Mike,

Glyphosate should kill the ferns and moss.  I can’t say for certain without knowing the species.  

Moss typically grows where the soils are very wet.  Be sure this location isn’t too wet to be a productive food plot site!

Enjoy creation,

grant

February 22, 2016

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Doug,

I’ve never tried using the hack and squirt method to control bush honeysuckle. I don’t see why it wouldn’t work.  As long as the sap isn’t already rising where you live, I’ve give it a try and mark the area.  If it doesn’t green up this summer, you’ll know that’s a good technique!

Enjoy creation,

grant

February 21, 2016

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Rob,

It is safe to use glyphosate 100 yards away from a source of water.  Glyphosate is neutralized when it hits the ground.  It is used closer than 100 yards to rivers by crop fields with no damage.  

Thanks for being concerned!  

Enjoy creation,

grant 

February 15, 2016

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Zach,

I scanned the methods, results, and discussion of the research at the link you shared.  I find it odd that of the millions of deer that have been harvested from crop production areas here in the USA and no one is reporting a trend of “tumors,” etc. Every facet of glyphosate has been studied for years in the USA and no negative findings yet.  In fact the vast majority of record book deer come from area where glyphosate has been used for years.  Given that class action attorneys seem to be constantly searching for cases and no one has found any cause to go after the glyphosate technology, I suspect there’s not much there.

What’s your thoughts?

Enjoy creation,

grant

February 9, 2016

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Sam,

We use RTU Tordon to kill locust.  We use Garlon or Chopper Gen II to kill oaks and sweetgums, and glyphosate to kill sassafrass.  

I suggest you identify the species of tree  you wish to kill and then Google and see how to control that species.  Always follow the herbicide label!

Enjoy creation,

grant

February 8, 2016

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Chris,

Thanks for sharing! I’ll read about Raptor. I scanned the label quickly and it said not to use where grazing occurs. I’ll need to learn more about that restriction.

Enjoy creation,

grant

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Joshua,

Glyphosate is the active ingredient in Roundup and the generic versions of Roundup.  I typically purchase products that are 41% glyphosate.  

41% Glyphosate doesn’t do a good job of controlling oaks or hickories. I haven’t tried it on cherries and maples.  I doubt it will work well to control those hardwood species.  

I begged the owners of Eagle Seed to allow me to try some pure Whitetail Thicket!  I was very impressed with the results. I don’t believe they plan to make that available soon.  I will be planting the Deer Manager’s blend this year as it includes the Whitetail Thicket variety!

Enjoy creation,

grant

January 10, 2016

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Steve,

Glyphosate won’t control Sericea lespedeza.  Check out the following link for some good information about controlling Sericea.  You are correct that there will likely be a huge seed bank.  It typically takes me two to three years to get Sericea controlled. I have had success killing the existing Sericea and then planting Roundup Ready beans and controlling most of the Sericea.  This required spot spraying the larger patches of Sericea with herbicides in addition to glyphosate.

http://mdc.mo.gov/your-property/problem-plants-and-animals/invasive-plants/sericea-lespedeza-control

Enjoy creation,

grant

December 15, 2015

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Caleb,

Good question!  Literally tens of millions of deer have consumed GMO beans and corn for years and there’s never been one scientific study to show a negative response. The same is true for humans!  Even Reader’s Digest recently published that there’s never been one scientific study that showed any human or critter health concerns related to GMO plants.  

There are tons of rumors and Hollywood-based stories, but no research to support the myths.  It is certain that modern herbicides are much safer than those used during the 1970’s.  It’s also certain that farmers couldn’t produce the current yields without herbicides.  

I use and recommend folks use the minimal amounts of herbicide.  However, modern or current herbicides are a great tool that has benefitted wildlife and humans and significantly reduced the amount of fuels needed for plowing and erosion caused by poor soil management techniques. There are many tangible positives that have been researched and proven associated with property herbicide use!

Enjoy creation,

grant

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G.P.,

I’m not aware of a herbicide or combo of herbicides that will control grasses and broadleaf weeds with harming either the clover or chicory.  

I use a grass-specific herbicide (like Clethodim or Poast Plus) to control the grasses and spot spray the broadleaf weeds with glyphosate.

Grass-specific herbicides will control grasses much better if used before the grasses are eight inches tall.

We often use backpack sprayers to apply both the grass-specific and glyphosate herbicides and apply the herbicides separately.

Enjoy creation,

grant

November 15, 2015

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Clay,

I do use herbicide about a week before I plant soybeans.  Soybeans are not competitive and won’t perform well if there is weed competition.  I often plant 80+ pounds per acre of Eagle Seed forage soybeans because most of my plots are small (less than two acres) and I like a lot of stems per acre to get ahead of browse damage when the soybeans are small.

