By Glen Wunderlich Outdoor Columnist Member Professional Outdoor Media Association
From less than 100 yards, two deer stood and stared at us in disbelief, as Joe and I made our way to the portable blind for the May 3rd late-season turkey opener. We set our hen decoy about 22 yards away and sat with great anticipation, not knowing how the day was to unfold.
Five hours later at 10:30 am, two hens emerged from a wet, low area known to us as the safety zone. The lead hen was in no particular hurry and seemed content to forage her way in the direction of our plastic accomplice. I whispered to Joe to keep and eye out for a gobbler that I expected would follow the two to our ambush. Ol’ Tom never showed but it sure was exciting to have those hens within arm’s reach of our blind. Although we had several other hens in the vicinity that day, no gobbler showed.
For the rest of May, however, I must divide my time afield between more turkey hunting and food plot preparation. It’s a bit of a quandary, because operating a tractor and tearing up the ground takes place alongside some of our perennial legume plots, which are flourishing at the moment. Doing so, can’t be good for turkey hunting in the short term, but it’s a necessary evil for rewards later on.
If you want to enjoy the benefits of food plots this season, you’d better get going. Although farmers have caught a break with early season dryness and have planted much of their crops already, the first-time food plotter should set his sights on planting the first week of August or even next year. And, only good preparation now will make it happen.
The initial spraying of grass and weed fields should commence now. If you have a backpack sprayer, mix 2 cups of glyphosate (Roundup or generic equivalent) with 4 gallons of water; larger sprayers should be mixed in the same proportion. Then several weeks later, a second spray at half strength should kill most everything.
If you haven’t gotten a soil sample yet, it makes good sense to do so to ensure the proper nutrients are applied before seeding. (I took my soil samples to Meal and More in Morrice and they sent the samples to Michigan State for a nominal fee.) I found that my phosphorus levels were off the map, so adding more in a typical blend of fertilizer made no sense.
In most cases adding pelletized lime will help – especially if your ph level is below 6.5. The beauty of the bagged lime is that it is relatively inexpensive at less than $5.00 per 50 pounds. It is best to get it in the soil sometime before planting but it can actually be done the same day. Same goes for fertilizer.
After a light disking in July, a final spray of glyphosate is applied once the weeds begin to emerge about two weeks later. We use broadcast spreaders for lime, fertilizer, and seeding. But, if you want the best results, some type of rolling or cultipacking will improve germination rates. The rest is up to Mother Nature.
We prefer legume plots for creating a haven for turkeys in the spring, when the remnants of the previous season’s annual plots are but a memory. It’s a beautiful sight to see the lush green clover and alfalfa as soon as the snow melts. But, beware: Legume plots require maintenance, too. There’s plenty of mowing and two doses of 6-24-24 fertilizer each season. Fortunately, the cost of fertilizer has come down the past two years, but at approximately $18 per 50 pounds and 150 pounds per acre applied twice a year, legume maintenance is not as inexpensive as most do-it-yourselfers would think.
Brassica plots which include turnips, biologic, and rape don’t take as much maintenance, but they are only good for one fall and winter season. However, they pay big dividends, when the snow gets deep and other food sources get scarce.
Whatever food source you may choose, you had better get to it. And, for a tremendous reference guide, get Ed Spinazzola’s book, Ultimate Deer Food Plots. For the beginner or expert, there’s plenty of information on the subject at www.deerattraction.com.
