who does them? What’s best? How does a fella start? I’m ok with a bunch of salt licks and snares but let’s say I want to up my game to the legal level...
Corn, just be sure to put up a sign that says this corn is for wild turkeys, any deer caught stealing will be shot on sight
clover, turnips, chickory - planted in late August or early September will provide tasty forage by late October through Early December, even if it snows
I’ve been having good luck with milo. Kale, turnips, or other greens are good, but more for late season. Every year I watch deer walk thru my greens patch to get to the milo. By the end of December their in the greens. Milo has to be planted early to head. I’m going to plant mine in TN the end of this month.
What about techniques and that sort of thing? I’m looking to clear 1/2 acre of woods and plant something in there. The woods are already covered in deer, I’m just trying to concentrate them and/or make them more predictable I’m not going to have tractors planting acres and acres. So I’m looking for some simple techniques that are efficient. Did you guys soil test, lime, etc? Do you hand spread the seed or have a big machine. That kind of stuff?
I'm a fan of no till planting. Clear the ground, scuff it up with a harrow, broadcast the seed, then rake or roll it.
I use a tractor to turn/disk strips. I plant the milo in rows, broadcast the greens (rape, kale,turnips). If you don’t have a tractor a tiller will work. I also have used my 4 wheeler with a harrow to rough up the ground. Greens really just need the soil loosened. They need light to germinate so don’t plant them deep. If you don’t want to plant corn (yellow acorns as we call em) will hold deer in the area until season. State laws vary.
I was on a deer lease in the Texas hill country for 22 years . I killed 4 deer every year. All i did was out up a corn feeder at both of my deer stands. But it is very rocky there and you can't put out food plots. I would put up a corn feeder and plant about 1/2 acer of rye crass or what ever was mart sells near you that has cereal grains in it. Good and Happy Hunting.
1/2 acre should be fairly simple with just a rake for most deer projects. Mix it up with different greens. Find out from locals what deer hit the best contingent on part of season and load up those greens. The soil where we camped tested poorly but still grows about anything pretty well. I just use a hand crank spreader.
Feeders aren't allowed here. Or most states to my understanding. At least not for deer. The only "baiting" allowed is a crop that is grown and self-sufficient. I couldn't dump a bunch of corn, berries, oats, or anything.
I use Biologic food plot mix. Has a variety of grasses, turnips, and clover. The only way to keep the deer off of it is to hang A tree stand directly upwind and sit a while. Otherwise expect it to get murdered. For ground prep all I have is a box blade with the teeth flipped down. Turn the soil over, broadcast with a hand spreader, and expect deer within days....unless the neighbor has a corn feeder out.
Ha. That is funny regarding corn feeders. Some of the folks around my area must spend a year’s pay on feeders.
I use a forestry clearing saw (weed-whacker on steroids) to cut all of the natural growing grasses, weeds, and plants down to a few inches from the soil. The deer browse on over 300 types of vegetation, so the fresh new growth that comes up nice and green, attracts them. You can also broadcast new grass seeds in the area that you cut. If you have wild turkeys in the same area they may eat all of the seeds before they can sprout.
