# How's Your Food Plots Doing?



## mike hartges (Jun 9, 2003)

Whitehalljoe, I don't rake my clover after I cut it. As long as I can mow it every few weeks, it generally doesn't need raking. I've offered the clover hay to some of my neighbors in the past. It's high protein feed for their animals.


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## Jeff Sturgis (Mar 28, 2002)

No measurable rain for 4 weeks now. One small part of clover that was a little short, and exposed on a dry raised portion of the plot is actually shrivled brown and crispy.

Need rain quick!


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## David G Duncan (Mar 26, 2000)

Luv2,

Thanks for the feedback.

I have the soil sample packaged and ready to mail. About how long does it take to get the results back?

NorthJeff,

My Alfarack is very brown and crispy in spots also, but everything still green is being gobbled up by the deer. There is so much deer droppings in the field that it smells just like a barn yard.

Thank God, we did get a little rain yesterday, but it is a far cry from what we need. I figure by tonight the soil will be back to a bone dry condition. I have a tipi under construction in my backyard, now I quess I need to start learning how to do a "Rain Dance".


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## johnhunter (Jun 17, 2000)

NorthJeff, I've felt your anguish. Here's hoping you get a couple good soakers soon.

Last year, it rained on my farm in Hillsdale County on 2 June. Some time thereafter, I attempted the Roundup-maintenance spraying. 

Six weeks went by before another drop of rain fell. My four clover plots were fried, and did not recover. There were various scattered showers that went through the area during this drought, all passed either north or south (my definition of scattered showers: it rains on your picnic, it doesn't rain on your farm!).

Then in August, when I planted a plot of wheat and peas, 28 days went by before the next rain. Yep, 2002 was a pretty crummy year for my food plots.

Remember, it could be worse - we could be real farmers, with our livelihood on the line, praying for rain. 

It is really frustrating to look at your parched food plots, and keep clicking on the doppler radar, and watch storm after storm pass your property by.

I'll do a raindance for your tonight.


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## eye1zLotto (Jun 1, 2003)

I also had bad luck last year by the lack of rain. Still, I'll be putting in my plots again this year
(actually, I'm having about 5 more acres bulldozed and then, put in to plots this year as well.)

With the fickle nature a rain around here, I still keep coming back to the Rack-Buck, Japanese Honeysuckle System as a back-up and/or alternative to my foodplots. This "system" involves planting Japanese Honeysuckle under a wire mesh cage (so the deer won't eat the roots,all they can eat is what grows outside the wire mesh). 

Planted 18 inches below the ground is a 110 gallon soaker pipe. You ensure that your plants are never dry by refilling the pipe(thru a hose) with water, combined with a super hot fertilizer mixture. 

This re-filling task is done only 3 times per- year but may be well worth it. Purportedly, the fertilized honeysuckle "system" produces (1)the same amount of annual forage as a 10-acre foodplot,(2) produces deer & other wildlife abundant food virtually year round,(3)is a self- promoting perennial,(4)requires no maintenance after the initial set-up (other than re-filling the resevoir) (5)has a protien level, when fertilized, of 30% or greater and finally, (6) the deer absolutley love the stuff!!

Now, I'm not a shill for this guy's company or anything like that. However,as a absentee owner, with no farm equiptment or place to store it (I hire a local farmer--very expensive) combined with the goofiness of Michigan's weather, seems to me that I can invest a mere $400 just once, and get all the benefits of a 10 acre, year-round, no maintenance food plot, and then, for just pennies going forward.

mmmmm??

http://www.rackbuck.com/welcome.htm


Eye1


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## whitehalljoe (Apr 19, 2001)

Eye1,
The soaker system sounds interesting. Is it really a 100 gallon pipe system?


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## eye1zLotto (Jun 1, 2003)

Don't know what the pipe is constructed of, other than it drips water out slowly enough that it needs to be replenished only 3 times per year. 
After I purchase the kit, I'll tell you what is contained in the entire package. I bought their "intro video" and I could not tell from this what the pipe/tube was constructed of (still a good video). So,I guess they got me: I'll just have to but the entire enchilada! Wish me luck.

Eye1


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## Luv2hunteup (Mar 22, 2003)

DGD

I think it was less than 2 weeks round trip on the soil samples.


Eye1

That seems like some pretty heavy duty claims of more forage than 10 acres of food plots. If I did the math right that would mean that it would have to produce more than:

200,000 lbs of clover-alfalpha (at 10 tons/acre) 
300,000 lbs of turnips (at 15 tons/acre)

I do have a friend that plants honeysuckle in the Grayling area. He takes cuttings to propigate more plants and fertilizes them once transplanted in the wild. I'll see if I can get a hold of him and see if he knows about how much he feels it produces in terms of tons/acre.

