Fall foodplot time!

RedAllison

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Who else is starting their fall plots? The corn plots I planted in June are SUPERB! The corns 10-12ft tall & READY. Today I began what will be about a 2 week process. I mowed all my fall plots, several "Sendero" style areas opened up along trails & woods road + my "4.5 mile swamp road" that winds thru the bottom/swamp & connects everything. I'll disc the plots later this week, then disc them again early next week & then broadcast the seed & fertilizer later next week.

6 plots will be planted in a simple mixture of wheat & oats. These plots are in the woods/bottom & range from 1/3-1 acre in size. They are subject to flooding/standing water during the wet season (typically Feb-May) so I likely will never spend the time & $ planting anything other than the wheat/oat mixture in them. I've tried to get turnips & kale to grow in them for the last 2yrs but they never would come up. So I asked my neighbor (a farmer & mgr for a farm seed/chemical co.) about it & said it was more than likely because of soil acidity down in the bottom. Since its all hardwoods & spends months underwater the soil has a high content of tanic acid. I likewise have 1 "duck field" in the bottom that I'll mow that is appx 5 acres & 2-3 other areas that will be mowed that total about 2.5 acres. These will be "natural/native plots" that won't be fertilized or planted. Mother Nature grows quite a selection of "wildlife buffets" if you mow & occasionally disc it to encourage seed activation.

Nextyear I'll double the size of my corn plots up on the bluff & I'll likely try to establish some clover plots as well as other mowing & plantings up there for spring/summer wildlife use. My pastures up top are about 85 acres. In addition to the 2 corn plots I have appx 5-7 acres in lanes mowed thru the wild grasses. This "edge" is heavily utilized by ALL wildlife & I'm likewise considering planting some brassica varieties in some of these lanes. (My bushog is 7ft wide & I usually mow these lanes "2 wide" for essentially a 15ft lane. Let the sunlight hit the ground & you'll be amazed what will come from it!)

On another note, the corn farmers around me harvested their corn last week! :beer: that means EVERY afternoon for the next couple of weeks will find me driving & slipping around watching & "taking inventory" of the bucks in the area as they hit the open cornfields late in the afternoons. It was quite dark when I left the farm tonight but in a neighboring cut cornfield I saw a buck that "just might be worthy of more inspection under brighter light. So I plan on looking for him again tomorrow. I'll post pics as I can get them. :wink

Sept-early Dec is my FAVORITE time of year!!! :at the bar
RA
 
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GotMyAlly

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Right after the corn is harvested is supposed to be red-hot time for hog huntin'. Need to get my trip booked......
 

Vance

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You may have to throw some lime in the bottom ground to get ur plots to grow down there or do a PH test and it will tell what condition the soil is in.
Gonna try and plant some big and beasty from frigid forage down in Grenada see how it works. Used it on some farms I leased in Illinois and Iowa and the deer just hammered it. Hope these Mississippi deer get on as well.
 

Luketrician

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good reading here btw..

Me and my pop just went in together and purchased about 50 acres and just had a friend of our bushhog along the dirt road and two little .5 acre clearings..our long term plan is to make them into food plots..we still busy though keepin tresspassers out though..grrr
 

RedAllison

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Well this aftrn I returned to the neighbors cut cornfield & found a dandy 8. Sorry for the pics but under fading light & over 700yds away, it's the best I'm willing to push without spooking anything. LOL the first pics were shortly after he stepped into the field & then took "sit" for a few minutes. At least I KNOW he ain't feelin the least bit pressured. TN bow season opens in 2.5 weeks! :beer:
 

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Luketrician

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I am almost convinced that you have better luck getting these big boys early in the season...seems like when they rutting...they do all their runnin around at night..

Shot at and missed a real nice one year before last...in early october..huge 8pt..

he was with a six point and a spike..
 

Vance

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Red u need to get on him. That's a nice deer. When u see horns from that far away there usually carrying some bone up there
 

RedAllison

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I went scouting again this aftrn, I saw the big 8 from yesterday again late this afternoon (along with 2 LARGER bucks :wink ) but I was cruising several other areas before & the light just got to bad for long distance pics. I did find this one nice fellow that I think I saw Monday night. I think he's a nice 3.5yr old. We'll try to give him a pass for one more year but if he walks out in front of the youngsters... :confused: :gasp

I LUV this "window of opportunity" that usually only lasts 2-3wks after the corn harvest. You can really "take inventory" of the herd in your area. :beer:
RA
 

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RedAllison

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Well the food plots are DONE, lastnight I finished up with the oat plots I have in the woods down in the bottoms. The cool weather is helping but now I just need some rain! Time to start getting some tripods and ladderstands together and put up plus some chainsaw and grooming work.

FALL IS FALLIN! :beer:
RA
 

RedAllison

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More importantly, are the Moore's lake bass on a fall feeding frenzy yet???? :beer:
:LMAO: what is this fish you speak of? It's FALL as in a time for deer to FALL! :beer:

If Sunday was any indication, NO the fish had lockjaw for Jeffro and I. There were schools of minnows and shad allover the lake and the fish we did catch were gorged so I'm gonna say they are so full of food right now they aren't worried about any last minute feedings. But I'm sure that will change by killing frost time, but then again there will be lead flying (at thousands of feet per second instead of from casts) so who cares about any fish? :razz
 

RedAllison

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The oat plots are about 4" tall & goin great but I fertilized them today just to sweeten the pot! Our bow season is open but I'm still gettin everything ready for Juvie gun & mzl ldr in a few weeks. I found ths 10ptr late this aftrn.
 

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