A few thoughts on food plots

[keith44]

This fall and winter I hope to finish cleaning up the area that will be my orchard, and I hope to be planting trees in the spring.  This has opened more edge habitat that should hold both deer and rabbits.  Part of the planting will be some nut trees.  Filberts, Chestnuts, and english walnuts.  I can get a price break by ordering more than needed.  My question is would deer eat the Filberts or Chestnuts?  Does anyone here think it would be worth the effort to plant some extra trees as a food plot?

[Ranger99]

sure can't hurt , and you won't know
until you try.  i've been planting acorns
and hickory nuts for a couple of years
now. the droughts took care of the young
trees i planted , and a lot of the oak seedlings
from last year. you just never know.
i planted 1 gallon of acorns so far this fall ,
and picked up another gallon this afternoon
to plant next trip. have a gallon of hickory
nuts to plant too.
i want to go pick up some more hickory nuts ,
but the place where i've been getting them
made me feel a bit uncomfortable last time


good luck

[Land_Owner]

Whatever you decide, give your young trees a chance by using tree protectors and staking them upright.  The tree protectors are translucent for light and photosynthesis, keep browsing deer off of the new and tender shoots, and fend off velvet rubbing bucks until the tree is mature.

In clearing, you can "pattern" the deer to openings that you create by wind rowing the downed litter into piles that rim the clearing with openings at specific places rather than open around the entire perimeter.  The wind rows are also logical safe havens for your rabbits.

American Chestnuts are unfortunately prone to blight.  Some will grow to acceptable height and produce magnificent chestnuts but will soon succumb to the blight.  Chinese Chestnuts may be a suitable alternative, but are non-native, if that is of any deterrence. 

[keith44]

I would have preferred american chestnut, but the blight problem I was already aware of.

[keith44]

for tree protection I am planning on using 1/4 inch mesh with stakes...I had strated some pecan trees from seed, only to discover my 6" trees had been nipped off at ground level last year    I also planted 2 pounds of sunflowers, and for my effort one was able to mature    the rest disappeared when they were about 1 inch tall.  All this during the growing season, but come hunting season, nothing...no rabbits, no deer, and only three or four squirrels were seen. (from Oct 1 through Jan 21, with nearly daily trips with binoculars)  So I'm hoping to adjust the food sources enough to keep em around for hunting season

[keith44]

started windrow type brush piles that extend from 10 feet into a clearing to 15 yards into the woods.  The first one is 15 feet from a game trail, and runs parallel to the trail for 20 feet.

[keith44]

hmmm, Milo, corn, sunflowers, clover, and alfalfa...for edge and power line right of way. Orchard grass and bluestem mix for ground cover in the orchard areas.  Blue stem, indiangrass, side oats, and timothy for the fields and clearings.


Expensive, but if spread over three years doable...


comments?

[FPH]

for tree protection I am planning on using 1/4 inch mesh with stakes...I had strated some pecan trees from seed, only to discover my 6" trees had been nipped off at ground level last year    I also planted 2 pounds of sunflowers, and for my effort one was able to mature    the rest disappeared when they were about 1 inch tall.  All this during the growing season, but come hunting season, nothing...no rabbits, no deer, and only three or four squirrels were seen. (from Oct 1 through Jan 21, with nearly daily trips with binoculars)  So I'm hoping to adjust the food sources enough to keep em around for hunting season

Be aware that pecans take an average of 7 years to produce.

[keith44]

7 is a bit optimistic, locally the native types take 12 to 15 years to produce.  Black Walnuts will begin to bare 5 to 7 years.

[Ranger99]

i must add that crows will wear out your plantings
as will hogs.
you might consider your grass planting with an eye toward
selling off some hay to defray costs. i don't know what your area
is, so i can't say on grass. mine is sprigged with a&m jiggs grass.

[SHOOTALL]

Whatever you decide, give your young trees a chance by using tree protectors and staking them upright.great advice the deer ate and rubed all my trees killing them. The tree protectors are translucent for light and photosynthesis, keep browsing deer off of the new and tender shoots, and fend off velvet rubbing bucks until the tree is mature.3 T post with wire helps also.

In clearing, you can "pattern" the deer to openings that you create by wind rowing the downed litter into piles that rim the clearing with openings at specific places rather than open around the entire perimeter.  The wind rows are also logical safe havens for your rabbits.

American Chestnuts are unfortunately prone to blight.  Some will grow to acceptable height and produce magnificent chestnuts but will soon succumb to the blight.  Chinese Chestnuts may be a suitable alternative, but are non-native, if that is of any deterrence.

[keith44]

i must add that crows will wear out your plantings
as will hogs.
you might consider your grass planting with an eye toward
selling off some hay to defray costs. i don't know what your area
is, so i can't say on grass. mine is sprigged with a&m jiggs grass.

Crows do not frequent the area, at least not within 20 miles.  The big farms in the river bottom land near the wildlife refuge's seem to hold the population there.  Hogs have yet to invade our area, and seem to not be within 200 miles.  The grass mixes are suitable for haying, but to establish habitat, it needs to only have half cut each year.  One half one year, the other half the next. 

[Ranger99]

you're lucky on the crows and feral hogs.
the hogs haven't hit as bad as down the
road, but the crows have worn out my fruit
trees and my few oaks. got to work on 'em
after the first of the year. they keep the
raptors run off too. i want the hawks to
stay around to help work on the gophers.

[keith44]

Yessir, I consider myself very lucky

Ky has a season on Crows, and also allows control when they are damaging crops.  You may be able to get some help with them

[FPH]

7 is a bit optimistic, locally the native types take 12 to 15 years to produce.  Black Walnuts will begin to bare 5 to 7 years.

I was referring to the paper shell the pecan growers grow......Sorry.  I live in one of the largest pecan orchard areas in the US.....A few plant saplings, most trim and transplant large trees.

[keith44]

I wish I could find some paper shell pecans to plant here (2 - 3 yr old saplings) but then I may not have any open spaces left if I did 

[SHOOTALL]

I have never seen deer eat walnuts . That may be because other food was aval. I have seen trees where the deer had passed under and not touched the walnuts .

[keith44]

I have never seen deer eat walnuts . That may be because other food was aval. I have seen trees where the deer had passed under and not touched the walnuts .

Really? The only trees I've seen 'em climb was a walnut tree.  Kinda funny watching 'em scoot out on a limb to get a nut tho 




Seriously though, I am managing for all wildlife (except waterfowl since there are no big bodies of water on the property).   Quail, Turkey, Squirrel, Rabbits, Deer, bats, owls, song birds, etc. I am concentrating on habitat, but also food stuffs that do not artificially inflate game numbers beyond the capacity of the land.  The exception is bait stations that are used during hunting seasons, but stop filling them before winter hits.

[SHOOTALL]

limb rats are all that seems to eat them here.