He offered me some cuttings but I turned him down because it was considered a somewhat invasive plant. I have a hard enough time finding the time to get what I want to grow where I want it to grow than getting rid of invasive plant materials of where I don't want them..

If you do get the system post on your results. No matter how much it produces deer like different plants at different phases of development. Have you checked out any of the other deer hunting forum sites to see if anyone else has had near the results of rackbucks claims?


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## johnhunter (Jun 17, 2000)

As has been posted here on more than one occasion, Japanese Honeysuckle has been declared a noxious weed in Michigan. According to Barnes & Wagner, Michigan Trees, it is to be "eradicated wherever found". It is an exotic species, and highly invasive. Do a search for past posts.

It is popular in the south because of its drought tolerance. There are much better choices for Michigan.


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## eye1zLotto (Jun 1, 2003)

No, but I have read up considerably on this plant via the Internet.

I first became aware of it on a TV show (?) that detailed hunting in certain clubs in southern Illinois. Apparently many of the big commercial ranches down there use these sytems alot to draw and keep monster deer on their land for clients etc. as well as the obvious food source (they do have some monsters down there). On the TV show, they stated that this plant/application was a primary reason why they have big dear (i'm sure ther are a few more reasons, don't you?)

Anyway, Im not concerned about the plant being invasive. I will plant it in an open area, far from the woods. Besides, It is contained in the cage. If it does grow too much, there are several commercial product available that kill it roots and all with one or two applications. 

keep you posted.

Eye1


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## Jeff Sturgis (Mar 28, 2002)

The Japenese Honeysuckle is a very quality food source for deer. In the south they atually plant in 40 acre blocks and perform rotational cuttings of 10 acres and fertalize. 

130 acres of spruce, pine, fir, and tag alder.....or Japenese Honeysuckle.....

Hey,

All your raindancing worked. We actually had a real soker last night around 6:00 for about 35 minutes, it formed puddles and everything-some where even there this morning.

Keep up the good work you dancing fools!


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## Swamp Ghost (Feb 5, 2003)

We got 2" total over a 36 hour period, man did we need it! The ground was cracking and my pond looks sick, we need another 2"!


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## NATTY BUMPO (May 12, 2001)

We were down watering HW trees that we planted this spring and it looked as if we had gotten some pretty good rains over the weekend - thank goodness. Some standing water on the weed mats. The food plots look a lot better than at last year at this time - the legumes are still green and growing and the buckwheat is doing great! Saw a momma turkey and her poults in the buckwheat. Probably buggin'.

Cant tell re the conifer seedlings right now- there're mostly covered by 4' high braken fern. Actually, the county forester says thats a good thing, not a bad thing.

Natty B.


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## bishs (Aug 30, 2000)

My corn and bean plots are doing very well. My clover was mowed a few weeks back, and is doing well also. No complaints, except I planted my corn a little far apart. "first time using the planter".

You guys need to stop buying Roundup. They have a product with the exact same ingredients called GLY STAR PLUS, it is the same ingredients as Roundup Ultra, much cheaper. I picked up 2 1/2 gallons for $72. There is no way, Roundup will compete. I am sure their price will have to drop.


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## Swamp Ghost (Feb 5, 2003)

> You guys need to stop buying Roundup. They have a product with the exact same ingredients called GLY STAR PLUS, it is the same ingredients as Roundup


No doubt! I used a product called glypho-max and it worked great! $68 for 2.5 gallons.

It's a bad habit of mine to call all glyphosate based herbicides "round-up".


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## wild bill (Apr 20, 2001)

so far the plots look great. that rain helped yesterday. i have had to cut my clover/alfalfa twice this year. corn is a little behind but that was my fault for not fertilizing.(a little over budget this year) the soy beans are around 8" tall now and where sprayed with ru last week.the new summer mix i planted is knee high and growing like crazy. my plots from last year that i thought died are looking great. they thickened up and filled in good. so far it looks like i only lost a few trees.mainly due to browsing by the deer and rabbits. i will post some pics later today.


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## johnhunter (Jun 17, 2000)

bish, you're paying too much! lol

For QDMA members, CWC Chemical will ship you a 2.5 gallon jug of Gly-Flo Plus, 41% glyphosate (same as pre-patent expiration version of Roundup), WITH surfactant, for about $60, delivered to your door. It's made by Dow Agrisciences. I've bought 3 jugs from them this year.

They run an ad in every issue of Quality Whitetails.


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## Swamp Ghost (Feb 5, 2003)

Now that's a hell of a deal!


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