Field of Dreams

[hickslawns]

That is a bunch of work! Just swapping implements can be a pain at times. My tiller is not an easy one to hook. Mine is a Howards Rotavator which is probably older than I am, but it still gets the job done. I hope you are rewarded for your efforts Frank!

 

[Huckleberry Finn]

It ain't called workin the ground for no reason!

Looks good and the job should be easier next time.

 

[MK111]

Swapping the implements isn't that bad. I just about get it right spot the 1st time trying.
I got 1/2 ac. of clover planted today.. And started on the next 1/4 ac. and a nasty thunderstorm rolled in. I got the hell out.
I just got to the house and a lighting strike hit and it made my hair tingle. Raining like hell now. I hopefully plant it wet tomorrow.

 

[MK111]

After getting rained out on the first 1/2 ac. patch I watched the radar and what looked like a one hour break before the next storm.
So I went back and got the other 1.25 ac. planted. I had to plant the last 1/2 ac. in a light rain but no lighting. The 3 inches of mud on my boots was a killer.
I only had 1.75 ac. worked up. So the seed on the ground and now it's good luck if I get a good crop.

I started out wanting to plant a 2.0 ac. pasture into a deer food plot beside my woods. But due to some faulty math it turned out to be 2.9 ac. I have 1.15 ac. left and I will do a Fall planting on that with Whitetail Institute Extreme clover.

 

[hickslawns]

I have 1.15 ac. left and I will do a Fall planting on that with Whitetail Inst. clover.

Never used Whitetail Institute but I have been using Whitetail Select. I have had good results with it so far. Just a thought. You might compare prices. Not sure if there is a big difference or not, but I remember being impressed by the guy at the Deer and Turkey Expo and his product has done well for me. Doesn't mean Institute wouldn't do the same thing or better though.

Glad you got some of it put in around the rains Frank. Hope it kicks butt for you!

 

[MK111]

Thanks Phil. I'm hoping for the best. With these periods of rain this Spring it's throwing everything behind badly.
There is almost no crops planted around here.
I seen Stock Seed Farms mentioned to. I wonder if it's for sale through dealers or only shipped from NE?
I'm going to plant couple different seeds on the last patch but it's getting rather later and I might have to wait till Fall.

 

[hickslawns]

Hoping to get some pictures of mine today. Here is a thought since you are getting different areas done at different times: Plant different blends in each section. Given all other parameters are the same, it would offer a decent comparison. Unfortunately, it is tough to get similar growing conditions in different places.

Another thought is to continue to RoundUp the section you want to plant in the fall. Hit it several more times. Then you could try it in strips to see what works better for you. By this I mean you could work all the ground the same and use different blends. OR. . . you could work the ground to various levels and use all the same seed. You could find the clover thrown on the ground which only got sprayed can grow as well as an area you spent tons of time on.

 

[Big_Holla]

Man a lot of hard work to get it looking great!! Can only hope all that hard work will be paid back to you in dividends alla big bucks!!

 

[MK111]

My food plot is coming along pretty good. I do have a new crop of grass coming up and everything being newly up I can't spray it.
I have 10,000's of turnips, rape, radishes and what ever else was in that 7 Card Stud mix. about 6" high.
Had a near disaster when I found my bull in the plot yesterday. I tried to drive him out by myself but he's still wild from the herding last weekend and wasn't having anything of it.
When I was with him he was only eating the new grass and weeds and never once did I see him eat any of the planted food plot plantings. Maybe I should have left him in there. He left and I put up a better electric fence. I brought the permanent fence supplies down there and will put that up soon.
I fenced for 5 days this week. Hard hot work but good exercise for deer hunting and the heart. All this walking and work has increase my heart output function from 45% to 50%. Big improvement from the 40% function I had 6 yrs. ago.
I tell the wife it's the 250 hrs. of deer hunting I put in last year. I think she likes me out of the house really.
When the fencing is done it's time to build the new hunting tower and hang my 4 new ladder stands.

 

[MK111]

I checked the food plot on the spare of the moment tonite. Man is it growing and filling in. I have wall to wall plants. 10,000's of plants.
I have over a 1.25 ac. of rye grass, brassica, rape, turnips, radish. and oats. The clover does't look good but it might be under the cover and hard to see.
If I think of it I will try for pictures tomorrow when I put my cam camera back up.
I'll be planting 1/2 ac. of winter beans in about 30-45 days. Also 1/2 ac. of clover.

 

[MK111]

I bush hogged the 1 ac. I have to plant yet this fall.
Then I bush hogged the other 2 ac. of planted food plot as the volunteer grass was 3-4 ft. tall. I cut it about 12" high and I got a little bit of the rape that was taller but I don't feel any real harm was done. At least you can see the planted crops now and it looks like a food plot.
I'll weed spray the unplanted area as soon as no rain for couple days this week.

