Turkey Plot?

[Meat First]

I have a small overgrown meadow which I'm looking to attract some turkeys to.  Now i have only use of small mower and hand tiller so I'm keeping the plot size at maybe 30yds by 30 yds.  Is it possible to grow anything that will attract birds this May?   Any help will be appreciated.

[moog5050]

The few we have seemed to like to pick bugs from the small clover plot we had, but I am no expert.  Helped with deer too and easy to maintain.

[Pygmy]

What Moogie said.....I have several acres in clover and  I have birds in it every spring, grazing, strutting and bugging..

Actually, I bought the clover seed through NYSNWTF's  seed subsidy program .. It is called " RUT-N-STRUT" and it is a blend of 4 or 5 different species of clover.

[Meat First]

Would it green up by May?  How early can i plant?

[landtracdeerhunter]

I grow winter wheat for the turkeys, deer, and what other critters want to eat it. Turkeys will eat the grain right out of the heads. Quite comical to watch them jumping up to get it. More of a June July thing though.

[growalot]

Here:

1st coming to a sweet rye/clover trail plot. Next 3, clover and clover/chicory...off of beans. the last a mix off of beans clover and hemp. That was brassicas, clovers ,and bush beans they were in...clovers and chicory is a good combo...Now for something quick this spring. If the area is already free of heavy leaf cover...and you know the PH isn't horrible go frost seed some medium red clover Here it's done in early March...We are in the cold hills. As soon as it warms up a little. hit it with a bunch of rye grain that you can just drive or use a roller over to avoid scratching up the young clover...This is just to get you through spring turkey...then go in and really plant something. Lay down the rye seed well before turkey season or you can get into trouble for baiting...I said lots...because what ever you plant, be it clover to corn/beans....they will find that seed...

Edited February 13, 2017 by growalot

[dbHunterNY]

a bend of oats, clover, and chicory.  oats get mowed off when you maintain the plot after the season. oats provide fawning cover before then.  clover provides most of your summer forage and chicory carries into the fall.  plant first part of april unless it's unusually cold.  plant high up with full sun.  don't plant in a shady bottom where the cold will pocket up with nowhere to go.  you'll get draw/attention of more birds around too being on a visible knoll.

[Meat First]

Ok ph isn't terrrible so early March seed with med red clover? ok got it.. Then rye grain in April??  Now I'm not down to dirt its an overgrown field so I do no tilling??

[growalot]

If the PH isn't bad you can go with spring oats or wheat and chicory. as dbhunter mentioned. The soil needs to be a tad warmer for those...and do it before or after a rain and if you can drive over to pack with out tearing up the ground. Other wise take a roller or have your family /friends join you and walk around it a bit... Mind you this is sight and specifics unknown...but these are your easiest seeds to work with and cheap for now ...until you can decide further specifics later after you see how this worked or you want a bigger project.

[landtracdeerhunter]

 Here's some food for thought for little money. Turkeys like to visit freshly plowed and worked soils. I have moldboard plow different fields, then finding turkeys on them following days. They also like to come in after spots have been worked up to pick the newly planted seeds. Another nice draw; spreading manure  on the fields.

[LET EM GROW]

My favorite plot for turkey is a Fall planted Forage Oat  with White Clovers and Chicory. Especially come March and April the following Spring when this is the first to emerge. You wont be able to keep them out of it. Ill post the pics again..  

Mow and maintain your clovers, Then just over-seed the grain of your choice back into it every late August/ early September. That way the grains will use the nitrogen produced from the clovers and not the weeds using it..  

The plot in the pics is a Whitetail Institute Forage Oat Plus with White Clover mix. Then frost seeded that March with More White Clovers and Chicory. 

[landtracdeerhunter]

Nice pics on this thread!

[Meat First]

Great info too thanks guys

[moog5050]

On ‎2‎/‎14‎/‎2017 at 8:15 AM, LET EM GROW said:

My favorite plot for turkey is a Fall planted Forage Oat  with White Clovers and Chicory. Especially come March and April the following Spring when this is the first to emerge. You wont be able to keep them out of it. Ill post the pics again..  

Mow and maintain your clovers, Then just over-seed the grain of your choice back into it every late August/ early September. That way the grains will use the nitrogen produced from the clovers and not the weeds using it..  

