Getting Started

[cbx46]

I own 32 acres mostly wooded and rocky but in the middle of the land is a creek bottom low area that floods occasionally and is made up of swamp grass and some thickets. I am looking to plant something down there I have acces to a tractor and own an atv. I am looking to pick some brains on here on what plants are recomended and how to get started. I am also going to plant about 12-24 crabapple trees. I also have about 900'x75' of a power line clearing I want to knock down a section of and plant. Both areas I will be leaving some thickets for cover such as bedding or so they feel comfortable approaching. I wil try to post some pics of the 2 areas after my next time up. I would love to plant an assortment something they would feed on in the spring/summer but def some sort of fall/winter attractment. Any help would be appreciated. My friend down the road owns the tractor and we will be planting some plots in his hay feilds also. Thank you in advance.

[Suilleabhain]

I planted a crab 10 years ago. 1st year a bear knocked it down for teh apples. After that nobody touches it. They don't seem to care for teh little red ones. Neighbor has one that puts out quarter sized yellow crabs and they love it.

Guy that tends our food plot swears by white turnips. They eat them frozen in late winter when all else is gone. So this year he planted clover, rye grass and turnips. We'll see.

Arbor Society has hathorn bushes that put out a nut and grow well and fast. I'm getting some of them this spring.

[crs740]

How much sunlight do you get by the swamp? The first thing you need to do is get your soil tested to figure out what the pH is and how much lime you are going to need to get it into the 6s. The powerline area sounds like a great place for a plot. I would suggest that you eventually have that area split into 3 sections. One would be clover (this will last 3-5 years if you fertilize and spray for weeds/grasses), second an annual planting of winter rye/red clover/forage radish/oats, finally a thrid section of brassicas (rape/turnips/radish). The rye mix and brassicas can be swapped for three years where you would then till under the clover and plant white clover instead of red clvoer. This ares would provide year round food for your deer and turkey and would not be that expensive to plant.

I planted Whitetail Institute no plow with some winter rye in an area by my apple orchard and it worked out great. There were 7-8 scrapes within an area of about a 1/2 acre.

Check out this website and read dbltree's corner for some great info to get you started.

http://iowawhitetail.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=45

[cbx46]

Thank you guys for your help so far I am def pursueing this. The marsh area is about 5-6 acres and gets full sunlight. The perfect thing is adjancent to my property my wet are becomes a legit swamp however the second hunting pressure peaks they lay down in that swamp alot the plots and apple will just give them reason to walk my way and not the other. What equipment do you guys use atv or tractor?

[cbx46]

I was considering 4 1/2 acre plots spread apart and 3 people hunt the property so to put an early season plot a mid season and a late season in front of diffrent stands would be almost not fair I would have to do maybe to 4- 3/4 acre plots and split each 3/4's into 1/4's of diffrent seeds so that noones stand get neglacted during parts of the season. Make sense or am I wrong in that thinking?

[cbx46]

What do you guys do if you are planting a combo of say wheat/clover and diffrent fertilizer combos are suggested ex. 12-12-12 and 6-24-24?

[Suilleabhain]

Mmmmm can't tell you about fertilizer. We have a farmer that tends ours in the spring for lime and fert.

[G-Man]

For the powerline ..First year try a grain with red clover mix, buckwheat and clover, oats n clover ect. this will help break down the soil and provide free nitrogen whn plowed under the next year. For the swampy area if your modivated and not afraid of a little longer term committment you could plant white ceder. this is a great winter food source and theermal cover and it stands up to flooding quite well. The big investment you need to spend on to do this is welded steel fencing, 2x4 or 4x4 placed in 3 ft hoops 5 to 6 ' tall around the young plants and staked. White ceder(arborvite) is an all time favorite deer food(just ask anyone who has problems with deer eating their bushes in the winter. Its is a long term commitment but will yeild great results with little soil disturbance. Like planting apple trees. take a few year to fill the cages but the deer will eat any limbs that stick through and by protecting the trunk and main limb they will be continual deer feeders for generations. Another tree to think about planting is american chestnuts or chestnut hybrids. they produce in 3-5 years and grow like weeds, dont flower till july and never lose a crop due to frost.

[Suilleabhain]

More good info, thanks

[cbx46]

Some veiws from the stand of the area I want to plant. starting from hard left, slight left, hard right, slight right and behind is mature pines. Although I did walk it on my way out for lunch the other day and it is wet. However I researched white cedars and it all says they are a very popular winter food source for white tails and grow very well even in swamp conditions and they used to be abundant cedar swamps on the east coast. They are alittle more patient testing then a plot. I might still try wheat it says it grows well in moist soil.

[cbx46]

What kind of machines do you need for 3 small 1 acre food plot? I have a quad and access to a tractor. Can I use a walk behind tiller and a hand spreader?

[G-Man]

A field cultivator and a drag for the tractor or atv will work. A hand spreader will work fine for that size fields

a walk behind till will leave you with numb arms and body for a few days but if its all you have....