I'd check into one of those electric fences they make just for food plots to keep the deer out until your peas and beans have grown enough to sustain browsing pressure. I'm not sure how much they cost though.
My whole farm is high tension electric fenced. The only way to keep deer out with a fence is to make the fence 3D construction. Put up one fence say 52" high and then put up a 2nd fence 36" or so high about 3 ft. from the higher fence. That info is direct from a fencing company expert. Supposed to work almost 100%. For some reason a deer can't figure out how to jump a 3D type fence. I'll may give it a try.
I never gave it a thought when I planted. maybe this coming year.
I had a exciting food plot watching night. At 4:30PM after feeding and watering my cattle I grabbed my lawn chair and sat on my overlook looking at the food plot. At 4:45 about 11 turkeys walked across the plot going West. At the same time a 2nd flock of 31 turkeys was walking East through the center of plot. They feed through the winter oats plot and entered the brush on the South.
At 5:20 I see a buck through the tree tops in the winter oats. He feeds for about 10 minutes the keeps staring at the brush to the South. In couple minutes out of the brush walks another larger buck with only one visible antler of the right side, The 1st buck walks over to the 2nd buck and stands beside it then starts licking it's neck. Kinda difficult to see a 150 yds. through the tree tops. After couple minutes they sorta tickle their horns some then go about feeding side by side. Both bucks looked like 6-10 points about 12-16 in. high.
Then the 2nd larger buck stares to the West the trots that way stopping couple times but leaves my view due to the tree tops. After several minutes the other buck trots that way out of view. I gotta cut that brush down for more view.
At 5:45 there are several deer in the winter oats and couple deer walking across the turnips patch. It's now too dark even with 7x35 binocs to make what they are. There's now at least 6 deer feeding.
I have to say the food plot is drawing the deer. I quite please with the results.
It was a 1st for me tonight to see 2 bucks tickle horns even just alittle. I'm putting a blind up now that the snow is gone over looking the plot. The family with think I'm alittle crazy but they have probably thought that for some time when it comes to my deer hunting.
At 5:20 I see a buck through the tree tops in the winter oats. He feeds for about 10 minutes the keeps staring at the brush to the South. In couple minutes out of the brush walks another larger buck with only one visible antler of the right side, The 1st buck walks over to the 2nd buck and stands beside it then starts licking it's neck. Kinda difficult to see a 150 yds. through the tree tops. After couple minutes they sorta tickle their horns some then go about feeding side by side. Both bucks looked like 6-10 points about 12-16 in. high.
Then the 2nd larger buck stares to the West the trots that way stopping couple times but leaves my view due to the tree tops. After several minutes the other buck trots that way out of view. I gotta cut that brush down for more view.
At 5:45 there are several deer in the winter oats and couple deer walking across the turnips patch. It's now too dark even with 7x35 binocs to make what they are. There's now at least 6 deer feeding.
I have to say the food plot is drawing the deer. I quite please with the results.
It was a 1st for me tonight to see 2 bucks tickle horns even just alittle. I'm putting a blind up now that the snow is gone over looking the plot. The family with think I'm alittle crazy but they have probably thought that for some time when it comes to my deer hunting.
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I went down and checked my food plot today. 1/2 ac. of only winter oats is completely eaten down to the grown. It was planted with winter beans and peas but when the beans and peas got 2-3 in. high the deer eat every plant. That'll have to be fenced to grow in the future.
1/2 ac. of Whitetail Inst. forage oats and triticale which was 6-8 in. high closest to the Southern brush line 1/3 is eaten down to the ground. The 1.0 ac. of turnips, rape, brassicas and misc. has been hit also. Didn't check to see if they are digging up the turnips yet.
Looks like the plot is drawing and holding local deer. Well pleased with the results.
1/2 ac. of Whitetail Inst. forage oats and triticale which was 6-8 in. high closest to the Southern brush line 1/3 is eaten down to the ground. The 1.0 ac. of turnips, rape, brassicas and misc. has been hit also. Didn't check to see if they are digging up the turnips yet.
