Wisconsin Winter Plots
- HuntingParadise
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Wisconsin Winter Plots
Curious as to what any of you northern hunters do for late season food plots. Once we get to around gun season and late season we have snow usually in my area. What are your preferences for food that keeps deer in the area this time of the year?
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Re: Wisconsin Winter Plots
Soybeans, corn or a radish and turnip mix. I have my best luck with that.
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Re: Wisconsin Winter Plots
My soil wasn’t ready to get a great turnip plot but the plant produced a lot of forage and attraction. I also had good luck with chicory. I will try turnips again once my soil improves. But you can’t go wrong with beans or corn.
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Re: Wisconsin Winter Plots
We have a bad raccoon problem with corn or else we would be doing that more for sure. Our beans havent made it to late season but thats trying to be fixed recently as does are a major reason for that.
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Re: Wisconsin Winter Plots
A lot of guys Hotzone fence their corn and bean plots until October to prevent this from happening.
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Re: Wisconsin Winter Plots
If you do beans, you have to have at least 5 acres, otherwise it's gone before late season. I buy my own seed and make a mix of turnips and radishes and have had very good luck. I shot a 145 inch 10 pointer opening night of gun season in 2019 over my plot. Im in eastern Wisconsin.
- HuntingParadise
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Re: Wisconsin Winter Plots
We have fenced but areas but they tend to clean out an acre in roughly two weeks in past years. We have increased overall food in the past two years which should improve our ability to withstand that initial unfencing.Elite wrote:A lot of guys Hotzone fence their corn and bean plots until October to prevent this from happening.
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Re: Wisconsin Winter Plots
When do you plant usually?Robert wrote:If you do beans, you have to have at least 5 acres, otherwise it's gone before late season. I buy my own seed and make a mix of turnips and radishes and have had very good luck. I shot a 145 inch 10 pointer opening night of gun season in 2019 over my plot. Im in eastern Wisconsin.
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Re: Wisconsin Winter Plots
We’ve done beans, and a lot of them in northern WI in the past. I in no way would recommend planting them.
If I were to do it again….I’d plant brassicas for my annual forage and have a combo of perennials on the property as well, in different plots.
Beans just aren’t worth the equipment that’s typically needed to get them established. Especially for what you get out of them…early season hunts and that’s about it. They provide great forage in the summer and early fall. But what they also do is concentrate the deer population during these times. The doe families clean up the plots then move on in the fall. Then you’re staring at plots void of food and deer.
I also would steer clear of corn in bear country. Bears really like to eat the corn in its milky stage and they tear up those plots. Again probably not worth the cost of equipment it takes to plant them the right way. Corn is a mess to clean up.
All of this is obviously my opinion. But after owning northern wisconsin property for 15ish years….these are my observations.
If I were to do it again….I’d plant brassicas for my annual forage and have a combo of perennials on the property as well, in different plots.
Beans just aren’t worth the equipment that’s typically needed to get them established. Especially for what you get out of them…early season hunts and that’s about it. They provide great forage in the summer and early fall. But what they also do is concentrate the deer population during these times. The doe families clean up the plots then move on in the fall. Then you’re staring at plots void of food and deer.
I also would steer clear of corn in bear country. Bears really like to eat the corn in its milky stage and they tear up those plots. Again probably not worth the cost of equipment it takes to plant them the right way. Corn is a mess to clean up.
All of this is obviously my opinion. But after owning northern wisconsin property for 15ish years….these are my observations.
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Re: Wisconsin Winter Plots
HuntingParadise wrote:When do you plant usually?Robert wrote:If you do beans, you have to have at least 5 acres, otherwise it's gone before late season. I buy my own seed and make a mix of turnips and radishes and have had very good luck. I shot a 145 inch 10 pointer opening night of gun season in 2019 over my plot. Im in eastern Wisconsin.
I plant mine roughly July 25 to August 5. Seems I get my best results then. I try to do it right before a rain. I usually spray it around June 15th, and then again about July 15. That really helps with weed control. Biggest thing is to not over seed, you will get small little bulbs. I do 3 pounds of dakion radishes and 3 pounds of purple top turnips, mixed with 14 pounds of calcium. The calcium is just to help prevent over seeding. It's cheap and does nothing for the seed but it's worth to not over seed.
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Re: Wisconsin Winter Plots
Robert wrote:HuntingParadise wrote:When do you plant usually?Robert wrote:If you do beans, you have to have at least 5 acres, otherwise it's gone before late season. I buy my own seed and make a mix of turnips and radishes and have had very good luck. I shot a 145 inch 10 pointer opening night of gun season in 2019 over my plot. Im in eastern Wisconsin.
I plant mine roughly July 25 to August 5. Seems I get my best results then. I try to do it right before a rain. I usually spray it around June 15th, and then again about July 15. That really helps with weed control. Biggest thing is to not over seed, you will get small little bulbs. I do 3 pounds of dakion radishes and 3 pounds of purple top turnips, mixed with 14 pounds of calcium. The calcium is just to help prevent over seeding. It's cheap and does nothing for the seed but it's worth to not over seed.
The calcium trick is interesting. I know my dad and uncle have had issues overseeding in the past because they always feel what was suggested was not enough or they miscalculated and every time they go back and regret it
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Re: Wisconsin Winter Plots
HuntingParadise wrote:Robert wrote:HuntingParadise wrote:When do you plant usually?Robert wrote:If you do beans, you have to have at least 5 acres, otherwise it's gone before late season. I buy my own seed and make a mix of turnips and radishes and have had very good luck. I shot a 145 inch 10 pointer opening night of gun season in 2019 over my plot. Im in eastern Wisconsin.
I plant mine roughly July 25 to August 5. Seems I get my best results then. I try to do it right before a rain. I usually spray it around June 15th, and then again about July 15. That really helps with weed control. Biggest thing is to not over seed, you will get small little bulbs. I do 3 pounds of dakion radishes and 3 pounds of purple top turnips, mixed with 14 pounds of calcium. The calcium is just to help prevent over seeding. It's cheap and does nothing for the seed but it's worth to not over seed.
The calcium trick is interesting. I know my dad and uncle have had issues overseeding in the past because they always feel what was suggested was not enough or they miscalculated and every time they go back and regret it
When I'm seeding I'm also on the back of a four wheeler and I have someone drive about 10 mph. In my opinion, over seeding is number one reason plots fail when planting turnips and radishes.
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