What to Plant in a One-Acre Food Plot | Dream Farm w/ Bill Winke
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- čas přidán 24. 08. 2024
- Many of our viewers don't have a lot of acres to plant each year, so they have to make the absolute most they can from what they have. I am fortunate enough to be able to plant several acres each year, but if I had to limit my plans to just one acre, this is what I would plant, and why.
Its good to see you mentoring your young daughter not just about hunting but how to make food plots and good habitat. She will grow up to be a good outdoors person.
Thanks Stanley. Jordan actually likes land management part better than the hunting part. Now, I just need to get her on a tractor and I can retire!
Great video once again. Jordan, just wanted to tell you why I watch almost every episode of Dream big. I’m your dad’s age so I’ve been around a bit. I’ve watched a lot of informatice videos but Bill is packed with knowledge and humbleness. That’s a combo you don’t find often. Thanks for all your valuable insight!
Thanks Daron. That is super nice of you to say. We enjoy doing it and appreciate the comment and the support. Have a great day.
Thanks for the scale back for the smaller property people!
You are welcome. Thanks for the support and comment. Have a great day.
Planted my first plot ever this February in clover. (Ive been deer hunting since 1977). Super excited to see the difference it makes on my small property. My property is the confluence of several major travel corridors instead of a destination. With a spring fed creek, minerals, and clover hopefully it'll become a destination
I think you will really like having a more centralized place to focus your efforts. Any deer passing through that area will likely end up on that plot for at least a few minutes. I have found that even just making an opening in the woods becomes a central travel route, much better though when there is clover there also. Good luck.
Winter peas also can withstand heavy browse. As the deer browse the plant splits and continues to grow. Good rotation with brassica on small plots
Good input. I will have to experiment more with peas. I tried them once in a fall blend with fall rye and the deer hammered them (ate them to the ground as soon as they came up), but I need to try them again maybe for a spring planting.
Another great video Bill! Soil types help determine what you can plant as well. If you’re in poor sandy soil you may be stuck with buckwheat as an early option to help build the soil and plant a brassica late summer. Also adding lime anytime you can to help get the ph where it should be.
Good points Dave. I appreciate the input. Have a great day.
Bill....great information. We device our plots in greens and grains as you suggested. We will plant something down now to cover the plots against weeds and erosion, but our fall planting will actually be in mid-August, as we concentrate on bow hunting in Oct. and early Nov. Although the beans and corn are already planted, we will end up with beans, corns, clover blends, brassica/radish blends along with some winter rye. thanks, Bob
That sounds like a great, well balanced plan Bob. Thanks for the input. Like you, I want something that appeals to the deer at all times of the year. I do over-seed some bean/brassica plots with fall rye just for that reason - to create an early green crop for the deer in the spring. It is ideal to give them something that they like all year long. Good luck.
Great choice, Bill. We have 82 acres in MI. We have corn all around us, and we plant Whitetail Institute Clover, Winter Greens, and Tall Tine Tubers and the deer hammer them at all different times of the year.
Good input. Thanks. That kind of diversity in food sources is really great. Congrats on a good plan.
Great advise! I'm primarily a small acreage owner-hunter and normally plant 3, 1 acre plots in different areas available to me. I/m in the deep south so hard freezes are very limited. I normally plant spring plots with sunflower & clay peas, terminate & plow back in around late sept, replant green/grain/crimson clover blends to carry me thru winter hunt months and carryover thru spring again.
That is a great rotation for the south. Thanks for input. Have a great day.
Thanks again, bill and jordan for an awesome video very helpful. Look.
Ing forward to the next one.
Thanks Steve. We appreciate the comment and the support.
Good video, I have a question. I’ve got about 3 acres total, all virgin ground. 2 acres were sprayed last summer and they don’t have much weed competition, the other side was not. We chisel plowed and disced it all, planning on corn in 2 acres and brassica and buck oats in the other. We are planting corn this weekend and I plan on planting the rest in July. Should I just spray the other side, then come back in July and plant? I just have a hand spreader to use.
Bill I agree on going with clover. It’s cheap grows well and takes heavy browsing. If I had only 1 acre I’d go 3/4 acre clover and in the fall I’d plant 1/4 acre in forage oats. It also grows well and takes heavy, browsing as well as cold. Thanks for the video.
Dan
That is a good plan too Dan. I just like the brassicas because of the volume of forage they produce. Have a great day and thanks for the comment.
Dang it Bill, I've been trying to get you to try pumpkins for years.
A one acre plot done right can yield exceptional draw. .
Been doing it for years.
Fairly easy to plant, cheap and SO effective.
