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Getting started with my first plot
Topic Started: Mar 20 2012, 09:49 AM (7,806 Views)
Ikantski
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She's looking a lot greener now, man that rye grows thick.

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That looks great! Good luck :cheers:
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Friggs
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Quote:
 
She's looking a lot greener now, man that rye grows thick


I guess that urea is working, looks good so far.
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Ikantski
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It's been a pretty tough hunt this year so far. The same doe and fawn are using the food plot semi-regularly, I still haven't had a single buck picture in there. The food plot is close to a cottage road so they may just not be comfortable there.

So far, just one buck is hanging around near the property. Not sure if he's 2.5 or 3.5. I think the acorns are the difference this year, I don't have many on or near my property however there is a huge oak ridge about 800 yards away on crown land. I believe they'll stay up there until the acorns are cleaned up and then move down to my thicker stuff as it gets colder hopefully.

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Posted Image barr creek acres
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Your food plot is looking great good luck the rest of the season.
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Quackhead
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That is quite the awesome project you've got going there! Hopefully all your hard work will pay off! And that huge oak stand is not going to make it easy. Acorns are like crack for deer!!!
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Friggs
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Rye is looking great and green, your deer should be enjoying that through the winter.
Was that plot just rye or was there anything else planted along with it ?
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Friggs
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I'll answer my own question, I see from an earlier post that you planted rye, radish and white clover.
What are your plans next year for this plot ?
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Ikantski
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It's 99% rye. There might be a bit of white clover in there somewhere that took but there's only a handful of forage radish plants. I really should have turned the soil and packed the seed in for that.

The big plan for next year is to de-stump and till after killing and cutting the rye. Hopefully get a crop of buckwheat in and then half rye/oats/pea mix and the other half pure brassicas.
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Ikantski
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I think the placement of my plot was the mistake this year. It ended up being too close to a road where people walk their dogs all the time. There is still minimal deer traffic through there although there has been a small amount of digging. I'm thinking now I might just see if I can get a perennial clover to take. We will see. A little discouraged this year, only saw one buck's legs for a few seconds.

I have a more isolated corner where I can do a kidney bean shaped plot and it seems to be a lot closer to a buck friendly area. I have a small clearing there now but just put deer feed down, nothing planted (yet!).

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Friggs
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Pretty impressive bachelor group, I can see the one buck has only a single fork on the right rack. He is in all three photos.
It would be interesting to know if they hang out in this area year round or are they wintering up or chasing the last of the receptive does. Either way, this might be a good spot for a plot, leave your camera up and check it every 2-3 weeks. You don't want to be there to often and spook them. Sometime in early March put a mineral station there and see what you get through the spring and summer.

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Ikantski
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Yeah, ol' Forky has been hanging around since mid November. I'm certain they don't all hang out here year round. There were some bucks around in the Spring but they completely disappeared over the summer. The little buck has been around since early Nov and the 10 pt just showed up around Dec. 30th.

I started a mineral station there already, actually on the same tree the camera is on, it gets a bit of use. Just a TSC maroon block on a notch cut in an 8 foot tall stump.

My strategy was not to mess around with that corner too much as I got a nice buck there last year but I think the short term disturbance of adding a small food plot will probably be worth it in the long run now.

I arrowed (first bow kill!) this guy about 5 feet from where those bucks are standing last year on Dec. 8th but he lived on my property year round, 1000s of pics of him.

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Friggs
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That's a very impressive first time bow kill. Most people usually shoot a doe as there first bow kill.
It sounds like you have a plan and your on top of it.
Good luck and keep us posted.
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Congratulations on a great first archery deer!
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Ikantski
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Just though I'd update this plot thread. I planted my rye too early last year so of course it's a little heavy. I put a bunch of corn/oats/molasses mix down there this winter. The deer have been grazing it a bit.

I'm more excited that some turkeys have decided to take up residence here which means some habitat improvements have been working. There certainly aren't a lot in the general area yet.

I planted 12 apple trees in there last week so it'll be a nice little orchard in a few years.

The current plan is:

1) Finish removing stumps.
2) Shallow till the plot under to loosen the soil and get the rye incorporated
3) Lime/fertilize
3a) Buckwheat if I have time.
4) Rye/white clover mix planted later in the fall and let the clover take over in the spring.

