I do to protect my trees from rodents, but I go about 2 ft up instead of this puny excuse....

 

[arrowdem]

You bury that a ways down at all

 

[KDM]

Yep!! I put it about 2-3 inches down in the ground when I plant the tree. Ever see the mole trails in your lawn in the spring? I try to put the drain tile down far enough to give'em a nose bleed when they run into it during winter. The little vermin can and will on occasion chew through the drain tile, so I so a quick inspection in the spring to make sure they are all intact. So far I have had no losses due to rodents once I added the drain tile. Deer pushing the fence down during some of the more stressful winters is an entirely different matter.

 

[arrowdem]

my thoughts were this.. tell me if you have tried or thing it wont work, put up 4 big tall posts in all 4 corners, and use chicken wire and get it 6-7 ft tall and use metal posts to sturdy it up and leave the whole area fenced in and put all of my trees and a couple plum bushes right in there? what are your thoughts on this, reason for wanting to do this is i would have a fence out there that i could cut a couple small holes for coyotes to get through and in the winter put some bait in there and get the coyotes used to the fence and then put snares over the fence holes and use this as a double purpose fence? im very open to criticism on this.. let me know...

- - - Updated - - -



- - - Updated - - -

would chicken wire be enough, would i need heavier wire?

 

[KDM]

They do that very thing all the time in Canada, but I don't think you need 6-7 ft of fence. 4 ft has worked for me for years. Chicken wire doesn't hold up the snow burden worth a crap. It warps, bends, breaks, and really protects nothing as most deer can just push it over or in. I would go with the hog fence, but after that, proceed with your plan and get as many of them butt sniffers you can and more power to ya.

Oh I forgot to mention that if you actually catch a coyote in your snares, it will tear you nice chicken wire fence all to hell in a very short order. Good Luck!

 

[arrowdem]

oh ya thats a good call.. hog fence it is! i will be out there this weekend starting the whole process of clearing dead and small trees in some clearings to extend my honey hole food plot and figuring out where to put in the apple trees! you think 4 feet would be high enough when they have more room to jump into the fence this thing will be like 20'x20' ish...

 

[KDM]

Unfortunately, the bigger you make the enclosure the more apt the deer are to jump inside. Garden fences are a prime example. Even for your bait station, I would go with an enclosure just big enough to give you what you want. JMHO though. Also, you might want to make sure the small openings in the hog fence are at the bottom. If you put the big openings at the bottom, bunny rabbits can get in and they will nip whole branches off small trees.

 

[arrowdem]

right, but if i am going to do all the bushes and trees in the same fence its gonna have to be sort of big because those apple trees need a decent distance between them if i recall?