Food Plots

[ItalianHunter5]

My father and I were talking and it sounds like we are going to be hunting property in the NZ next year. It's actually our property and we hunted it a couple years back with no luck because we never saw a buck (buck only up there) and since we will be hunting it a few weekends next year I was interested in creating a food plot. Does anyone have any tips on what to plant and what process i'm going through with this as a first timer? I also have a Stealth Cam (worst cam I've ever had btw) that has an extremely slow trigger speed so I would set it up on this plot if we made one. We have an existing field so that makes the process a bit easier too.

[bubba]

What type of property is it?  Where is it located?  what surrounds it?  I have 250 acres in the nz and I plant alfalfa and corn for the cows we raise.  Then I plant about 10 acres of sugar beets in various locations.  The sugar beets work very well as the deer do not touch them until they are hit by frost as they sweeten up then.  So they do not hit them until into season.  Then they dig them up all winter and eat them.  I would recommend them to everyone. 

[ItalianHunter5]

Bubba, it literally has a little bit of everything. There is a decent sized field and right in the middle of it there's a pond, to the right of the field is a really nice section of hardwoods and straight behind the field is a large swamp that I've seen a lot of rubs in. Lots of pines mixed in as well. It's on the Tug Hill Plateau in Lewis County, total I believe the property adds up to be 36 acres.

[bubba]

I prefer small plots in different locations. I am a huge fan of sugar beets as I say for the reasons I mentioned.  I am a little further north in st law county and I have enough growing season for them.  Is there agricultural land around that supplies summer food?  If not I would look into clover for the summer.  Clover plots are good for a few seasons.

[growalot]

sounds like a good place for clover..

 

Bubba you guys must not have too acid a soil up there?  takes me for ever to get a piece good enough for alfalfa or beets....

(stupid kindle)

Edited December 28, 2013 by growalot

[bubba]

we have been growing alfalfa for years.  beets the past 4 with no problems

[UpstateNomad90]

Bubba, it literally has a little bit of everything. There is a decent sized field and right in the middle of it there's a pond, to the right of the field is a really nice section of hardwoods and straight behind the field is a large swamp that I've seen a lot of rubs in. Lots of pines mixed in as well. It's on the Tug Hill Plateau in Lewis County, total I believe the property adds up to be 36 acres.

 

 

 

Get ready for some serious snow! Last year we planted clover at my camp about 30 minutes south of Tug Hill. We have had luck with multiple different types of clover and after we lost a majority of a plot, I did a bail out method of some quick growing grass (Scotts Fall Blend) and it kept the deer still following the trails that we were hunting around. 

[ItalianHunter5]

Thanks for the input guys, I have heard a lot of good things about clover so I think I would definitely do that. Believe it or not, the closest agriculture is about a mile and a half away where they usually plant corn. Down the road there is a lot of state land where there is really no hunting pressure but our neighbors that border the back of the property hunt and told us where to find some deer. They previously hunted the property when their friend owned it. Although I never hear of many deer coming out of those areas, it doesn't hurt to get out a few weekends before I hunt down here. You can't get anything if you stay inside!

[ItalianHunter5]

UpstateNomad, the snow is unbelievable up there! They get so much. I complain about a few inches over here downstate, meanwhile they don't measure in inches up there. They measure in feet!

[UpstateNomad90]

Exactly Italian, I never really hear of many monsters taken around my camp but I spend a majority of my summer scouting for the coming season. With the neighbors having corn makes me wonder if you should try and focus on finding some runways on your property and figure out if a food plot will be effective still.

[bubba]

I am surrounded by agriculture as well as do my own agriculture growing.  That is why I concentrate my plots on fall and winter.  The deer hang out in the corn until it is cut, which is by the time season starts.  Then they appear to go after the vittles I supply. 

[ItalianHunter5]

I'd like to try to make the deer take a turn to come towards us and hang around a while. Maybe clover would be able to do that, A few years ago, I think 3 to be exact we heard of a 10 pointer in the area that a guy down the road killed on his property and then we haven't really heard of much since.

[bubba]

then look at summer and fall plots some clover and some beets.  Four years ago I planted both in one plot worked well the next 3 years the clover kept coming up. This year I plan tp try soybeans in that plot.

[UpstateNomad90]

UpstateNomad, the snow is unbelievable up there! They get so much. I complain about a few inches over here downstate, meanwhile they don't measure in inches up there. They measure in feet!

 

 

 

They get a ton of snow and have a ton of bears, I got this buddy last summer on my camera about .39 miles away from camp. 

After the snow melts go up to your property and just build a map on a sketch pad and label where you find deer and sign.

[Zag]

Ah.. finally a good topic and no one bitchin at each other!! It doesn't sound like its a place u visit often. I would plant Whitetail Inst clover, or their clover, chicory alfalfa blend. Going this route its pretty low maintenance and its available all spring, summer and fall to help keep them frequently visiting. If your there more frequently id go annual and perennial for  the perfect early/late season food source. Good Luck  

[ItalianHunter5]

Wow, that's a decent sized bear. We also got a picture of a bear when I set up a camera when we were there one weekend, it was the first trail camera picture I ever got up there! If I can find the picture i'll definitely post it but I believe it was on the sd card I accidentally deleted the pictures off of...stupid me. But it does seem like we will be going up there more often, usually the first time being in May after the winter, so that's when i'll begin to scout. Clover is seeming like a really big thing though, hopefully it'll work for me as well

[UpstateNomad90]

I had between 4-6 different bears on my camera that were all .39 miles away from camp, a kid from a few camps down from me ended up shooting one that weighed 305 dressed. But good luck this summer with setting everything up and don't forget clover costs a pretty penny so do some soil tests to check the PH level and just take your time and ask questions if you are unsure. 

[ItalianHunter5]

Lots of bear and big ones. Thanks UpstateNomad, hopefully it'll lead to success

[growalot]

I personally like jumbo...Kopu ll....Alice and kura wht and star red clovers...Take a look at Welter seed and honey company....less expensive than wht tail institute...

[Zag]

A good friend of mine who is head and shoulders more knowledgeable about food plots than me planted one of his fields half some type of farmers clover and half WI clover. He said hands down they focused on the WI clover. I've only used WI  and have only had good luck with there seed. Cost is only an issue in the absence of value, value you will find!!

[SplitG2]

WI is mostly berseem clover. Its a cheap priced clover. Not worth the money they want.

Edited December 31, 2013 by SplitG2

[phade]

When it comes to clover, no reason to buy WI at all.

 

There's been a bunch of good varieties mentioned. I am a huge fan of Alice and good old fashioned Ladino.