Food plots

remy3424 said:
Unless the food plots are the only cover you have, I would not have any issues with clean food plots...nothing wrong with runways as long as there is enough foliage they aren't completely exposed. Our food plots are for food for the birds, not necessarily a place to hunt them. Maybe create some heavy cover close to the plots to keep them near for easy hunting.
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Food plots are next to trees , sloughs and CRP. Food plots are definitely for the birds to get through winter but I hunt them as well.
 
You might get the chain saw out if those are deciduous trees that don't provide food. I would not stage a food plot near any deciduous trees that have any size to them...you don't want to create a food plot for raptors. How big of an area are you dealing with? Post some pics. What state are you in?
 
remy3424 said:
You might get the chain saw out if those are deciduous trees that don't provide food. I would not stage a food plot near any deciduous trees that have any size to them...you don't want to create a food plot for raptors. How big of an area are you dealing with? Post some pics. What state are you in?
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The ground is located in South Dakota. The trees are cedar trees and provide great winter cover. I have some ideas on food plots for next year, so should be set. Thanks!
 
Drake1 said:
I’m curious what everyone does for food plots. Which seed is best and how tall does it get? Problem I have is mine are too clean and does not hold birds. How many times do you spray for weeds?
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Sorghum and a nice cover crop. You will have pheasants and quail and much more.
 
KEOutdoors said:
Pheasants love it over winter, not so much early season when theres grasshoppers/worms and fields and fields of cut corn/beans. Jan/feb its prime pheasant habitat and food.

Its not a great plot choice for hunting, but fantastic for overwintering birds on your property.
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Lets see, birds and hard to hunt or no birds and easy to walk, I think i and the birds prefer the hard to hunt habitat.
 
Willow said:
Lets see, birds and hard to hunt or no birds and easy to walk, I think i and the birds prefer the hard to hunt habitat.
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I don't think the intent of the comment was to say it is hard walking or hunting. Just that it doesn't attract as many birds early season.
 
Drake1 said:
I’m curious what everyone does for food plots. Which seed is best and how tall does it get? Problem I have is mine are too clean and does not hold birds. How many times do you spray for weeds?
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Sprayed roundup, waited week, lighty disced, broadcast Milborn seed mix , over/under at about 10 lbs an acre June 21,2023, compacted and then sprayed roundup, 2-4-d, plus liquid N fert.
 

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515wingshooter said:
I don't think the intent of the comment was to say it is hard walking or hunting. Just that it doesn't attract as many birds early season.
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That it does not attract birds early is also wrong, the chicks will forage for insects which is the main diet of the young chicks.
Chicks become huntable birds.
 
Willow said:
Lets see, birds and hard to hunt or no birds and easy to walk, I think i and the birds prefer the hard to hunt habitat.
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I meant it as a warning not to just plant thick sorghum as a hunting plot... You are going to beat it down and struggle to walk in it. Better to plant it along side switch grass, blue stem, etc and let the birds use it for a refuge and late season/winter food on your property.

Spring/summer the birds around here are using hay fields for bugs, and roosting in the blue stem/switch grass. Or one of the 10 million corn/bean fields for cover, if theres birds in a milo plot its just coincidence.. sure doesn't attract them over the rest.
 
Yes that may be true, however I have all the above mentioned habitat cover and still also see birds in the foodplots. Just more options for the birds.
 
Willow, that looks great! I agree, the more diverse the habitat is, the better. Unitl the plots have matured grain, they can be great travel corridors, particularly for the chicks. Food plots are essential for the birds, if you have sustained snow/ice cover. Sorghum is just so much easier for the the birds to get to than corn...it take a ton of energy for them to get the to grain of standing corn.20231105_084849.jpg20231105_084518.jpg
 
Willow said:
Sprayed roundup, waited week, lighty disced, broadcast Milborn seed mix , over/under at about 10 lbs an acre June 21,2023, compacted and then sprayed roundup, 2-4-d, plus liquid N fert.
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Looks nice! I didn’t think you could use 2-4d at same time of planting? Thought you had to wait about two weeks
 
I mixed roundup=2 4 d and liquid n after planting,














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SDinWI said:
Looks nice! I didn’t think you could use 2-4d at same time of planting? Thought you had to wait about two weeks
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milborn over/under seed is safened to improve weed control
 
I plan to add about 5 lbs. milborn Proso millet to my over/under sorghum foodplot next spring in hope of providing more seed understory cover.
Hope the fast germinating proso does not stunt the sorghum, anyone have negative results from a mix like this?
 
The millet will compete with the sorghum as it matures faster. If you get enough rain, no problems. If not, the milo will be stunted, no grain, with a food plot of millet that will go down with the first big wind or snow
 
WDH said:
The millet will compete with the sorghum as it matures faster. If you get enough rain, no problems. If not, the milo will be stunted, no grain, with a food plot of millet that will go down with the first big wind or snow
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Thanks for your comments. That was the reason I mentioned only about 5 lbs per acre of proso. Normal rate is 20 or more lbs of proso per acre.
Thought the light amount of proso would give some understory and maybe attract insects for the chicks.
Have any suggestions as an alternate addition to the sorghum mix?
 
Willow said:
Thanks for your comments. That was the reason I mentioned only about 5 lbs per acre of proso. Normal rate is 20 or more lbs of proso per acre.
Thought the light amount of proso would give some understory and maybe attract insects for the chicks.
Have any suggestions as an alternate addition to the sorghum mix?
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How’d your rainfall go this summer? We were very dry after 7/10 or so…food plots struggled….we planted 6/2…got about 4.5” by 7/10, then virtually none for 2 months…
 
Willow said:
Thanks for your comments. That was the reason I mentioned only about 5 lbs per acre of proso. Normal rate is 20r
Have any suggestions as an alternate addition to the sorghum mix?
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This really depends on what your goals are. If you are going for max winter food from the plot, any additions probably will lower total yield due to the competition. Some other factors will come into play: a good stand of milo will either shade out other plants, or cause them to elongate, trying to reach sunlight, (like the green foxtail in earlier pictures). The tall plants will go down easily with snow/wind.
If you are looking for dense cover, you can add about anything you want, but I would broadcast it or drill it.
Or skip any preemergence chemical and let mother nature fill in the blank spots with kochia/foxtail. Either case there will be less milo grain which may or may not be made up by other species.
 
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