Share your fall food plot pictures and experiences

[Weasel]

Just wondering who is getting their fall food plots ready and what you all are planting. I have been crazy busy the last few weekends chainsawing, brush hogging, tilling and planting. Trying a new approach with a new travel corridor that winds through the property connecting ag fields, food plots and hidden hunting plots in the timber.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v85/halbleib/79750bd1-5e21-490f-a9ab-9f863ea089a6.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v85/halbleib/bbecd091-c644-426c-9491-3eb21c09a688.jpg

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[Weasel]

I brush hogged a horse shoe shaped plot that connects to the travel corridor and pinches down within bow range of an island of trees in the field

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v85/halbleib/f8a9fa57-3306-4340-9e92-252a3b494bc6.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v85/halbleib/707ec768-fd38-4bbb-b0b5-931751a3806a.jpg

[Weasel]

The deer started using the new corridor right away.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v85/halbleib/Double%20A%20Farm/2014/CDY_0002.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v85/halbleib/Double%20A%20Farm/2014/de90acaa-c46f-4cdd-af14-d39079acf0c7.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v85/halbleib/Double%20A%20Farm/2014/8cd8ab52-314c-4c59-9ebf-2376af668b83.jpg

[Weasel]

I got the plot tilled up and planted. I like to use a strip planting approach to put a variety of forage in the same plot so something will always be palatable to deer throughout the entire hunting season. The west edge of the plot was planted in a forage bean and pea blend. The center got a brassica blend including turnips, radishes and canola. The east edge will get rye grain and oats towards the end of August. I also seeded the whole plot with a clover/alfalfa blend to get a head start on root establishment for the spring.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v85/halbleib/Double%20A%20Farm/2014/bbd13049-99f8-457f-a54d-1ba92a5192b5.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v85/halbleib/Double%20A%20Farm/2014/f1529556-ccc9-4eee-a04b-1d6381b05338.jpg

[Weasel]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v85/halbleib/Double%20A%20Farm/2014/c3e94029-40e3-4b2a-8d54-e29cbe4e02ff.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v85/halbleib/Double%20A%20Farm/2014/ff262158-8f0d-4856-aaca-2e2519d809c0.jpg

[Weasel]

I also got some hunting plots brush hogged in the timber spaced out along the travel corridor. These will get similar seed blends depending on how much sun they get.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v85/halbleib/Double%20A%20Farm/2014/3e58909b-8e99-49a7-8d28-90eac54ecc54.jpg

[Big_Holla]

Looking great so far!! You build it and they will come LOL!!

[mrbb]

well looks great and
sounds like you got lot of things covered to hold deer yr round
I started making food plots back in the late 80's, and I think over thelast 10 yrs or so, I enjoy planting and making food plots mroe than hunting, due to I get to see critters in the all yr , rather than just hunting seasons hopes


BUt this is also my first yr since the late 80's I didn't plant a thing LOL
maybe next yr

Also, I like the fact you have a tiller to turn ground over with, and the ground looks like good soils
not many rocks I can see really in the fields
up my way. more rocks than you can shake a stick at! LOL

[Weasel]

Thanks. Well you got me beat mrbb. You were plotting before I even graduated high school LOL. I have been food plotting for just under a decade. I learned a lot on my old farm and I am looking forward to making improvements on this new farm I bought in 2013.

The tiller is a great tool for sure. This is the first year I have used larger equipment to put in plots after years of scratching by with ATV sized equipment. I got a great deal on a used John Deere 750 4x4 with loader. I borrowed the brush hog & tiller and I hope to have my own in the near future.

[mrbb]

yeah you for sure learn as you go in this food plot game, I know I sure did
all the mroe so when it came to chemicals and ways to save $$ along the way

to me the idea small acreage tractor is about 50 hp and 4x4
can run and pull most things needed and have power to sprare
sad part is, since Hunters started doing food plots , it drove the prices of used tractors in the rage WAY up
funny, back in the 90's tractors like this, were cheap cheap by standards, as all the main farners were up grading to the big stuff and bailing on the smaller things
then food plotting took off and its been crazy on prices of equipment ever since
just look at the atv plot tools
yrs back when tractor went to 3 point hitch designs on almost everything, all them old pull behind tools were junk laying about farms
now they got hunetrs paying top dollar for them LOL
Crazy

but best of luck to you on setting up the new farm
sure you'll do just fine, sounds likk you have the right idea's to me!

[zachc]

Well weasel looks like you're off to a good start. I definitely don't have as much property as you, lol, but I finished up planting my fall plot this morning. The ground has been ready but I've just been waiting on some rain, which they say should hit today and/or tomorrow, so let's hope so! I planted 1/2 an acre in heartland wildlife inst buck buster extreme. My spring plot didn't turn out like it should have but that was more my fault (not properly preparing the ground, no fertilizer due to time). But knock on wood I did everything right this time. So I guess we'll see....

[Weasel]

Thanks mrbb. Yeah a 50 HP would be nice but I could only afford a 1984 20 HP Deere. It does everything I need it to do as I do not farm for a living. You are right about the tractor and implement prices being top dollar though.

Zach, that's a nice seed mix, pretty close to exactly what I plant. I'm holding off on the oats and rye for a few more weeks though. No shame in a failed plot, I bet you learned a lot from it. My farm is a good size for me but it's small compared to most places guys manage for deer.

The plot is coming in nice. No shortage of rain, I'd actually love a week of dry weather so I can get some other projects done.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v85/halbleib/Double%20A%20Farm/2014/960fdcef-57a3-4870-bb0b-26d56a58375a.jpg

This dude seems to like the plot. Hope to see him during daylight on opening day

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v85/halbleib/Double%20A%20Farm/2014/ed4d5ac5-f6b3-4fc3-880e-9585cc90b5fd.jpg