Food Plot Basics

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Deer Slayer

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OKBISHOP - I would clear around your foodplot so that you can see the deer better and to allow a better opportunity to get a shot. AS for the feeder, I would you suggest you clear a little bit around the feeder. It depends where the feeder is located.
 

Deer Slayer

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Let's fast forward a year. The perrenials such as clover are established but there is ALOT of grass growing in the plot. The grass is soooooooo bad that it could choke out the clover. Will I have to replant the plot or what?? NOPE, this is when a selective herbicide needs to be used to kill just the grass. IMHO invasive grasses are the biggest problem in food plots. You call Estes Chemical Co in OKC at 405/232-2493 and ask for L.D. Kirkland. He has been very helpful to me. Estes Chemical has a location in Enid, Okla City, Tulsa and Paris Texas. You can also buy some of the chemicals needed in Antlers at the propane dealer on the westside of town. Buy a gallon CHLOTHEDIM. I just bought 1 gallon for $105.00 plus a 2.5 gallon gallon jug crop oil for $25.00. This sounds expensive but it is really cheap. You use 8 ounces/acre plus 1.5 pints of crop oil mixed with however much water your spray rig calibrates to cover 1 acre. My rig calibrates to 25 gallons of water. So it costs $8.13 to kill the grass on a 1 acre food plot, that is cheap. You can spray your plot twice a year and pretty well keep the grass out. If you do that for 2 years I think you should pretty well be grass free. It is more expensive to spray the plot with GLYPHOSATE a/k/a ROUNDUP. I prefer to plant perrenials such as clover and alfalfa because it is easier in the long run to maintain with herbicides.
 

crappieslayer

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I have good luck drawing deer in with corn feeders during Oct. ,but I have had deer come out of the woods to feed on fescue grass in the back yard of the friends who let me hunt on their land as deer season is open!

This happens every year,sure wish I could plant fescue in the timber, but there's way too many rocks and brush.
 

Wolfman_AE

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This happens every year,sure wish I could plant fescue in the timber, but there's way too many rocks and brush.

That point brings my question, the land I hunt on is mostly hilly, very rocky terrain with very few areas for a proper food plot. What would be my best option on retaining and improving the deer in this area?? Would it be more worthwhile to make due with the few areas of tillable ground and put in some food plots or more beneficial to just fertilize the acorn producing trees in the area?
 

Deer Slayer

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Wolfman- Great question! Thank you for asking. I would suggest you do both. I would fertilize the oak trees in the Spring. I suggest you take a post hole digger and make at least 4 holes around the drip line of the trees you wish to fertilize. Then add a pound or two of 10-20-10 in each hole. Cover up the holes and walk away. No one but you will know what trees have been fertilized and the trees should respond from the added nutrients.

I would then perform your soil tests and plant food plots where you can. I will try to post tonight several suggestions on what to plant. It is not too late to plant plots. We are supposed to get significant rain tonight and tomorrow statewide. Let's hope. I do not plan to plant until mid -Sept in Okla Co and late Sept to early October in SE Okla. I want significant ground moisture before I plant because I can then be pretty certain that my plantings will successfully germinate.

I do plant to spray some fertilizer on my Okla Co food plots today to take advantage of the coming rain. A shot of liquid fertilizer on the clover followed by a welcome drink should jump start the clover to come out of summer dormancy. This new fresh growth is high in protein which is what the deer need to fill their belly and let them know that good food is coming. The shortening photoperiod has caused the slowing of blood flow to the velvet which will lead to hardening of the antlers. The velvet ultimately dies and is sometimes eaten by the buck. This process generally is completed in 48 hours I have been told. The hormonal changes are taking place now.

The key to the beginning of the seek phase of the Fall rut is the full moon in September, the Autumnal Equinox. This is comparble to a bunch of teenagers running around flirting with the girls and seeing who is hot and who is not. This does not mean that breeding is going to happen just the guys are cruising for chicks.

The chase phase begins around the time of the full moon in October. This equates to a bunch of 20 something year old guys pushing the girls hard and the girls hormones are starting to race. This is still too soon for the breeding phase which comes 2-3 days post November full moon. September 23rd is the full moon. I expect the rubs should appear in Okla Co around Sept 29 to October 1. The full moon in October is October 23rd which is a Saturday and, I believe, the opening day of muzzleloader season. I expect the last weekend of October to have a major cold front to hit and the bucks will go wild. The bucks will be chasing the does during the early part of November. Life is good and the hormones are racing. The full moon in November is Sunday the 21st which is the second day of rifle season. The girls have gone wild. You may suddenly experience that the frenzy has slowed significantly or stopped. You ask"What happened to everybody". The bucks are with does that are ready to breed and they are not particularly traveling long distances. When she is ripe then he breeds and moves on to the next doe. I witnessed this activity the last weekend of muzzleloader season in Okla Co. I was surrounded by deer for 45 minutes after full dark and I could not leave my ground position. I had to call for a buddy to drive in on me to clear the field of deer. Deer are not bothered by vehicular traffic because it is not a threat to them. A person walking amongst them is a different story. I always try to leave the field by a vehicle if I can instead of walking.
 

Deer Slayer

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We have 4 winners in the M&M guessing game. There were 5 places but only 4 people guessed so each of them receives enough seed to plant a 1/4 food plot instead of a 1/5 acre.

There were 3,107 M & M's in the jar. Dennishoddy guessed 1,050, Roosta7a guessed 1,221, garvin9 guessed 1,753 and $$$$$$ guessed the most at 2,750. Please send me a PM with your name and shipping address so that I can determine your shipping charges. You can save the shipping charges by picking the seed up in OKC. There are a couple bonus items that go with this 1/4 acre planting that I may have failed to mention. To the winners go the spoils:clap3:

This seed blend can be planted after this incoming monsoon finishes dumping on us.

I am back from colorful Colorado and will resume posting. The aspens are just starting to turn around Breckenridge and should peak in 10 days. This morning the temp up there was 39 degs. CRISPY!!!!!!!!!
 

dennishoddy

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I have good luck drawing deer in with corn feeders during Oct. ,but I have had deer come out of the woods to feed on fescue grass in the back yard of the friends who let me hunt on their land as deer season is open!

This happens every year,sure wish I could plant fescue in the timber, but there's way too many rocks and brush.

Every thing likes the green fescue in the back yard. Pic from dining room window:

[Broken External Image]
 

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