Budget Food Plots for Everyone, Poor Man's Plots | Dream Farm w/ Bill Winke
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- čas přidán 5. 03. 2023
- I have been making low budget food plots for 20 years. You can make them almost anywhere - your land, permission farms, family property - I even know a guy that made one on public land. You only need hand tools and some effort to greatly improve the quality of your hunting with these small staging area plots.
This is the best start-to-finish poor man foodplot video I have ever seen. Good work, Bill. I am ready to give it a try.
Good luck. Be sure to ask any questions as they come up.
Bill,
Thank you for creating this content.
You have ignited a fire under me for land ownership as my primary investing strategy. I appreciate every video that you are putting out to inform me on how I can build a dream farm for our family!
You are welcome William. I appreciate your comment and support.
Good stuff Bill! I always enjoy the twists you put on these even when I know you have covered it before. I employ similar tactics, but it’s always good to get these refreshers and you do a great job of explaining the why behind all of the things you do. It’s fun to watch others as they evolve and I know it has to be rewarding for you to see all of those you have helped along the way. Thanks for all you do.
Thanks Dylan. Helping people to grow whether in hunting, sports or business is always rewarding. I appreciate the support. Have a great day.
This was awesome and so helpful. I’d love to see another video on fertilizer and budget. Thanks for the great info!
I will do that Mike. It is a good topic to cover more. Have a great day.
Great information Bill, simple and to the point.
Thanks for the support Mitchell. I appreciate it. Have a great day.
One trick I have used is taking a grown up area and throwing a few bags of deer corn into it. The deer will fight their way in no matter how thick and trample it all down. It’s amazing what they will go into to get to that corn scattered around.
I never would have thought of that Rich. Very creative way to open up a spot. Thanks for the input.
Great information as usual Bill.
Thanks Eric. I appreciate the support and the comment. Have a great day.
Thanks for the information. This reinforced what I have been doing for the past 15-16 years. I plant 3 to 4 of these Poor Man plots every year. 2 of these are bowhunting kill plots on the way to a 5 acre destination plot. The other two are planted behind my house for rut stands. My son and I have taken numerous bucks off these plots over the years and we have passed up 8 to 12 or more every year since we began planting and hunting them.
They are the very best single thing you can do to improve your hunting area. Congrats on the success.
I love this info, so practical for people like me
Thanks Takur. Have a great day. Bill
I agree with your method of making plots. My only twist would be to count on planting in the fall a blend of wheat, rye, and brassicas, and then Frost planting the clover the next spring. Once your grains start to seed out early summer, mow the plot and all the clover will fill in beautifully!
Maybe I should include this works great in western New York. Idk about elsewhere
That is a good plan. It probably has a higher chance for success than planting clover in the early spring and hoping for adequate rains to keep it going through the summer. Having the seed in the ground during the wet months (as would be the case with frost seeding) definitely improves chances for survival. Good advice.
My first in woods plot I cleared, the ph was 7.1 , couldn’t believe it. Thankful too. I like the idea of burning after killing off, that adds potash back to the soil. I’ve not had very good luck doing a true no till . Usually really low germination or they get overwhelmed with weeds.
That's really surprising. With true no till you have to come back and mow within 2 months to knock back the weeds. There are selective grass and broadleaf weed herbicides you can apply too, but I usually got by just fine with mowing alone if the clover stand was solid enough to take over once I opened it up.
Great information.
I learned something, and that being how "mean" Tordon can be!
I thought Garlon was more aggressive, and my "go to" was Tordon for eradicating Honey Locust trees so as to prevent root sprouting.
Foresters have told me that Tordon can transmit through the soil and kill other nearby trees if it runs off the stump you are treating. I guess Garlon won't do that. I have seen it happen in a food plot one time. We got too much Tordon on a stump and no clover would grow within five feet of that stump for at least a year due to the runoff of the chemical onto the ground near the stump.
I am always jealous of the food plots in the country that actually gets rain and they look awesome. Unless it’s irrigated here there’s never enough rain. Sometimes the throw and grow or even the planted stuff never even germinates. And if it sprouts it usually dies. You guys are really blessed in that respect. 👍👍
Where do hunt Tim?
@@bill-winke Northeast of Clarendon Texas on the Salt Fork of the Red River. Pretty dang dry here.
