When to start feeding?

[Deer Slayer]

Dennis and I are old farts and we already have 3 game rangers and another sharpshooter on our side. Now what do you youngsters have???????????? As for game.......yea you can kiss that good bye too.

 

[dlbleak]

First and formost, get a soil sample taken, and list the food plot seeds you want to plant when you send it in.
From your description, that is what the problem probably is. If you planted wheat, it is probably about 6" high and when matured, has three or four seeds in the head. every thing is stunted.
Is the description accurate?
"our soil is mostly hard-packed sandy/silt"
Man, that is an oxymoron description of the soil. Usually sandy = loose soil. Is it riverbottom or red with clay?

your right, that was a bad description. its loose on the first few inches then gets rock hard. soil not very dark at all. what i meant i guess is sandy colored. really seems void of nutrients.

 

[dennishoddy]

your right, that was a bad description. its loose on the first few inches then gets rock hard. soil not very dark at all. what i meant i guess is sandy colored. really seems void of nutrients.

It almost sounds like your describing hard pan soil. a hard, compacted, often clayey layer of soil through which roots cannot grow just under the topsoil.
Sometimes it occures naturally, or it can be manmade by constant shallow farming practices.
Rain water has a hard time getting through it, etc.
Unfortunatly, the only way to get rid of hard pan soil is to mechanically break it up. You have to get some equipment in there with chisels, or rippers to get it loosened up. If you know somebody with a compact tractor, one can buy a subsoiler from tractor supply that is just a single shank that will go into the ground almost two feet. It may take lots of passes, but this may be your only choice.
They cost a couple hundred bucks.
Once you get it loosened up, it may take an application of gypsum to keep the soil from compacting again.
Get it broke up and then take the soil sample in for analysis. You can waste money and time on fertilizer, but your problem is getting the soil conditioned.
Hope this has been helpful.

 

[dennishoddy]

Deer Slayer, what is your opinion?
We really don't know the location, but my opinion is subjective on the information I've been given.

 

[Deer Slayer]

I concur Dennis.

 

[dlbleak]

It almost sounds like your describing hard pan soil. a hard, compacted, often clayey layer of soil through which roots cannot grow just under the topsoil.
Sometimes it occures naturally, or it can be manmade by constant shallow farming practices.
Rain water has a hard time getting through it, etc.
Unfortunatly, the only way to get rid of hard pan soil is to mechanically break it up. You have to get some equipment in there with chisels, or rippers to get it loosened up. If you know somebody with a compact tractor, one can buy a subsoiler from tractor supply that is just a single shank that will go into the ground almost two feet. It may take lots of passes, but this may be your only choice.
They cost a couple hundred bucks.
Once you get it loosened up, it may take an application of gypsum to keep the soil from compacting again.
Get it broke up and then take the soil sample in for analysis. You can waste money and time on fertilizer, but your problem is getting the soil conditioned.
Hope this has been helpful.

i think you hit the nail on the head. we don't have any equipment so most of it is with atv's and handtools. gonna try another season cause we're running out of time. next year i need to get some heavier implements in there.
thanks a million

 

[kdlong]

we hung 4 feeders this yesterday. we will proably hang 2 more next weekend.they have demolished our mineral blocks this year.acorns look to be very slim down in the se part this year also.we did see a couple of yerlings.

 

[dennishoddy]

I spent most of the weekend putting in food plots on three different areas.
The plot that was planted with the ATV last week is already sprouting, and showing signs of deer using it, even though there is a corn field just feet away. They really like the new growth.
The last was disked once, and needs another pass in a couple of days. I'll get it planted this week sometime after work, and then is just a wait and see game.

 

[Oklahomabassin]

Nice food plot equipment dennis. I am holding out for rain before I spread my seed. It usually happens 1st week of dove season, I am off work Wed and Thursday so I might dove hunt a little and spread some seed.

 

[dennishoddy]

Nice food plot equipment dennis. I am holding out for rain before I spread my seed. It usually happens 1st week of dove season, I am off work Wed and Thursday so I might dove hunt a little and spread some seed.

Thanks, but as I've stated before, one doesn't need epuipment like this to put in food plots. I only paid $100 for the drill at a farm auction. Had to replace a couple of blades, bearings and a drive chain for less than a bill, but it works like a champ. It could be easily modified to be pulled with a pickup.