I've posted this type thing on several hunting forums over the years but just can't get anyone to try it.
However, my buddies I've convinced....
As with any new food plot sourse, it may take the deer a year to get accustomed to them but once they do.
Seen many times they will bypass corn,beans,brassicas, clover,ect and beeline for the pumpkin plots.
I'm in Nw Mn. Mid October until they are gone.
I have a 10th acre plot right off my front deck. (And others) scattered around.
For me, my pumpkin plots outshine any and everything I've planted for mid/ late season.
We do the same. However we tried beans the last few years and deer just ate the beans in 2 weeks. They have a preference for beans but pumpkin is a great plot.
We tried planting pumpkins around one of the plots last year and the deer ate them in late October/early November, but I had to smash one first to "show" them that it was edible. We are going to put pumpkins around a number of plots this year. Good input.
Good luck.
As for the variety, the smaller sugar pie I think are the best.
I'm gonna put mine in about the 10th.
I like Alfalfa & Perennial Clover in a mix. Alfalfa grows better in heat of summer and Clover grows better in Spring & Fall into Winter. Can overseed Milo, Millet, etc in Spring or overseed Oats, Winter Wheat, etc in Fall to diversify the stand. I like overseeding in Spring because the Milo will really help to shade the clover and keep it actively growing and palatable in the heat and drought of summer.
Just as important to consider from your perspective is that most of dont have more than 1 or 2 acres we can plant, but most of us dont have tractors or the equipment that it takes to grow beans or corn and stuff like that. Personally ive built 2 separate plots each about 1.25 acres on my 15 acres and ive done it with nothing but a chainsaw and a hard rake. I dont even have a four wheeler so im forced to frost seed and "no plow", but ive finally managed to establish a beautiful clover plot, and the other one is alfalfa in spring/summer and then I broadcast winter wheat and brassicas into the alfalfa in the fall and use a weed eater to mow the alfalfa to cover the wheat/brassicas seeds and helps them to germinate successfully. So much work, but extremely rewarding!
Travis, I have made many of them too. I call them "Poor Man's Plots" because you can make them so inexpensively. I bet I have made at least eight of those over the years. And yes, you appreciate having young guys around to help! I even did an episode about this process on this channel. You can see it here: czcams.com/video/D9b-TvWxJ-I/video.html Have a great day.
@@bill-winke you're the man, thanks!
Depends on your acreage and available equipment. Grains are better but cost a lot more and you probably need 2+ acres of beans to have them produce pods. Greens can be done cheaper and no till, so they’re a better option for most amateurs.
Great video Bill/Jordan....
Thanks Clay. Much appreciated.
My neighbors mng my small acreage along with theirs. We rotate beans and corn on 2.5 acres with clover in the tractor turns at the ends of the fields. I might add some brassica on your advice along with pumpkins on Jordan's advice,😊 Thanks!
Sounds like a great plan. We are going to add pumpkins on the edges of more and more of our plots now. They are fun to grow!
Great episode guys! As always.
Thanks Eric, we appreciate the comment and the support.
Great video bill love watching your stuff. Im with you i love my brassicas mixes for a smaller plot like an acre. Seems like if u get to small they destroy it. I like clover as well. Dont forget about wheat and rye
Thanks for the comment. I do a little bit of fall rye overseeded into my bean plots each year. I think it would not get enough sunlight if I spread it in the corn and sorghum plots, however. Have a great day.
If I had a drill, I wouldn’t be tilling anything anymore. Have a base grains and clover for Spring then you can just crimp and drill directly into the rye/wheat/oats/triticale and clover making a good thatch for the new seedlings and reducing water and nutrient loss. Especially in drought prone areas. Expensive equipment but great results within a few years of utilizing this method. Once established you also reduce the amount of soil amendments needed when tilling. Just a thought
Brad, for sure. That is a good plan. I don't till much either - just to get my new plots into shape and to incorporate nitrogen sometimes with corn. You can do something very similar by just broadcasting brassicas into the beans in late summer. You can't crimp them the next spring, but the result is still the same - lots of forage for the deer during the times when they need it most. It will be a while before many people really embrace crimping, but I understand the benefits. For most people, they have small plots and it doesn't justify a lot of equipment (sometimes it can be done very well with no equipment). Thanks for the input.
@@bill-winke great points. We are still doing it like you describe as we can’t afford the new equipment either. We mainly stick to rye and clover blends and may add some radish and peas in the fall for winter. Moisture has been a problem for us as it gets enough rain to germinate in fall but we tend to have a dry spell leading into winter
You also have to make sure the food is there durring your hunting season. For me in NY gun season clover isnt there. I just plant cerial rye, cheap and grows in anything while still green under snow
Good point. Being primarily a bowhunter, I am most interested in October and November. But adding brassicas to part of the plot doe produce a good winter food also. The cereal rye is fine too, but the amount of tonnage (volume) of forage is much less than the brassicas. Thanks for the comment. Have a great day.
