Pheasant Food Plot Mix

[fireone]

While running the dogs today about the only thing standing is corn. The cattails and grass are snowed down around here. Plenty of food in the corn but no real cover. I haven't seen a pheasant track in weeks. Pheasants Forever has some different food plot seed mixes they sell and one is a variety of sorghums that are treated so you can use Dual herbicide for weed control. Anybody tried sorghum in ND?

This is the PF mix: https://www.pfhabitatstore.com/store/10400/FP/Blizzard-Buster-25-bag

 

[Srputz]

Yep. Winters like this and there level like the cattails. Mother nature trumps all.

 

[zoops]

Can't imagine a food plot of any variety is the main component to winter survival. Gotta have good thermal cover; bushes, trees etc. if the cattails aren't doing the trick. Do see some sorghum in ND but I think it's usually bailed for feed - I would imagine maybe a little more is left for food plots in the pay to play areas? Seems it's pretty common to see them hunting it on the guide operations on tv in SD.

 

[Taylorman55]

There are a variety of things you can plant up here for the birds. The PF stuff is damn good also.
While I'm fairly new to the food plot scene, these couple of blends from Millborn seeds out of South Dakota have been spectacular for helping the pheasants year round, more impressive in the late season. I've used a variety of seed from these guys, and am beyond happy with how all of my plots have turned out.

https://www.millbornseeds.com/product/final-flush/

https://www.millbornseeds.com/product/double-barrel/

 

[KDM]

I would go with a mixture of willows, caragana, russian olive, spruce, and junipers. Winter cover is where you will make your money if you want to keep/increase pheasant populations IMO. They can fly to find food, but will flat out just die without winter protection.

 

[Fritz the Cat]

What is required is a warm spring with lots of aphids and other bugs. Early morning dew for the chicks to drink. There has not been a decent hatch in years.

Alfalfa fields are a great nursery for chicks. Cover, dew, aphids and run ways under the canopy so the little ones can follow mom. The last couple years, mother nature has not been cooperating.

The last great hatch was 2007. We all know the winters of 2008-09 and 2010 killed 95% of them. Since then, our spring seasons have been too wet, too dry, too cold or whatever for an average hatch. The birds out there now are barely raising enough young to sustain their numbers from losses of predation and the elements.

 

[Retired Educator]

I would go with a mixture of willows, caragana, russian olive, spruce, and junipers. Winter cover is where you will make your money if you want to keep/increase pheasant populations IMO. They can fly to find food, but will flat out just die without winter protection.

Totally agree with the thoughts in this comment with one exception. Isn't russian olive on the illegal to plant list in ND. Something about an invasive plant. Lots of these thorny plants were planted and provide good cover, just thinking they are no longer allowed.

 

[KDM]

Totally agree with the thoughts in this comment with one exception. Isn't russian olive on the illegal to plant list in ND. Something about an invasive plant. Lots of these thorny plants were planted and provide good cover, just thinking they are no longer allowed.

Could be, IDK. I haven't checked in a while. Lots of them on my land and I've seen plenty of hawks, coyotes, and owls stopped dead when the rabbits, pheasants, and other little critters get under a russian olive tree which is why I like'em for pheasants. Them things poke the hell outta you.

 

[KJS - ND]

Burleigh County Soil Conservation still sells Russian Olive trees - I've planted a few. I think they can become a problem in you plant them along a watershed, but out on a prairie pasture, I don't think they will become invasive.

http://bcscd.com/store/pc/Olive-Russian-30p187.htm

 

[Allen]

Russian Olives aren't so much illegal as they are on the outs with the tree people. They have proven invasive, and to top it all off...I hate the SOBs. Nothing needs to be that pokey in these parts. I've had their thorns come up through the sole of several pairs of shoes/boots over the years and plugged a number of tires from the damn things.

- - - Updated - - -

note, some of my plums are just as damn bad.

 

[KDM]

Yeah, you guys might be right on the Russian Olives. A guy could go with a double shot of caragana instead. That stuff grows thick enough to stop some snow, suckers like crazy, and has plenty of stickers to make a predator think twice about pursuing something through there. Nothing stops wind and snow like pines, spruces, and junipers though.

 

[Duckslayer100]

PF has a lot of good resources if you're truly interested in habitat improvements. They'll also be the first to tell you there's no one-mix fix. It comes down to varying types of plants and whatnot to keep pheasants fat and happy 12 months out of the year.

KDM hit it on the head. All the food in the world won't matter when they're exposed to -45 wind chill for 10 minutes.