@@bill-winke I can also relate to this comment being from north Texas. I love watching this content but typically a lot of the land management discussed isn't practical for us. Very dry, poor soil and mostly garbage timber. Everyone rags on Texans for using feeders but that's really the only practical "food source" in most areas.
Number one!!
Thanks for the support Travis. Much appreciated.
Great Comment on the cleared out edges of a plot. It kills me to see plots with down tree piles on the edge of foodplots. Natural habitat is an awesome feeling to be sitting in.
I agree Matthew, it don't look pretty, but you can make those deer come into the plot right where you want them if you pile it up the right way. And you can put a big ol' pile right behind your stand to keep deer from winding you from that side. When you make good use of the debris, it don't look so bad after all.
I get it Kirk - you are right. But for me personally, I would rather have it look good and not be as easy to hunt rather than look like a demolition zone and produce better hunting. I think from a resale standpoint, the clean, natural plots also look better. Have a great day.
great vid thanks
Appreciate the comment. Have a great day.
Love it
Thanks Jarrod. Much appreciated. Have a great day.
good advice
Thanks. Much appreciated. Have a great day.
I don't have property to put in food plots I hunt walkin ereas it's been tough last year love the things that you do I plan on getting a hoyt bow u used crossbow in the past I have health problems plan on getting a 50 pound bow to make it easy ob myself
Kevin, thanks for the support and the comment. I think you will really like the connection that comes from shooting a vertical bow rather than a crossbow. I love that part - the part where the arrow is propelled by the string you are holding back. That creates a better connection to the arrow than you can get when the crossbow fires it. Good luck.
I like the flailing mowers as they increase the material breakdown time considerably. Far better than leaving hing cut logs or other timber harvesting techniques. Time is valuable. Don’t let lazy loggers tell ya otherwise.
The only thing I like about the tree carcass on the ground is related to areas with higher deer density. That top or trunk and top will protect regrowth from deer browsing so the regrowth can get established in those areas. I have seen in high density areas that the deer just eat the most nutritious regrowth immediately and there is no benefit from the TSI other than growing stuff they won't eat. Too many deer may sound like a good thing, but when trying to grow habitat (especially nutritious browse), it sure isn't. Have a great day.
Great video Bill, I am not sure clover is the best choice for me in central Minnesota because of how early we get frost, usually early October. I need to get a soil sample of my food plots this year so I know what I need to get the ph right. I appreciate the explanation of how different lime, pelletized lime and liquid calcium all work and how to figure out how much fertilizer is needed.. Looking forward to the field burning videos. Thanks.
Thanks for the comment Art. I think that clover will be OK there, but it will start to wither down by mid-November. It will stand a few frosts before it starts to wither, but it won't be much use in December. In that case, maybe the brassicas would be best bet for you. Plant in late July and then frost seed a tall clover blend into the plot in March and then till that under and plant the brassicas again the next July. That rotation should work. Good luck.
Try being in ky
Clover is naturally everywhere literally, clovers a complete no go here. No reasoning for it.
As an example, it’s a pass time here spring through November on pretty evenings to walk through your yard with the kids, or a way to get rid of them for a few mins by getting them to hunt and find 4 leaf clovers, n see who has more 4 leafs by supper time.
We spray glyphosate after final hay cutting, one week later seed,
brassicas 3-6 lbs per acre on one side and 150# each wheat, rye, and oats on the other.then following up 2 weeks to a month later with another 150# each. Those work well early season on the oats. “Season comes in here first week of sept.”
Then when frost comes late Oct to early nov they are on the rye, wheat, n brassicas when snow hits. N the others on pretty days.
Works pretty good here.
I planted chicory and clover last year un Arkansas. The clover didn't survive the drought. The chicory did. The deer loved it. I will plant 4 acres of chicory this year. I'm still a big fan of clover, but the chicory from whitetail institute really surprised me.
Good input. I have heard that chicory has a deep root and that is why it resists drought. I never saw the deer in my area eat the chicory though. Maybe if that was the only green thing on the field, they would eat it and learn to like it, but they just eat the clover and leave the chicory. But those were never drought years. I will try it again. Have a great day.
Very informative episode Bill! I find myself graduating over the last few years from the dreaded backpack sprayer up to atv and sprayer. What a luxury! A bit off topic but what is "the perfect" food to plant? In SW WI I'm trying to compete with 70ac alfalfa and 100ac of winter wheat, will corn/beans/sorghum be something you'd consider and would plant on your farm?
