Buck Hollow Sporting Goods - click or touch to visit their website Midwest Habitat Company

1/4 acre??

SaskGuy

Active Member
Removed a few poplars this winter, will do some at.v breaking of approximately 1/4 acre. My ? is this, is it even worth my time to monkey around with 1/4 acre. I'd need a cat or a dozer in to make it much more than that, and frankly, that is not in the crads. So My ?, is a 1/4 acre even worth it?
 
Sure it is...food plotting is fun, big or small.

You are not going to provide a ton of food with a small plot like that, but it might be a nice little "kill" plot.

I would put something in there that isn't already availble in your area.

You want it to draw because it is different and preferred to anything else available. /forum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/cool.gif
 
I have a tiny little food plot behind my house, 1/4 acre would be generous! Me and the kids put it in this summer, using an ATV and a hand-crank spreader. We have had more dang fun with that plot! Kids talk about it all the time, want to go back and see how the clover is growing. Stuck a little mineral lick in one corner, too. I agree w/Ghost; put something different in there. I'm surrounded by corn/bean farm ground, so I planted clover.

Anyway, you wouldn't believe the deer visits to that place. One nice buck is hitting it, we just couldn't get our schedules to line up last fall. But I just saw his track in there last night, after three months of no deer activity in this area at all... I'd recommend it highly, you'll have a lot of fun!!
 
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> I would put something in there that isn't already availble in your area.

</div></div>

Readily available in the area would be alfalfa, clover, oats, wheat..possibly field peas. I like the idea of a brassica plot, something that'll produce lots of forage and get hit mostly after the frost...am I in the right frame of mind?
 
Ummm, your in Canada, so I just wanna be sure you have your units right. Are you talking about 1/4 ACRE or 1/4 SECTION?

No food plot is too small. My turnips last yere were about 300 feet by 15 feet, Didn't kill anything off of it, but it was fun to do the plan, prep and plant. Not to mention watching it grow.

The 'Bonker
 
Frost will come anywhere from early Aug to Mid Sept. In 6 yrs in my house the earliest was August 1, the latest Mid Sept. I'm thinking they'll take the frost better than anything else,..won't they?
 
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Saskguy</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Frost will come anywhere from early Aug to Mid Sept. In 6 yrs in my house the earliest was August 1, the latest Mid Sept. I'm thinking they'll take the frost better than anything else,..won't they? </div></div>

Good gosh...and I thought winters were long in Iowa!! Frost in August...yikes!! /forum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/grin.gif

I think brassicas would be great for a small plot and you don't need to fit it down like garden either.

You could plant a mix of rape and turnips so you have some roots for them to dig for when winter hits...in October!! /forum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/wink.gif
 
Small plots are great plots. AKA "Postage Stamp Plots". They work awesome with something unique, as has been mentioned before. Plus, if you're gonna hunt it, not much will be out of range, if any is at all. A good friend of mine has been planting postage stamp plots on his farm the last couple years and they've really worked well for him. Some of his are no more than 20x10 yards, but he has enough of them that they don't get torn up too fast. He likes to put them in open areas inside of wooded draws that run between grain fields and has been slayin'! Good luck! I'm sure it'll work out for ya.
 
So if you went with brassicas you would planting in June. Remember it may take awhile for them to understand what they are supposed to do with the brassicas but once they do It will be a hot spot! Karre how much light do you get to the plot? If you do the brassicas remember to seed very lightly they need plenty of space.
 
Heck yes it is worth it! By this time next year you'll have that dozer lined up for the 2009 plot(s). /forum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/grin.gif

The other side effect will be that the whitetail management section of IW will be the first forum you visit each time (like the rest of us addicts in here!).
 
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> Good gosh...and I thought winters were long in Iowa!! Frost in August...yikes!!</div></div>

And it took until April to get above 32.....it's long. /forum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/crazy.gif

Anyhow....I got a sample pack from whitetailinstitute, it looks great, pretty good deal I think. Going to plant the perennial test plots seperate from what I want to do with the 1/4 acre. Perennials are alfa rack, clover and chicory, want to see what they'll do. I'm thinking annual for the 1/4 acre and well....this is Saskatchewan, and I'm not getting seed for anything other than wheat, peas, canola, lentils, barley, oats or chickpeas, so I like the looks of these "pricey" mixes.

I'm likely going order a small bag of either, "secret spot", "wintergreens" or "pure attraction". I'm going to be trying the plot in the middle of the woods so sunlight will be good for about 8-10 hrs a day but not direct. Anyone out there with any experience with any of these? I'm really excited to give this a try but realize that this first yr will be a big learning experience and alot of hard work. The annual route seems like a better fit for me this yr b/c the plot will liekly go in late and b/c of other available food sources I'm looking for something they will hit after the alfalfa starts to brown off.
 
I agree, annuals is a good place to start, especially while you're getting your weed control, equipment concerns and other "housekeeping" things figured out. I have planted the Wintergreens and they were very attractive to deer; put them in late, about Aug. 10 here in MN. I have a couple bags of Pure Attraction that I was going to plant last year but we had a rainy, rainy late summer and I decided to save them for this year. Anxious to try this stuff out this year, as I've heard great things about it.
 
In my opinion the smaller the plot the better. I am not saying to plant a little 10X10 or anything but anywhere from the 1/4 acre to 1/2 an acre is prime. A bunch of small plots will be better than one big one.
 
Karre,

What have you got to lose? Really, even if the plot is a total bust. A few $$ in fuel and seed. I cant see how it would hurt your hunting.

Im in the same boat as everyone elses opinion, go with rape/turnips. Seems like the thinner the better. If turnips have long enough to grow with right conditions they can get softball size; they get woody but the deer dont seem to mind after the frost. Been there did that; with good results.

Dean
 
Top Bottom