My 2024 plan includes 2 2-acre soybean plots. In addition to the soybeans, each plot includes an additional 2 acres of oats, clover, and chicory for a total of 8 acres. In late July, any areas that are thin, I till under and plant to brassicas. Additionally, I till under an 8-10-foot strip of soybeans and plant brassicas. On top of all of that, all soybeans are over seeded with brassicas as the leaves are turning yellow. In early September I plan on adding winter rye to the soybeans as a spring green up for the deer and turkeys. Good luck with your 2024 plan.
Jack, that is a really good plan. Anytime you can seed something into your soybeans you create a two layer plot that serves the deer much better. Good input and good plan. Good luck to you too.
I remember your big n beasty rotation you used to do on mw.
It sold me on some of those brassicas. I learned you HAVE to rotate though. Brassicas burn out the soil after consecutive years. I have since learned that variety is king and nothing beats beans late season around here. We just wire them till October and we have high density numbers.
Yes, if you are willing to fence them, it is hard to beat beans - especially if you broadcast a brassica blend into them in
August. That works very well. I do that without a fence, but not on just one acre (at least not in an area with higher deer numbers). Good luck.
Another thought..... I will be planting beans in late june in last years failed corn after poults can fly. Makes a grain plot all fall and not to rank for poult brooding next year. Always looking for a way to control and keep bare ground brooding areas.
Nate, I have never factored turkeys into my management or food plot plans. I guess I am just so focused on deer. But that is an interesting take. Thanks for the input.
Very good episode guys, this will surely spur some discussions! I don't habe the space or equipment for beans/corn on current farms but have started adding some perrenial sources to the available space. I have had quite good success with rye especially around ag areas where fields are empty or plowed under, equipment today is getting so good at minimizing losses. Bill have you ever considered rye to save any failed plots or are you at the point in your career where your plots will not fail with the drill available?
I’m lucky in my area there’s relatively low deer numbers for the amount of cover in the area. A good amount of ag in the area spreads the soybean browse out. Still good bucks In the area. I see 2-3 bucks 4-5+ every year.
If all I had was 1 acre it would definitely be gone by late Jan mid February. I could have all 4 main crops in 1 acre if that helps put it into perspective. Clover runway around the edge. 1/2 acre beans. 1/4 acre corn. 1/4 acre brassicas.
You do have low deer numbers. Even on my farm with roughly 60 deer per square mile the only thing left in that plot would be the clover and the brassicas and even the brassicas would show pretty heavy browsing pressure. Thanks for the comment.
Good job
1.2 acres total 5 patches. With normal heavy snow cover here we do 50/50 corn and beets . winter rye and clover in August, Anywhere we can fit it. Pumpkins on all edges and in any sunny spot we can work up a 3'x3' hill. We have very poor acidic, soil. Without big$ this is the most affordable over time
That sounds like a great plan. Thanks for the input. Corn in small plots will work in areas with lower deer numbers but the deer would wipe it out in the summer in areas with higher numbers.
@@bill-winke half the time the bears and raccoons get the corn by Sept. Bears like beets too. Our summer deer density drops as they move closer to the farms and lower ground. We don't see many until after frost and mast starts falling. Thanks for the great videos. Looking forward to the apple tree updates
Funny she said Beans in an acre and I thought Bill is not going to agree! I have several small (1/3 acre) plots and Clover or Alfalfa with Chicory is the best Spring Summer option for me (Indiana). Fall Winter a mix for small plots, I like Oats and Wheat as my deer just seem to be picky about brassica. But Oats and Wheat just seem to always be favored by my Deer.
Have you tried mixing Sorghum into fall plots. I have used it on the edges, but wonder if a small amount of sorghum would give a plot some "Cover" to make deer feel safe, as it cuts the view from the deer eye level. If it got to tall to see a bushog would fix that problem fast. But I would like to have a mix that deer may feel more comfortable in during daylight. But getting the ratio right to add cover and still be able to hunt may take some trial and error.
Dr. Grant Woods has a blend I used last spring that matched your description.
I have planted sorghum in the spring for the deer to eat in the fall. That works well here, but in some areas with higher deer density the deer will eat the seed in September (as soon as it starts to take shape and turn doughy). That leaves none for the fall and winter. I think if you are trying to create cover within a plot, nothing beats corn. If the deer numbers are high, you may not be able to do that without fencing (electric fence) in the spring and summer, but deer will disappear in that stuff. In states where it is legal, you can knock it down to create shooting lanes and the deer will use those heavily for feeding. Good luck.
