Logging roads and small kill plots

[onlybrowning]

I posted earlier about my two larger clover plots, but I am also planning for small kill plots and trail plantings this spring as well. What would be some recommendations for this application? These would be more about trying to encourage deer to stop and hang out for a minute or at least go by this way on the way to the destination plots.

 

 

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[land 1]

all depends on sun etc, but if its low sun and not great ground , rye in the fall, imo spring planting take more work, to keep weeds out 

[onlybrowning]

all depends on sun etc, but if its low sun and not great ground , rye in the fall, imo spring planting take more work, to keep weeds out 

Most is pretty opened up for light and the soil is pretty good.


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[wolc123]

5 minutes ago, onlybrowning said:

Most is pretty opened up for light and the soil is pretty good.


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I would go with early September wheat/soybean/white clover planting in that scenerio.  Keep the areas mowed until mid summer.   Some folks have reported success without tillage, by just spraying gly in late summer and broadcasting seed into the browned out weeds before a rain.

I prefer to keep my venison as "organic" as possible, so I skip the spray and roll the sod over with a plow in mid summer.   After it dries up a bit, I work it a few times with a disk.  A rototiller will accomplish the same thing if rocks are not an issue.

When its time to plant, broadcast the wheat and soybeans. over the tilled soil, then cultipack.  After that, broadcast the clover and then go over it again with a cultipacker.  A lawn roller makes an ok substitute for a cultipacker.

Larger seed (wheat and soybeans) do better a little deeper in the soil and with this method, they are pushed further down, while the clover likes it shallow.

Since "climate change", we have been getting later and later fall frosts, so those emerging soybeans will usually provide maximum attraction for deer well into October.  Later, the first fall thru winter, the wheat will keep up the attraction.

Mow that wheat off in the late spring of the following year, and you should find a nice plots of clover (if your soil ph is ok).   Wheat will do ok in acidic soil.  The white clover can usually be maintained for several seasons, with just a few mowings a year for maintenence.

With spring clover plantings, you are asking for a loosing battle with weeds.

[Team Hoyt]

We tried planting on logging roads last year with no success. Came up with that the roads were to compacted down for the seeds. We had a tow behind disc for the sidexside with added weight and it never loosened the soil. This year were going to get a small cultivater to loosen everything up then try it. 

[Robhuntandfish]

We are doing the same this year.  Frost seeded a bunch of clover in some of the trails. Where we did this soil is pretty good so hoping it takes.  Then putting in some small plots end of July, beginning of August and going to use a tow behind ATV plow to dig up the ground.  Then rake and seed it. Using a honey hole mix in one spot and the other a W.I. mix and a spot of radishes.  

[UpStateRedNeck]

My hillside property is getting logged this year, gonna grease the loggers palm a bit to widen a few spots then feather the edges myself.  Thinking clover and rye.  Maybe make a proper plot in one spot.

[land 1]

no reason to grease the palms put it in the logging contract and really should not dip into ur profit  at all if your just widen areas that are already clear, 

[LET EM GROW]

If you have enough sunlight getting to these areas( green vegetation currently growing) Your best bet is a blend of small cereal grains, fescue and several clovers red and whites. You may also have to break the surface up some if its too compact. But sunlight is crucial with logging roads and small plots..  Sometimes its easier to add hard or soft mast trees to these areas instead, as you can pick the tree species to drop its crop the time of season you want to utilize the area..