Alex, I will definitely plant corn and beans but not in the smaller plots. I will stick with stuff that the deer can browse on and still produce a crop: clover and brassicas. If you plant corn or beans in a small plot, it likely will be wiped out before fall. I think these small plots gain their competitive edge because of their location next to bedding areas more so than what you plant in them. Good luck.
Thank you all the great content Bill! Is the plot ready for lime immediately after the burn/clean up? How long after lime do you seed, and how long after seed do you fertilize? Or, do you fertilize before you seed? Big newbie here. Is there a book on this you recommend for beginners?
You can do all three the same day: fertilize, lime and seed. Good luck.
You got it Bill always dream big😅
Amen John. The dream is the motor that drives the bus.
We get plenty of moisture here in mid Missouri but it’s always too much in the spring and not enough the rest of the year. I’ve had this 80 acre tract now for 3 years and still struggle to get anything to grow. I am surrounded by 1,500 acres of national forest so I try to have the most diverse property in the area. I’d hate to disk and loose moisture so maybe I’ll pay to have it drilled before I buy one.
Steven, I do think that will make a difference. It is not as big of a deal to disk when you know you have more rains coming to saturate the top layer again, but without that assurance, the no-till method will definitely produce better results. Good luck.
A weedeater with a circular chisel tooth saw blade, atv sprayer, atv disc, and atv seed/fertilizer spreader can make some incredible food plots. That’s how we do it. You can get an atv almost anywhere.
Yes, that is a great system. Thanks for sharing. Have a great day Brad.
Danuser intimidator works great for clearing plots .
That does look like the perfect tool. I love that you can dig with it first and then pull. Most of the other tree pullers can't be used to dig. Cool product. Thanks for the input.
Great stuff Bill!
Wondering if you have any thoughts/recommendations on how to ask owners of permission properties on planting food plots? I have several permission pieces with a few areas where I could plant anywhere from .25 acre all the way up to a couple acres.
I want to be respectful of the owner’s property and the opportunity to hunt, but also see it as a great way to produce food for the deer and assist me in the hunt.
Any tips you think would help are appreciated!
CBW, I know a lot of people who do it. I think just asking about that location, "I really love hunting here. It would be great to produce a little more food for the deer and to give me another good spot to hunt. Do you mind if I clean up that back corner of the XYZ field and plant some clover in there?". Rarely would the farmer be offended by that. He may even be curious and want to help you. That approach would seem to have the best chances for success. You will likely have to explain how you plan to clean it up and plant it, etc. before the landowner is on board, but that would be my starting point. Good luck.
How do feel about winter rye for a poor man’s plot? We have had great success with it on our hunting property. As always great video!!
It definitely will work. I just like clover better because I only have to plant it every three years and it does supply summer forage. If you are planting in the late summer winter rye is an option but I like brassicas better because they tend to produce a lot more forage than rye. But again, winter rye is an option.
Figuring fertilizer is simple for 50# bags. Divide the numbers by 2. 13 13 13 would be 7.5 pounds each.
That is correct. Yes. If you need 60 pounds actual per acre on a half acre, it would take four bags (30 total pounds). The math can be a bit tricky since you are trying to hit a rate per acre but putting it on pieces less than a single acre. Good luck.
You briefly mentioned leaves. When the leaves fall in mid to late October here in Northern Michigan they pretty much cover the plot. The deer seem to ignore them after that. We mostly grow rye grass because it's really hard to get anything else to grow. The leaves are mostly Maple leaves.
What do you do about the leaves? I have thought about blowing them off with a blower? Maybe before planting and again after they all fall?
That's what I was going to suggest. A good leaf blower won't cost a fortune and you can move a lot of leaves fast that way. I would definitely blow out of the way. Good luck.
@Bill Winke thanks for the reply Bill W! Keep it up, I honestly think I like the content you are producing now even better than MWW especially the land buying, selling parts.
So when the grass greens up , you can burn safely then without firebreaks? I sprayed gly and 24d during October last year. I guess I should spray again or just go straight to fire? My ph is 5.5 in those places. Sounds like I’ll need a metric ton of lime
Yes, you may need to spray again if you are seeing new weed growth by the time the surrounding area starts greening up. I have never used fire breaks in that setting. If in doubt you can always burn on a day with little wind to make sure it moves slow.
