phade

numbers are wayyyy down. I thought it was a fluke or birds were off the property, but it's pretty clear numbers are down in my area. Gobbling is much shorter time length in the a.m. and the birds are just so far and few between. I have limited hopes this year.

Smaller parcel size is more favorable to bow hunting. I bet you could give a clear relationship to average parcel size and bowhunting # numbers...as the size decreases, the bowhunters increase. Also, a bit more personal observations...the big buck trend favors bowhunting imo. Sure, orange army has numbers, but many hardcore people hit the rut with bows. Tough tough tough situation for everyone...xbows, how, in what season, season structure...as people noted, as time goes forward, the options become more scrutinized. No answer is going to please everyone and it's a road we must go down....someone is going to be stepped on in one way or another and someone is going to be happy.

Conduct research ang get a business plan.

I don't see how anyone can do it and be successful without value adding services. Overhead and liability outweigh what you can make in a food plotting business. You'd need to A. become certified, or educated to offer management advice B. Sell other things or services along the lines of cams, seed, stands, etc. C. Know how to market and sell. Food plots have narrow time periods where they can be planted or prepared and you can only be in one place at a time. To me, it's a grand idea if you want to try to offset your costs, but it's not a money maker for a family if that is all you are going to do. This seems to come up every year here.

I have plenty of black flash cams. Plenty, lol.

Yeah, a quick check on the ammo I used in it, Ballistic Silvertips...wow...what a jump in price.

With a bow...those dekes are no more than 5-7 yards from my blind. Close is needed imo.

I've pretty much gone away from my strutter starting last year. Good deke, but it does spook away some birds. Jakes I find are much more usable...nearly everything will approach them. I bought the Dakota Extreme Jake this season....DSD rip off but the price was right at Cabelas.

I have a 7mm Rem Mag I haven't shot in 10 years now. No point in shotgun country. Used that thing all the time as a young buck in Virginia. Don't think I'd like the ammo price increase on them.... Seriously though, if they legalize it...I'll be toting a .243. Perfect for that area imo for the average range shots in places I hunt there.

Black Flash is where it's at imo for hunting purposes.

If you can define your price limit, I can overload you with info.

You got it about right. Also, depends on the deke. Breeder hens usually approached from back or side. Jakes, from the front.... A strutter facing to you is good because birds will try to get in the face of the bird, meaning they swing around the deke.

Those are two different models, FE. The Blackout has a camo case. The Blackout CR has a solid black/dark case. The CR model is "close range" and is merely a black flash model 35 with weak black flash.

Depends on bow or gun hunting, honestly.

Congrats!

A couple things...quite a few people here will have differing opinions. I say buckwheat as it'll grow anywhere and is a soil builder. Red clover...maybe a close second. I wouldn't worry about them "using" it. When you are dealing with small plots, you want the lightswitch effect. Off.....ON. Meaning, you want them on it when the timing is right for your hunting. Small plots that get hammered can be a pain to control or deal with. I think you may be better off just controlling the weeds, vegetation with sprays and maintenance and then planting at the appropriate time.

Turnips and Radish mixed for an annual are good. Clover is good as Western noted. I guess, if I had one plot and could take care of it...it'd be a clover mix. Alice white clover, a ladino variety...and maybe a red if I felt so inclined.

If you with an annual such a turnips, radish...you will want to plant in mid/late summer. Some people around here target last week of July and first week of August. I think within that window is fine, but I try to pay more attention to forecast at that time of year.

Way to go!

I'll be getting a .243 no doubt...lol.

Most throw and grow with deer on a bag are a waste of money. Grow gave some good advice. The big question is what kind of equipment do you have access to? Radish, turnips, rape in a plot...then maybe some red clover in the other. Clover can have some maintenance, but I've also seen some people plant clover and let "everything sort itself out"...it wasn't pretty, but they'd get two or three seasons before having to re-do it all. A properly maintained clover plot can last quite a few years, but that seems out of the picture. I'd opt for annuals...

I'm telling ya Paula - you should try to get one. I'd be happy to go out there and try to help you get one.

Congrats!

I have heard there are turkey there, but never been.

On a roll!