Home Forums Gear Horses and ATV's "food plot" What do I need?

Anybody know what I could pull behing my fourwheeler to prep an old meadow for planting? I want to plant something to feed deer, but I don't know what I need to prepare the soil. I know nothing about this, but I think (from reading and asking around a little) I could use a disc. I see Northern Tool has one for $179 that tows behind an atv. That's alot cheaper than other drags/harrows/discs I've seen.
Would that work to get the place "plantable"?
A tractor is not an option; I have to do this with my fourwheeler.

I don't know what the ground is like in Washington State, but around here any disk that a 4 wheeler can pull is too light to do much with. miles

Not to mention food plotting with your 'wheeler is going to flat wear it out, quick! The exception would be this http://dewdropdrill.com/ . I have no idea what your budget is or how much you are planting but the benefits of No-till food plotting are numerous and the Dew Drop is the absolute best option for food plotting without a tractor (IMO).



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Northern Tool shows one disc made by Brinly-Hardy, and they show it being pulled by a fourwheeler or lawn tractor. Do you think it wouldn't be heavy enough to dig deep enough for what I want to do? How deep do I need to disturb the soil?

I looked at the link above adn the drill they make, but it didn't say much about what it actually does. I guess I could call them tomorrow.

That's what I was wondering, and the ground I have is probably pretty tough to work.

I'm not familiar with a one disc by Brinly-Hardy so it's really hard to say. I have no idea what your soil, acreage, or planting conditions are like. I can tell you that the majority or FP seeds need only be planted a quarter of an inch deep. Things like corn and soybeans need planting deeper (1 to 2"). Washington St. has both a wet side and a dry side and neither is known for food plots (or soybeans and corn for that matter), so I'm reluctant to recommend anything. Can it be done? ............YES it can! I can grow corn on a cinder block!!

There are lots of options for scratching the ground via ATV but none are easy on the ATV. The No-till approach eliminates a couple operations for previously planted ground v/s traditional planting, and thereby wear. For "sod busting" it's not even a contest.

The No-Till un-prepped ground operation works like this:

1. Mow close to the ground first.
2. Wait a week or two for initial mowing green up then spray Roundup.
3. Wait for chemical to dry.
4. Plant with No-till Drill.
5. Fertilize.
6. Later, after sufficient plot growth, mow and/or spray to maintain primary stand.

Furthermore, if scratching the earth via disc or harrow, you will also need an additional attachment to compact the soil after seeding in order to provide good seed to soil contact.

Again, a no-till operation eliminates much of this burden but consulting a farmer or Co-Op in your area about crop/soil compatibility is a smart move. Soil samples for fertilizer and lime recommendations come next.

Not knowing anything about your area I reluctantly recommend a winter rye planted by yourself or help from a local farmers equipment.

Being an annual (winter rye), it can be planted here in the Midwest in early fall and continue to produce "tonnage" all winter till it tops out in late spring. At which time it will need to be mowed (no-till operation) or turned under (till operation).

It grows well in poor soils (read, acidic), draws deer well during late winter, all this with limited soil amendments. It can also be planted easily with a "disk and drag" operation to boot. Again, you will wear out your 'wheeler doing this if attempting a large acreage!

Winter Rye also "affixes" nitrogen rather than stripping it from the soil, unlike winter weat. Additionally, it leaves behind weed controlling chemicals that will help get your plot on a healthy track once turned under as "green manure" or mowed. Think of it as a food plot building block with tons of benefits!!


If it's a small piece to be planted once or twice a year then you might be able to get away with 4-wheeler attachments (3 acres or less) but as I said, a small no-till drill is best for planting FP's with an ATV. If the budget/situation doesn't allow it, perhaps a local farmer can save you money/trouble by planting your place with equipment already owned for a minimal price.