Hey Bill quick question, in regards to the food plot and handling the stumps. Would there be the possibility to drill a hole into the stump and light it on fire? Or do guys tend to shy away from that for any reason? Thanks
If that method works it would be just fine. I don't see a down side. I have never tried it. I'm sure the stump would have to be very dry to make that work, however, so it would have to be dead for a while. I also think you will have a hard time getting all the bigger roots to burn up so you would still have those to farm through/around. I think it would be better than leaving the stump untouched, but not as good as actually popping it out of the ground. Good luck.
Bill have you used any of the liquid fertilizers and lime corrections? Just wondering your thoughts on them? Are the too short term vs a Pelletier fertilizer that does a slow release of nutrients?
Pretty sure he was using deer gro plot start with Jeremy on the old farm.
Yes, I have used them. I do think that where you can get the true solid lime, whether pelletized or loose ag lime that, is better. You can apply more calcium quicker that way than in liquid form. But if you are going in to spray anyway, the liquid lime makes sense. Honestly in most of these wooded plots I would probably do both. Your low pH will likely be the hardest thing to fix. Good luck.
Do u have to replant them in the fall or do they continue to grow year round even after mowing
It depends on what you plant. If clover, you should get three years (mowing required to keep weeds down) before you have to rotate to something else. If you plant Brassicas (turnips, radishes, etc.) you have to plant something else the next year. I usually rotate between the clover for three years followed by the brassicas for one year and then back to clover. Good luck.
Very informative video. Thank you! One question about this is, for the glyphosate herbicide, is there one brand you prefer? Any help is appreciated, thanks!
Thanks Lorenzo. Much appreciated. I think all those glyphosate herbicides are pretty much the same now. The concentration amount may change slightly by brand so check that. If so, you may need to spread it more or less per acre to get the desired results. The label on the herbicide has all the information you need. It is attached right to the jug. Good luck.
@@bill-winke thank you!
@@bill-winke one last question actually. If I have an area, with no green up just leaves and briars (in the woods) I’m assuming I could get away without spraying. Is that correct? I would likely just need like to help the ph
@@wvbowhunter1 You can likely get away without spraying, but you will need to mow those briars down. Somehow you have to control/kill those. Then, it is just fertility and pH from there. Good luck.
@@bill-winke appreciate the help, sir!
Bill, do you find that you can extend the life of a clover plot beyond 3-5 years utilizing frost seeding? Seems like you can keep em going for awhile.
I know people have said that, but the only thing I ever tried was letting the clover go to seed before first mowing that year. Then you have to remove the grass that has started to come in using a clethodim based herbicide. That did seem to work, so possibly frost seeding more clover will also help. I have always just rotated to the brassicas the summer of year three because I do like having brassicas on the farm too. Good luck.
@@bill-winke Brassicas also help suck up all the N the clover is putting in the soil. Too much N will give an edge to the non leguminous weeds.
Curious what are your thought on using a small 200 cc 18 inch walk behind tiller to till couple of inches deep after burning the decaying weeds? Thanks a lot
I think that is a great idea. I know guys that do that. It would really improve germination and would allow you to incorporate the lime and fertilizer into the top layer of soil. Overall result would be a better plot. Good question.
@@bill-winke thanks a lot for the quick response. Really appreciate all the info you share in your videos
What would you recommend for creating a poor man plot in a creek bottom area that has the potential to flood during heavy spring rains and sandy extremely moist soil?
You can try it in the spring with clover and if it floods out you can always come back in July/early August with brassicas and save it. Or, you can just skip the clover and only plant it each summer to brassicas. That should insure at least something each fall. Good luck.
@Bill Winke thanks. The amount of sunlight is another challenge.
Hi Bill, I just purchased 40 acres in Maine. What would you advise to start bringing deer my way?
If you have at least one opening where you can grow a food plot, I would definitely start with a brassica blend this summer (plant in mid-July) to get that started. I will be using the Wintergreens blend (whitetailinstitute.com/imperial-winter-greens-annual/) from Whitetail Institute this year. The deer may not hit it hard in your area the first year if they have never seen brassicas before, but you can frost seed a good clover blend (I like this one: whitetailinstitute.com/imperial-whitetail-clover-perennial/) into it during the early spring to get that started. A rotation between brassicas and clover (clover two to three years followed by brassicas one year) is a pretty good plan for small plots. Good luck.
