I've read a lot of good info on here and thought it would be great to have a place where everyone could share their food plot & habitat work in one place. Sharing what worked for you/didn't sure is helpful to those of us starting out.
I'm just starting out on a couple different projects, the family farm (upland mainly) and the in-laws farm (deer mainly). Got into the trail cameras this year and it has been a blast. Obviously hunting is part of the fun but seeing what is living on the land is a blast and trying to make it better for them is the goal.
A few random questions-
Winter cover & food plots- Anyone have any luck with thick winter cover type food plots? We lack in some areas. Sorghum blends can be pretty hearty, I've walked a few of the hunting strips left at the end of the year and it can be fun to see the birds come out of them covered in snow. Some people even leave them for two years....thoughts?
Brushy cover- The PF and GF guys don't recommend tall trees for raptor reasons. We're looking at some thermal/winter cover plantings. Besides cedars, what types of short trees/bushes have you had good luck with in our neck of the woods? Drought tolerant, as if we need a reminder this year.
Deer plot sizing- What have you found to be too small or a waste of time? A lot of the plots we are looking at would be small, 1/8 an acre or smaller in some cases. But, there would be several throughout a mile long section of wooded creek.
Deer plot blends- What has worked or not worked for you? Heard lots of good things about different varieties of rape plants. Brassicas seem to be hit or miss, some like then some don't. Beans are a great one if you have enough. We're going to try beans as there aren't any in our area, pressure could be the big issue. What about chicory or kale? Simple stuff like winter rye seems easy too.
Hopefully we can put a lot of info out there for others to use!
I'm just starting out on a couple different projects, the family farm (upland mainly) and the in-laws farm (deer mainly). Got into the trail cameras this year and it has been a blast. Obviously hunting is part of the fun but seeing what is living on the land is a blast and trying to make it better for them is the goal.
A few random questions-
Winter cover & food plots- Anyone have any luck with thick winter cover type food plots? We lack in some areas. Sorghum blends can be pretty hearty, I've walked a few of the hunting strips left at the end of the year and it can be fun to see the birds come out of them covered in snow. Some people even leave them for two years....thoughts?
Brushy cover- The PF and GF guys don't recommend tall trees for raptor reasons. We're looking at some thermal/winter cover plantings. Besides cedars, what types of short trees/bushes have you had good luck with in our neck of the woods? Drought tolerant, as if we need a reminder this year.
Deer plot sizing- What have you found to be too small or a waste of time? A lot of the plots we are looking at would be small, 1/8 an acre or smaller in some cases. But, there would be several throughout a mile long section of wooded creek.
Deer plot blends- What has worked or not worked for you? Heard lots of good things about different varieties of rape plants. Brassicas seem to be hit or miss, some like then some don't. Beans are a great one if you have enough. We're going to try beans as there aren't any in our area, pressure could be the big issue. What about chicory or kale? Simple stuff like winter rye seems easy too.
Hopefully we can put a lot of info out there for others to use!
