Food Plots 101

hi Dave,
thanks for the REport, sounds like lots of action, and a 27 inch male in just down right huge.
See you tonight??
Jack..

Nice report Coffee.. That has been the story for most of us…cold strong north winds much of the time. But that is the best early season approach on the LBDN, day in day out…

I’ve went through and read all of the posts in this forum. Any tips, suggestions, thoughts, or instructions you guys want to share. I hunt Northern Bayfield county alot. If you’ve ever been in the area, you know there is no agriculture, and in most areas, not a lot of oaks. Lot of swamps and low areas, with some cutover areas etc. Food plots would be killer in this area. I plan to try them out this upcoming spring, summer, and fall. I’ll get in there this winter with the saw and start doing some cleaning/clearing. The area I want to hit has excellent bedding close by, and great water. Bedding area is a 15 year cutover that is now thick, thick, thick. I would like to put in a small plot along this edge, it would be roughly 100 yards long and 30 yards wide. Then I would put in another one, on an old skid road that is getting grown up. It would be roughly 150 yards long and 15 feet wide. Any thoughts for what to plant early spring and summer, and then what to have there for late fall/winter hunting seasons? How should I go about this? The two areas are both fairly open right now, a little saw work, but reasonable. There is a fair amount of taller (2-4′) grasses/weeds. I don’t have a big enough mower, so it would be hand cut, burn, or roundup them. I’ll try and get some pics over the winter to give you all an idea. At this point I don’t have any equipment, but I’m looking at the Kolping dirtworks series of implements for a 4 wheeler. Thanks for the info.

I am no expert by any means as I put my first plots in last year. I was in your boat with an area that had never been worked. The plot worked amazing thanks to some advice. I started by taking a soil sample to the local co-op to find out what I needed to add as far as fertilizer, lime, ect. I then worked the ground. Not sure you need anything fancy to work the soil. I would get a disk for behind your wheeler(what I will be using this year) I spread my fertilizer and lime with a simple push lawn spreader. I planted some round-up ready soybeans with a broadcast spreader, used a piece of chanin link fence with wood to smooth the soil, and packed it all with the 4-wheeloer tires. I sprayed with round-up and a hand pump sprayer to keep the weeds down until the soybeans were established. The beans got so hammered(would have never made pods) that this year I will till them up in late July and plant a brassica, chickory, clover mix for fall. I tried a product by Evolved Harvest called Pro Graze which is what will go in come late july this year. I did all this on some logging trails in woods that were logged about 6 years ago so lack of sun was not an issue. I am currently trying to clear more ground so there is some food left come late fall.

Welcome to the world to food plots. Hi, My name is Bernie, and I’m a food plot addict after one year. Have Fun

Nut

The first thing I would do is concentrate on getting rid of the existing vegetation. Spraying after green up is a good option but may delay your spring planting, Burning may be your best option for this virgin ground. I think a rototiller would be your best option to work your soil. as far as a good early season bow plot forage soybeans, winter rye, winter wheat, or clover may fit the bill, for late season In poor soil I would probably go with biologic brand of brassicas, These plots will improve every year that you have them The 1st year is allways a challenge with weeds winter rye and winter wheat planted in late summer is a good choice for weed control. (don’t forget the soil test)