Non planting food plots

[banjo]

Has anyone had success or used a non planting type seed for deer?
I hunt crown land and permission on private... and its almost all bush. I was wondering if it was worth scattering some seed along some of the more open areas and ridgetops to help attract and hold deer. It would need to be something that can be planted with no more tools than a rake. I have done a few salt licks but I was wondering about something like this http://www.whitetailinstitute.com/imper ... ow-annual/
Could I scatter a bag on an open sunny valley ridge and expect anything to grow?

[Jholder]

Has anyone had success or used a non planting type seed for deer?
I hunt crown land and permission on private... and its almost all bush. I was wondering if it was worth scattering some seed along some of the more open areas and ridgetops to help attract and hold deer. It would need to be something that can be planted with no more tools than a rake. I have done a few salt licks but I was wondering about something like this http://www.whitetailinstitute.com/imper ... ow-annual/
Could I scatter a bag on an open sunny valley ridge and expect anything to grow?

Easily done if you can turn up enough soil to help keep the seeds moist/shaded while germinating,or get them covered by thatch,other option imo would be to fertilize the grass (if applicable) or bring in hay/silage etc .
The hard part is keeping the weeds & other grasses back depending what you plant, but ideally the deer will do this for you...
Now forward is great time for licks and if they are established/known they will be a sure spot.

Good Luck!

[Yannick Loranger]

Rack Stacker makes something called the Walk & Toss that's meant for small open areas like along logging roads or any open area in the bush. It's low maintenance. My dad and I will be planting it on our public land deer spots this Spring. http://www.rackstacker.ca/rack-stacker-food-plots/

[Roblin]

I have a plot in the woods on my property. I use white clover. Just throw it on the ground and it takes off. It's a Perennial and the deer will visit it right to the snow. It likes sun but will tolerate some shade. The seeds are very small and a little goes along ways. It is hard not to spread it too heavy. If you don't have a spreader, I find that taking a small amount in your hand and throwing in the air works pretty well. Be aware of the wind so your seed comes down where you want it. You can go on the web and finds lots of info on plant choices for sun and shade.

[MLR]

The problem with small food plots for deer, is keeping them out of it until closer to hunting season.

Best bang for your "buck" is a mineral pit. If you have money to burn, buy it premixed over the counter made by rackstacker.

or make your own, head on over to your local feed store / mill

Ingredients: Makes 200 lbs. for about 10% of the cost buying it premixed for you with a 5lb fancy bag. (40 bags of Rackstacker mineral would cost over $500)

1 part Di-calcium phosphate
Comes in 50lb bags

2 parts Trace mineral salt
Comes in 50lb bags

1 part Stock salt - comes in 50lb bags

Shopping list
1 50lb bag of Di-Cal
2 50lb bags of Trace Mineral Salt - non medicated
1 50lb bag of stock salt


Directions:

-Use a 3 pound or similar size coffee can to use as your measure for each part of the mix.

-Mix all together well but not until read to use, keep ingredients separate until ready to put to use.

-Dig or tear up a circle in the soil about 36 inches wide and about 6 inches deep.

-Mix your mineral mixture with the soil.

you can even pour it over an old stump and let the it soak in, I bet the stump is gone before next winter, they will chew it up.

Maintenance:

-Replenish in 6 months with fresh supply of mineral, and then each year there after.

If possible have a drinking water source within 100 yds

[smitty55]

Three main things to consider Banjo. Soil depth, hours of sunshine, and moisture. Ridges may get you the most sun, but they tend to have shallower soil and will dry out quicker, so you may have to contemplate supplemental watering during dry spells, which could be quite problematic. Conversely, low lying areas will likely have better soil with more moisture, but adequate sunshine will be harder to find. Bottom line is, without enough hours of sunshine, nothing will grow well.
Whatever you decide to do, I would suggest doing your planting before a sustained rainy period. This will promote good soil contact and ensure faster germination. Adequate moisture is paramount with newly germinated plants or they will quickly die. Hopefully the spot you choose will have atv access, as any planting will benefit from a good dose of lime to sweeten the soil, and a good feeding of 20-20-20 will do wonders to help good growth.

Cheers

[Markus]

Banjo, as stated above...the walk and toss mix from rack stacker is very good. We've had it crow in along our trails in the worst of soil coditions. It doesnt hold up to drought well though, so any sunbeat spots we had on the trails was a negative result. But thats due to gravel/poor soil conditios drying out and a moisture issue in late summer.

[Markus]

Banjo, we put a small food plot in by our camp a few years ago and it was completely done with broadcast seed.

The fall of 2011 we cut all the tree's and brush off it and returned the following spring in 2012 to put a little work into the spot.



We rounded up some friends, shovels, rakes, pick's and a tiller and went to work clearing off the scrub and turning the soil. We also worked some manure into the soil to add some organic matter....as well as some fertilizer and lime. We had done a soil test, so we knew what we needed to add.



Once the soil was well worked, we removed the rocks and raked it....then broadcasted the seed. It was a RackStacker mix of clovers and brasica's. A good rain and we'll be all set.