@@bill-winke Do the winter greens keep growing the following years even after planting clover later?
How do you feel about frost seeding clover?
Find my comment. I'm from New York and strongly believe in Frost seeding clover from experience
I have had really good success with it. My number one way to rotate the crop in those small plots is to go from clover to brassicas (late July) by mowing and then tilling under the clover. That winter (late winter) I frost seed clover back into that plot so I have clover coming again the next spring. It is a good rotation that has worked well for me. Good luck.
Your thoughts on frost seeding clover and brascas
Find my comment. I believe in Frost seeding clover
I have had good success with clover especially. It is better with clover, in my experience, because you can count on good moisture at the time of seeding and germination (late winter and early spring). With brassicas you spread them in late July (most places) and hope for rains. I have done better with the brassicas when I no-till drilled them because then they have the necessary moisture to germinate and start growing with just a bit of rain vs being on top of the ground and needing prolonged rains to get them going. I have even drilled brassicas into my soybean plots in late July at this time and had both do well. The drill didn't wipe out the beans. Have a great day.
@@bill-winke thx bill
I meant alfalfa blends , sorry
@@donwaldroopoutdoors3665 I don't many people who have frost seeded alfalfa. I understand germination of alfalfa is a bit fickle at the colder soil temps. Farmers wait until the ground dries out enough to plant using conventional methods (drilling or planting with a culti-packer) and then generally plant oats as a cover with the alfalfa. Good luck.
Your correct, I would be a poor man if I spent all my money on the equipment, seed and fertilizer you just showed. Very informative but wrong title for this video.
There is no cheaper way to do it. The seed and fertilizer is not that much, not much more than a tank of gas for your truck. As long as you only plant about 1/2 acre to one acre, you can do this very inexpensively.
Looking forward to the fertilizer video, it has always confused me
I will get that out soon. Yes, it can be very confusing, but hopefully I can clear that up. Have a great day.
i find it wild that yall have no snow right now, is that normal?
It is probably about normal to be snow free by now. Not to say we won't get more. But this is probably about normal-maybe a little warmer than normal.
Sound wisdom
Thanks Nyles. Much appreciated.
Mr. Winke, I think I heard you say in one of your episodes that your new farm is 600+ acres. Your old farm was over 1000. Are you feeling cramped on the new farm? Does it seem small to you compared to what you’re used to?
No Russell. A person doesn't need much ground to actually hunt. I just love owning land. The more land you have, potentially the better chance you have of holding/ growing a mature buck, but you can enjoy hunting much smaller pieces. Plus, as hilly as this new ground is, it hunts much bigger than the acre count.
@@bill-winke I understand. I’ve always hunted small parcels and have had a fair amount of success.
@@bill-winke Mr. Winke, sorry to bother you again. I just heard that the cost for an Iowa Non-Resident license is going to double this year? Do you know if there’s any truth to that?
@@russelllangworthy8855 I have not heard anything about that. I will look into it.
@@bill-winke Thank you.
Just havin some whine w/ my cheese lol
I hear you.
Burning the plot does that help w ph ?
It should some.
If so, it is a small amount. The fire will remove the leaves so they don't decay on the plot - that does help to keep from making the plot more acidic. Burning mostly opens up the soil so you can get good seed to soil contact when broadcasting the seed. It also creates a small bit of potash which is basically one form of potassium. Fertilizer ingredients are N-P-K (Nitrogen-Phosphorus-Potassium). You would still need to fertilize the plot as the small bit of K you get from burning would not be enough to sustain clover for a year. Good luck.
"Budget" and "poor man's" don't go with food plots, lol.
Come on now. They sure can. I have created many 1/2 acre plots over the years for just a couple hundred dollars in total - and some time. It can be done.
@@bill-winke
Hey, I enjoy it, but it certainly isn't cheap. I just spent nearly $200 in seed (for frost seeding this past spring) which failed because of a drought in the NE.
That's not counting lime, fertilizer, round-up (if you use that) and it's certainly not counting equipment: tractors, quads, plows, discs, planters, mowers, etc.
What’s the point in harvesting animals from your land if your gonna spray poisons?? Isn’t the idea of eating wild game to consume healthier more natural protein.
Blake, they don't eat those grasses and weeds that we are killing. It is when you spray it on beans that you have to worry about this.