Frank's 2017 food plots projects

[MK111]

4-10-17
Went down and changed my cam cards out and put in new batteries.

The 3 clover plots look good and starting to grow and green up. Will go down in 2-3 weeks and spray for grass and weeds.
I did some spraying in 2016 but need to do a better job.
Then I spread fertilizer.

I'm really disappointed in my forage oats spring regrowth is only about 20-30%. I planted a off brand in 2016 and not my normal WTI oats. That'll not happen again as in the past I always had 90-100% spring regrowth. Be ordering WRI forage oats soon.

In next couple days I will be working on my west side new 1 ac plot. In 2015 I used my tractor and pushed all the ceder trees over but didn't get back to move them out of the way.
This new plot is about 100 yds west of my house through a thick over grown pasture. The main trail comes across the road, goes through the overgrown pasture and across the creek to the neighbors. I got some real trophy pictures of bucks on that trail in 2015-16 in rut times. But never before or after the rut times.
Hoping with a good food plot in that will change on the bucks movement as there are always a lot of doe traffic. As the saying goes 'the boys will follow the girls'.

I plan to keep this post updated as time goes on.

 

[cspot]

Always feels good to get some work done on the plots. Any pics?

 

[Iowa_Buckeye]

Oats are an annual so won't regow in the spring unless you let them head out. Or is that your strategy?

 

[MK111]

Oats are an annual so won't regrow in the spring unless you let them head out. Or is that your strategy?

WTI forage oats for 3 yrs always stayed green all winter and started regrown in the early spring and would head out about 4th July or so. It was great bird food and ground cover the following year. Then I would mow, spray roundup, and till under and do a fall planting of some type.
But this off brand forage oats 70-80% didn't survive the mild winter we had. It's back to WTI forage oats in future plantings.

 

[jlane]

Love doing food plots and watching others do the same.
Pics please, and keep us informed on status of your plots

 

[cspot]

WTI forage oats for 3 yrs always stayed green all winter and started regrown in the early spring and would head out about 4th July or so. It was great bird food and ground cover the following year. Then I would mow, spray roundup, and till under and do a fall planting of some type.
But this off brand forage oats 70-80% didn't survive the mild winter we had. It's back to WTI forage oats in future plantings.

Where I am at in PA, oats will get froze out and killed during the winter. Maybe WTI oats are more cold hardy?

 

[MK111]

Where I am at in PA, oats will get froze out and killed during the winter. Maybe WTI oats are more cold hardy?

Farm wheat and oats are fall planted crops here in the Ohio and get couple inches tall before winter sets in. First thing to start regrowing come spring and harvest time on both are about 4th of July.

 

[cspot]

Farm wheat and oats are fall planted crops here in the Ohio and get couple inches tall before winter sets in. First thing to start regrowing come spring and harvest time on both are about 4th of July.

Winter wheat or winter rye (cereal grains) both are very cold tolerant. They are a great winter food and also in the Spring. I have never had winter wheat or rye get killed during the winter, but the oats I have planted have always gotten killed. I know WTI claims their oats are winter hardy so perhaps they take the cold better? I have never planted them so no experience.

 

[Bigslam51]

Winter wheat or winter rye (cereal grains) both are very cold tolerant. They are a great winter food and also in the Spring. I have never had winter wheat or rye get killed during the winter, but the oats I have planted have always gotten killed. I know WTI claims their oats are winter hardy so perhaps they take the cold better? I have never planted them so no experience.

The winter rye I planted last fall stayed green all winter, mixed some red clover in with it TOO.

 

[MK111]

All I can say of 3 planting of WTI forage oats I always has 90-100% growing come spring. I'll plant WTI oats again this fall.
It gets 4-6" tall before cold temps stops the growth. With 1 ac planted that is a lot of green forage for the deer over winter and early spring.

 

[jagermeister]

Most varieties of oats die off through the winter. If you want better spring growth go with something like winter rye or winter wheat.

 

[jagermeister]

From WTI's website for their "Oats Plus" blend. Wouldn't surprise me if they were putting more than a "small amount" of winter wheat in with this and other oat blends that they sell.

 

[MK111]

Well what ever it is for the $20-30 difference in price I will buy WTI. 3 yrs of excellent results vs 1 year of poor results the WTI wins out.

 

[Iowa_Buckeye]

Is that the trick they pull to keep it green through the winter and into the spring? I would save the $20-$30 for a couple cases of Busch Light and just buy regular oats and mix with some wheat/rye from the local seed dealer.
I've learned to stay away from the expensive 'buck in a bag' marketing and stick with what farmers plant. Their lively-hood depends on the most winter/weather hardy crop and I am sure the competitive seed companies do way more R&D in these areas than WTI to earn their business.
The ones that are really funny are the buck in a bag corn products. So you are telling me those are better than Pioneer, Monsanto, etc? Laughable.

Here is something funny. The oats we plant are actually called 'Frank Forage Oats'!! Hell, they were made for you!!

We get them for $8.55 for a 1.5 bu bag from Welter's (catalog link attached). I would assume they might be available somewhere locally for you (or any other brand agriculture oats). Just mix them with some wheat and/or rye and you will have a beautiful 'oat' plot in the spring!!!

http://welterseed.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Retail-Price-List-2017.pdf

Or stick with you WTI and be thirsty!

 

[MK111]

5-26
Haven't gotten anything done do to wet weather. But come hell or high water I will be bush hogging the clover plots this weekend. The spray for weeds and killing grass.

This is a good reason I buy WTI seed. This clover was planted last summer during a dry spell. My son put in a new firing range backstop and the contractor used part of my dirt mound. The dirt was moved during a rainy spell and the ground was packed solid by the tracked loader. When it dried up my disk would just scratch the surface after couple passes.
So I seeded the WTI clover and then it didn't rain for couple weeks. After a rain and up comes the clover. This is the result in 12" high of clover in over 1/2 ac.

Besides I-B I don't drink beer that much and would rather go dry and buy WTI seed. At my age a missed growing season because of using cheaper seed doesn't make much sense.

 

[Spencie]

Looking very green and lush.

 

[hickslawns]

Looks great Frank!

 

[cspot]

Looks good. I need to mow some of my plots as well, but this time of year makes me nervous with the fawns. I have been so busy that I haven't had a chance to do mine yet.

 

[jagermeister]

That's some damn good looking clover, Frank!

 

[MK111]

Finally got down to bush hog my food plots. Got 1/2 ac and nut came off shear pin bolt. Put in a spare but of course didn't have and wrenches and the nut spun off real quick.
Need to run into RK for harden bolts and nuts. At least I could get across the creek. Two heavy floods ago washed out some of the bank but tractor went right up it OK. My son is going to bring bobcat down and make the drive a ramp again so I can use my golf cart down there.
My BIL is down sizing and moving so I may look at his JD 2155 tractor with frontend loader. He bought it new and has 600 hrs with new rear tires.