My first throw-n-mow attempt at food plotting
- Thread starter shawn cox
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shawn cox
Well-Known Member
Anything is possible if you pray hard enough.Must be Photoshopped. Such things aren't possible.
shawn cox
Well-Known Member
It is still growing but it has been suppressed by the grass I neglected to try to control. I was going to spray it last week but found out someone at camp had destroyed the pump on my sprayer so I had to order a new pump and I hopefully will have it today or tomorrow and be ready to spray next week. It did come up good and where the weeds were not growing good the deer browsed it down some but it is still hanging in there. I believe if I had sprayed the grass once it had came up it would have done very well. Just competition with weeds has kept the leaves small and hidden from the deer. I blame myself for not trying to take care of them better. I really just threw them out to see if I could get large seed to germinate and take good root by throwing it out. It was a year old bag that had been in the shed that I didn't want to let sit for another year. The deer never hit it that hard last year when I planted it though. I planted alyce clover some this year and the deer have hammered them so I will start using it instead of any beans from now on I believe.
I will take a picture of it this weekend if I get out there to show what I am talking about on the lablab and weeds.
Bowman
Active Member
Thanks. I might have to try it again.
Rempump870
Member
I did a throw, mow, spray and roll in this wooded plot. This has been a clover plot for the last 4 years. It was over taken by weeds because I couldn't get up in the woods to mow it with the farmers crops blocking the way. I weed whipped it a couple times but couldn't get ahead of the weeds. Tried Butryac back in May and killed off some of the weeds but again not enough of them.
Decided to start over with the throw, mow and spray. WR/Oats/Clover and some forage radish. I have plenty of thatch, a little worried I had too much thatch over the seed. The soil was damp and the weeds/clover were wet when we mowed. Should be plenty of moisture, time will tell. Ill try to post some pictures in early September when I get back up there to hunt and or check the plot.
Decided to start over with the throw, mow and spray. WR/Oats/Clover and some forage radish. I have plenty of thatch, a little worried I had too much thatch over the seed. The soil was damp and the weeds/clover were wet when we mowed. Should be plenty of moisture, time will tell. Ill try to post some pictures in early September when I get back up there to hunt and or check the plot.
Mennoniteman
Well-Known Member
That should work if your spray takes a hold and terminates the weeds that were left after you mowed it. The one downside to that mix is that you don't have any spraying options if the weeds persist. Good luck with it.
Rempump870
Member
Yes, I agree that the mix limited the sprayings but I figured I would roll the dice. I am hoping the rye comes in well and gives the clover a chance to take off in the spring.
I don't have experience with spreading, spraying, planting and rolling so soon in a plot that was this thick and lush. Have you done this before, how did the round up do killing off the mowed weeds?
This was somewhat of a last ditch effort to get something growing in there. When the clover was growing well and the weeds were kept at bay, this plot was one of our better ones. Opening weekend 2 years ago, I had 7 bucks and 10 does come through in 2 hours. I shot a nice 8 point later on that day. When I checked the trail camera, the day before opener there were 3 bucks on camera that were over 120in and one that probably would have gone 150 or up.
Mennoniteman
Well-Known Member
I'm guessing that you are going to have somewhat of a diversity plot with some of the old, and some of the new, reason being that you mowed all of the leaves off of some of the plants and left the roots so the spray didn't kill them when you sprayed at the same time as planting and mowing, and since they have roots they have a head start. It helps to spray things dead a week before throw and mow. Throw, mow and spray in one operation works best in ripe dead small grain. The good news is that you will have something growing for sure. Keep us posted.
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Rempump870
Member
Yea, I was worrying that might happen. I mowed it as high as the toro mower would go, I think it was level f. I was thinking the mowing would help get the lower weeds, under the canopy. Looking back, probably should have sprayed, waited a week, sprayed again and then broadcast the seed and either mowed and or rolled. I did a spray, waited a week, sprayed again and then planted/rolled plot and so far it is turning out pretty good. Variety is the spice of life or failed food plots
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Drycreek
Well-Known Member
I have a couple plots that I'll be attempting to throw and mow this fall. This will be my maiden voyage down that creek ! I'm gonna try to do it soon enough that if it doesn't go as planned, I'll still have time to do it the conventional way. Hard to break old habits !
Crimson n' Camo
Active Member
For you guys who are doing this for the very first time.....I would highly recommend trying a plot of cereal rye first. Once you have a couple plantings under your belt then try some other things if that's what you want to do. Keep it simple in the beginning.....When you have a more conditioned field, then add in oats and/or wheat to your mix....clovers.... and maybe some brassicas. In the beginning though....cereal rye is your friend.
Drycreek
Well-Known Member
Is that the same as Elbon Rye ?
Semisane
Active Member
I understand where you're coming from C&C. But the most guys, especially first time plotters, want a plot that draws deer. As a deer draw, cereal rye is not at the top of the list. Of course, a less attractive but successful plot of rye is far superior to a failed plot of even the best deer draw. So your recommendation has a lot of merit.
Cereal rye can be planted even in mid-winter in some areas of the country. So I wonder if a good strategy would be to plant a mix of wheat & oats in the Fall, then replant with rye later - either at the end of deer season or earlier if the wheat/oats fail. That would have the benefit of a good draw during the hunting season and biomass build in the Spring.
shawn cox
Well-Known Member
But if you want clover in it eventually you cannot beat using cereal rye. It is unmatched in my opinion on keeping weeds suppressed especially after it dies. But that is the beauty of it. It is fairly easy to try different things and not have to worry about all your wasted time and fuel money if it did fail. The biggest mistake I think people make trying this method is not increasing their seeding rate. You will have more failed seed germination in this method than you would have by covering the seed with soil in a conventional method due to the fact that not all seed might make good enough seed to soil contact or it might not get some that covering it and it dries out soon after sprouting.