I was waiting for the "wrong " part!
Poor Jordan. She is a great sport. I have just been seeing this work (and not work) for 29 years. That means I have made a lot of mistakes.
@bill-winke Bill, what I love is how she listens to you and asks pertinent questions from topics you discussed prior. I can tell she respects and loves you so much. I have 4 daughters, and I love to watch you guys. I hope my daughters look up to me as much as she does to you. I watch lots of videos and have my own channel, and your channel is my favorite.
Bill, I have two plots totaling 1.5 acres that is planted in clover. Last year I added brassicas and cereal rye in the fall.
I also NEVER MOW during the summer months due to fawns and poults.
The deer browse heavily on the weeds and when the weeds die off they hit the clover heavily.
Right now my cereal rye is approaching the dough stage and I have been told to terminate the rye before seeding. Why?
Because I am then told to REPLANT the rye in the fall again.
What is wrong with leaving the Rye as the Turkey and Quail seem to love the seed?
I am not sure if the natural seeds will produce a new planting. My guess is that the rye seeds will be muscled out by the other stuff that is already there. I don't think you need to terminate it. You can let it go to seed and die naturally. I do think if it is thick, it will shade out the clover though. I mowed my small patches this past week. I did run out a couple fawns but that was all. I sure didn't hit any. As you say, it is OK to let the deer eat the weeds first but if they become too tall or too thick they will damage (set back) the clover seeding. Good luck.
All these work well unless we have acorns everywhere
Exactly. We sure learned that last fall!
Another question that can come from this topic is what percentage of your farm should be turned into standing food for a moderate to high deer density? Is it like 10 acres of food for every 40 acres?
Daniel, I think it is definitely less than that on bigger pieces. I think ten to 15 percent would be a good goal on bigger pieces. But on the smaller tracts, food will be the main thing that makes your property attractive so ten acres of food on a 40 acre tract would probably be about right. But in the end, the number of acres of food has a lot to do with the neighborhood. If there is very little standing food in the area, the deer will come to yours a lot more than otherwise. Also, if no one is shooting does, you will get flooded with does. It is a really tough situation when trying to manage deer with high densities. I would try to form some kind of co-op with more emphasis put on shooting does than on what size bucks people should shoot. You need to find ways to get the deer numbers under control or any amount of food is too little. The other option is to fence the plots and not take the wires down until fall. I don't like that either because the deer are going to be in poorer shape in general when they are food deprived. The only real answer is to get the herd numbers down and keep them down. Good luck.
Great video as always Bill ! I have a question for you on one of the properties I have permission to hunt . It’s 38 acres in an urban area . I don’t have access to big equipment so it would basically be a poor man’s plot. I have a gas line that runs down the property that is 20 -25 yards wide that is full of natural clover here in northeast Ohio . The plot I’m thinking of doing would be a quarter to a 1/3 of an acre. What would you plant ?knowing you already have clover .
With something that small, it is hard to get anything to grow that the deer really love when it is coming up. I would still probably stick with clover, but maybe experiment with a few other things like chicory (I have limited experience with chicory). I do think it is pretty browse tolerant. I think clover in rotation with brassicas and maybe some fall rye would be the ticket there. Good luck.
Great video. Was wandering with the past few winters being mild , would you consider going heavier on the greens. My experience is showing that if this trend continues then greens seems to be the ticket. Your thoughts.
I agree, but it is super hard to predict what the winter will be like, so I still like to have at least some grains. I think soybeans are good option for the "grains" since the deer really seem to go to them in mild weather and corn in really cold weather. Good luck.
Bill,is there a preference of green the does prefer during their lactation period?
I would sure think anything high in protein would be key. Just like dairy cows. Farmers feed dairy cows a lot of high protein foods to increase the amount and quality of the milk they produce. So, with that in mind, I would sure lean toward the clovers and the alfalfas as they are very high in protein and high digestible. They hammer soybean leaves at that time too, but they are not quite as nutrient dense as clover and alfalfa. Good luck.
Bill
Have you tried a clover chicory blend?
What’s your thoughts on that ?
Thanks
Joe, I think that is a good choice. I have tried it and my deer don't seem to care for chicory that much, but some areas it is really attractive. Also chicory does well in dry years so having it in the blend is good for that reason (just in case).
So you recommend separately planting clover on one side and Brassica on the other side over mixing the entire plot of the two?