Another advantage of planting more pounds per acre is that the soybeans form a crown (block sun from reaching soil) faster and this limits weed growth. Using this technique I usually only have to spray one more time – or two times all year.  This saves money and compensates for planting more pounds per acre.

October 28, 2015

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Aaron,

I’m not aware of any herbicide that will kill burdock and nettle without killing clover.

There are lots of species of nettles.  That’s to say nettles is a common name for many plants.  All of them that I’m aware are difficult to control.  Depending on how many stems are in the plot it may be best to simply spot treat each stem and then overseed.  This may be less expensive and allow a food source to be preserved.  I often spot treat weeds in my clover plots.

Enjoy creation,

Grant

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David,

I agree!  Herbicide labels can be confusing due to all the legalize.

The active ingredient in Roundup is glyphosate and it’s one of the safest herbicides used today.  Unless there are weeds that are resistant to glyphosate most farmers use 2 quarts of Roundup per 20-25 gallons of water per acre.  

There are many variables such as the hardness of the water, the droplet size produced by the sprayer’s nozzles, etc. However, 2 quarts of Roundup mixed with 20-25 gallons of water is a very generic and successful recipe.  

Enjoy creation!

grant

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Danny,

Glyphosate has no activity in the soil.  It’s only works by entering plants through green leaves, etc.  So there’s very limited value in spraying glyphosate before disking.  The disking should kill all the weeds.

Enjoy creation!

grant

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I really like your plan to move off the field edge and create a staging area hidely hole plot!!

Whether it will be best to cut the weeds or use herbicide depends on the species of weeds.  Most perennial weeds will simply sprout back after being cut.  The safest bet is to use glyphosate. You can spray on day (in good conditions) and literally add lime, fertilizer and seed the next.  

Make sure the site receives at least 50% sunshine a day.  Forage crops need sunshine to grow.  I often use a rack or other hand tools to prepare hidy hole plots!  

Let me know how this one turns out!

Enjoy creation!

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It depends on what type of grass and how mature it is.  There are several grass-specific herbicides such as Poast Plus, Clethodim, etc.  None of them are very effective on grass that’s very mature.  So using a grass-specific herbicide depends on the maturity of weeds. You could try mowing but most grass species respond to being cut by growing again if it’s during the growing season.  

It may be best to terminate the weeds and crop by herbicide or tillage and plant a fall crop now.  If you take this action, make sure there is plenty of soil moisture before you plant the new crop!

Enjoy creation!

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Mark,

There are no grazing restrictions on the glyphosate label.   In addition literally millions of deer and other critters have browsed on glyphosate treated crops throughout the U.S. for years without one reported negative response.  There have been literally 1,000’s of studies and not one scientific, peer-reviewed study has shown a negative relationship between glyphosate and humans or deer.  

Based on the research to date, and no known negative reports for more than a decade, you should feel comfortable using glyphosate per the instructions on the label.

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Mike,

It sounds as if you have a great food plot established!  I’m glad you are preparing to overseed the Eagle Seed forage soybeans with Broadside. That’s a great technique to keep attracting deer as the seasons change.  

The Broadside or most forage crops will do better with less competition.  If the weeds are turning yellow they will likely be gone before the Broadside germinates.  If not, it might be best to treat the weeds again before planting the Broadside.  

Can you see some of the soil while walking through the plot or have the forage soybeans made a complete canopy?  If there is a complete canopy there won’t be much sunshine reaching the soil and allowing the Broadside to germinate and grow rapidly.  If this is the case I suggest splitting the plot in 1/2 and allowing deer to browse half the beans while protecting the other 1/2. Plant the Broadside in the 1/2 where the deer browse the beans and open up the canopy so at least 50% of the soil is receiving sunshine.  

Either way, I suggest planting the Broadside while there is adequate soil moisture.  This will result in a much higher rate of germination and more tonnage produced before the first killing frost.  

Enjoy creation!

grant

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The plant in your picture appears to be ragweed.

The active ingredient in Roundup is glyphosate.  Glyphosate is only active on living leaf surface area.  It won’t prevent weed seeds that are in the soil from germinating.  Disking often results in bringing weed seeds within the top inch of soil. These seeds will usually rapidly germinate.  It’s rarely necessary to spray Roundup before disking as disking will remove the weeds and Roundup won’t keep existing weed seeds from germinating!

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Matt,

Thank you for for sharing the encouraging words and leading by example!  Your daughter is blessed to have a Dad that loves her enough to constantly protect her and spend time with her!

