- Joined
- Jul 21, 2005
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- 411
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I'm a two season deer hunter. I'm either hunting or preparing for next the seasons hunt. I love shooting but I also like putting in food plots for the local deer herd plus improving my habitat for huntability.
Winter is a slow time for me improving my habitat since we are presently covered with 2ft-3ft of snow. Snow cover lasts about 4 months a year, sometimes more but some years it's less. We seem to go right from winter to early summer which leaves little time for conventional spring planting.
One of the things that I've found that really helps us with our short growing season is to frost seed near the end of winter. My best results come when I plant brassica in late summer. It leaves lots of bare dirt in the spring so the freeze-thaw of the top soil gives me great seed soil contact. For best results broadcast small seeds such as perennial clover. Once the soil warms up germination takes place and I get pretty good results. There's no need to wait for the soil to dry out and cultivate.
Any one else use this effective method of putting in food plots?
Winter is a slow time for me improving my habitat since we are presently covered with 2ft-3ft of snow. Snow cover lasts about 4 months a year, sometimes more but some years it's less. We seem to go right from winter to early summer which leaves little time for conventional spring planting.
One of the things that I've found that really helps us with our short growing season is to frost seed near the end of winter. My best results come when I plant brassica in late summer. It leaves lots of bare dirt in the spring so the freeze-thaw of the top soil gives me great seed soil contact. For best results broadcast small seeds such as perennial clover. Once the soil warms up germination takes place and I get pretty good results. There's no need to wait for the soil to dry out and cultivate.
Any one else use this effective method of putting in food plots?