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Thanks for the time and effort in that reply---it helps me alot.
I'm talking about land on the East side, it's up at 2800' and the soil type I'm not sure of, because it seems to vary alot within a small area. Some places it's decomposed granite, but was horse farmed for hay many years ago. Some places the soil is sloped pretty good but still boggy year around, so it's mucky and I won't mess with it in those areas because you can't even run a 4x4 pickup across it (don't ask me how I found out). The neighbor across the road 1/4 mile away has plowed and disked part of an old hay field and it worked up ok, but mine has never been worked with as much as his has.

I'm thinking that with all the unknowns, I'll take your advice and talk to a farmer in the area for advice. At this point I don't want to spend alot of money on equipment for such a small area, and I'm thinking the disk from Northern Tool may be the best way to go to get started.

I'm only talking about probably half an acre at this point.
Thanks again for the help. I'll ask the farmer I talk to about the barley.

Save enough money for a pallet of bricks to set on it. It takes a LOT of downward force to cut through vegetation and that disc isn't nearly heavy enough.

I've got about a ton of lead.

Take a look at this one from Sears. It's a little more expensive but has toothed discs that might be very useful for cutting sod or weeds. Read the reviews on what others have done to adapt it. SEARS DISC

I hadn't even thought about Sears until now. I like those discs, having the notches for better cutting, and I can see modifying that thing to work pretty well. Thanks.

In the last 6 years, I have seen with my own eyes many people who want to plant a food plot with a ATV. This is NOT the best way or the cheapest thing to do in the long run. They tear up or break parts by trying to pull to much disc or simply work the ATV to death. This can cost a person big bucks for repair bills on your ATV. One man I know had his tranny replaced twice and then the 2 year old 450 Honda started using oil and smoking. He ended up spending over $3000 dollars in repair bills.

One is much better off to purchase an old used Farm tractor and spend money also for a used old plow and small disc (5ft to 7ft) which will last you for years really. You can sell it later down the road and get 90% of your money back usually.

The 8N or 9N Ford are dandy little tractors for this purpose and will run around the $1,500 dollar, used disc $200 to $300, Plow $175 to $300 depending on shape it is in at the time.

I've thought about getting a small tractor, but my food plot is only going to be 1/3 to 1/2 acre. I'm already pulling logs with my fourwheeler, so I have a pretty good idea of what it can do without straining it.

I built a small pull-behind logging arch with a hand winch/cable/tongs on it and I can back over the end of a log, winch out, grab the log in the tongs, winch in, and take off. So what I'm saying is I have faith that if the fourwheeler can pull these logs and arch so well, it can pull a little disc, I'm sure.

Of course, I know you're right and should use a tractor...I just like doing stuff with what I already have, even if I have to scale down and use a smallish disc designed just for ATVs and garden tractors.

I appreciate your concern, and believe me, I'm familiar with equipment breaking down, but in this case I think I'll be alright.

Maybe famous last words...

Shouldn't have sold my horse.

ATV's are certainly not meant to work like a tractor! If you do so something will break I promise you. You might look into having someone plow it up for you and disc it too, that has a small tractor close buy your plot. It may be cheaper in the long run verses breaking down your ATV.

I pulled logs with our 450 Foreman Honda (green cedar trees) 10 to 14 inches in diameter and 15 ft long. These were 2 at a time up a steep grade for around 15 trips the first time out. The distance was 350 yards and the second time we pulled close to 20 trees before the ATV had to go to the shop. The cost to get fixed was around $800 bucks!!!

Go for the smaller disc like Northern Tool has, weight it down as needed and pull it with you truck. Save your 4whlr. Old tractors are just that,,,,old tractors. ymmv

I use a tractor, but if I didn't have one there are 2 products I would consider for ATV use.

1. DR POWER HOG This one is the the Cadillac!

2. Agri Fab tiller

They are a little expensive but they actually work unlike most of the ATV pull type disc's. The the problem with the pull behinds is they are either too light to dig or too heavy too pull.

Terry

Thanks.