I’m not aware of a herbicide that’s safe to use over legumes (clover and alfalfa) and chicory.  Weed control in plots with multiple species is difficult.  You can use most of the grass- specific herbicides over legumes and broadleaf (chicory) with damaging the forage crops.  There are several grass-specific herbicides and all have advantages and disadvantages.  

Mowing rarely controls weeds (grasses or broad-leafed weeds).  This is one reason I tend to plant warm season plots with a single species like forage soybeans and use blends during the cool season.  Weeds are rarely a problem in cool season plots – especially if there has been a warm season forage crop and good weed control during the summer.

Depending on the size of the plots and the number of deer in the area the best rotation I’ve found for attracting and feeding deer is Eagle Seed forage soybeans during the summer followed by overseeding the beans with the Broadside blend about 60 days before the first expected frost of the fall.

The Roundup ready beans make it easy to keep the plot weed-free during the summer and the Broadside is a great soil builder and deer attractant!

Enjoy creation,

Grant 

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The herbicide used depends on the species of trees to be treated. Glyphosate will work on several species and Tordon RTU works well on locust. Glyphosate doesn’t work well on maples. I suggest you Google “hack and squirt” and the type tree to be treated – like “hack and squirt maple” and find information from your area. Thanks for watching GrowingDeer.tv!

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Wheat can be planted during a wide range of dates. The best time to plant depends on the mission. If there are lots of early season food sources in the area, then it may be better to plant wheat later (mid to late September) so it doesn’t mature past being palatable before deer start using it as a food source. I usually begin planting wheat during early to mid August depending on when soil moisture is available so the forage will be available and attracting deer by the opening of bow season – September 15th – as there isn’t any competing food sources in my neighborhood. Wheat seed, like all crops, needs good seed to soil contact. The existing vegetation can be burned down with glyphosate, but the seed needs to be placed in the soil with a no-till drill or the weed duff removed so the seeds will reach the soil.

Growing Deer together,

Grant

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Bob,

Thanks for the encouraging words! Crimson clover is a winter annual where you and I live – and has about finished its productive season by this time of year in the Ozarks (depending on precipitation amounts). I agree with your observations that the fescue is using the nitrogen provided by the crimson clover and doing well. If the crimson clover is all brown and made a hard seed already, then I would spray the fescue with glyphosate (generic Roundup) to control the fescue before it gets too tall. Once fescue is more than one foot tall it’s tough to control. You could use a grass specific herbicide like Clethodim, Select, Poast, etc., but those herbicides cost more and are not as effect as glyphosate at controlling fescue. If you do control/kill the fescue I’d plant a mixture of brassica, wheat, and radishes in the plot this fall about 60 days before the first expected frost. If the crimson clover has already made a hard seed, those seeds will germinate this fall/next spring and result in another great crop of clover for the early growing season!

Growing Deer together,

Grant

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Larry,

Depending on the species of weeds, Glyphosate (the chemical name of Roundup) is probably the best option.  It usually works best if you use fire first to remove the duff (dead plant material) from the field (check out GDTV 20 for an overview of prescribed fire).  This allows the herbicide to make better contact with the fresh vegetation that will grow after the burn.  If a burn is not an option, mowing or even disking is the next best option.  No matter what option you select for preparation, it’s important to remember that Glyphosate is most effective when the new growth is relatively young and there is enough leaf surface area for the herbicide to make good contact with the plant.

Growing Deer together,

Grant

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Jim,

Thank you for the kind words!  It seems there are new herbicides and new combinations of herbicides annually!  A great resource is “A Guide to Successful Wildlife Food Plots” by Dr. Craig Harper that is available at QDMA’s online store.  I primarily use glyphosate (the active ingredient in Roundup) as I plant mainly Roundup Ready soybeans and corn.  If you plant a wider variety of crops, I think Craig’s book will be a great resource.

Growing Deer (and learning) together,

Grant

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Chris,

To my knowledge glyphosate hasn’t been a problem with turkeys.  Glyphosate is the active ingredient in Roundup, which is used to kill weeds in Roundup Ready crops, like corn and soybeans.  Roundup Ready crops have dominated the agricultural market for the past couple of decades yet turkeys are still thriving.  From personal experience on The Proving Grounds my turkey population has grown tremendously since I began incorporating glyphosate and Roundup Ready crops into my food plot program.

Growing Deer together,

Grant

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Brian,

Thanks for the positive comments!  Ragweed can be a major competitor in any food plot if is not removed early.  In clover and chicory plots ragweed is maintained best by periodically mowing it and other broadleaf plants growing in the plot.  In most situations, simply keeping broadleaf plants from going to seed and/or shading out the clover and chicory helps to keep their presence at bay.

