Thinking of getting into food plotting?

[G-Man]

For those of you thinking about getting into food plotting, do you know what you need depending on size of your plot? I know atv equipment is available but is it worth the price not to mention wear and tear on your expensive atv? Do you really need a 4 wheel drive tractor? Some may just want to pay to have someone come and do the work but is it cost effective? Hopefully the people that are serious food plotters can give you there opinions and share their experiance with you. Post some questions here and i and i'm sure some other will be glad to try to help you !

[HuntOrBeHunted]

All the plot's I hunt are smaller all done with man power and they attract deer all year round. Not as hard as some may say to get a decent plot going. Most part is people these days are lazy lol. Hard work pays off. And so doesn't a food plot.

... Lol.

[SplitG2]

You can put in a food plot with very little equipment but I plant Nutritional plots and I have acquired bigger equipment to help me. One thing I learned is take it slow and learn about soil, fertilizer and seeds. Like hunting, keep in fun!

[Gthphtm]

It all depends on what type of land you are going to put your plots in, is it acres of open farm land or is it heavly wooded and rocky land.Also your age and health is a factor on how you are going to do it.A 20 to 40 year old can do a lot more then a 50 to 70 year old.

[growalot]

Lol...speak for your self I'm 55 This year and still adding more land....Hahahaha....Just takes a little more Ben -gay

[landtracdeerhunter]

If it's any bigger than my living room, it's tractor power for me, except for the frost seeding. I get enough workout with haying, LOL.

[sits in trees]

not sure about using ATVs but i know alot of guys do, and make some pretty good food plots. if you are going to be tilling rocky soil you will need a tractor, something with some weight and arse behind it. quads are a little light for real tilling in rocky soil and if your wanna due larger plots i think it has to be a tractor. a 4wd tractor is not necessary, i can pretty much get anywhere with my massey which is going on 50 years old. i tool right thru the woods with it as long as it fits and my marshes are real dry. but if marshes are real wet like they usually are in spring then 4wd or not your gonna sink and get stuck and that aint fun...once you have plots established than i see no reason that the couldnt be maintained with lighter equipment like a 4 wheeler...

[Gthphtm]

Lol...speak for your self I'm 55 This year and still adding more land....Hahahaha....Just takes a little more Ben -gay

Well grow. at 72 I am still adding more also ( remember I just asked about a corn plot ) For me it's a heating pad + Ben - gay.

[nyslowhand]

"....Some may just want to pay to have someone come and do the work but is it cost effective?...."

If you remove the upfront, intial cost of equipment & its' maintenance or repairs out of the equation, this may be actually cheaper. That is if you clear the land yourself, then contract to plow or cultivate the soil. You may get away with only a rototiller for subsequent plantings. Guess it's all based on how much disposable income you'll part with and what the improvement is worth to you. If your a person that enjoys the escape from the Mon-Fri grind by playing with dozers, tractors, etc on weekends - more power to you!

[Lawdwaz]

Can't put a price on personal satisfaction.

[sits in trees]

"....Some may just want to pay to have someone come and do the work but is it cost effective?...."

If you remove the upfront, intial cost of equipment & its' maintenance or repairs out of the equation, this may be actually cheaper. That is if you clear the land yourself, then contract to plow or cultivate the soil. You may get away with only a rototiller for subsequent plantings. Guess it's all based on how much disposable income you'll part with and what the improvement is worth to you. If your a person that enjoys the escape from the Mon-Fri grind by playing with dozers, tractors, etc on weekends - more power to you!

yea this is spot on, once you have it in theres no need for anything major in equipment to replant in following years, just a tiller or something along those lines. renting would be a great option for the first plant and preparing soil.

[Gthphtm]

For me the cost of the tractor has paid off,I did not buy it just for food plots,I have built hundreds of feet of stone retaning walls some as high as 10" tapering to 4",back filling the walls and reparing existing walls.The clearing pieces for food plots is 2 fold as I burn around 10 cords of wood each year to heat my house and garage.The tractor wit a front loader is the best money ever spent.I went the tow behind route with the ATV,with a yorke rake I had to secure 4 8 inch cement blocks to it for weight to even brake the ground.Took it apart and made a 3 point hitch setup for the tractor.I also use the tractor for moving snow in the winter off of my 200' of driveway.