I would not mix them. Separate plantings is best.
Thanks B
I appreciate the comment. Have a great day.
Bill i have 1 acre that is butted up against a bedding area with a creek on the other side. My acre has wet soil almost a little swampy but has grass that grows in it. What might be able to grow in that type of soil that the deer would browse. I was thinking trees that might dry it up and provide cover, thanks for the valuable knowledge.
clover
I agree with George. The trees won't dry it up, in my experience. Alsike clover is known for tolerating wetter than normal soils. You can try a blend like the Imperial Whitetail Clover first to see if the other white clovers will do OK there, but if that fails, you can go back and forth between straight plantings of Dwarf Essex Rape (which seems to do OK in wet conditions) and alsike clover. Good luck.
Thanks Bill. I appreciate you sharing your knowledge.
Good attitude Jordan! Haha
She is a good sport. That was kind of mean of me!
Unless you live in a really high deer density area, if your grain plots arent lasting you need to look at the amount of native browse available. A chainsaw will make the best and cheapest foodplot. Along with that just spraying out grasses and discing also creates great nutrition diversity when antlers are developing. Mother nature holds within the seed bank everything critters need.
When planting beans in an ag area do not plant before the surrounding farmers plant because your plot will get destroyed. I had no beans last year and the corn basically failed. Had more bucks than ever before. I think prople put to much emphasis on plots. They really are just a supplement to create movement patterns unless you have acres and acres. Clover and winter wheat are my go to.
That is a good point. If the deer can find browse along the way to the plots they will enter the plot with less demand for calories. Example, which is better for long-term food plot sustainability - deer that enter the plot with their stomachs half full or deer that enter with their stomachs 1/4 full? We all know the answer to that. Thanks for the input.
@@bill-winke I really think cool season grasses are the enemy. You know mother nature will plug all the holes. Kill the grass and here comes the good stuff. I think it safe to safe no matter how much we kill plenty will always return. Only downside is when food is everywhere the deer can be everywhere but that is probably a big plus in fawning season.
it, pack the seed, and seed rye in September again. Is this a
good plan?
Steven, I think part of your question got cut off. It is never a bad plan to spread rye (cereal not ryegrass) in the late summer unless the planting is already too thick for the seed to get to the ground and germinate and then find sunlight. I don't spread fall rye in clover plantings but I do spread it into soybean plots. Good luck.
bill what if you primarily have sandy soils?
That is a good question. They are generally dry so something drought tolerant. Possibly alfalfa and chicory. Both are drought tolerant. Whitetail Institute makes the Alfa-Rack Plus blend that includes both. I am trying it on one of my dry ridge fields this year. Here is a link to more information: whitetailinstitute.com/alfa-rack-plus/
How often do you pull a soil sample Bill ?
I am doing it every year now. Takes out the guesswork. Good luck.
If I do not have access to my 1acre plot with equipment what would you recommend?
You can do a good job with just a backpack sprayer to kill the weeds and then a broadcast spreader like the Earthway to spread seed, fertilizer and lime (if needed). I have planted tons of plots that way. Here is a link to an episode we did about this: czcams.com/video/D9b-TvWxJ-I/video.htmlsi=QzuDu4SuDZuBw5s7
"Okay, I'm going to tell you where you're wrong.."
"Oh, okay..." smiles and laughter...
Actually laughed out loud here - struck me just right lol!!!
Thanks ShadowDawg. We appreciate the support and comment.
Dream of brother 🙏
You too Edward. Thanks.
Is there a certain acreage where you would trust the beans to sustain a moderate deer density?
I think for anything over one acre beans would be a consideration. The nice thing about beans is the fact that if the deer do wipe them out (or part of the plot), you can broadcast brassicas into those open spots in August and still have a good food source there. For that reason it is worth the risk on anything bigger than one acre. Good luck.
How is your dogwood cuttings doing?
I will be checking on them soon. The deer hit them pretty hard last winter so I will be curious if they are bouncing back. I will do an update once I find out.
What do you think of grant woods(growing deer tv) and his release process
I like Grant and his release system is fine, but it isn't that much different from a simple no till system. In my part of the country the soil is pretty good so I just use normal farming practices. Eventually I may try to adopt more of the sustainable farming practices.
@@bill-winke gotcha. We are in the Appalachian mnts in Virginia. With poor soil and steep slopes, the release process is needed a lot of the time. Somewhere like Iowa though is different.
Have you tried Sunn Hemp for the Nitrogen in the Summer ?
I planted some of the Whitetail Institute Power Plant blend last spring. That has sun hemp in it, but I have not gotten very deep into experimenting with it. Thanks for the comment.