Can some of you guys who are experienced in food plot management give me a little help on what and when to plant. I have a 3 acre patch right now that I have year round access to for a plot it is currently planted with turnips peas and wheat, and surrounded by heavy woods and creek bottoms.
Coach, in which state are you located? If you are in the south I'll try to help.
Quality Deer Management Assoc. @
http://www.qdma.com/forums/ will definitely give you a bunch of info.
I've done food plots on my property in Georgia for 5 years. As Doo Dah said, if you are in the SE, I'll help also.
Thanks guys im in Northeast Oklahoma.
Depends on location and soil type.
Soybeans are always good if you can keep the deer from eating them up when they get a couple of inches tall. We plant NLT July 4th here.
I also plant iron clay peas in the spring (April or May). These are warm season annuals. They stand up to heavy grazing pretty good and the deer usually just eat the leaves, not the pods.
I use white clover in the early spring as well. They will be highest in protein into the early summer when the deer need it most and they will experience another good growth spurt after the temps cool in the fall.
The good thing about these 3 is that they put nitrogen back in the ground, which helps cut your fertilizer costs when coming back and planting fall crops such as wheat, oats or rye.
If you plant white clover, just leave it and keep it mowed 6"-8" in height. When it heads, it will re-seed itself and the deer really like the tender new growth that results. If you take care of it, you can usually get 3 yrs out of a clover plot.
JM
Ditto what JohnMoses said. I know that is a good recipe around here.
Coach
I am in the same area and took soil samples to the OSU extension office in Tulsa this week for testing. They gave me some ideas and suggested I read this publication while waiting for the results.
https://utextension.tennessee.edu/publications/Documents/PB1743.pdfEven though the info was generated in Tennessee, they said most of the suggestions will work well in NE Oklahoma too.
They will test your soil and make recommendations for $10/sample.....I believe it will be more than worth it.
GonHuntin....how early do you see deer dropping antlers around here? I have pics of a good buck who has already dropped an antler and it seems early for that to me.
I think it's early too.....but, a friend killed a nice buck a week or so ago, just over the TX line from Ellis County (far west OK) and, when he walked up to the buck it's antlers had come off! So, you aren't the only one to see it.......
I don't have any cameras out on my place right now, so I can't say what's happening up there.
Send me a PM and tell me where in NE OK you are located......your profile still says Alva. I've spent some time in that area too.
A great forum for foodplots and deer management. Use the search function and you will be reading for days.
I always had the idea that sugar beets would be good in a food plot. I don't know why because I know nothing about a sugar beet and have never seen one. Anybody here know about them? miles