Fall food plot

Just looking to talk some food plot ideas - What do you guys have the best luck with for a late season plot? Do you do anything special for fall plot preps? How about some pictures of bucks taken off kill plots? 137 days till archery opener... 

If you gave it a good kill a couple times,  you are off to the best start you can.  One bag of fertilizer won't kill you this year but not needed,  all you need is rain. lime takes time,  even pellet lime.  If you test it and wanted to bring the PH to where you think it needs to be,  dump lime this spring for ample time to actually move the PH.  Good luck.  

You can plant the whole thing with clover and rye.  Broadcast the the Rye first as it's a bigger seed,  then go back over it with the clover.  Putting both in the same seeder will just give you a headache.  Both only need soil contact to grow.  Hope for rain and you'll be good to go.  I'd plant the whole plot with both,  the rye will act as a cover crop as well.  I haven't seen rye in bags less than 50 lbs  (maybe they have bulk) but you won't need the whole bag for 1200 sq ft. It will be fine to save for next year,  just keep it dry and  in a cool area. Clover you won't need to go crazy with either,  maybe 2 to 3 lbs,  more won't hurt ya,  it's not like a radish or turnip where it needs room to grow.  Throw it all in and adjust next year if need be. 

One thing you may want to think about,  is oats for quick green for early season.  Oats will die off as they are an annual.  They will die off and turn brown with the first hard frost.  your clover will prosper then.  Clover will be green through mid November for sure.  

next year you will need to kill the WR.  Med red will grow back.  Crimson or berseem will not.  I like the med red though,  it just grows man and they love it.  I do kill my med red late may tho anyway.  You could leave it,  but you will have to maintain it.  So for many,  it's best to plant and kill off.  That's why an annual clover sometimes makes the more sense for a person that can't get to their land a lot,  no clean up in spring if you plant oats and an annual clover in fall.

 Obviously this is just my opinion but it's based off of experience.  I had many fails,  many successes.  Many may not agree with me,  but you don't need to be a farmer to have a nice little plot that draws deer.  Clover is king,  when in doubt,  plant clover.  Ever hunt a area that has corn, beans and alfalfa?  They come out of the corn,  walk through the beans to get to the other green.   

Thanks great information... Maybe I will pass on lime and fertilizer until next year.. the area I plan on planting is on the edge of tag alder not wet my high ground where a few trees were nocked down a few years ago..I cleaned up the trees and sprayed it twice now..It should be clear now. ferns and other stuff was growing in the area. I think I will stop at the seed mill on the way and grab some clover and plant half side winter rye and half clover..Area maybe 30 x40 in the woods.. I think cattle grazing to the west and not sure of crop to my north...still learning the area... Thanks for the advice..

In the future,  you don't have to do a thing for Winter Rye,  it will grow in the bed of your truck and in cracks in your concrete.  Broadcast,  run over it a bit but not necessary,  throw Triple 10 on it maybe.  It's easier to grow than grass in your lawn.  Unless you have some seriously serious out of whack place to plant it,  like under a pine tree canopy....lime isn't needed...and fertilizer isn't really needed either to be honest.  you want it small,  so slow growing isn't a bad thing and right now is not the time you want it shooting up fast.  They don't need it now and won't be a big attraction if there is any other ag in the area.  you'd prefer it to stay small and not seed out.  Grow just enough so when everything is brown,  late oct or nov it is the only green in the area.  that's when Winter Rye shines.  Not in Sept and early oct.  Just my 2 cents.  If the weather stays warm,  like it did last year,  you'll have seeded out Rye in nov and they won't touch it.  last year oats were green till almost nov and that's crazy.

Rape IMO is a waste of time and money.  Go to a co-op and buy some med red clover or crimson.  That will grow and doesn't need fertilizer either and it if you do,  9 23 30 is what i'd use.  Triple anything is such a rip off if you break down what you are actually paying for.  

co-op or seed mill seed is just fine,  many say it's junk but it just shows they never used it.  Lot's of these seed companies with the bucks on the bag are the thieves.  you pay for 10lbs of clover and 3lbs is seed coating.  Beware of seed company seed,  read the labels first.

Thanks for the information...I did find a ph meter at Walmart for 7.00 and I did buy 80 pounds of lime plus some 10 10 10 fertilizer... 

Going to plant 1200 square feet of winter rye and 1 pound of rape mixed in..The rape might be to late but for 5.00 bucks I paid for it it's worth a shot.. just to see what will happen..

5 lbs winter rye                                 1 lbs rape                

12 lbs of 10 10 10 fertilizer

25 lbs of lime

Ruff measurements for 1200 square feet .. I will also premeasure lime in 5 lbs bags just in case I need to add more.. It is a small area but I feel it might help pull a deer or two on to my land..

HFC- If no soil test, I would recommend a bag or two of pelletized lime. Normally lime is needed to some degree.

Update on the clover plot- this 1 acre plot developed powdery mildew but it was only bad on 1/2 the plot so I decided to try and use the bad 1/2 as a smash crop. Last weekend I broadcasted rye, oats, peas and WW into the clover at 100#s/acre. I then rolled the clover down and sprayed. I know my spray mixture won’t kill the clover completely but it will set it back enough to let the grains take hold. I checked for germination and looking good so far. 

I also weed wacked the other 1/2 acre of clover so it should come back healthy and strong. Surprised it only took 2 hours to knock down a 1/2 acre with a brush trimmer. 

First attempt to make a small food plot..Cut and sprayed a little area maybe 50 x50 feet..I got 5lbs bag of winter rye seed from A local hardware store...no soil test just going to wing it this year maybe try to find some clover and mix it in... Any thoughts on my Half Azz plan? 

The land I purchased is in price county some ag around mostly cattle.. Maybe a mineral pit in the area with a water hole nearby..

Trail camera showing does in the area no bears since early June.. Heading up next weekend to plant and hang stand's in the spots my teenage boys picked out.. letting them spread their wings and grow as hunters..

Any input will be appreciated...

Here's another.  This one is about 90 yards by 25 feet on one side and then 90 yards by about 40 feet on the other.  We have two more slightly smaller plots, but I didn't take pics.

Our first attempt at food plots.  My uncle had his buddy clear these out for us.  Planted in a mix of oats, clover, and brasssicas.  I think my uncle over seeded a little bit, but it's coming up really good so far.  I'm going to go back labor day weekend and fill in the edges a little bit.  This one is about 60 yards by 40 feet or so.

This is all alfalfa about 8 acres or so.  Local farmer plants it every year.  Amish bought up 75% of the farms in the area and haven't planted anything, so this field has been getting hit hard by deer this year.