Apple trees
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Turkey
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Friggs
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Those trees and orchard look great. I hope your going to protect them from browsing deer. Those whips are still young and small but are sure tasty to a passing whitetail.
All my trees have 5 ft. fencing but I've got one tree with a 3 foot fence and it has been browsed on already this winter. I bought two 50' rolls of 5 ft. 2"x4" and I have to make sure this tree gets protected plus two whips that I'm planting next week.
It looks like the same hen from last year, she must have a nest near by.
Good luck on your upcoming plans.
Frank
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Ikantski
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Thanks! I've already got the fencing ready to go, just need to spend a few hours putting it up. They're in aluminum window screen now and most are 6" below the top of the screen so they're a little protected. I still have to stake them too.

I never saw the hen again last year after my dog chased her so I've been a little more careful not to sneak up on them. There are at least two there this year, I was pretty excited to see this trail running through the sand pit beside the plot.

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Friggs
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So where did you get your trees from ? and what type and rootstock ?
I'm heading out now to a friends place to prune a few of his pear trees near Rice Lake. I'm giving him one of my grafted pears to plant Bosc on Primus Communis and next year a couple of grafted Dolgo on Ranetka.

It looks like that hen just finished dusting herself, not certain if you have a turkey season there or not, if so are you going out for a turkey ?

Frank
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Ikantski
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They're EMLA 106 from Silver Creek Nursery, I think it was actually your recommendation in another thread. They were a little smaller than the ones from Siloam but almost half the price. I got 4 of each, Sweet 16, Honeygold, Cortland and Northern Spy. Planted 4 at our house and 12 at the property. If everything works out, we should be dropping apples from mid sep to the end of october.

There is a turkey season there but I'm going to let them be, it's an hour away and I can hunt them where I live in 63A, there are a lot more here.

I'm jealous you guys can grow pears, deer must love them.
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Friggs
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Did you deal with Ken ? if so, he is a nice guy and his prices are good. Most places won't sale whips only 2-3 year old trees.
I'm in zone - 4B so I'm watching my pear trees, last time I was up there I noticed no buds yet but I'm going up next week to fertilize, lime and spray my fruit trees.
Maybe I'll post an update with the two whips I plant.

Frank
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Ikantski
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Yeah, Ken was great to deal with. Definitely interested to see how yours do, I'm right on the border of 4A/3B.
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Ikantski
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Alright, life got a bit crazy there for a bit and summer flew by. Didn't have time to pull stumps or till and the rye got a little wild.

Cut it down with a grass blade on a brush cutter.
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I just let it lay and broadcast some buckwheat right on top of it, hoping it would make a nice moisture retaining thatch.
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3 weeks later, the deer are in there quite a bit
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The buckwheat should be coming up thick in a few weeks.
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A nice buck at a nearby salt tree
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So that's where it's at. That rye is a ton of organic matter that'll hopefully decompose nicely. The buckwheat should add a bunch more. I'll cut that end of Aug and broadcast a rye/clover mix. Should have rye for the fall and try to turn this whole thing into clover next spring with an earlier cut on the rye.
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Nice soil building
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Ikantski
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The buckwheat came up alright, the deer keep it nibbled off pretty well. A couple of the apple cages are acting as exclusion cages and it's up about 20" in there vs 4-6" outside. Got a nice buck coming in at night on a trail into the plot. The plan'll be to whipper snip it all next week, put out a pvc corn feeder to keep them around in the interim and seed it with the rye/oats/red clover mix and then stay the heck out of there until deer season.

The plot (ligher green on left is buckwheat)
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The buck
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On the road to plot
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trophy
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must feel good to see that buck after all that hard work
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Ikantski
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Yes especially after not getting a single buck picture all last summer. The doe with twin fawns is even more rewarding though. The first year I had the property, I had no does. Then I started putting more bait out, salt blocks and clearings, food plots and the does moved in and the bucks who used to live here seem to find more isolated spots. Of course, it doesn't help that I'm in there chainsawing, baiting, planting, etc all the time either. All this to say that, at the end of the year, I'm not really measuring my success by killing big bucks but more by deer sightings and overall population.

Of course, pictures like this stoke the fire and it'll be a huge bonus if I see him during the season.
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Twin fawns
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I literally never get sick of fawn pictures on my property
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Friggs
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Sure is rewarding to see your hard work paying off. Also, nice to see your herd increasing in size and frequent your trail camera.
Keep up the great work.

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Ikantski
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Yep, this is a banner year. So far we have

- 2 mature bucks
- 2 spike bucks
- 2 does
- 1 fawn (assuming one of the twins died)
- 5 trespassers

Today I killed ferns, planted 45# of rye grain, cleared that fallen spruce and a bunch of other smaller trees around the perimeter, installed 3 pvc feeders, put up a new camera and manhandled a box blind into position, going to put legs on it next weekend.

