Food plots and turkey season

[Wingshooter]

Well, I intend every year to get some food plots growing for deer and turkey, and I never get to it. This year I want to make time for it. I'm already looking forward to turkey season! It's my next favorite hunt after ducks.

Question is... Is there anything I can plant now or improvements I can make to my land now that will help my chances come turkey season? March is out for me because I will be really busy and traveling. I need to do this in Feb if I can. We have a flock that hangs around, but they get slippery when the season opens. Last time I planted buckwheat before the season, and they ate all the seeds everyday until the day before the season opened. Then they disappeared after opening day :shrug:

I have a narrow powerline on top of a ridge and some woodland roads that I can plant. Otherwise it's all wooded hills. Caught some big toms on camera last year, and saw the flock from my deer stand in November a few times.

Looking forward to the season! Edited February 5, 2016 by Wingshooter

[Wingshooter]

I saw two bearded ones this morning. I'm already getting fired up for the spring season. I have the equipmemt and the land, just need to figure out what to plant.

What grows if planted this time of year that turkeys like?

I see kale and raddishes can be planted now... I know deer like that but what about spring turkeys? Edited February 7, 2016 by Wingshooter

[Omega]

I saw two bearded ones this morning. I'm already getting fired up for the spring season. I have the equipmemt and the land, just need to figure out what to plant.

What grows if planted this time of year that turkeys like?

I see kale and raddishes can be planted now... I know deer like that but what about spring turkeys?

I planted a deer food plot with white ladino clover as the major seed mix, I had a bunch of turkey that year.  Didn't get to hunt them though, since they only showed up while not in season and I am not really into turkey hunting so didn't attempt to draw them in.

[Wingshooter]

Thanks Omega. I'll be planting a powerline on a ridge. What kind of prep work did you do for the clover?

[Slappy]

We have killed a lot of turkey and set out of our clover plots. Probably not for a new clover plot, but for an established clover plot, you'll want to make sure you cut it down some before turkey season because when the clover gets too tall, they turkeys won't want to be in it.

For a clover plot, the best thing to do is : soil sample, adjust pH and fertilize as needed, round up, lightly disc, spread seed, cuktipack.

[Omega]

We have killed a lot of turkey and set out of our clover plots. Probably not for a new clover plot, but for an established clover plot, you'll want to make sure you cut it down some before turkey season because when the clover gets too tall, they turkeys won't want to be in it.

For a clover plot, the best thing to do is : soil sample, adjust pH and fertilize as needed, round up, lightly disc, spread seed, cuktipack.

Pretty much how I did it, except the cultipacker since I don't have one.  The area is quite rocky but it came up decently the first year, but I have a lot of wild berries and other weeds on the hills on each side which I can't keep from taking over. The rain also runs off the topsoil, and with it the good vegetation.  I got frustrated so I spread grass seed to hold the soil and if it does like my lawn, clover will overrun that.

[Wingshooter]

We have killed a lot of turkey and set out of our clover plots. Probably not for a new clover plot, but for an established clover plot, you'll want to make sure you cut it down some before turkey season because when the clover gets too tall, they turkeys won't want to be in it.
For a clover plot, the best thing to do is : soil sample, adjust pH and fertilize as needed, round up, lightly disc, spread seed, cuktipack.

Thanks! I'm going to do that

[Wingshooter]

Pretty much how I did it, except the cultipacker since I don't have one.  The area is quite rocky but it came up decently the first year, but I have a lot of wild berries and other weeds on the hills on each side which I can't keep from taking over. The rain also runs off the topsoil, and with it the good vegetation.  I got frustrated so I spread grass seed to hold the soil and if it does like my lawn, clover will overrun that.

My situation may be similar. It's a powerline that runs across one side of my property and goes across a ridge. The area that is the most secluded is sloped to one side, so there is some erosion. It is also somewhat rocky, but not too bad. There is some tall grass that grows there now. Instead of killing it before planting, I wonder if I should just mow it short, disc, seed, etc. The existing grass has to be helping with erosion

[Omega]

I have the same thing, a TVA power line running right though the middle.  It was a narrow valley which I could barely get through with a 4 wheeler, so I had a bulldozer open it up 2 blades wide. It had a bunch of large rocks that came out, and I thought I was good. But before I could even plant it we had heavy rain which brought up all the rocks again. I used a box blade to regrade and planted the food plot with corn. It came up well and gave me a chance to lock in some soil, the next year I used roundup then lightly disked and planted a food plot mix I put together at the coop, mostly clover, white and red. It came up good as well, but the deer kept it well trimmed, which I didn't mind, but had to replace the next year. Finally, I spread grass seed, and will just keep it trimmed, every planting season I spread some no till seed mix into it.

Corn:


Clover:


Grass:

[Wingshooter]

That's a sweet looking food plot you have :up:

[Wingshooter]

I gathered up a bag of dirt today, took it to the COop, and sent it off for testing. I also bought some red and white clover. I'll sow it on the powerline once I get the ground prepped.

I want to do some corn in our field by the barn. Deer hang out there anyway, so a little corn will be even better. The barn makes a nice ground blind :) Edited February 8, 2016 by Wingshooter

[Wingshooter]

Another Q....

How long do I have to wait to put down seed after applying roundup?

[Omega]

Another Q....

How long do I have to wait to put down seed after applying roundup?

I would wait a few days, at least until you see the vegetation start to die off.  If you don't wait until then some of the vegetation will just come back up.  The seeds should be OK though, even if it's not roundup ready.  From Scott's:

 

 

If soil is dry, water before application and 2 to 3 days after application. If green patches remain after 7 days, reapply. Wait (at least) 3 days after last application to rake, till or replant with seed or sod. Waiting period after using Roundup® Weed & Grass Killer products.