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Food Plots?? How, When, Where??

hey guys its been awhile since i been on here but some of you may remember me. Im the guy from PA who was looking to buy land in ohio, well im here and got the place in licking county. I have been here a few months now and been running trail cameras on mineral sights but i want to get some food plats in the ground. i have 105 acres and about 24 of it is clover fields so i want to make 2 small kill plots back in the woods. A lot of my woods are white oaks and the bordering property on one side is all clear cut hell hole that barely gets hunted at all. would you guys locate them near the bedding (neighboring hell hole) or would you stay away from it not to disturb them? whats best to plant this time of year or is this not a good time of year for me to be planting foodplots? i want to plant the best plots i can so also any tips at all on location, seed type, fertilizer, lyme, when to plant or anything that will help me im ready to hear. Should i get the soil tested?
 

Bigslam51

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
25,778
127
Stark County
I think most of us agreed that it would be best not to disturb the property much until you have the deer figured out. This will probably take a couple years. If it was me I wouldn't be going in the woods with saws and bulldozers right now. Why not take some of that clover out and put some winter rye in for now?
 

at1010

*Supporting Member*
4,944
139
hey guys its been awhile since i been on here but some of you may remember me. Im the guy from PA who was looking to buy land in ohio, well im here and got the place in licking county. I have been here a few months now and been running trail cameras on mineral sights but i want to get some food plats in the ground. i have 105 acres and about 24 of it is clover fields so i want to make 2 small kill plots back in the woods. A lot of my woods are white oaks and the bordering property on one side is all clear cut hell hole that barely gets hunted at all. would you guys locate them near the bedding (neighboring hell hole) or would you stay away from it not to disturb them? whats best to plant this time of year or is this not a good time of year for me to be planting foodplots? i want to plant the best plots i can so also any tips at all on location, seed type, fertilizer, lyme, when to plant or anything that will help me im ready to hear. Should i get the soil tested?

Get soil tested - this is a must
You can plant brassicas now.
Depending how small plots are I would deff stay away from a monoculture.

A good mix
Rye grain- don't get rye grass
Purple top turnips
Radish
Oats or winter wheat

I would test soil
Then amend as needed
Spread lime till it in
Spread seeed before rain
Pack it down

You should be good to plant a mix above or similar now till sept

Good get em bud!
 
These guys are getting me excited! I know they won't look to big to some of you but to this southern PA guy these are all going to be big!! 20170712_134336.jpg20170709_130719.jpg20170701_125813.jpg20170709_131003.jpg
 
I think most of us agreed that it would be best not to disturb the property much until you have the deer figured out. This will probably take a couple years. If it was me I wouldn't be going in the woods with saws and bulldozers right now. Why not take some of that clover out and put some winter rye in for now?
After looking at my trail camera pictures I thought this to but I'm also anxious to have it growing for next year. I may just wait and plant it early spring so I don't disturb the bucks right now.
 
Get soil tested - this is a must
You can plant brassicas now.
Depending how small plots are I would deff stay away from a monoculture.

A good mix
Rye grain- don't get rye grass
Purple top turnips
Radish
Oats or winter wheat

I would test soil
Then amend as needed
Spread lime till it in
Spread seeed before rain
Pack it down

You should be good to plant a mix above or similar now till sept

Good get em bud!
What is monoculture? I was thinking about making them half acre plots
 

Bigslam51

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
25,778
127
Stark County
After looking at my trail camera pictures I thought this to but I'm also anxious to have it growing for next year. I may just wait and plant it early spring so I don't disturb the bucks right now.
Honestly that's what I'd do. You won't hurt it if you til up some of that clover and plant a rye/brassica mix but I'd stay out of the woods right now as much as possible. Give it a year or two and you might find that you don't need any kill plots in the woods at all, who knows.
 
Made a deal with the neighboring farmer he can just keep taking the clover off the fields for now and he helps me with dozer work and stuff like that so I can't do anything to hus clover but I do stay out of the woods, I'm all about leaving it completely alone. I just really want a plot with knee high something growing in it even if I don't nessaraily need it if you know what I mean haha. But I might wait till early spring to put them in so I'm not spooking any mature bucks right now. My land in PA has a few kill plots and they are some of my favorite hunting spots so that also makes me want one here to.
 

MK111

"Happy Hunting Grounds in the Sky"
Supporting Member
6,551
66
SW Ohio
I've found that your clover fields will be the best killing field there are. The deer on my farm feed in my clover plots 12 months of the year. Also feed in the clover every night of the long bow-gun-ML deer season.
I kill all my deer in my clover plots.
I do plant forage oats, turnip-radish mixes but the clover is my main drawing crop. When I see deer come out of the brush line on my neighbor's hay fields and walk through the hay without stopping and feed in my clover. I'm sold on clover.
 

Iowa_Buckeye

Smartest person here
1,776
85
Linn County Iowa
If you have that much clover I wouldn't worry about a spring planting, unless you do end up getting some row crops in.
If you already have a fairly open area in the timber now which is not real close to what you feel is a bedding area, I would get it planted with some type of brassica within the next few weeks, or oats just a week or two before season. Deer love oats that have just sprouted. We have also broadcast beans HEAVILY in our kill plots about 3 or 4 weeks before season. Fresh bean spouts are a go-to for deer.
I wouldn't wait and let this season pass you by. You won't spook the deer.