Food plot valuation
- Thread starter UplandJim
- Start date
Agreed! I see multiple factors for a basis
Simple- cost of prep, seed, planting, fertilizer, herbicide etc
Complex- the brown top millet, panicum and sunflower were all in early bloom stage and the stress on the foliage rushed what was maturing into small seed heads with 1:2 size seeds… worse yet it all “matured” at 1/2 height, went brown and is laying down.
Most of the Milo took such a big dose it’s not even trying to head out. A 10 acre sesame / jap burr plot just turned into a big brown mess before any seed had matured in the pod. The strips of dent corn were only 10” tall in there and got set back probably 30 days which means they aren’t likely to make.
So 3 of my 4 food plots will be in late winter looking condition at the start of the season severely affecting cover and quantity of seed.
All of that to say… the purpose of the food plots is diminished in terms of number of birds it will support to near zero…..
These plots feed 1000’s of doves, hundreds of quail and a few hundred pheasants annually, not to mention other seed eating birds.
This will greatly affect carrying capacity and my overall hunt quality…. What the hell is that worth? To me a lot, to an insurance adjuster probably the simple math….