Creating a food plot travel screen/cover

[Bucky]

This whole 2 acre destination plot was made for right around $500 + time (lots of it). I had a farmer till it and that cost me $200, fertilizer was $100, seed was $100, gly phos (RoundUp was right around $50), + $20 hand spreader, + roughly $50 in fuel for wheeler on various trips

This is Egyptian Wheat planted around July 1st... I feel having a 8ft+ wall surrounding this plot will make deer feel more secure feeding here and it will give me extra cover moving to and from stands...

After tilling and dragging


Germination


Growing


Growing


Growing


I expect in the next month this wheat should engulf the hunting box blind at the end of this strip = 10ft+

[Stanley]

looks good.

[BackWoodsHunter]

Lookin good bucky! I am hoping to have the freedom to do more than just micro plots in the near future. Your plots both look awesome can't wait to see some trail cam pics off the brassicas and a late season kill! What did you fertilize with? Also I believe in my food plot thread you suggested adding Urea...is that something you will be doing on both plots?

[DEERSLAYER]

...I expect in the next month this wheat should engulf the hunting box blind at the end of this strip = 10ft+

Looks like it's coming along good Bucky. It also looks like your due for another shot of Urea if you haven't done it already. I bet it will get 12' or more. Have you had any deer eating it? I like the suff for a quick screen. I just wish it was good at holding up to snow. I was going to try silage corn (?) because it has no ears on it, grows 10' and has big, thick, strong stalks, but I never got around to it.

[Indianahunter]

This is pretty cool, please keep us updated on your findings in effectiveness throughout the season.

[Bucky]

...I expect in the next month this wheat should engulf the hunting box blind at the end of this strip = 10ft+

Looks like it's coming along good Bucky. It also looks like your due for another shot of Urea if you haven't done it already. I bet it will get 12' or more. Have you had any deer eating it? I like the suff for a quick screen. I just wish it was good at holding up to snow. I was going to try silage corn (?) because it has no ears on it, grows 10' and has big, thick, strong stalks, but I never got around to it.

Hit the plot yesterday with 100lbs of urea... rained last night

[Gardner Swamp]

Looks great Bucky!

[RaisedByWolves]

[quote="Bucky"
Hit the plot yesterday with 100lbs of urea... rained last night [/quote]

what is urea Bucky, is that a nutritional supplement?

[kenn1320]

Urea is nitrogen. Simple answer, makes plants green up.
Many people forget about screening cover, glad to see your not one of them Bucky. As you stated its a 2 fold thing. Deer feel safer inside it, and your travel is screened because of it. The only thing you might want to consider next year is not having it one big open plot. Id run a strip or two thru it to break it up into several smaller plots. Just ensure you lay them out so they dont obstruct the view from your blind. I have some sorghum in my plot this year and its over 6ft already. I dont think it will hold up to the snow, but time will tell. Cave in Rock is a grass they claim will do OK with the snow, and also gets over 6ft tall.

[Bucky]

Urea is nitrogen. Simple answer, makes plants green up.
Many people forget about screening cover, glad to see your not one of them Bucky. As you stated its a 2 fold thing. Deer feel safer inside it, and your travel is screened because of it. The only thing you might want to consider next year is not having it one big open plot. Id run a strip or two thru it to break it up into several smaller plots. Just ensure you lay them out so they dont obstruct the view from your blind. I have some sorghum in my plot this year and its over 6ft already. I dont think it will hold up to the snow, but time will tell. Cave in Rock is a grass they claim will do OK with the snow, and also gets over 6ft tall.

I likley will not even hunt out of the blind... except maybe late muzzleloader/bow. I encorporated my plot choice with what was available in the area. I have the farmers corn + brassicas, neighbors have alflafa, beans, clover, & winter wheat. I'm hoping the deer don't destroy it by Dec for shed season. But I doubt it will last past Jan

[Zap]

Looks good and well thought out.

Good luck there.

[Bucky]

[quote="Bucky"
Hit the plot yesterday with 100lbs of urea... rained last night

what is urea Bucky, is that a nutritional supplement?[/quote]

RBW - if you want any help getting something started or cleared on your dad's land lemme know... I'd B glad to help ya out

I really enjoy this type of work and I'm starting to buy implements a piece at a time to hopefully do it as a "paying" hobby down the road

[lungbuster]

Switchgrass is the way to go for perrenial screening cover, Cave-in-rock wil get over 6 ft. tall........The downside is it is very hard to establish and the germination rate is very low so you ave to plant fairly thick.........It's also expensive, but will last for years if taken care of.

I am curious to see how the egyptian wheat holds up in the snow. Sorgum or milo are two other annuals that work well for screening and are not too expensive.

[Liberty-Hunt]

I really hope that your effort will bring you a great success!

[DEERSLAYER]

Switchgrass is the way to go for perrenial screening cover, Cave-in-rock wil get over 6 ft. tall........The downside is it is very hard to establish and the germination rate is very low so you ave to plant fairly thick.........It's also expensive, but will last for years if taken care of...

X2. Cave in Rock is my favorite. It makes super bedding area's and with it's strong stalks it stands up well to snow. On good ground it can get 10'.

...I was going to try silage corn (?) because it has no ears on it, grows 10' and has big, thick, strong stalks, but I never got around to it.

I see I had a brain fart. It actually grows up to 16 feet tall and I have heard 18'.