As Lawdwaz said ; Can't put a price on personal satisfaction. As looking out the window now and watching the deer scraping one of the plots behind the house looking for food.

[growalot]

I just love all three of the JD...the front end loader and the backhoe attachment are price less for a bigger piece of land..the disc for plots and pastures...brush hog for the big fields...the smaller ones for mowing, hauling and dragging...... I rely on more and more...just wish I could find a used YR...but we may buy one this year

Though I got a lot of the plots done by hand with a tiller and still do on some remote ones.

Everyone has to figure cost to worth...... in their own way...we bought the big JD to care for the land and it was the logging of 9acres that payed for the tractor...I look at it as free

[landtracdeerhunter]

This rototiller does a beautiful job of breaking up any somewhat rock free soil. The problem is it will only reach a depth of 3-4" in my clay loam soil. I have to use a chisel style plow to reach a depth of 6". I have done several gardens in the area, nearly paying for the unit. I enjoy seeing the results this unit returns.

My dogie hitches a ride on the tractor with me and has to get in the pic, LOL.

Edited February 11, 2013 by landtracdeerhunter

[Fantail]

Got a rear-tine tiller? Great - hope you don't mind clearing tines of roots frequently. And kicking up rocks. Friggin rocks..

[growalot]

I had to remove the gaurd off my walk behind...Ya there is a reason for them...I found out the hard way...when a rock the size of a soccer ball hurled past my temple catching my hair as it past...scared me so bad I actually hurled...New tiller...still has its guard on!...I hate rocks as well

Edited February 11, 2013 by growalot

[Five Seasons]

I have a tiller attachment on my weed trimmer. It's not for the large job but if you utilize a good rain and soft ground early in the spring it gets the job done. I was thinking of doing a small patch this year but also have an ambitious overgrown mature apple tree restoration project in mind so i'm not sure i'll get to it.

http://www.lowes.com...ct_avg_rating|1

http://www.lowes.com...ct_avg_rating|1

the brushcutter does a good job too

http://www.lowes.com...ct_avg_rating|1

i think you really only the heavy duty stuff if the manual labor is too much for you or you're clearing and taking out bushes, trees and what not.

Edited February 11, 2013 by Belo

[Zag]

I use my jd 212 garden tractor & a york rake. My plots are not large but its worked perfect. If I need alittle more ill use the walk behing rototiller. Takes quite awhile but its very cost effective. Most seed i use doesnt need much depth.

[josephmrtn]

We are dairy farmers so ive got all the heavy equipment i will ever need for food plotting avalible to me...

[G-Man]

Some of you must have great ground or small plots... my neighbor bought a 3 pt tiller and busted 9 teeth off it first day i now plow his field for him. Cant beat plow and disk for reclaiming old sod or fallow fields.. i like using a field cultivator after the 30 year old sod is gone,

[G-Man]

Some of you must have great ground or small plots... my neighbor bought a 3 pt tiller and busted 9 teeth off it first day i now plow his field for him. Cant beat plow and disk for reclaiming old sod or fallow fields.. i like using a field cultivator after the 30 year old sod is gone,

[growalot]

yep thats why we went with a disc....

[bbrummon]

You can spend a lot of money on equipment for food plots but you don’t have to.

A couple of my best were created by clearing with a chainsaw, spraying three times with round up and then just throwing down some winter rye and clover seed. I seeded after the 1st of August just before a rainy spell hits. I have done up to a 1/2 acre that way.

Winter rye is amazing. The deer like it and it takes off fast. I have seeded one weekend and come back the next to find it 3" tall. The seed that even lands on stumps sprout!

Last year I let the rye seed out. The turkeys liked it. This year in a different plot I want to wait until it's about 6" tall and spray some of it with poast plus and 2,4-d,b to let the clover just come up.

On one of my older clover plots I want to try Ed Spinazzola's reduced roundup on clover to kill weeds and not the clover. If this works I won’t even have to mow which means I don't need to spend money of a tractor and implements. I want to make a hand held weed wiper alos to hit the tall weeds.

Bob

[growalot]

Ya know what ever works...brings the critters around and gives ya enjoyment...That's the most important thing........ with the health of the critters being right up there as well.

Some people spend thousands on the hobby of collecting things...others on optics...guns... fancy cars and some working land and the gadgets to do it.... different strokes

[landtracdeerhunter]

Some of my equipment is always for sale. I never get attached to a piece of iron, LOL.