| Welcome to Ontario Trophy Bucks forum. Enjoy your visit. You're currently viewing our forum as a guest. This means you are limited to certain areas of the board and there are some features you can't use. If you join our community, you'll be able to access member-only sections, and use many member-only features such as customizing your profile, sending personal messages, and voting in polls. Registration is simple, fast, and completely free. Join our community! If you're already a member please log in to your account to access all of our features: |
| Food plot in AG area. | |
|---|---|
| Tweet Topic Started: Mar 22 2012, 05:36 PM (308 Views) | |
swampdogger
|
Mar 22 2012, 05:36 PM Post #1 |
![]()
|
Really been thinking this over, is there any benefit to having a food plot in a AG area, other than making a contribution to your local seed supplier ? Wow, about the only thing i see atracting deer to my area is the mineral pail's. I will be put'n in some food plot's , only because we enjoy it, and the only thing that really hold's deer in our area is all the bean's and corn the local farmer plant's,and the cedar swamp on the neighbors property. What is every one else's opinion.?
|
![]() |
|
baydog
|
Mar 22 2012, 05:45 PM Post #2 |
![]()
|
Swampdogger, do you own the land? |
![]() |
|
| Ikantski | Mar 22 2012, 05:50 PM Post #3 |
|
Regular
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]()
|
Yeah, they haven't really caught on in Iowa, Ohio or Southern Michigan... wait. I think there's lots of benefit. Smaller, secluded plots increase your odds of having deer use it during daylight. Brassicas and cereal rye/clover provide winter and early spring food long after the corn and beans are gone. |
![]() |
|
baydog
|
Mar 22 2012, 06:08 PM Post #4 |
![]()
|
Good point. What I was thinking if he owned the land, he could improve the timber stand (if there is any) by thickening it up and creating sanctuary type areas. Then, small foodplots with crops like Ikantski mentioned. The deer would still likely hit the ag fields in the evenings but if they feel safe and secluded they'd probably be more apt to use them during daylight hours. Those are my thoughts, interested in hearing others. On the Iowa whitetails forum, the guys say foodplots with rye/clover/peas/radish seem to consistently lure bucks even in areas of heavy agriculture. |
![]() |
|
swampdogger
|
Mar 22 2012, 06:20 PM Post #5 |
![]()
|
No, my friend does ,but there is no problem as to what we plant, as we both enjoy it. Why?
|
![]() |
|
swampdogger
|
Mar 22 2012, 06:33 PM Post #6 |
![]()
|
I wish i could give every one a Google map of the area, just to show what the lay of the land is. I didn't tell you there is 10,000 acre's of gov't reforestation 2 farm's over.That in itself is big for agriculture area.My bud , i don't think is into to much as far as doing something with what timber property he has.I guess we will plant our seed and see what happen's. Please don't get me wrong , we enjoy every bit we do on his property,it is just frustrating at time's.
|
![]() |
|
bigr
|
Mar 22 2012, 06:46 PM Post #7 |
![]() ![]()
|
I see your point for sure. I think it depends on what your planting as well. You say your mineral gets attention . Is that all year ? The ag land might be more attractive maybe because it gets less activity ? I think the direction baydog is going is your other ducks might need to be lined up ? What are your goals of your plots. I know if mine were to shoot mature deer on them all the time , I would be disappointed. My set up and location makes it tough for that to happen but catching them to and from is better. Are you attracting deer that you know of ? Sounds like it if there going to the mineral. Are they eating the plots as well ? |
| |
![]() |
|
swampdogger
|
Mar 22 2012, 07:30 PM Post #8 |
![]()
|
Bigr, the deer come to the mineral pail pretty well all year.They seem to love the Rackstacker trace mineral(red) then i switched to the formula that everyone(including me) was buying at there local co-op , result's were almost the same, but not quit as much, (a little more research needs to be done) I think if you use the trace mineral alone in a pail might work better.Anyway, i will be plant'n , peas, Radish, and red top turnip. The big thing i am worried about is the soil is sandy. I just read from a U.S. site that if the PH is not right, than the crop may be bitter due to lack of nutrients ,more lime is needed.Wow, this could become a real hobby .LOL.I think my buddy and I have got to sit down and really talk about these food plot's, and try and figure this out. Any way, i have to say ,this is a great site, and without people like Bigr, this would be a very misinformed site, keep up the good work Bigr, i will always be listening.
|
![]() |
|
swampdogger
|
Mar 22 2012, 07:42 PM Post #9 |
![]()
|
I wish i could post a Google map of where i am , but then i would be telling everyone where i am , right Chessy. LOL.
|
![]() |
|
barr creek acres
|
Mar 22 2012, 08:46 PM Post #10 |
|
Advanced Hunter
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]()
|
Hunting pressure could force deer to smaller secluded food plots as long as you have adequate cover. By planting small secluded plots your property could also become a staging area for deer to feed on before they hit the bigger corn and bean fields that are in your area. Good luck and have fun. |
![]() |
|
bigr
|
Mar 22 2012, 09:34 PM Post #11 |
![]() ![]()
|
Ya but a fun hobby ! Its hard for you to explain I'm sure but , If your near Chessy , How is your ph? I've fished that area a lot from Gages Cr. east and there is a TON of cedar in that area. You soil might be really low in ph ? Is it that the stuff didn't grow or the deer wouldn't eat it ? |
| |
![]() |
|
baydog
|
Mar 22 2012, 10:12 PM Post #12 |
![]()
|
Yep, that's what I was getting at. I'd be looking at the entire picture and making the property a haven/paradise for the deer. Small plots with highly nutritious food and thick cover with browse bordering them. Maybe looking at hinge cutting some junk trees and letting the saplings grow to create cover.They should bed in the thick cover during the day and feed in the small isolated plots before heading to the the ag fields after dark. What about water in the area? Do they have a readily available water source on the property? I dug a small pond/puddle with my tractor loader just off one of the foodplots and I think it made a huge difference. I have a river running the boundary of one side of the property but with adding the pond (it's only about 10x15 feet and maybe 18" deep), they didn't have to expose themselves. You wouldn't believe the number of tracks around there. I think you have to put the whole picture into perspective especially when food is not the main draw with all the agriculture around. There's other things that can be offered. Anyway, just my thoughts, I'm interested in hearing more ideas............
|
![]() |
|
swampdogger
|
Apr 3 2012, 08:03 PM Post #13 |
![]()
|
sorry, been busy. The deer would not eat the Rackstacker ,even when late winter came they only picked on the turnips. Going to do a ph test here shortly. Biggest thing has been the mineral's with these deer, they sure enjoy them, at least according to the pic's anyway. In any of the pic's it seem's the deer are just on a trance to go to the AG in the area. Oh well just keep trying.
|
![]() |
|
| 1 user reading this topic (1 Guest and 0 Anonymous) | |
| « Previous Topic · The Plotters Forum <Habitat Improvement> · Next Topic » |










![]](http://z4.ifrm.com/static/1/pip_r.png)


2:33 PM Jul 11