Not what I want to see prancing in the food plot
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Ok prancing
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Haven't seen two fawns at the same time in over a month
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Wow sure is alot of work, but things look to be worki g out for you, what's in the white bags ?
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Ikantski
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Late summer, I was using just corn. In the winter, I use deer mix from the co-op. It's half oats, half corn and there's some molasses mixed in.

More details: I usually put out a few bags late Nov for bow hunting and to get an inventory of which bucks made it through the winter. They're 40kg each for about $15. I leave it in the bag so it doesn't get wet and mushy. Cut an H in the top and you can stack them 4 tall. The deer will finish the top bag and knock it off to get the next one. They're all under a big white pine so they actually stay pretty dry. That's all the details I can think of right now.
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:yikes: That is a wide buck! Hopefully you get some hard horn pictures of him.....your hard work sure is starting to pay off! Good job! :cheers:
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Ikantski
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Yeah, I'm definitely hoping he sticks around. I never got any pics of him last year until Dec. 31st so hopefully he's decided he likes the area.

My luck continues too, according to the radar we got a few hours of good rain there today so that rye should be popping up shortly.

I'm on the fence with this rye thatch business. It would have been better if I could have mulched and tilled in a bit. You can see the buckwheat germinated just fine in it but the seeds that landed in the cage on cedar mulch actually did very well, growing almost 2 feet!
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Ikantski
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Got up to the camp to do some work this weekend with my dad.

I broadcast about 4 lbs of red clover into the mix so I can have something there next spring after I mow the rye early.


Made a box blind out of a shipping crate from my wife's work. Still need to finish walls, make a ladder and window but the hard part is done.
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I mounted the PVC feeders about 4 inches too high I think. The doe can get it but the fawn needs to grow a bit more.
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And of course some nice bucks hanging around.
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Friggs
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I like your box blind, i have to build one at the south end of my new plot, maybe next year.
I noticed the two bucks licking the cut tree, what type of minerals do you have on top of the tree ? homemade stuff or store bought ?

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Ikantski
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Yeah, it's going to be comfy. Buddy heater, padded chair, plexiglass window that swings down. Pure luxury. The minerals is just a regular cattle block from TSC. They cost about $10 for a 20kg block, that one has been out for a year and I'll probably have to replace it next Spring.
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I like the blind...good idea. :cheers:
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Ikantski
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Finished the box blind today, I'm looking forward to hearing her review. Is there a cheap option for the window? The best I can find is $50 for a 4x1 sheet of plexiglass. Is there a cheap thing people use to make windows? It'd be nice to seal it up on those December days. Haven't seen the 10 point for a few weeks, hopefully he hasn't left the area.

I nailed some trees to the front for camouflage after this, it still sticks out like a sore thumb though. Oh well, I'll spray paint it a bit next year, don't want the smell on it now.

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Doe and fawn in the plot

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Little buck

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Adorable

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Velvet is (almost) off!

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Ikantski
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Well, it only took one and a half years but I've finally seen a deer in my food plot with my own eyes. We had to drive past the property anyways so I thought I could sneak in, swap cards and sneak out around 6 pm. I snuck down my trail, quiet as a mouse, didn't see any deer or movement, got a few yards closer and then bam all of a sudden there's a spike buck at 20 yards eating out of the pvc feeder. He didn't see me so I got my cell phone out, got some pretty bad footage and got busted a few minutes later. I'll stick to checking the cam's at midday from now on.

Sorry for the horrible quality.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZhcIWNqz5_8&feature=youtu.be
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Things are looking good , nice lookingbucks you have there. :renedeer:
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Ikantski
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The bad: Plot didn't turn out to well this fall. I've added a salt block and a gravity corn feeder there to attract them a bit more. They say the deer don't seek salt in the fall but they always seem to take a lick or two when they walk by it.

The good: Picking up a Foreman 500 tomorrow so I'll be able to get a lot more clearings cut this winter and spring and I think I'll get the ground hog max so I can turn up some soil and incorporate lime/fertilizer next year, hopefully get my plot looking more like Friggs'.

Nothing came up on the sunny side but there is lots of red clover growing beneath the rye, should be nice and green next spring.
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Only one buck hanging around but he's a nice one. I think he's a bully. Either that or they're just all in the acorns again.
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