Tales and advice for the busy years

MattJK

Member
Hello y'all! I haven't posted or been online much as this is looking like another busy year. Now I'm about to get on the road again for three weeks. After a busy year last year, I'd hoped to do more in the woods to get ready for the season but that hasn't happened. Honestly I would not change my decisions. Family, work, and helping my wife grow her business were the right priorities for me. Now I'm counting down to a trip that won't see me home until mid September. No fall plots are in, no trails are mowed and no stands are reset! There's some opportunity as the pressure on properties has been low and the cover is high.

With all of the motivated people here, I'm sure I'm not the first, last, or only one with this predicament! What have you done for your busy years? Any tales of surprise success with low pressure and low prep? Condolences?

I am thinking of minimal mowing, stand set up and broadcast/mow plots of rye/wheat/oat (probably some leftover clover and brassicas) in mid September when I get home. Then I'll stay out until Halloween. Curious to hear any thoughts or suggestions.
 
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You said the key two things - low pressure and high cover. The plots you are planning on putting in sound perfect for fall hunting, and the timing sounds good. If you have stands you can hunt (and see well out of) without increasing pressure, I think you are set up well.

If it makes you feel any better, my trail camera pics at my new place where there is only a mineral lick has about the same quality of bucks this year as the old place where I do a lot of work. You may even enjoy it more this year because it will be such a good break for you. Best wishes.
 
You said the key two things - low pressure and high cover. The plots you are planning on putting in sound perfect for fall hunting, and the timing sounds good. If you have stands you can hunt (and see well out of) without increasing pressure, I think you are set up well.

If it makes you feel any better, my trail camera pics at my new place where there is only a mineral lick has about the same quality of bucks this year as the old place where I do a lot of work. You may even enjoy it more this year because it will be such a good break for you. Best wishes.
Isn’t your new place a soybean field? That’s got to be a draw?
 
Isn’t your new place a soybean field? That’s got to be a draw?

Yes, that's true, and they put it in soybeans every year and never rotate to corn. For the last couple of years, they have also sewn a light crop of wheat after the beans were harvested. The beans will probably be harvested before I start hunting, but I know they are important in giving good nutrition during the summer.

I'm not sure what the new place will be like by the time hunting season starts, because I have never deer hunted there. I have to feel like the pinch point with the creek bluff should be a plus during rut movement.
 
Yes, that's true, and they put it in soybeans every year and never rotate to corn. For the last couple of years, they have also sewn a light crop of wheat after the beans were harvested. The beans will probably be harvested before I start hunting, but I know they are important in giving good nutrition during the summer.

I'm not sure what the new place will be like by the time hunting season starts, because I have never deer hunted there. I have to feel like the pinch point with the creek bluff should be a plus during rut movement.

Sounds like a great no effort food plot if they plant it to wheat.
 
Sounds like a great no effort food plot if they plant it to wheat.

Yes, I am happy about that. They sew the wheat much lighter than I would sew in a food plot, but the field is several acres, so I guess the deer get all they want of it. It's going to be fun learning the new place and seeing how things work during season.
 
I have tried to get down to as little effort as possible when planting fall deer food plots. I have properties in two different areas - which is a logistical nightmare with equipment, I also manage for both doves and ducks - which makes managing for deer seem as easy as breathing, and I plant maybe sixty acres or more of food plots. I also have 5 1/2 miles of trail that not only have to be mowed, but all the ruts repaired as most of the trails are in bottom lands. Maybe 20 permanent stand sites. My fall plots, are a combination of durana and wheat. To plant in the fall, I over seed the plot heavily with wheat seed and bush hog. The wheat comes up and provides something green early on in season, and the clover is there from winter into August before it dries up. I don't fertilize the fall planting. I do clip the clover plots a time or two in the summer. That is as simple as I can get and still have good results.
 
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I hear you on the logistics issue. I’m 4600 miles from my property. I just had to cancel my September plans yesterday. I’m now left with 1.5 days at the end of August to get everything accomplished on ~2.5 acres of plots.

With excellent recommendations on this site, I’m gonna broadcast 3 different cereal grains, 4 annual clovers and radishes. Worked well last year.

In a perfect scenario I’d broadcast my fall plots in August or September then broadcast BW into the mature cereal rye in May. Rinse and repeat in August/September.

I like to add variety but really would be happy with WR and CC in the fall and a heavy stand of BW in the summer.

But....I’m still new at all this.


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When I was gainfully employed, I just found a way to get my wheat plots in every year, but that’s all I usually planted. I have been known to use the lights on my tractor. Now that I’m retired it’s a LOT less stressful.
 
Thanks for all the advice and affirmation.

Anyone see success or unusual, positive results from a year they were less prepared or less active on the property?
 
I did very little in 2018. Broadcast seed and lime onto bare freshly cleared dirt right before a few days of rain. Turned out pretty good for little effort.

September 2018:

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November 2018:

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April/May 2018

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