Milo

wolfcreeknc

wolfcreeknc

Member
OK, I am not a farmer but I have put quite a bit of mud and miles on my boots out in North Central Kansas. This year the farmer that we visit every year planted Milo in 15" centers VS 30" and he had tremendous yields. Aparently with the tight spacing when the Milo starts to grow it really shades out the weeds and it was quite a success. To top it off it became quite the pheasant magnet! Yeah, I know there aren't any birds in Kansas this year and the area we hunt is not in the prime pheasant belt to boot but one 20-30 acre Milo field held about 20 pheasant in it and it sure made for some fun hunting and then chasing the singles around. The field was so thick I don't think the birds ever needed to leave the field all summer and fall. The farmer is probably going to leave a 15 yard wide strip of it standing for the birds too boot! It is not the easiest to navigate through but the coyotes don't have the easiest time getting through it either, near impossible for them to slip through it quitly.
Wolf
 
It's definitely some good stuff for pheasants!

For anyone who's researching milo and finds this thread - it can be planted too thick, especially if broadcast. Planting it too thick will typically yield stunted plants and a poor grain crop.
 
I planted Milo again this year on about an acre of bottom ground and it didn't do to hot, 'course that may have been the problem, it was too hot and dry. The middle rows came up about 4 to 5 feet high and headed out but the outer rows only got about a foot to 18 inches high, however most of them did head out, which in reality I think will be good for the critters as it puts the seed head down low where they can reach it better maybe. I had a lot of foxtail in the field too which made for some good cover as well.
 
jaytee said:
I planted Milo again this year on about an acre of bottom ground and it didn't do to hot, 'course that may have been the problem, it was too hot and dry. The middle rows came up about 4 to 5 feet high and headed out but the outer rows only got about a foot to 18 inches high, however most of them did head out, which in reality I think will be good for the critters as it puts the seed head down low where they can reach it better maybe. I had a lot of foxtail in the field too which made for some good cover as well.
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A little hotter and a little dryer should have been right in the milo wheelhouse. Not much went well cropwise in your area last year, if it was corn, a lot never had an ear, tassled early and never pollinated the ears. Part of the cold spring syndrone I guess.
 
A milo field like that is a pheasant resort. And the closer the rows the more happy the pheasants are. Let's hope 15" centers on milo become the norm.
 
BritChaser said:
A milo field like that is a pheasant resort. And the closer the rows the more happy the pheasants are. Let's hope 15" centers on milo become the norm.
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The first milo plot we put in and I ever hunted was on 6" centers. The coolest thing is you could see the birds running down the rows because they could not fit between rows and you would just see the tops of the milo heads wiggle as they ran ahead. Reminded me of a torpedo going thru the water...
 
UGUIDE said:
The first milo plot we put in and I ever hunted was on 6" centers. The coolest thing is you could see the birds running down the rows because they could not fit between rows and you would just see the tops of the milo heads wiggle as they ran ahead. Reminded me of a torpedo going thru the water...
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Was that for a food plot or do farmers up there plant milo on short centers?
 
What Type of Milo

Hi Group,

Next year I want to plant 2 acres of Milo on my place in Minnesota. I have to broadcast as I don't have a planter. What type of milo do you recommend for Pheasants and what do you use for a herbicide to control weeds?

Thanks much!
 
The birds prefer the lighter color varieties, less tannins in the seed. That far north, you'll probably want a shorter season variety.
 
Freeborn said:
Hi Group,

Next year I want to plant 2 acres of Milo on my place in Minnesota. I have to broadcast as I don't have a planter. What type of milo do you recommend for Pheasants and what do you use for a herbicide to control weeds?

Thanks much!
Click to expand...

Just remember dont get too carried away about killing the weeds. Weed seed is a major part of a game birds diet. Granted you dont want the weeds to over take the milo but as far as quail and pheasants, weeds are a good thing.:cheers::cheers:
 
Freeborn said:
Next year I want to plant 2 acres of Milo on my place in Minnesota. I have to broadcast as I don't have a planter. What type of milo do you recommend for Pheasants and what do you use for a herbicide to control weeds?
Click to expand...
WGF sorghum is a good choice for northern areas since it matures faster. Last year I flirted with the frost date when planting egyptian wheat (EW) and it turned out great. However this year was really wet and not planting until later into spring left me with an overall seed production failure - maybe 15% of it actually matured. Next year I'll be including more WGF in my mix rather than EW.

As for weeds, I use nothing - weedy plots are good!
 
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