Once ragweed is well established it can be a major problem.  I am unaware of an herbicide that controls it without harming clover and chicory.  Herbicides like Arrow control grasses and Pursuit controls non-legumes.  If ragweed has taken the plot over it is probably most cost effective to start the plot over.  Start by killing the plot in the spring with a broad spectrum herbicide (glyphosate) and periodically apply again throughout the summer.  Then broadcast seed throughout the plot just before/during a heavy rain in late summer.

Growing Deer together,

Grant

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JP,

I’ve been using Gallagher’s Food Plot Protector Fence to allow food plot crops to produce more forage and have been thrilled with the results.  Not only is this a great forage management tool, the fence is a great hunting tool!  Youth season opens soon at The Proving Grounds.  I just removed about 40’ of fence from two food plots that were protected by a Gallagher Fence at my place.  I’m very confident the deer will quickly learn to use these gaps and provide some great observation and hunting opportunities for my children.  In fact, I’ve already placed ground blinds so the hunters can see the gaps.

I will be reusing the fences next year to allow the forage to mature in some of my food plots and to create great hunting for my family.  I haven’t found a better or more cost effective solution to protecting young forage crops from being over-browsed or to create bottle necks for hunting than the Gallagher electric food plot fence system.

Growing Deer (and food plots) together,

Grant

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Mike,

Did the weed survive spraying the Eagle Seed Beans with glyphosate?  If so, it may be pigweed.  If you didn’t spray the crop, it might be giant ragweed, which has a large leaf.  You might search online for an image of these weeds or ask a local extension agent.

Both of these weeds exist in your area (and mine).

Growing Deer together,

Grant

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Derek,

Rye Grain is a good cool season crop for white-tailed deer.  It has about the same nutritional value as winter wheat, but continues growing during colder temperatures.  In fact, it will continue growing in temperatures that are about 12 degrees colder than wheat will grow.  One down side to Rye Grain is that the seed readily germinates.  Therefore, if Rye Grain is allowed to mature through the seed production stage, there will be another crop of Rye Grain the following year.  Although this sounds good, deer stop consuming Rye Grain (and other cereal grain crops) once the crop matures from the leaf or vegetative stage and enters the stem stage (from a flat leaf to a round stem).

Therefore, Rye Grain can take up valuable food plot real estate for months and not provide any food value to deer.  This year I mixed Rye Grain and Winter Wheat 50:50 in my cool season plots.  I’ll spray it with glyphosate during early spring so I can plant a warm season crop in that real estate as soon as the temperature permits.

Growing Deer together,

Grant

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Tim,

Sicklepod is a controllable weed, especially in soybeans.  However, it usually requires a mixture of herbicides.  For example, glyphosate alone will not control Sicklepod.  Which combination of herbicides should be used depends on the crops to be grown and the timing of the herbicide applications.

Usually total control requires a pre- and post- emergent application of herbicides.  These recipes are a bit more technical than most weed control applications, I suggest you visit with a local crop specialist or search the web.

It usually requires a multiyear program to remove Sicklepod from the seed bank, but is well worth the effort!

Growing Deer together,

Grant

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Barry,

There are some newer varieties of sunflowers that are resistant to specific herbicides such as the Clearfield variety.  However, these varieties and the required herbicides are relatively expensive.  The University of Arkansas has a good publication about sunflower production including weed control.

Milo and Millet are both in the grass family.  Soybeans are in the legume family.  Mixing these crops really limits the herbicide choices.  For this reason, I’ve stopped mixing such crops and now only plant them separately so I can manage them for the maximum yield.  This includes being able to plant at the best time for each crop, using the appropriate fertilizer rates, and using the best herbicide option for the specific crop.

Usually the acreage dedicated to food plots is limited.  Therefore I need maximum yield from each crop, which requires crop-specific management.

Growing Deer (and crops) together,

Grant

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Kevin,

Your question is very valid and I don’t know of any research on the subject.  I will share that almost every deer harvested near a commercial ag field has most likely consumed forage and/or grain that was treated with one or multiple herbicides.  Even though free-ranging deer may have consumed forage that has been treated with herbicide, I suspect it is still healthier than some of the meat from domestic stock that has been given many chemicals to promote growth and maintain their health.  Tracy, our two girls, and I consume about 10 deer annually.  If you find research results related to your question, please share the findings with me.

