Food plots on small farm

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Missionshooter
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Food plots on small farm

Unread postby Missionshooter » Wed Jan 06, 2016 4:08 am

Ok so my brother was wondering about a question he had concerning a 50 acre farm he bought. I don't know the answer. He decided to leave two acres of corn standing and winter rye along the edge of the corn. ( The previous owner never left any crop standing and didn't plant any sort of food plot. ) Next year will be 2 acres of standing soybeans with rye on the edge.

His question is, "Will the deer activity in his food plots increase over the years once the deer find its there consistently year after year?" In other words, 5 years from now will he see more deer using his food plots than are using them now just because its a food source year after year or will he experience the same level of activity on his food plots 5 years from now?

I don't know the answer to this as I only hunt public ground.


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Hawthorne
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Re: Food plots on small farm

Unread postby Hawthorne » Wed Jan 06, 2016 4:56 am

You betcha! Deer will remember winter food sources. Alot will depend on what kind of pressure is put on it. If he doesn't hunt it alot and is selective with what he harvests it could be good especially if there's not alot of landowners in the area doing the same thing.

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Re: Food plots on small farm

Unread postby dan » Wed Jan 06, 2016 5:14 am

Yes...
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Re: Food plots on small farm

Unread postby Missionshooter » Wed Jan 06, 2016 5:46 am

Thanks Hawthorne and Dan.

He has been getting this stud coming out once or twice a week to his field but he shows up around 2am.

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Certainly if the surrounding fields are plowed under, his farm might be a magnet.
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Re: Food plots on small farm

Unread postby Bucky » Wed Jan 06, 2016 6:03 am

Yes, deer will show up in larger #s. That doesn't mean it won't be at 2AM! :lol: It all depends on the pressure and proximity to winter bedding cover. If I was him/you... I would broadcast purple top turnips and winter rye into those standing 2 acres of beans roughly around August.... that way you will have bean pods, winter rye, and brassicas come winter. I have been doing this for 3 years now and it really helps to give deer what they want when they want it.... warmer years like this year the brassicas and winter rye got hammered... cold years with a foot of snow the soybeans are the go to... best to have all 3.

If you have any amount of timber... hinge cutting and opening up the canopy is better than any food plot you are gonna plant...
my 2 cents
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Re: Food plots on small farm

Unread postby mheichelbech » Wed Jan 06, 2016 7:28 am

Bucky wrote:Yes, deer will show up in larger #s. That doesn't mean it won't be at 2AM! :lol: It all depends on the pressure and proximity to winter bedding cover. If I was him/you... I would broadcast purple top turnips and winter rye into those standing 2 acres of beans roughly around August.... that way you will have bean pods, winter rye, and brassicas come winter. I have been doing this for 3 years now and it really helps to give deer what they want when they want it.... warmer years like this year the brassicas and winter rye got hammered... cold years with a foot of snow the soybeans are the go to... best to have all 3.

If you have any amount of timber... hinge cutting and opening up the canopy is better than any food plot you are gonna plant...
my 2 cents

Can you give some more details on this Bucky? Thinking of doing just that on a 40 acre woodlot. Thought I would also intersperse it with some kind seed that night grow and fertilize the heck out of the browse and seed.

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Re: Food plots on small farm

Unread postby Bucky » Wed Jan 06, 2016 7:38 am

mheichelbech wrote:
Bucky wrote:Yes, deer will show up in larger #s. That doesn't mean it won't be at 2AM! :lol: It all depends on the pressure and proximity to winter bedding cover. If I was him/you... I would broadcast purple top turnips and winter rye into those standing 2 acres of beans roughly around August.... that way you will have bean pods, winter rye, and brassicas come winter. I have been doing this for 3 years now and it really helps to give deer what they want when they want it.... warmer years like this year the brassicas and winter rye got hammered... cold years with a foot of snow the soybeans are the go to... best to have all 3.

If you have any amount of timber... hinge cutting and opening up the canopy is better than any food plot you are gonna plant...
my 2 cents

Can you give some more details on this Bucky? Thinking of doing just that on a 40 acre woodlot. Thought I would also intersperse it with some kind seed that night grow and fertilize the heck out of the browse and seed.

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http://www.jimwardwhitetailacademy.com/videos.html

Enjoy

Simply opening up the canopy is often enough to super charge the undergrowth/browse
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Re: Food plots on small farm

Unread postby exojam » Wed Jan 06, 2016 9:08 am

Bucky wrote:
mheichelbech wrote:
Bucky wrote:Yes, deer will show up in larger #s. That doesn't mean it won't be at 2AM! :lol: It all depends on the pressure and proximity to winter bedding cover. If I was him/you... I would broadcast purple top turnips and winter rye into those standing 2 acres of beans roughly around August.... that way you will have bean pods, winter rye, and brassicas come winter. I have been doing this for 3 years now and it really helps to give deer what they want when they want it.... warmer years like this year the brassicas and winter rye got hammered... cold years with a foot of snow the soybeans are the go to... best to have all 3.

If you have any amount of timber... hinge cutting and opening up the canopy is better than any food plot you are gonna plant...
my 2 cents

Can you give some more details on this Bucky? Thinking of doing just that on a 40 acre woodlot. Thought I would also intersperse it with some kind seed that night grow and fertilize the heck out of the browse and seed.

[ Post made via iPhone ] Image


http://www.jimwardwhitetailacademy.com/videos.html

Enjoy

Simply opening up the canopy is often enough to super charge the undergrowth/browse


Very interesting around the 15 minute mark about the hinge cutting part.

I would have to get another tool to make the hinge cut though since in my chair I can only reach about 4 or maybe 5 feet.

It also appear I have a lot of clean up to do for as many large sticks I can get, no way I can get them all though.

Thanks for posting that video by the way Bucky!
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Re: Food plots on small farm

Unread postby iowa whitetail » Wed Jan 06, 2016 12:19 pm

yes it will pick up, one tip that helps a ton is when it is standing corn instead of leaving it standing mow it down it will help alot.
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goldtip5575
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Re: Food plots on small farm

Unread postby goldtip5575 » Thu Jan 07, 2016 10:35 am

iowa whitetail wrote:yes it will pick up, one tip that helps a ton is when it is standing corn instead of leaving it standing mow it down it will help alot.

This from the WI DNR Regulations. You can hunt with the aid of crops planted and left STANDING as wildlife food plots. Anyone see a possible hunting regulation violation by mowing it down and hunting over it in WI ?I know if plots are on CRP they cant be mowed down.


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