Just being an average guy, I don't have a fancy tractor or even a field to put a high-dollar Bio Logic plot down on. This is actually about 150 yards from my house, and sits in my neighbor's woods. I noticed deer tracks here last summer and am hoping this will provide a little early season activity.
In the background you can see what it was before I started, just a tangle of weeds, vines, and shrubs. I cut out an area of about 4,000 sq feet using a pair of hand pruners for the larger stuff. Then I drove my lawn mower there and mowed down the rest of it. I sprayed what was left with weed killer (using a hand sprayer, not one of those pump up ones), and this is where I'm at now. I just put down a mixture of "green wildlife mix" I bought at MFA ($25 for 50#), and am crossing my fingers for a slow steady rain.
(http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x77/bo-huntr/IMG_0313-1.jpg)
(http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x77/bo-huntr/IMG_0314.jpg)
It's not in the pictures, but I put up a 15 ft ladder stand on the back side. The small trees I cut out (non oak trees) I zip tied to the ladder to allow them to brown out naturally.
The mixture is...
24% WGF Sorghum
24% Laredo Soybeans
19% German Millet
9% white proso millet
9% peredovic sunflower
9% hybrid corn
I'm thinking about putting down some turnips with it.
Like I always tell my wife. It's better than wasting your time, and money ina bar.
Where there is a will, there is a way! looks like you have done one heck of a job, and i pray you get that long, slow rain! :thumbsup:
Good job! Way to use the old noggin and back! Ben
Looks good, you didn't say but I assume you limed and fertilized?
The guy at MFA said to fertilize it when it is about 4" tall. I asked about having the soil tested, and he told me he thought it'd do just fine for what I was doing.
Nice job. Borrow some water hoses and put a sprinkler on the plot. If it's only 150 yards from the house it shouldn't be too hard. I've watered our practice field many times this way.
Stan
hard work nice job. Next year maybe some sugar beets. :D
Good work, it should pay off.
Nice Job, it is getting me motivated.
Scott
Way to go!!!..
Don't worry bout it... The deer don't know the difference and they don't watch the commercials on the hunting shows or read all the magazine ads...
all that hard work will pay off and the venison will taste that much sweeter.get some kids to have a huge water balloon fight in that spot.all the balloons they can toss.
Looking good, Carlos! Drop me a line if you want to come over and hunt God's Country this fall. :thumbsup:
This is GREAT!!! More power to you Carlos!!! I'm sure it will do fine now that you can water it, in case the rain doesn't arrive. I'm proud of you. The "for sure" venison will be sweet..
Hope your effort pays off in the future
Very nice :thumbsup: That's a lot of hard work that will pay off in the end.
Purpletop turnips are easy to grow. Put mine in June and they are doing well. Good luck!
Great job Carlos. I have a similar patch myself. The waterhose and sprinkler really works well. Mine drew deer like a magnet. Hope you do well this fall. BigJohn :thumbsup:
that looks like an early summer mixture, but it should produce something. when i plant deep woods plots, i use my lawn arrator behind my four wheeler to "plow" the ground. it really turns the top layer of soil and prepares a nice seed bed after a dozen or so passes. about three weeks ago i planted 50# of sourghum and 50# of deer vetch in three of my plots. first time using deer vetch and i hope it pays off at $150 a bag. a good cheap plot combo is a winter wheat and oats mixture.
Way to improvise and be self sufficient Carlos. I hope you arrow a dandy over that sweet little ecosystem you created.
It will work. Almost all the plots I've planted in the last 5 years were done similarly. Some with the help of the lawn mower to clear the ground and some with just hard work. I've never planted that type of see in a plot but you can fertilize as you've stated, even doing it a couple of times lightly. The deer don't mind at all. If you get a lot of leaves on it this fall just run the mower over it again and blow them off/ chop them up. The deer will appreciate it. As a bonus any acorns falling in the plot will be easy pickings and the deer will gravitate to it. Hope you have great sucess!
I always hear folks who hunt over food plots and feeders were lazy :knothead:
I hope you kill a big one :pray:
Way to work!! I've given it some thought.. but now I just might do it!! Jason
Way to go Carlos. Shows what some motivation and a little work can do. Hope you get some timely rains.
Keep a eye on Tractor supply stores. They blow seed out at the end of the season dirt cheap. That's where I buy mine.
Hope it brings in a nice one for ya bud. :thumbsup:
I did almost this exact thing years ago before I had a tractor...
I used a "deer mix" of Milo, red and ladino clovers, sorghum and soybeans... Worked well but I could not make the plot big enough...
Wow. I am totally impressed. Great job and I hope your investment of time will be greatly rewarded.
QuoteI just put down a mixture of "green wildlife mix" I bought at MFA ($25 for 50#),
Sorry, but I don't understand: what is an MFA? That sounds like a great mixture.
Nice job. I am clearing areas for small plots too, but I am removing established trees. A bit of work, plus I live four hours away from this spot (I hope to retire on this spot in the next three years). I can tell you this. . when you are done and it is working, it makes you feel really good.
Great job
ChuckC
"A" for effort. Hope your dreams come true. Good luck. :clapper:
MFA-- Missouri Farmers Association.. Co-op
Looking good!
Let us know how well it truns out , Im a poor man to and like to pick up all the ideas I can .
I have a spot mowed in my back field behind the house that I hope to get something planted in it soon.
That is the same mix type I usad as a upland bird mix.
I hope the place gets sun or you may need to cut the canopy open.
If they have not started to grow take your mower and compress the seed in the soil with the tires by over lappping them or a roller for good seed soil contact.
A late plot is as been said oats with clover in for latter.
Shot many morning doves off my plot and there were birds and deer in it all winter.
Nice job.