New Food Plot - 20 Days without rain

[Native Hunter]

Over seed that clover plot with clover this spring and you'll be just fine.

Yes, that's my plan. I was also thinking that after seeding I would let it rain once and then mow that wheat low on top of the seed. What are your thoughts on that?

 

[willy]

I think that's a great idea,weed control and moisture savings all in one.

 

[deer patch]

Yes, that's my plan. I was also thinking that after seeding I would let it rain once and then mow that wheat low on top of the seed. What are your thoughts on that?

Have you had much luck overseeding clover in the spring?

Plot looks good. Mine look like a manicured golf course but I didn’t have a mass crop this year..

 

[Native Hunter]

Have you had much luck overseeding clover in the spring?

Plot looks good. Mine look like a manicured golf course but I didn’t have a mass crop this year..

I’ve not done it before in the spring but willing to give it a try.

 

[Triple C]

Mercy me! That is one great looking plot...great looking back drop...and one FINE looking buck.

 

[OkieKubota]

Just to let everyone know - this plot turned out okay despite the drought. My grains did great and the deer have been using them heavily as of late. I'm not sure how much clover I will actually have this spring, but we will see.

It really doesn’t look like you have much deer pressure there by looking at the plants...if that date is anywhere near correct it was a year ago. By looking at the background I would say perhaps October/November time frame?

 

[willy]

Have you had much luck overseeding clover in the spring?

I have over seeded my clover plots via frost seeding with great results. I plan on doing again this winter. The clover plots are going on eleven years now. I gave them a good gly dose last August for the foxtail and other weeds starting to own more of the clover plot than I care for. It left for a fine seeding base for the oats I broadcast over it after labor day. They came up well and I'm sure it will be good for frost seeding.

 

[dogghr]

Nice plot Native, but I know you will do some doctoring of that plot with a big mixture of various plant. You and monoculture don't go together. As with Deer Patch, I overseed in late winter with clovers into the plots. Going to try overseeding oats in spring as some on this forum have suggested for summer growth.
I did take a page from your hunting tech book. Shot my only deer/buck 75 yds from my Jeep as I still hunted to stand. Thanks for the advice to shoot them close to leaving vehicle.

 

[Native Hunter]

It really doesn’t look like you have much deer pressure there by looking at the plants...if that date is anywhere near correct it was a year ago. By looking at the background I would say perhaps October/November time frame?

Okie, you just caught the fact that my camera is a year off. I hadn't even noticed that. However the month and day are correct. That picture was just a week ago. The plot just looks very green because of all the warm weather and rain we have had this winter.

 

[Native Hunter]

Nice plot Native, but I know you will do some doctoring of that plot with a big mixture of various plant. You and monoculture don't go together. As with Deer Patch, I overseed in late winter with clovers into the plots. Going to try overseeding oats in spring as some on this forum have suggested for summer growth.
I did take a page from your hunting tech book. Shot my only deer/buck 75 yds from my Jeep as I still hunted to stand. Thanks for the advice to shoot them close to leaving vehicle.

I had a good stand of radishes in there too, but what didn't get eaten has rotted away. I see a lot of chicory, but the clover is weak due to the drought when it was planted. PS: Congrats on your buck my friend!

 

[OkieKubota]

Okie, you just caught the fact that my camera is a year off. I hadn't even noticed that. However the month and day are correct. That picture was just a week ago. The plot just looks very green because of all the warm weather and rain we have had this winter.

How cold has it been? There is a small field a guy plants for late winter cattle grazing a few miles from here. It’s right next to a store, church, post office, and fire department and it literally has houses surrounding it so it has no deer pressure at all and the plants look like yours...here where I am I have a lot of deer pressure and my plants are slightly above dirt level and we have had a wet year as well...there must have been a lot of ag in your area that took a lot of pressure off your plot earlier this year. Am I anywhere close on that statement?

 

[Native Hunter]

How cold has it been? There is a small field a guy plants for late winter cattle grazing a few miles from here. It’s right next to a store, church, post office, and fire department and it literally has houses surrounding it so it has no deer pressure at all and the plants look like yours...here where I am I have a lot of deer pressure and my plants are slightly above dirt level and we have had a wet year as well...there must have been a lot of ag in your area that took a lot of pressure off your plot earlier this year. Am I anywhere close on that statement?

