Trinity River Food Plot

[elliscountyhog]

I have a place on the trinity river that i am going to go ahead and put a couple food plots on. Now here is the kicker it is only accesible by 4 wheeler and the ground is dry and grown up everywhere. Where do i start and with what. I do not have a lot of money to go and buy one of them nice pull behind the fourwheeler thangs. ( i wish). So i need to know

When do i start?
What equipment is good to use for this?
What is the smallest i can make and still be productive?
Best seed to use for drawin in deer and easy to grow?

Thanks in advance

[Matador]

Not sure on a Real food plot but I always hand through rye grass in October and the deer hit it pretty good in mid to late season. I'll also through some clover as long as you get a little moisture and Sun both will come up.

[stonecold]

you have any way to cut the grass/weeds? if you do then cut it, wait a week and spray with round-up(glyphosphate). then try to disturb the ground,4wheeler tires do good sometimes, or tiller. wait a couple weeks then spray a second time to kill the new weeds, wait a week an throw your seeds and drag with an old piece of chainlink fence or just a post or piece of wood to cover the seed, don't forget a little fertilizer. do whatever size you want, long narrow ones seem to work the best, but a small round one say 1/4 to 1/3 acre would make a good hunting plot. try oats,austrian winter peas

[elliscountyhog]

Yea we are going to rent one of them heavy duty puch mowers! But other than that i have a disc it just dont bust the ground good enough behind the 4 wheeler but i guess it dont take much for oats? Thanks i will try a long plot

[aggie82josh]

Have you tried loading your disk up with some weight to help it bite better?

[stonecold]

if the grass is dead and you get a little rain it should work.

[elliscountyhog]

Yea i stood on it and pulled but it just rolled on top of the ground i am 280lb or LESS LOL! but i guess i shoulda went down there yesterday while the ground was wet. Thanks i just thought i needed something with spikes on it or something first but i guess i just need to be patient and hope it rains to soften the ground...

[ken]

If you are just growing oats you can probably to get them to grow by spraying round up in the area, wait a few weeks and drag a piece of chain link fence with some concrete bags or something similar for weight to disturb the soil. Spread the seeds with a fertilizer spreader and drag the chainlink fence over it again and wait for rain.

[Tmag]

Garden tiller would be good to use. A TBH member who hunts in Groveton does it each year in a spot very much like you are describing. He even tote his water to the plot in 5 gallon buckets. I guess it all depends how bad you want it.

[SPUD]

I like Secret Spot or No Plow!! great products

With no plow, you need some way to rip the grass and leaves away. you can take a push mower and mow it down really short and then use a drag. I have used about a 6-8 foot piece of cyclone fence with 2x4s attached to the ends of it with big nails driven through it to help "rake" the gound. The cyclone fence will catch the clippings.

you will need to mix in some lime before planting, I don't know how much..depends on what kind of soil, but it never hurts to put it out anyways.

when you broadcast it..take the cyclone fence piece with the boards OFF and drag it over the seeds. you want about 1/4" cover for germination.

Plant this on labor day weekend

[Live2Hunt]

Garden tiller would be good to use. A TBH member who hunts in Groveton does it each year in a spot very much like you are describing. He even tote his water to the plot in 5 gallon buckets. I guess it all depends how bad you want it.

Our place in Grayson Co is surrounded by crops with no roads or way into the wooded areas, except by foot. We carry 18-22 bags of corn in to fill the feeders on our backs through the corn fields. We also carry about 10 gallons of water in to mix up our Round Up for creating food plots. Its a pain, but the deer seem to really like the areas we sprayed, they are bedding under our feeders!

We will put out LabLab and NoPlow this year and hope for the best...

My avatar picture on the left shows where I have to stop driving and begin walking. Our hunting spots start on the other side of that 1600 acre corn and redtop field...

[glen]

Spray the areas you want ot use as food plots and kill the vegetation. Next time it rains go in there with you 4wheeler and just ride and ride hard tearing up the ground. When you get ready to plant put your seed out and drag some chain fence behind you to set the seed.

[elliscountyhog]

Really good advice!!! Now the next ? is what is a good grass killer that wont hurt the deer or keep them away? Yall metion round up which one, i use the one around the farm and it doesnt do reall good, but i do have some remidity stuff that is perty good mixed with diesel, but i am going to try that this weekend killing grass.

[SPUD]

but i do have some remidity stuff that is perty good mixed with diesel, but i am going to try that this weekend killing grass.

me personally, I would stay away from diesel mixtures. but that's me. I would rather use a store bought product that I could control the concentration level for particular plants

[ranchdog]

Basically there are two types of food plots. Warm season that must be planted in the spring with the temps are cooler and you are getting spring rains. Plant on April 15th. These warm season plots are to provide high protein and to hold deer on your land. Iron & clay peas and Lab Lab work well.

Since this time has passed for you, you are now looking at planting a cool season plot for the fall to draw deer in for harverst. One of the best for this area that can stand a low ph common to east texas is Buck Forage Oats. What you need to do right now is spray now with Round Up generic brand though 40%. Keep spraying a few times before this fall. Then mow as best you can. When the rains come in mid Sept. Go in there and tear the ground up anyway you can. Put down 13-13-13 fertilizer, broadcast your seeds, then drag as others suggested a old chain link fence gate or anything else you can. Oats should be planted about 1 inch deep. Then pray for rain. They come up easily, can take grazing, and deer love them.

Here is my website shown with some of the equipment. Good luck.

http://www.ranchdogu.com/DeerPage/food_plots/foodplotsnew.htm

Ranchdog