What are you planting for food plots in 2020

Whitetaildown215

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Apr 14, 2016
Messages
239
Location
SW Missouri
Curious to know what you guys have planted or are planning to plant this year for food plots. We don’t have the best soil but clover seems to grow naturally pretty well around our fields so we are adding more of that. We are also going to try some whitetail institute fusion and winter greens this year. Last year we planted some evolved habitat mega plot and the deer demolished it. We also used some antler king slam dunk last year with the same result. So we opted to put a little more of those in as well and try some 7 card stud. I found a bag of all chicory and a bag of all barascus that we are going to sprinkle in to a few places. We are also going to try some whitetail institute secret spot back in our honey hole that the bucks love to cruise for does. My brother is a pioneer seed dealer and has some beans for me, however it’s been so dry here (1.5 inches of rain since late may) that I have decided to skip the beans especially since the neighbors all around us have planted beans. So those of you that do food plots what are you using this year and what kind of equipment are you using? This is only our second year so all we have is a small tractor and tiller, hand seeded and a drag to cover it. Sorry for the long post just thought I’d start a thread and see what others are doing.
 

SnapT

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Jul 31, 2016
Messages
201
Location
Ontario , Canada
Yesterday my brother and I did my first micro plots (2 small plots) . One with clover and one with brassicas .
Hand tools only so far . Chainsaw , rake's and a hand held bag seeder/spreader . Starting today its going to be 3 straight days of rain so I have that going for me lol . Bad soil here as well and I had no time to lime . I'll do another micro plot next week and that should be it other than fertilizer .
Next year i plan on liming in the spring (after a soil sample) and planting buckwheat on the brassica plots and then no till planting/seeding again with brassica .

Good luck with your's !
 

Agross

WKR
Joined
Jan 25, 2017
Messages
1,678
Location
Michigan
I tried beans initially, but shortly after they came up, they were devoured by everything. After hardly any rain for the last month, and rain forecasted for all night last night and all day today, i got it in again yesterday. Trying rye grass, buckwheat, radishes, and peas this time. Had a slow rain all day today , and milder weather for this week, should get it going .
Used a tiller to work it up. Went to the farms store and bought one of the battery powered hand spreaders. It actually worked great.
 

huntngolf

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Apr 11, 2020
Messages
146
I go with all brassicas, turnips, and sugar beets in 3 different plots that are around.5 acre each. I do that because there is plenty of ag land around so the deer have all the corn, soybeans, and sunflowers they could want to try and give them something different. Has worked great in the past and have done it this way for 5 years now
 

SpookySpectre308

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Mar 22, 2020
Messages
105
Location
Oshkosh, WI
Few new areas cleaned up with an excavator. Working on another acre+ when it's dry enough. That will all be rye to get some organic matter built up over the next few seasons. Clover got top dressed then rained on, probably needs some more. My father dropped off a couple bags of whitetail institute 'extreme' that has stood up to all the conditions they claimed. I originally thought the stuff wasn't growing until I bought a plot watcher and went picking weeds. It smelled like a barn yard. Quickly realized I needed more tillable acreage and some doe tags.
 

Quin

FNG
Joined
Jan 20, 2020
Messages
54
Thanks for the reminder to get a late brassica plot in. I like turnips straight up or mixes with lots of turnips. That way I can always add some turnips to my venison stew or tag soup, whichever the case may be.
 

Roofer1

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Aug 13, 2019
Messages
208
Location
WI
The seed is a bit spendy but I've had really good luck with roundup ready alfalfa on my smaller plots the deer use before they head to the bigger ag fields. Usually lasts about 4 years if I take care of it. Also do turnip heavy blends because the deer get after them the time of year when they start dropping antlers.
 

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SpookySpectre308

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Mar 22, 2020
Messages
105
Location
Oshkosh, WI
The seed is a bit spendy but I've had really good luck with roundup ready alfalfa on my smaller plots the deer use before they head to the bigger ag fields. Usually lasts about 4 years if I take care of it. Also do turnip heavy blends because the deer get after them the time of year when they start dropping antlers.
How often are you mowing?

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Roofer1

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Aug 13, 2019
Messages
208
Location
WI
How often are you mowing?

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That plot was planted this past May, so I haven't done anything yet. The other established ones have never been mowed. Biggest one is only about 1/2 acre and the deer never let it get taller than mid shin.
 

Elkhntr08

WKR
Joined
Nov 3, 2016
Messages
1,078
A five acre field of alfalfa in the bottoms right in front of the house.
Don’t do any food plots. Corn, beans and hay fields everywhere in this part of Illinois. Know a few guys that do for late December bow hunting, but there’s a few slow farmers that still have crops in the fields in March so why?
 

SpookySpectre308

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Mar 22, 2020
Messages
105
Location
Oshkosh, WI
A five acre field of alfalfa in the bottoms right in front of the house.
Don’t do any food plots. Corn, beans and hay fields everywhere in this part of Illinois. Know a few guys that do for late December bow hunting, but there’s a few slow farmers that still have crops in the fields in March so why?
Lucky! I'm surrounded by cedar swamp in my UP property. 240 acres and after 6 years of work with an excavator and dozer I've got about 5 acres total available as tillable property.
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LLB

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Apr 26, 2020
Messages
116
Location
Middle TN
I put winter wheat and clover out up on 2 food plots on my hill. I have a small food plot right behind the house that I plant in purple top turnips. I get all my seed at the local farmers co-op. They make a food plot seed blend I'm going to check out when I get back home. I'm a little late this year prepping the ground but I plan on devoting some time to it ASAP.
 

nelliott

FNG
Joined
Aug 18, 2020
Messages
10
We have a hay field with oats and clover for cattle. Around the blind the farmer planted turnips, radishes, and beans for us. This is my first year hunting an actual food plot.


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