Late Summer Food Plots- Insert Moisture

[LET EM GROW]

It sure is weird this year. We got 3 big heavy quick storms again yesterday and Sunday. Great for my WW but the bulbs not so much. Maybe they'll dry out some this week, but the bulb plants are probably dead or almost by now. 

[landtracdeerhunter]

On 9/4/2018 at 7:14 AM, LET EM GROW said:

It sure is weird this year. We got 3 big heavy quick storms again yesterday and Sunday. Great for my WW but the bulbs not so much. Maybe they'll dry out some this week, but the bulb plants are probably dead or almost by now. 

I'll agree with that. We're the reverse. Going right back to dry conditions. My second plot is dry as a bone and cracking open. Oats are ok, but the radish is poor. 

Edited September 8, 2018 by landtracdeerhunter

[landtracdeerhunter]

About 39 days of growing on this first area. Doesn't look quite as good as I had hoped. Last two pics are the second area. Extremely dry again. This area wasn't summer fallowed and it shows.

[LET EM GROW]

Hopefully today you can get the much needed moisture! I know I dont need it but, it will help with overseeding my beans this week. 

What a difference, May I ask why you plant your cereal grain so early?

[landtracdeerhunter]

 

3 hours ago, LET EM GROW said:

Hopefully today you can get the much needed moisture! I know I dont need it but, it will help with overseeding my beans this week. 

What a difference, May I ask why you plant your cereal grain so early?

I planted later forage oats years ago. Deer didn't pay attention to them. Now I plant earlier.  Deer usually start hitting the oats hard when they start heading out. They really like the green grain. I found a method that works better here and stay with it. My intent is more for a food source. Not a hunting plot. Kind of a give back to wildlife. 

We had about an inch and a half of rain over night. It will help the oats in the second area, but I'm afraid the radish are to stunted, to help. I shot on #50 of urea that I had. We'll see what they do.

Edited September 10, 2018 by landtracdeerhunter

[LET EM GROW]

Never really noticed when they "prefer" the oats here. I always planted them in early Sept. The field behind me was planted to oats, and im guessing lightly seeded med red clover. It got harvested, and seems to have grown back possibly? This was last year. Never really noticed deer in it once it got over a ft tall.

What did the deer eat, just the green seed heads? Dont blame you for going with what works! I bet those radish will take off. Mine needed a good boost of rain to take off. But the areas that hold too much moisture.. petered out..  

Im not big into hunting plots either besides my bean plots. Early and late season. Id rather plant for herd health, then back off the plot to take advantage of the trails deer use to access the plot. 

[landtracdeerhunter]

30 minutes ago, LET EM GROW said:

Never really noticed when they "prefer" the oats here. I always planted them in early Sept. The field behind me was planted to oats, and im guessing lightly seeded med red clover. It got harvested, and seems to have grown back possibly? This was last year. Never really noticed deer in it once it got over a ft tall.

What did the deer eat, just the green seed heads? Dont blame you for going with what works! I bet those radish will take off. Mine needed a good boost of rain to take off. But the areas that hold too much moisture.. petered out..  

Im not big into hunting plots either besides my bean plots. Early and late season. Id rather plant for herd health, then back off the plot to take advantage of the trails deer use to access the plot. 

They eat most of it.. Very little if any straw left. One has to wonder if I fill a void in the nutrition slot at this time of year, or I'm just lucky. I will be out snapping some pics shortly in these areas. Here's a pic from September 15. I tried strip planting back then. Oats and radish were planted just as heavy in this area. Deer were wiping them out by bow. I planted over 4 acres of radish in 13 on this property. Deer browsed the radish, but really became interested when the oat mixture was introduced. 

Edited September 10, 2018 by landtracdeerhunter

[landtracdeerhunter]

Radish at 47 days. They are great flavor and very spicy this year.

[LET EM GROW]

I love pulling a radish or turnip and taking a few bites out of them as i walk into sit an evening hunt

[landtracdeerhunter]

Looks like I have another unexpected crop to hunt this year. They usually bring in a lot of deer.

Edited September 21, 2018 by landtracdeerhunter

[G-Man]

the big oak woods to the south of me is being nearly clear cut . though i know the future growth in this are will be awesome. im sure the loss of food will hurt the wild life. since they are almost done cutting the squirrels and turkeys,and deer have shifted to woods on edge on my food plots , corn is starting to take a beating. usually not hit till nearly mature..

[landtracdeerhunter]

On 9/21/2018 at 2:14 PM, G-Man said:

the big oak woods to the south of me is being nearly clear cut . though i know the future growth in this are will be awesome. im sure the loss of food will hurt the wild life. since they are almost done cutting the squirrels and turkeys,and deer have shifted to woods on edge on my food plots , corn is starting to take a beating. usually not hit till nearly mature..

Are they clear cutting for agricultural expansive?

[G-Man]

12 minutes ago, landtracdeerhunter said:

Are they clear cutting for agricultural expansive?

no the owner is 82 and want to get $ to live on. hes been selling me 10 acre pieces and logging blocks of timber last few years..  owned own buisness and fixed income taxes/expenses  keep going up....

[landtracdeerhunter]

The oats and radish tops are vanishing. Grain is pretty well gone. The last three pictures are of a rye planting on September 20. Harvested the second cutting hay, then went on with a shank tiller and disc.  Doing fairly well for as late as it is. Planning on potatoes and pumpkins here,  next year.

Edited September 27, 2018 by landtracdeerhunter

[landtracdeerhunter]

Something to do at 7:25 am. Sunday morning. For not having a better place to install these pics. Although the deer did eat the end of my rows off earlier in the summer, but they grew back, LOL. I just love potato harvest time.

This deer reminding me of opening day tomorrow, LOL.  Heading to the oaks. He'd get a pass by me, but it sure was fun watching him.

Edited September 30, 2018 by landtracdeerhunter

[LET EM GROW]

Good luck Land!

[landtracdeerhunter]

5 hours ago, LET EM GROW said:

Good luck Land!

Thank you. Good luck to you too.

[landtracdeerhunter]

Few more pics.

 

Edited October 1, 2018 by landtracdeerhunter

[corydd7]

Rye is coming in well. Small hard to get to area that I'm trying to improve the soil for turnips and radishes. In my main plot radishes and turnips grew beyond my wildest expectations. 100s of bulbs. Deers have already crushed the tops.

[landtracdeerhunter]

Looks good corydd7. Good luck with your season.

[landtracdeerhunter]

 Thought I would post some late season pics to show what the plantings look like on 11-19-18.   Rye has been visited some as well as the radish. Plenty to eat around with not the activity of other years.  

 

[LET EM GROW]

Id imagine the deer are loving the only brassica/bulb plot I have that beat the excess moisture this fall.. With all the snow we've had for over a week now. Was getting just shy of 1000pics a week before the snow.. 

[LET EM GROW]

I think ill be opening the gate to the standing soybeans in another week or so. 

[Robhuntandfish]

10 minutes ago, LET EM GROW said:

I think ill be opening the gate to the standing soybeans in another week or so. 

wow that is late in the season move - cold weather and good eats-- ought to have deer packed in there!  

[landtracdeerhunter]

We have fields of soybeans around that will be left. Never hardened up.  They didn't germinate because of the drought; then came up after the July 22nd rain. Deer are hitting them hard.