Year 1
The brasica's were the first to emerge and they took the plot over. The clover has a longer germination period and slower growth rate. However, we knew the brasicas were an annual and the clover would be the the long term future of the crop. The brasica's came in so thick we werent sure if the clover would be able to compete.



The hot sun came in August and the brasicas slowed down...and the clover started to pop through and establish itself. The deer were using it already. Our plan was for it to be a food source for deer to help them prepare for the winter.,,,and a safe area for doe's and fawns come hunting season.



We had a lot of turnips under the canopy too.



That winter, the deer ate all the tops and they dug up the remaining turnip.



Year 2
The following spring, we werent sure what to expect. We knew the brasica's were done and we were hoping the clover would take over. We still had some seed left, so we broadcasted it over the plot. The clover had established root systems, so it came in much quicker...and it took over the plot. Any brasica's in the seed mix we threw on struggled to compete, so it was about 85% clover.



We had more deer using then the plot this year and especially during the summer. We also had more bucks showing up.



That winter, there were no turnips to dig up or brasica tops to eat....but the clover stayed green well into January and the deer dug to it and ate it.



Year 3
This last spring, we decided to just fertilize in the spring and see how well the clover came back. No over seeding, just fertilize and lime. The clover came back very well, but for the first time, we started struggling with weeds. They may have been something in the original seed mix, they may have blown in, they may have bee dropped there in deer turds or they may have came from the manure we used as organic additive. Regardless, we had to do a lot of trimming over the summer to make sure hey didnt overtake the clover. And they didnt...we had another decent crop of white and red clover.



This little plot has been a huge success. It's well used by our resident deer and it's been very low maintenance. I hunted it for the first time last year and took a buck with my bow there....and then again this year I used my extra tag for a meat buck and my daughter took her first deer there during the youth season.



The plan this year is to till up and start fresh with a new seeding. I imagine we'll just go with a blended clover mix, but we may try a few test spots with radish.

[banjo]

Cool... thanks everyone. I will be trying just to scatter some seed for now (that sounds dirty ), and see if there are any results and maybe next year put a plan together to put some effort into it. At the moment, there are a few old dried up beaver bogs that could use some planting before the weeds and grasses move in.
It is sure neat to see those pictures Markus... some work put in and some results from it. We have been doing mineral sites for a couple of years, but we have had very limited sucess... well actually no success harvesting deer from the sites even though they looked visited enough.

[Markus]

Banjo, mineral sites are a huge part of our annual routines too. Matter of fact, they are next on the agenda. Once we have a good melt, we'll return to our "go to" spots that we've been working for years now and freshen them all up. The deer tend to hit the mineral Spring though summer and leave it once they switch over to their pre-rut/fall routines. They go cold around late august.

With the food plots, our mountain deer are/were slow to convert their feeding routines to the plot. The older deer had a very set schedule and other then the occasional browsing, they didnt live at the plots. However, fawns and yearlings that are introduced to the plot at a young age, love it...and have been returning to it. So it's been a bit of a time investment to get it part of their spring/summer routes. Worth it though. We should have a couple older deer this year returning. Urban and agriculture deer tend to hit plots faster and harder.

Get your beaver cleared swamp area started...it'll pay off for you for sure.

[bradford2]

I've often thought of doing this on public land. I just worry it would attract more hunters than deer.
I guess it would be no different than a bait pile really, except you can move the bait pile.

I'm interested to hear how this works out for ya!

[smitty55]

At the moment, there are a few old dried up beaver bogs that could use some planting before the weeds and grasses move in.

Yep, those could be some good spots if they don't flood anymore. Chances are the soil is acidic though, so you should check ph for sure. Wood ash is a free liming agent that adds other micro nutrients to the soil as well. Got any friends who burn wood?

One thing to consider for sure is the local topography and where are the best spots to put stands are for different wind conditions. Then figure out where to put your plot, if you have that option. Also, if the field already has previous year's growth you should kill it first, after it's growing well. Otherwise, anything you plant earlier could just get overshadowed

Good luck with your venture. Sure would be neat to shoot a nice buck off it and make it all worthwhile.

Cheers

[Markus]

Still lots of snow at the food plot, but we wanted to get it cammed up this weekend just to monitor any early spring activity. I took a pic si you can see the area we cut behind our small plot and plan to double the plot size.



We'll begin working on the expansion in June.

[Jimmy_1]

Excellent post!

We have 100+ acres of hilly, treed land.

A lot of natural raspberry on the property and a HUGE pong (about 9 acres) right at the top.

We want to put in some licks and some small plots too. Planning to start this come mid-May.

Will try to take pics and progress.

[Markus]

We decided not to re-till our food plot this year and just let it go for another year. The clover came back ok, but our grass weeds are slowly taking over. It will need attention next year for sure.

We seem to get a spike in activity once the clover flowers. We have 2 regular doe's and a young buck has recently stopped by for a bit of browsing. No fawns with the doe's yet...not sure if they were dry, lost them or if she's still stashing them.



Young buck...



Surprisingly, no bears in the plot yet. But thats ok...we dont need them around the camp! lol