Upstate Obsession
- Thread starter Elkaddict
- Start date
Chainsaw
Well-Known Member
Elk I think you will be fine with your two acres of brassica and four of corn/beans. Lets not forget the many acres of hinge cuts you have. That alone is a very huge food plot.
On clovers I can only speak about white clovers--little to zero winter use seen here and some clover is planted where it can be seen throughout the day.
On clovers I can only speak about white clovers--little to zero winter use seen here and some clover is planted where it can be seen throughout the day.
Elkaddict
Well-Known Member
Limited brassicas will have to do this year-I simply lack the ability to do more. One potential benefit I see is it may concentrate the deer come MZ season (assuming we get typical winter weather). It will be interesting to see what a couple acres of thick red clover do this fall.
farmhunter
Well-Known Member
the deer will paw for that red clover in snow up to two feet in my opinion - if they don't - then they are finding enough food otherwise - I imagine you lost a good number of deer in the winter of 2014 like I did. - especially the previous June's fawns. your bucks are looking great! - and that bear would be on my list! We are having sightings around as well - but i've yet to get one on trail cam -
Also - if the red clover isn't browsed tight you can get a good bit of N credits for it the next may. Most people know that clovers add N to the soil - but must people don't know that the majority of it comes from the GREEN growth tilled under. so if you have a browsed tight clover plot - it will add some N when tilled in - but no where near as much as a 2 foot tall plot mowed and disked/tilled in
Also - if the red clover isn't browsed tight you can get a good bit of N credits for it the next may. Most people know that clovers add N to the soil - but must people don't know that the majority of it comes from the GREEN growth tilled under. so if you have a browsed tight clover plot - it will add some N when tilled in - but no where near as much as a 2 foot tall plot mowed and disked/tilled in
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Elkaddict
Well-Known Member
Thanks Farmhunter, I hope they see usage after the snows begin to pile up. I've several acres of knee high lush red clover I simply lack the ability (and now time) to rotate this year. They should make dandy brassica plots next July. One of the brassica plost we did get planted was done on short notice (again b/c of my need for help). We simply fertilzed, disced it under without killing, culitpacked and planted. One interesting thing I noticed was we didnt kill all the clover and its growth is greater than the young brassicas, and continue to be grazed. It might prove an interesting test to watch how the plot develops. It certainly took extra passes to disc the live clover under....
We did have a significant winter kill in 2014--I figure we lost 50%. Fortunately, numbers have rebounded quickly as neighboring deer have discovered the buffet we offer.
I'll give this bear a pass--he's too small (unless he trashes my corn plots). Last year we had two larger bears on the place into the fall (never saw them in person but got lots of trail cam pics).
We did have a significant winter kill in 2014--I figure we lost 50%. Fortunately, numbers have rebounded quickly as neighboring deer have discovered the buffet we offer.
I'll give this bear a pass--he's too small (unless he trashes my corn plots). Last year we had two larger bears on the place into the fall (never saw them in person but got lots of trail cam pics).
Elkaddict
Well-Known Member
CTM, thanks for the kind words. I'm in year 3 of substantial habitat development and I think it's just now bearing fruit, particularly the extensive hinge cuts. I would not have predicted the deer we're holding. Our first camera surveys showed spikes and fork horns. Now, I'm sucking in deer from off the property. Give it some time and keep up the hard work.
Elkaddict
Well-Known Member
These brassicas were planted 4 weeks ago. It is a mixture of Winfred and Rutabaga. They've doubled in size the last week and the larger leaves are as big as a dinner plate. I'm anxious to see if the Rutabaga bulbs don't see more use than our turnips. You can see our new waterhole in the center of the plot.
