food plots

jimbires · Jun 28, 2022

a year ago we leased the ground our 2000 yard shooting range is on . now we made the 450 yard range . the 2000 yard range faces east , the 450 yard range faces west . the firing lines are kind of back to back , with about 150 yards between them . both ranges can safely be used at the same time . after we got the lease last year , we didn't have a lot of time before hunting season . this year we have been working putting in food plots . we have 4 out now . we are going to put in another one closer to fall . the ground is disced and we spread lime a few weeks ago .I think we'll need to disc it again and spread the seed when it's time . this morning when I took the shooting stool out , me and the dog walked back to check on the food plot we seeded Memorial weekend . it's really up nice already . this is our biggest food plot . it's about 50 yards wide , and about 400 yards long . I think this was the first time we checked on the plot there wasn't any turkey on it . none of us guys have any experience doing this, it's a learn as we go kind of thing .

here is a pic June 18 .

JD338 · Jun 28, 2022

Very nice Jim. Hopefully you have some fur covered targets to shoot on the range.

JD338

RL338 · Jun 28, 2022

I though my plot was big , this puts it to shame. That is a nice plot. You sure can see a long ways. I’m jealous now

DrMike · Jun 28, 2022

You are definitely preparing the way for those fur covered targets! Good work.

wvbuckbuster · Jun 28, 2022

Looks good. Build it and they will come

Dan.

JD338 · Jun 28, 2022

We have 68 acers surround by agricultural fields. With 3 swamps on the property, I have put 6 food plots. Each one is about an acre. They are magnetics as the deer come out of the swamps and hit the food plots. The deer are only a few jumps away from the woods and heavy cover. The deer hit our food plots on their way to the hay fields at dark. Seems to work pretty well for us.

JD338

NYDAN · Jun 28, 2022

Those look great. You will get a lot of activity on those plots. Get ready for some shooting...

Dan

jimbires · Jun 28, 2022

we're talking about putting in a couple small ones . the plot we have limed is probably about 1 acre .

I'm not even sure what all we planted . we mixed the seed in the spreader according to seed size . I know we have pee's , beets , radishes , turnups , buckwheat , rape ,red and white clover , a few bags of the wildlife research mix , seed blend that came in plastic jugs , sunflowers . one guy was writing down what we planted , and how much . we'll have a better idea next year . LOL

jimbires · Jul 12, 2022

at the lease things go good for awhile , then we have problems . we allow atv's on the lease anytime , except for hunting season . the roads are gated and locked , with atv access around the gates . we block that access during hunting season . this past weekend someone wanted in . they just laid the lock on top of the gate . I don't see anything damaged , or missing . they have caused us some headaches in the past .

JD338 · Jul 12, 2022

That just sucks. Some people feel entitled to have access to any property they want because they are "Special". I've got 6 food plots on my property. Delt with trespassing first and second year. The word spread quickly that I'm not very nice to trespassers and how they are delt with. One such individual was told by the MI State Police (my friend) that I'm a nice guy but the wrong person to mess with). No more issues now.
I suppose it's different with a lease.
Maybe put some game cameras at the gates. If you were to hollow out a stump, the camera would be invisible to 99% of the people.
Just saying...

JD338

jimbires · Jul 13, 2022

we had a few arrested last hunting season , for hunting on the lease . one of them was the mayors son .

in the past couple years , off the top of my head ;
they've set fire to the grassy field our gongs are set up in .
they've stole our metal gongs .
they've pulled over our box stands
blamed us for shooting at them
cut the gate locks numerous times
the list goes on and on

KinleyWater · Jul 13, 2022

jimbires said:
we had a few arrested last hunting season , for hunting on the lease . one of them was the mayors son .

in the past couple years , off the top of my head ;
they've set fire to the grassy field our gongs are set up in .
they've stole our metal gongs .
they've pulled over our box stands
blamed us for shooting at them
...

Ah, the memories.

wvbuckbuster · Jul 13, 2022

jimbires said:
we had a few arrested last hunting season , for hunting on the lease . one of them was the mayors son .

in the past couple years , off the top of my head ;
they've set fire to the grassy field our gongs are set up in .
they've stole our metal gongs .
they've pulled over our box stands
blamed us for shooting at them
cut the gate locks numerous times
the list goes on and on

These kinds of people help to create bad image of gun owners and hunters who aren't the problem. Dan.

JD338 · Jul 13, 2022

jimbires said:
we had a few arrested last hunting season , for hunting on the lease . one of them was the mayors son .

in the past couple years , off the top of my head ;
they've set fire to the grassy field our gongs are set up in .
they've stole our metal gongs .
they've pulled over our box stands
blamed us for shooting at them
cut the gate locks numerous times
the list goes on and on

Jim,
I've got the Cuddyback Cuddylink camera system. It sends pictures to my phone. Catching these pukes in the act is tough for them to fight in court, especially with pictures time stamped. Get a PPO issued on a few of them. When they trespass, a Third offense is a felony.
You won't win many friends but you will be feared and respected!

JD338

jimbires · Aug 31, 2022

we did a few more food plots . the one I showed in post#1 got completely ate . we replanted it a couple weeks ago . it's coming along nicely .

here's another . it's ten days since we planted it . it's doing well . a pic from either end .

another one . this one we need to do a soil sample . it's growing , but not well . we tried replanting around the rear , and right side with winter wheat . that stuff is supposed to grow easily ,still not doing much .

another plot , it's doing ok . planted the same weekend as the previous plot that's not doing well .

the first one we planted . the deer didn't go after it hard , now the weeds have taken over .

our sanctuary food plot is really doing well .

KinleyWater · Aug 31, 2022

Looks good to me. I don't have near that much property to work with, but I've hand raked down some clover and then a mix of radish and other greens. All of them are growing, but I started rather late and only time will tell if they serve the intended purpose. I am also thinking of going into the wooded area and planting crab apple.

DrMike · Aug 31, 2022

You've been a busy fellow, Jim. Any one of those plots is better than none at all.

RL338 · Aug 31, 2022

I picked up a new to me disc for mine

Nah , this is for discing corn stalks for dad next spring.

jimbires · Sep 1, 2022

RL338 said:
I picked up a new to me disc for mine
View attachment 17546

Nah , this is for discing corn stalks for dad next spring.

that one is just a little bigger than ours .

hunter24605 · Sep 3, 2022

Those look great, nice work. Those should pay dividends soon!!! Yeah, some people think they are entitled to go wherever/whenever they want and will cut locks. Hunting lease food plots is exactly how we fell into hog hunting in Alabama. One of the salesmen that works for my brother's company is president of a hunting club with 15 members that leases 1600 acres from a timber company in AL. They have several food plots, and he said they spent somewhere around $4000 in seed, fertilizer, and diesel for the tractors to work the food plots, and the hogs rooted it up in a few months. We can go anytime we want except for active deer and turkey seasons. But, as bad as they want them gone, they have to be VERY selective of who they let on the property because of property damage, and people "accidentally" killing deer.