Looks like the plot is drawing and holding local deer. Well pleased with the results.
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Sounds like an enjoyable Christmas day activity for you to go check out the results. You really need to keep an eye on stuff or at least fence in some small sections or you may think your plots didn't come up. We have had a couple where we thought our plots died. Upon closer investigation we realized they were simply eaten down to the dirt.
Merry Christmas Frank!
Merry Christmas Frank!
In 2014 I'll put some protective cages in the plots to measure true plant growth. Since it's my 1st year at food plots I'm still learning. Well maybe.
Checked the food plot tonight at 5:30PM. I made too much noise with the golf cart and 6 deer was running away. I could tell 3 were nice bucks with antlers. Have to be more careful in the future.
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You're having more fun living the lifestyle of a deer hunter than you would just hunting, Frank! Enjoy it!
I'm enjoying it. My lookout is 50 yds. from my patio and on the edge of a 50 ft. cliff overlooking the food plot. The plot below is 100 ft. to 200 yds. away. So it's a easy convenient place to get to in a hurry.
I checked the plot tonight at 5:45PM. I didn't bring my bino's along and I could see at least 10 deer moving around in the winter oats plot ay 150 yds. I hope there's some left for ML season.
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You must have prime land for a food plot. I don't feel we benefit as much from plots around here due to the abundance of crop fields. Glad to hear it is doing so well for you Frank. That is awesome.
In the immediate area there really isn't much crops planted. The next 100 ac. farm behind to the South of me is 100% hay production. All the building lots here must be 200 ft. wide and 5 ac. so everything is built up pretty much. The only crops is South on the next farm but I don't know what they planted this year. There was a small 10 ac. field of beans about 500 yds. to the East.
So I guess I do have a prime area to draw deer with food plots as it turned out this year.
This 1/2 ac. of Whitetail Inst. forage winter oats with triticale is a killer of a plot. I'll plant a full acre in 2014 and a little earlier to get more growth before cold weather sets in. I already got the seed.
Then I'll plant 1.0 ac. of that Frigid Forage Big N Beastly since it has sugar beets in it. The 1.0 ac. of Evolved Harvest 7 card Stud of turnips and Misc. really did well. I haven't noticed much activity in yet because the deer is just mowing the oats off. I'm sure the deer will start on it in earnest when the oats is gone.
According to Whitetail Inst. this strain of oats was taken out of a University study of new oats strains because of deer damage. I can really see why as before long there won't be anything let to grow it you was planting to harvest the oats.
Then I plan to frost seed 1.0 ac. of Whitetail Inst. clover on top of the clover I have planted now.
Being my 1st year of food plots and the success I'm seeing I'll put in more in different spots. I got couple more spots in mind around the farm. But I have to give this more thought as I want to draw deer to my key hunting spots and not have the deer drawn to area I don't or can't hunt.
I invited my brother who is having health problems down for couple days of ML season. Since I have a enclosed heated tower on the food plot it will be a comfortable all day hunt.
Thoughts anyone on this issue of scattered food plots out of your key hunting area?
So I guess I do have a prime area to draw deer with food plots as it turned out this year.
This 1/2 ac. of Whitetail Inst. forage winter oats with triticale is a killer of a plot. I'll plant a full acre in 2014 and a little earlier to get more growth before cold weather sets in. I already got the seed.
Then I'll plant 1.0 ac. of that Frigid Forage Big N Beastly since it has sugar beets in it. The 1.0 ac. of Evolved Harvest 7 card Stud of turnips and Misc. really did well. I haven't noticed much activity in yet because the deer is just mowing the oats off. I'm sure the deer will start on it in earnest when the oats is gone.
According to Whitetail Inst. this strain of oats was taken out of a University study of new oats strains because of deer damage. I can really see why as before long there won't be anything let to grow it you was planting to harvest the oats.
