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Had some nice plots - thought Id share

at1010

at1010

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This is a plot I call stonehenge - half brassicas/half beans
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This is a cheap BOB brassica mix - Honey Hole ($17.99 per half acre) sure I could mix it myself but that really isn't a bad price, its pre-bagged and convenient
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This is a new plot on the new part of the farm. We called it tire plot. This is mostly a oats/rye/brassica mix
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Here is a picture of big plot
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Here is one of the plots "big plot" as of a few weeks ago! Notice the deer hammering the brassicas!
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I can tell you that one thing I have learned over the years is the importance of soil testing. I don't think you need to amend you soil EXACTLY to the soil test per FERT recommendations but deff get the PH close and know what you are planting. If you are planting brassicas, till some UREA in before planting and try to time with a rain. If you are planting clover hit it with some 6-24-24.

The above are generic recommendations but hopefully my point is somewhat clear.

Let me know anyone has questions! Thanks for reading!
 
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My cousin shot this buck with his bow the day before gun season on the "tire plot"

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Those are some great looking plots. Plenty of diversity! Now that season is almost over and the bitter cold temps have established themselves, are you noticing any preference for a certain plot by the deer?
 
jagermeister said:
Those are some great looking plots. Plenty of diversity! Now that season is almost over and the bitter cold temps have established themselves, are you noticing any preference for a certain plot by the deer?
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Thanks Bud.

I’ll be honest the beans are demolished from the time they are knee high till now. I am seeing some pods left but they have cleaned them up. The brassicas are really getting hit hard now as most of the tops are ate down to the root/bulb.

I am a big fan of diversity and think you need grains and brassicas in plots. I even overseed my clover plots with a grain/rye mix.

With that being said it’s remarkable how some deer will eat the brassicas while others paw through the snow for rye/oats and the others are looking for left over beans.

I won’t go a year on my farm without rotating a brassica mix. A lot of tonnage, feeds deer through the harsh months and solid attraction.
 
Beans have always been the preferred food source at out place. Good luck getting them to last long if you have many deer. Brassicas are doing better every year at drawing the deer. Seems it takes them a year or two to get use to it. But this year they were on it before our corn. I also like rye.
Your plots look good 1010. Its a lot of work but with results like you had its worth it.
 
motorbreaker said:
Beans have always been the preferred food source at out place. Good luck getting them to last long if you have many deer. Brassicas are doing better every year at drawing the deer. Seems it takes them a year or two to get use to it. But this year they were on it before our corn. I also like rye.
Your plots look good 1010. Its a lot of work but with results like you had its worth it.
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Thank you - this is I think our 8th year (maybe 7th) planting them. I agree with you on the beans, the deer LOVE them. WE have always been able to get them started, but the deer hammer them once they get about knee high. I always keep an exclusion fence up to see, and it is typically 3+ foot of difference in browse.

Brassicas deff grow in preference for deer, not to mention they are GREAT for the soil. The long tap roots and the ability to form tubers to breakup soil is fantastic. I really like to plant brassicas 2 years in a row then rotate into clover or beans, then back to brassicas. Right now my plots are split in half and get rotated. I can say that I really believe the rotation helps and you'll notice it when you put turnips into a field that was a legume, then hammer it with UREA at time of planting!

I do have a few small plots that are just clover/chicory - the deer have taken to that very nicely!

Lastly - oats/rye is GREAT, it is so easy to plant/grow. I like to just use it to fill in my plots and add a nice diversity factor to the fields. I have had success with getting rye to grow between clove, turnips, etc.
 
Update on the plots- deer love the brassicas, ate down, and torn up. The last picture is a trail to the plot. Yep they like it!
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Thanks guys!

Yea it’s been a good year. However I didn’t kill a buck which is a bummer but I refuse to shoot a buck I’m not totally happy with at this point.

I am just so blessed to own my own ground and have the ability to pass deer and watch them grow. I’ve also watched the deer numbers go from 1-2 per pic to getting 9+ does in a picture.

I really love this stuff!!
 
Thanks all! Brassicas and rye grain. Easy to plant. Not overly costly, a lot of food, etc. I rotate mine and also pop it with some urea and it’ll grow like hell every year.
 
at1010 said:
I can tell you that one thing I have learned over the years is the importance of soil testing. I don't think you need to amend you soil EXACTLY to the soil test per FERT recommendations but deff get the PH close and know what you are planting. If you are planting brassicas, till some UREA in before planting and try to time with a rain. If you are planting clover hit it with some 6-24-24.

The above are generic recommendations but hopefully my point is somewhat clear.

Let me know anyone has questions! Thanks for reading!
Click to expand...
Thanks for sharing....this is my second year doing food plots so I like to read posts like this to pick up any info that I can.
 
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You bet buddy! I love this stuff, please message me or comment if you have questions and myself or several others on here can help you out!

Just have fun with the plots and youll learn. I have ploted some "magazine cover" plots - only to have the deer eat poke berry coming out of hedgerow on the edge of the plot - haha! Talk about humbling!
 
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