2019 plots

Creek chub

Active Member
Deer season is in full swing in Virginia but I’m already planning for next year’s plantings.

This fall makes my first full year of dedicated plotting. I had some failures and successes but it’s been fun and I think our deer look healthier.

I’m gonna be laid up a couple months with foot surgery starting in December but I’m putting together my plans for new plots and maintaining my existing clover plots. I’ve got a red clover and a whitetail institute clover plot and both are doing great. I planted a Durana plot a couple months ago and look forward to see it take off in the springtime.

Happy plotting gents!
 
I planted my first plot of medium red this fall also, and I'll be interested to see the outcome. Only problem is, I've sold the place, to close Dec. 30. I'm gonna ask the new owner if I can visit a couple times next year just to check on "my" crop.

Sorry about your foot, hope you heal quickly !
 
I’m looking forward to spring/summer plots, too. I did a 1-acre Eagle soybean plot, a 3/4-acre Whitetail Institute Power Plant plot and a 1/2-acre buckwheat plot earlier this year. Wow, what a difference it made in keeping bucks around on our lease. The attractive power of summer soybeans in an area of medium-low deer density with no ag farming is pretty amazing. We pulled in 2 small bachelor groups that I had not seen the previous year. Next year I’m going to electric fence the beans so they can get a little taller before the browsing onslaught begins.

Regarding Power Plant - that product is simply awesome, in my opinion. It grew into a small jungle that the deer loved to bed and feed in, and then it just kept growing and growing. I have been thinking about mixing my own Power Plant type blend, but I may just order it again from WINA to save some time since their price is pretty reasonable for the small acreage I’m planting.

The buckwheat grew incredibly well and hopefully did great things for the soil, but the deer weren’t very interested in eating it. I have a leftover 50lb bag of buckwheat seed and plan to use it on a former logging deck that could use some help.
 
I'd rather grow 'em than kill 'em.

I realized this was where I was a year or so ago. I still enjoy hunting but I don't have that drive to do whatever it takes to kill a deer. I enjoy my time in the stand but I spend most of it thinking about how I can improve our properties and deer herd.
 
I’m looking forward to spring/summer plots, too. I did a 1-acre Eagle soybean plot, a 3/4-acre Whitetail Institute Power Plant plot and a 1/2-acre buckwheat plot earlier this year. Wow, what a difference it made in keeping bucks around on our lease. The attractive power of summer soybeans in an area of medium-low deer density with no ag farming is pretty amazing. We pulled in 2 small bachelor groups that I had not seen the previous year. Next year I’m going to electric fence the beans so they can get a little taller before the browsing onslaught begins.

Regarding Power Plant - that product is simply awesome, in my opinion. It grew into a small jungle that the deer loved to bed and feed in, and then it just kept growing and growing. I have been thinking about mixing my own Power Plant type blend, but I may just order it again from WINA to save some time since their price is pretty reasonable for the small acreage I’m planting.

The buckwheat grew incredibly well and hopefully did great things for the soil, but the deer weren’t very interested in eating it. I have a leftover 50lb bag of buckwheat seed and plan to use it on a former logging deck that could use some help.
I may try power plant too. I tried sunn hemp this year. The deer ate but it didn’t grow as advertised but my soil was pretty bad. For me, buckwheat did really well and the deer loved it. The turkeys loved the seeds
 
I honestly don't really care about hunting much anymore. But in three weeks it's going to be hinge cutting, buckthorn killing, food plot planning season opener and I can't wait.
 
I’m planning as well. We had 30 does/fawns in our largest plot complex last night. With the clover, alfalfa, grains buried under the snow, the brassica/corn/beans have been hammered. Going to take out an acre of clover and beef up the brassicas to 41/2 of the 6 acres. I’m also going to double the Rutabaga/Winfred. They produce at least 2x the tonnage of the L.C brassica mix. I’ve also got to find a way to thin the doe population which is hard given how the state allocates tags.
 
I’m planning as well. We had 30 does/fawns in our largest plot complex last night. With the clover, alfalfa, grains buried under the snow, the brassica/corn/beans have been hammered. Going to take out an acre of clover and beef up the brassicas to 41/2 of the 6 acres. I’m also going to double the Rutabaga/Winfred. They produce at least 2x the tonnage of the L.C brassica mix. I’ve also got to find a way to thin the doe population which is hard given how the state allocates tags.

I feel your frustration with that Elk but the solution is really very simple. I'll sell you a daylily, a special one unlike any other in the world. You can plant it and declare yourself a professional daylily hybridizer with the intention of creating and selling special plants as something you feel you want to do. The deer will eat that daylily and destroy it removing it's special gene makeup. Document the business plan and deer damage. You can then apply for the DMAP program and get enough doe tags (free) to reduce the doe numbers to a manageable number so that you may try to recreate that special plant again. It is that simple.

A second solution is to simply start creating a great cider to sell from your wild apples to augment your income in your coming retirement years, plant a few apple trees to start your grand orchard to mix domestic apples with the wild ones to make a "fuller" cider to sell and the deer being over populated will destroy the planted trees which you could document a long the way and then again apply for the DMAP program. Controlling the does would then allow you to actually grow apples for a small commercial cider business. It is that simple.

Growing Christmas trees is a great money making venture for the future also but the trees are also susceptible to deer damage due to an over populated deer herd; So many money making opportunities if only the does could be controlled; it is that simple.

The system is there;one just has to work within its framework and fit into the intention of the programs goals. It really is that simple. With it you can get the population to within bounds that a little extra cash can be made from Agricultural efforts to help in retirement years. Doubly simple!
 
I feel your frustration with that Elk but the solution is really very simple. I'll sell you a daylily, a special one unlike any other in the world. You can plant it and declare yourself a professional daylily hybridizer with the intention of creating and selling special plants as something you feel you want to do. The deer will eat that daylily and destroy it removing it's special gene makeup. Document the business plan and deer damage. You can then apply for the DMAP program and get enough doe tags (free) to reduce the doe numbers to a manageable number so that you may try to recreate that special plant again. It is that simple.

A second solution is to simply start creating a great cider to sell from your wild apples to augment your income in your coming retirement years, plant a few apple trees to start your grand orchard to mix domestic apples with the wild ones to make a "fuller" cider to sell and the deer being over populated will destroy the planted trees which you could document a long the way and then again apply for the DMAP program. Controlling the does would then allow you to actually grow apples for a small commercial cider business. It is that simple.

Growing Christmas trees is a great money making venture for the future also but the trees are also susceptible to deer damage due to an over populated deer herd; So many money making opportunities if only the does could be controlled; it is that simple.

The system is there;one just has to work within its framework and fit into the intention of the programs goals. It really is that simple. With it you can get the population to within bounds that a little extra cash can be made from Agricultural efforts to help in retirement years. Doubly simple!

Now the daylily plot makes sense! Let me know when you want to start the Christmas tree venture. They are my favorite thing to plant.
 
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