Then I plan to frost seed 1.0 ac. of Whitetail Inst. clover on top of the clover I have planted now.
Being my 1st year of food plots and the success I'm seeing I'll put in more in different spots. I got couple more spots in mind around the farm. But I have to give this more thought as I want to draw deer to my key hunting spots and not have the deer drawn to area I don't or can't hunt.
I invited my brother who is having health problems down for couple days of ML season. Since I have a enclosed heated tower on the food plot it will be a comfortable all day hunt.
Thoughts anyone on this issue of scattered food plots out of your key hunting area?
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There are books and books and websites and loads of information on plots. I am sure you know already, but with every property different it is tough to say what is right. I am probably not the one to help much anyway. I haven't done it long enough or seen enough different scenarios to offer many suggestions.
The one thing I did notice on ours was the shape. I feel we did better when we planted edges of fields and led them towards a tree stand versus when we had a wide open 10-20acres planted.
The one thing I did notice on ours was the shape. I feel we did better when we planted edges of fields and led them towards a tree stand versus when we had a wide open 10-20acres planted.
I looked out my bedroom window at 5:30 PM. I can see one small batch of my food plot about 100 ft. where one trail leads to the neighbors hay field.
I seen 5 large deer walking out of the plot on the trail and on 3 deer I could see horns in the setting sun. It's about 200 yds.
I can see myself getting a good long distance camera and tripod.
I seen 5 large deer walking out of the plot on the trail and on 3 deer I could see horns in the setting sun. It's about 200 yds.
I can see myself getting a good long distance camera and tripod.
I highly recommend it. Love doing this. I refer to it as "catch and release hunting". Shoot them with the camera. I figure if I can snap a picture within 100yds or less I could easily have killed them. To me it is the hunt more than the kill. Probably why I will end up eating my next few buck tags. I am not lucky enough to fill one with regularity. Plus I only see the big boys when driving or when I am scouting or dropping the kids off to soccer practice and not able to hunt. lmao
I'm getting ready for 2014 planting of my food plot. Since I had good luck with the Whitetail Inst. Forage oats with I decided to put in 1.5 ac. this year.
I haven't see much use of the Evolved harvest 7 Card Stud turnips and misc. crops I decided to put in some Frigid Forage Big-n-Beastly. I'm sure the deer are hitting it but I like the fact that the Frigid Forge has sugar beets in it and want to give it a try.
I'll also do a spring frost seeding on top of the clover I got planted now.
I haven't see much use of the Evolved harvest 7 Card Stud turnips and misc. crops I decided to put in some Frigid Forage Big-n-Beastly. I'm sure the deer are hitting it but I like the fact that the Frigid Forge has sugar beets in it and want to give it a try.
I'll also do a spring frost seeding on top of the clover I got planted now.
I went down and looked at my food plot close up. From what I seen almost every turnip had the green leave tops ate off down to the turnip. I really didn't see much evidence of the actual turnip bulb being eaten.
I didn't spend too much time looking. I got stuck in the mud with my golf cart and when I got out I headed for home.
The whole 1 ac. of 2 types of winter oats has been eaten down to the ground.
Can't wait to get started planting and getting ready for 2104.
Frost planting clover soon.
I didn't spend too much time looking. I got stuck in the mud with my golf cart and when I got out I headed for home.
The whole 1 ac. of 2 types of winter oats has been eaten down to the ground.
Can't wait to get started planting and getting ready for 2104.
Frost planting clover soon.
Since I was down at my food plot today I did a good check. There was 10,000"s of turnips and radishes planted and every one had the green top eat off. Some of the turnips were eaten. There wasn't a top left and they didn't freeze off. Cleanly bit off.
I'm thinking of planting some of Merit Seeds Groundhog radish since they have such large leafy tops.
I'm thinking of planting some of Merit Seeds Groundhog radish since they have such large leafy tops.