Just this week we got down to 17 for two nights. Other than that, it has been very warm. There were days in December and January that I worked outside without a coat on.

From your posts, I know you have many, many more deer than I do here. I'm in an area that has a lot of cleared fields used for cattle pasture, and our deer numbers are not great due to lack of cover in the general vicinity. But in recent years there has been more crops. My neighbor joining me to the south started cropping 70 acres two years ago and he is rotating between corn and soybeans. This year it was corn, and a lot of waste was left on the ground. My son's small place near me and the farm that joins him rotates between corn and soybeans, That was in beans this year, and I did see deer coming in and out of that field. I probably had about 3 or 4 acres of food plots scattered over my place, so it was a good amount of food for the number of deer.

Keep in mind too that my fruit and nut planting is starting to really come into prime time. I probably have 30 chestnut trees that are getting pretty big and a dozen or so sawtooth oaks that are dropping big time now. Add to that all the apples and pears - plus many native oaks and other miscellaneous stuff. It's beginning to be enough to feed a lot of deer.

 

[deer patch]

I have over seeded my clover plots via frost seeding with great results. I plan on doing again this winter. The clover plots are going on eleven years now. I gave them a good gly dose last August for the foxtail and other weeds starting to own more of the clover plot than I care for. It left for a fine seeding base for the oats I broadcast over it after labor day. They came up well and I'm sure it will be good for frost seeding.

Your way north of me. What’s your summer temps like? My concern is during late summer my clover will go dormant due to drought and heat, which I’m not sure frost seeding or spring planting will give clover enough time to get a good root system to survive.

Dogghr....What’s your success rate?

I do have seed left over from this fall but clover keeps really well if stored properly.

 

[willy]

What’s your summer temps like?

We get lots of 80's in June, July is 80 and some 90's with generally a few days of 100. Same for August. Very high humidity in July and August. We usually get at least 4 inches of rain in June, July 2 or 3, August the same. Sometimes an inch or two more in each of those 3 months. It seems to be a couple weeks between rains.

You could definitely have issues if you go into a drought.

When I frost seed I put down clovers and chicory. Both do well. When I do spray with cleth I wait until later May to spray and use Non ionic surfactant instead of crop oil so it don't impact the new seedlings.

 

[dogghr]

Your way north of me. What’s your summer temps like? My concern is during late summer my clover will go dormant due to drought and heat, which I’m not sure frost seeding or spring planting will give clover enough time to get a good root system to survive.

Dogghr....What’s your success rate?

I do have seed left over from this fall but clover keeps really well if stored properly.

I get good results using RC or WC in spring. Usually it’s seed left over from previous year. I actually don’t truly frost seed as I throw mid to late March w my best results. The fields are a wet muck from winter thaw and seed gets good soil contact. I always overseed my perennials. And will do brassica plots if they look poor. They usually have been planted w clovers w fall planting or overseeded w grain and clover in late October.
Perhaps not so but overseed ing seems to keep perenial plots healthy for years. One is clover / chicory the other is alfalfa clover chicory and are going into 8 th yr I think. Last years drought may have had long term dire effects on my shallow soils of their OM and plant life. We shall see soon.
I’ve observed w interest that “ exceptional” drought allowing the soills and plants to teach in management. Monsoon or drought is best managed if preparations are done beforehand. It’s all about the soil and ones choices. Nature knows this.


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[OkieKubota]

We had several years of drought here in Oklahoma and then all of a sudden in 2019 we got a reprieve and got 75” of rain in the past year which is about 25” more than a normal year before the drought that gripped us from 2011 to 2019. I know a lot of folks who worked weather dependent were really griping about it but I have just enough farmer in me to realize we need the groundwater and rain. So far we have started out wet in 2020 as well so hopefully we can have a normal 50” rain year...

Here is what our plots look like...

We have very few does but lots of bucks!

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[weekender21]

Yes, that's my plan. I was also thinking that after seeding I would let it rain once and then mow that wheat low on top of the seed. What are your thoughts on that?

I like that plan. I’ve been trying to decide between overseeding with MRC before mowing or overseeding with Buckwheat before mowing. I’ll make the decision this year based on when I make it back to NC.


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