The plot in the pics is a Whitetail Institute Forage Oat Plus with White Clover mix. Then frost seeded that March with More White Clovers and Chicory. 

Love the cam name

[LET EM GROW]

Love the cam name

I call that food plot the "murderplot" lol. 1/2 acre plot between bedding and destination feed.

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[LET EM GROW]

It's a spot turkeys love to be as well, and the birds roost about 200 yards north and south of here

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[Meat First]

Check this out http://www.theverge.com/2017/3/2/14792602/turkeys-circling-dead-cat-animal-behavior-twitter-video

[growalot]

lol.... maybe they are waiting for the maggots to hatch....

[G-Man]

A fresh field of oats or wheat .. Planted in April is a good may draw.. Want more than may ..go with a clover mix over seeded in the oats or wheat when it's about 4 to 6 inches high.. ..clover needs a full year of growth to fill in...

[Buckmaster7600]

I buy feed oats by the 50lb bag for next to nothing and spread them thick usually late March early April. I disked my oat plots yesterday.


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[sailinghudson25]

If you do not have time to till try this.

 

Put some lime and fertilizer down, then some oats and clover.  Then mow it as low as you can go.  Do this in early april.

Thats about .18 acre.  I bag of garden fertilizer, 4 or 5 bags of lime.

IF you have time to till.  I'd only till down 3 or 4 inches, about 1/2 way on most tillers.  IF you time is limited, this will keep garden rototillers from stalling.  Also, you could be hitting a ton of rocks.  Even if you can till down to 2 inches, you'd be good.

Alot of folks say 1 or 2 tons per acre.  That's under the general assumption you're mixing in the lime 6 to 8 inches in.  Lime doesn't move down in the soil unles you put it there.  So, if you only get a shallower till, then use less lime.  4 inch till maybe 1/2 as much, a 2 inch surface scratch, then you could use a quarter as much.

 

I am going to try the overseed no till oats.  It is actually a common move for farmers during crop rotations.  It's in  a 4 year old clover plot.  I've been told oats die when you mow them.  However, it's a great nursery crop, much like wheat, or italian winter rye.

After doing a couple of food plots, you like to try new things.   How are the plot edges?  If they're not that good and open, I would be tempted to do the oats and clover overseed around the open perimeter areas.  You can always mow and till in early may if you change your mind.  Or leave it alone and have a fresh mini plot for early bow season.

 

[sailinghudson25]

No-till overseed you can add an extra 40% or so seed due to decreased germination success.

Typical is about 80 to 90 lbs and acre of oats.  8lbs of ladino clover roughly.  These are stand alone amounts.  But, they usually cut down the mixtures by 40% when you plant both together anyway.

I'd say measure out a 50lb bag of oats  Use half, then 2lbs of clover.  IF you do the no till.  Mow afterwards.  The mulch keeps the soil surface cool and moist.  

 

Either way you go, roll the plot down when done.  I use lawn tractor or the ATV and roll it in.   Cultipackers are nice, but Just the tires have done fine for me.

Ideally, i'd drag a log or very lightly disc the oats, then spread the clover on top.  Then roll it with the tires.  Clover is 1/8 to 1/4 inch seed soil depth, and oats, wheat, or rye is 1 inch.  However, spring time has more moisture than august.  So, this has a batter chance of growing.

 

If the no-till approach will turn into a good summer tilling when you get the time, then skip the clover and put some more oats in

 

 

[growalot]

For those of you that have established plots here's something that's working for me...When doing my turnip plots I seed them more than once. Early to get good growth,second to assure small tender bulbs in late bow. What happens is many of them are missed . This has them growing during every warm up during the winter. They put on greens and tiny bulbs. Deer will nibble the greens but due to the worms and bugs feeding on old bulbs and the tiny ones the birds hit these plots in the spring for both bugs and greens. I'd show pics but everythig is under snow right now.

[TACC]

I buy feed oats by the 50lb bag for next to nothing and spread them thick usually late March early April. I disked my oat plots yesterday.


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Do you end up discing every year?

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[Buckmaster7600]

Do you end up discing every year?

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I'm not sure what you're asking? You have to have loose ground for the oats so you have to break it yearly


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