 

[MK111]

Update. 7 days ago I sprayed weed killer on the remaining one acre.
Today I disked the 1 ac. 3 times to break the surface tension up. I disked 2 times one direction then the 3rd time across at a angle.
Then I rototiller it up. It worked up a lot better and deeper than in June. I guess I'm learning as I put 2" more down force on the top link.
There's 1000's of turnips that are tennis ball to softball in size. I emailed Evolved Harvest if it was OK for humans to eat the turnip. I have to check the seed bag as there is a beet really large in there also.
Totally OK and the turnips are good.

Now to figure out what to fall plant.

 

[MK111]

On the way down to feed the cattle at 5:00PM I stopped at my overlook on my food plot. There was what looked like 3 mature does feeding across the food plot. They sure loved the fall oats. After 20 minutes they went into my hunting woods. I was hoping a buck was following them but nothing showed in 20 minutes. I have a clear shot out to 200 yds. from 50 ft. high cliff lookout. It'll be a killing spot with my smokeless ML.

 

[MK111]

It looks like my Field of Dreams food plot has worked out just fine. At 5:30PM today I looked at the food plot from my backyard lookout and there was 7 deer on the plot. In almost 23 yrs. of owning this farm I have never seen over 3 deer in a group ever. Not counting the 4 deer I seen in my backyard over the weekend.
I'm pleased with the outcome. At least one of the deer was a buck as I didn't have my binos with me.
My backyard lookout is 200 yds. from the furthest point in the plot. That's one of the reasons I built up the 45 caliber smokeless ML for a 200 yd. rifle.

The deer all were in the Whitetail Institute winter oats plot. Whitetail Institute had a Thanksgiving special on the winter oats seed. I already have taken delivery of 2 bags enough for 1.0 acs. for 2014. It came up strong and full coverage.

 

[at1010]

It looks like my Field of Dreams food plot has worked out just fine. At 5:30PM today I looked at the food plot from my backyard lookout and there was 7 deer on the plot. In almost 23 yrs. of owning this farm I have never seen over 3 deer in a group ever. Not counting the 4 deer I seen in my backyard over the weekend.
I'm pleased with the outcome. At least one of the deer was a buck as I didn't have my binos with me.
My backyard lookout is 200 yds. from the furthest point in the plot. That's one of the reasons I built up the 45 caliber smokeless ML for a 200 yd. rifle.

The deer all were in the Whitetail Institute winter oats plot. Whitetail Institute had a Thanksgiving special on the winter oats seed. I already have taken delivery of 2 bags enough for 1.0 acs. for 2014. It came up strong and full coverage.

Happy it worked out well for you1 One thing I love it seeing deer eating in a plot that I planted, something about it just feels good!

 

[hickslawns]

Very rewarding. Good to hear your efforts were are paying off.

 

[MK111]

Seen a nice big bodied buck on my food plot last night at 4:30PM. The wind was wrong when I got to the overlook he was running away. Only view I had was through the tree tops and couldn't get a look at his rack but his body was huge.
When the weather breaks I will be cutting all the brush and trash trees down for a better view of the food plot from my overlook. My overlook is a cliff 50 ft. high and gives me a view of the complete plot minus tree top blockage. All trash trees so no harm in cutting down.

 

[hickslawns]

Seen a nice big bodied buck on my food plot last night at 4:30PM. The wind was wrong when I got to the overlook he was running away. Only view I had was through the tree tops and couldn't get a look at his rack but his body was huge.
When the weather breaks I will be cutting all the brush and trash trees down for a better view of the food plot from my overlook. My overlook is a cliff 50 ft. high and gives me a view of the complete plot minus tree top blockage. All trash trees so no harm in cutting down.

That will make you feel good about your efforts! Hope your deer sightings (and big buck sightings) continue to increase as a reward for your efforts Frank.

 

[MK111]

That will make you feel good about your efforts! Hope your deer sightings (and big buck sightings) continue to increase as a reward for your efforts Frank.

Thanks Phil. I only wished I would have started this 22 yrs. ago when I bought the farm. But at that time I was a deer meat hunter and always got a deer for the freezer each year.
I plan on taking some time off from my R&D work during ML season and get a doe for my brother who can't get out to hunt. I want to see just how well received the plot is by the local deer. Also plan on putting up one of my ground blinds at the overlook and do some watching sits with a heater of course. That'll get some laughs in the family.

I already got some seed in for 2104 planting. I'm a little more prepared for next year as I have already got all the equipment on hand. But everything really turned out real good this year. Only disappointment was my bean and pea planting. When it got up about 2-3" The deer moved in and eat every plant. I guess that's good in a way but it would have been better if the plants got some good growth on them. The fall oats really did well and is 7-8" before cold weather set in.
I need to walk down there and check the 1.0 ac. of turnips and misc. planting as that's were the buck ran out of last night.

 

[MK111]

Picture from my cliff overlook on the food plot. In the upper left hand where the tractor trail goes into my woods is 200 yds. The fence line is my property line. My tower sets just off the right side out of view.
All the trash trees and brush at the bottom will be cut down for a clear view of the plot.