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Post by terrifictom on Jun 6, 2021 7:19:26 GMT -6
Some talk about weeds in food plots. A couple pictures of deer eating weeds that are growing in last year's soybean plot. I have been getting lots of pics of deer, both morning and evening of deer eating what ever is growing in there. That is why I don't get real excited if I have some weeds in my plots. I will be spraying this plot in a few weeks for a later planting of brassicas.   |
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Post by smsmith on Jun 6, 2021 9:52:29 GMT -6
I decided a couple years ago to pretty much give up on my north plot. All I've done is to frost seed a few lbs. of clover mix each spring and mow it once a year with the billy goat. It's probably half weeds and half clover mix. Most everything gets browsed, except thistles and marestail.
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Post by Catscratch on Jun 6, 2021 9:56:49 GMT -6
I like the weeds. Weeds been a plot with quail guys for decades, works for deer too.
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Post by smsmith on Jun 6, 2021 10:05:06 GMT -6
I think I've brought up the topic of forest openings a few times here with not much follow up discussion. The first thing I ever read "food plot" related was a DNR publication about creating and maintaining forest openings. The only thing discussed about planting anything was throwing out some clover seed on trails for grouse. I suppose I read that sometime in the late 70s or early 80s.
We've gone all the way from that, to now pretty much farming on a small scale.
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Post by leexrayshady on Jun 6, 2021 10:47:32 GMT -6
The only problem with weed plots are sure they are fine as summer food. But they are pretty much useless as fall and winter food source. First few frosts and they are usually toast
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Post by chummer16 on Jun 6, 2021 12:00:24 GMT -6
I think I've brought up the topic of forest openings a few times here with not much follow up discussion. The first thing I ever read "food plot" related was a DNR publication about creating and maintaining forest openings. The only thing discussed about planting anything was throwing out some clover seed on trails for grouse. I suppose I read that sometime in the late 70s or early 80s. We've gone all the way from that, to now pretty much farming on a small scale. Pretty much all my plots are forest openings. I really like how my stump plot is coming around. I have good luck getting clover established in these clearings and it hangs on for a few years before it has to be nuked and start over. |
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Post by Sandbur on Jun 6, 2021 12:08:27 GMT -6
I like the weeds. Weeds been a plot with quail guys for decades, works for deer too. It would be worth just dragging a disk through a few open areas and see what happens. With this drought, that might provide something edible, if there was just a bit of rain for germination. |
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Post by honker on Jun 6, 2021 12:47:32 GMT -6
I like the weeds. Weeds been a plot with quail guys for decades, works for deer too. It would be worth just dragging a disk through a few open areas and see what happens. With this drought, that might provide something edible, if there was just a bit of rain for germination. I just did that two weeks ago in transition area around the woods along old pasture and in a couple of the bigger openings. |
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Post by Sandbur on Jun 6, 2021 13:52:28 GMT -6
It would be worth just dragging a disk through a few open areas and see what happens. With this drought, that might provide something edible, if there was just a bit of rain for germination. I just did that two weeks ago in transition area around the woods along old pasture and in a couple of the bigger openings. Please post some pictures of the growth and deer usage. |
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Post by MoBuckChaser on Jun 6, 2021 16:22:22 GMT -6
Deer love ragweed and water hemp. Plus many others. Since a deers diet consists of about 65% browse, it’s ok to have some weeds in your plot. But if they get out of hand, you will lose in the end. Just sayin.
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Post by nhmountains on Jun 6, 2021 16:50:37 GMT -6
I think I've brought up the topic of forest openings a few times here with not much follow up discussion. The first thing I ever read "food plot" related was a DNR publication about creating and maintaining forest openings. The only thing discussed about planting anything was throwing out some clover seed on trails for grouse. I suppose I read that sometime in the late 70s or early 80s. We've gone all the way from that, to now pretty much farming on a small scale. That’s what I’ve been doing the past 3 winters. Sunlight hitting the ground due to an open canopy in an amazing thing. Walking through dark woods snd seeing the open areas ahead must sound the dinner bell for deer. |
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Post by smsmith on Jun 6, 2021 18:38:39 GMT -6
I think I've brought up the topic of forest openings a few times here with not much follow up discussion. The first thing I ever read "food plot" related was a DNR publication about creating and maintaining forest openings. The only thing discussed about planting anything was throwing out some clover seed on trails for grouse. I suppose I read that sometime in the late 70s or early 80s. We've gone all the way from that, to now pretty much farming on a small scale. That’s what I’ve been doing the past 3 winters. Sunlight hitting the ground due to an open canopy in an amazing thing. Walking through dark woods snd seeing the open areas ahead must sound the dinner bell for deer. Different. That's been my goal for years. Present/create something different on the acreage I control. Deer and many other woodland critters like different. |
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Post by Bwoods11 on Jun 6, 2021 18:43:22 GMT -6
I usually have one weedy plot a year and surprisingly it’s active with deer and pheasant. Last years corn stalks, I just left them get weedy and the wildlife are in there.
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Post by Foggy on Jun 6, 2021 18:49:14 GMT -6
The only problem with weed plots are sure they are fine as summer food. But they are pretty much useless as fall and winter food source. First few frosts and they are usually toast ^ This is the elephant in the room. Come November....you need some kinda attractant to get those deer in front of your blind......and some good summer groceries grows better deer. |
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Post by smsmith on Jun 6, 2021 18:54:07 GMT -6
The only problem with weed plots are sure they are fine as summer food. But they are pretty much useless as fall and winter food source. First few frosts and they are usually toast ^ This is the elephant in the room. Come November....you need some kinda attractant to get those deer in front of your blind......and some good summer groceries grows better deer. We didn't need that when I started deer hunting. Enclosed blinds were likely illegal back then, at the least we would have considered hunting out of such a thing unethical. I think plenty of deer hunters (me included) have become really, really lazy in the last 20-30 years |
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