Spring has sprung !

[Heath]

Spring has sprung !

Yesterday I had about 6 acres of virgin ground plowed and planted with browntop millet. Hopefully it's ready for dove season as the timing is cutting it close.

Started as this....



Looks like this now...

[Ironman]

Dang Drycreek! Those peas are awesome! I should have re-tilled and re-planted the first of June. Native grasses took over my plots for the most part, but some stuff came up. The deer are in it every day. The strange thing is, I've got some millets and milo coming up from last years spring plot. I don't spray.

[Drycreek3189]

Yesterday I had about 6 acres of virgin ground plowed and planted with browntop millet. Hopefully it's ready for dove season as the timing is cutting it close.

Started as this....



Looks like this now...

That should be a fantastic dove plot !

Dang Drycreek! Those peas are awesome! I should have re-tilled and re-planted the first of June. Native grasses took over my plots for the most part, but some stuff came up. The deer are in it every day. The strange thing is, I've got some millets and milo coming up from last years spring plot. I don't spray.

The peas on my other places are good, but nothing like these. Not enough deer for the groceries I guess.

[Heath]

That should be a fantastic dove plot !



.

That's the plan. I'm trying to decide what I do to it for the Fall. I have two huge wheat fields to my North and South fence. So not sure what I'm going to do if anything. I have read the deer will eat the millet too.

[Drycreek3189]

I think I might plant some forage oats, either from Buck Forage Oats or Whitetail Institute. It would at least be something different.

[lovemylegacy]

Man, yall have some nice plots! I cant see my beans for the grass...deer are eating the beans, just the grass is so high.

[Heath]

I think I might plant some forage oats, either from Buck Forage Oats or Whitetail Institute. It would at least be something different.

This is what I was thinking, be different with oats. I'll have to check the budget come early Fall. Getting started on a new property is expensive!

[Drycreek3189]

This is what I was thinking, be different with oats. I'll have to check the budget come early Fall. Getting started on a new property is expensive!

You might want to plant some milo if you don't have too many hogs. Deer will eat the heads when they get ripe. Good for doves too. I'm not too sure about the timing on that though, as I've only planted it in a spring mix.

[Drycreek3189]

Man, yall have some nice plots! I cant see my beans for the grass...deer are eating the beans, just the grass is so high.

Thanks ! Not all is lovely in my plots though. About half of a fairly large plot had a pig-weed infestation that I just couldn't take any longer, so I mowed it yesterday. I think I got it before the seeds are viable. I'm gonna disc this crap under, wait until it starts growing again, and hit it with gly, and do it as many times as it takes to kill it. This is not a plot we hunt, spring plot only.

As you can see, it was as tall as my tractor cab.

[barnag]

You weren't worried about hitting any fawns?

And would it not be more advantageous to leave it nutrition wise as opposed to killing the entire plot?

[Drycreek3189]

You weren't worried about hitting any fawns?

And would it not be more advantageous to leave it nutrition wise as opposed to killing the entire plot?

Yes, I was, but I mowed it in second gear while watching the ground on the inside all the time. That won't guarantee anything, but I could see the ground pretty well. The main thing was, I waited until about 1:30/2:00 pm to mow, and it's been my experience that when it's this hot, the does move their babies into the shade. That didn't keep me from thinking about it though !

As to the peas, I have more peas and clover than the deer can eat, especially in a good moisture year like this. There was only about half of the upper plot that I mowed. About a quarter acre maybe. My place is only 217 acres, and I have roughly five acres of peas and clover, plus lots of honeysuckle, greenbriar, blackberries, etc. Good browse !

[Tshelly]

I'm looking to plant something in the next month to try and keep these bucks around and give a better chance for kill opportunity October 1..

My goal is to plant something in early August that is semi drought tolerant but will sprout up and provide immediate attraction to deer. I'll still come in 2nd week of October and plant my fall plot.

What would y'all try and plant in this situation???

[Drycreek3189]

I'm looking to plant something in the next month to try and keep these bucks around and give a better chance for kill opportunity October 1..

My goal is to plant something in early August that is semi drought tolerant but will sprout up and provide immediate attraction to deer. I'll still come in 2nd week of October and plant my fall plot.

What would y'all try and plant in this situation???

Wheat, oats, and rye grain are most attractive and palatable to deer during the early stages of growth. I don't double crop so I have no experience with that, but wheat and Austrian winter peas have been my go-to crop for the last few years. Planted in the first half of September should be prime for bow season. It seems to be working for me.

[Drycreek3189]

Looks like the deer are enjoying my peas, ( or is it "their" peas) !

[Drycreek3189]

These are the peas I mowed because of the pigweed. Looks like all the moisture has them regenerating. I ran five does and one fawn out of this plot at high noon yesterday as I was leaving my place.