Growing (and consuming) Deer together,

Grant

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John,

I will be planting wheat or a blend of wheat and clover this fall.  Wheat is relatively inexpensive (abnormally high this year – about $18 per bag), is easy to grow, and readily transfers nutrients to deer.  I strongly recommend having the soil analyzed and adding the appropriate nutrients.  I think some food plot farmers skip this step because they believe wheat to be simple or common.  No forage crop can transfer nutrients to deer unless the nutrients are available.  I add a bit of extra nitrogen as wheat readily uses nitrogen and deer seem to easily sense where I added extra nitrogen to the wheat (near my stand).  It is easy to add clover to wheat when planting.  The clover won’t produce much tonnage during the first fall, but will usually provide a substantial amount of quality forage in the spring.  Deer and turkey will readily consume the clover at that time of year, typically before other forage crops are productive.

The one negative to adding clover is that it is naturally very resistant to glyphosate.  If you plan to no-till soybeans (my favorite plan in most situations) into the wheat the following spring as soon as the soil temperature is 62 degrees (at 9 AM at about 2” deep), then simply spraying the wheat/clover blend to prepare the field with glyphosate will leave some clover alive which will be competition to the young soybeans.  However, there are worse problems to have because the beans normally shade out the clover within a few weeks.

Growing Deer together,

Grant

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Patrick,

The best method to control grass competition (or any weed) depends on the species of crop with which the grass is competing.  For example, controlling grass in clover is totally different than controlling grass in wheat or corn.  Mowing rarely controls grass.  Using a herbicide that will kill the target species of grass while not harming the desired crop is a very good method for controlling grass in an existing crop.  Using herbicide to kill all existing vegetation and then planting using a no-till drill is a good method to reduce the amount of grass competition.  No-till drills eliminate the need to disk or turn the soil which reduces the amount of weed seeds that are brought to the surface of the soil.  Weed seeds that are several inches deep in the soil usually won’t germinate.  However, they can remain dormant in the soil for decades.  Using a no-till drill is a great practice, but it is almost always necessary to use herbicides to control grass because the few seeds that are within an inch of the soils’ surface will usually germinate and then produce more seed unless controlled by herbicide.

Growing Deer together,

Grant

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Barry,

I haven’t used Pendimethalin to control weeds in sunflowers.  However, I checked the label and it states…

“In sunflowers, groundnuts, kidney and dry beans and soybeans PENDIMETHALIN 500 EC must always be mechanically incorporated before seeding and within 5 days of application.  Best results will be obtained if incorporation is carried out within 24 hours of application.”

I always attempt to follow the instructions in a herbicide label exactly for the best results and to prevent damage to a crop.

Growing Deer together,

Grant

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Don,

Both Pursuit and Raptor herbicides can be used to control most broadleaf weeds in clover and alfalfa.  However, both herbicides can damage or kill chicory.  It’s very tough to find a herbicide that will not harm legumes (soybeans, alfalfa, and clover) and not harm chicory because it is not a legume.

I really like chicory as quality deer forage, but rarely blend it with clover because it limits my options for weed control.

Growing Deer together,

Grant

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Brandon,

The best method depends on the equipment you have available.  Ideally I would spray the plot with a broad-spectrum herbicide like glyphosate if a lot of weeds are present and no-till drill a winter wheat/clover/chicory mix.  I added the winter wheat because it will produce the bulk of this fall’s forage and become a nurse crop for the clover/chicory in the spring and summer.  Since wheat is an annual plant it will mature and die in late May or early June.  When drilling, place wheat in the large seed box and plant 1 inch deep and place the clover/chicory in the small seed box where it will trickle behind the coulters and ahead of the press wheel for the optimum ¼ inch deep seed-to-soil contact.

If a drill is not available, weeds are not present, and the warm-season crop is sparse, another option would be to simply broadcast the cool season forage over the standing crop just before a rain.

The last option would be to disk, broadcast seed, and drag the plot.  I tend to shy away from disking to decrease the amount of weed seeds brought to the soil surface.  No matter the technique, keep the nutrient levels in the soil in the optimum range to improve the plot’s attractiveness.

Growing Deer together,

Grant

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Chad,

Thanks for the kind words!  Eagle Seed’s Wildlife Manager Mix is Round-up Ready.  I use any brand of glyphosate that includes a surfactant and then mix in ammonia sulfate.  This is an easy method to control grass and other weed competition in Round-up Ready crops.  Remember to calibrate the sprayer!

If the Wildlife Manager’s Mix appears to be producing a good yield of beans, I’d leave them standing.  If they produce 30 bushels per acre that equals 1,800 pounds per acre of extremely high quality food!  Few forage crops will produce that quantity and almost never that quality of forage during the cool growing season.  In addition, if the soybeans have already started producing pods, there is very little risk that a good yield will not occur.  Freshly established crops are always subject to droughts, early frosts, etc.

There are 75 day + varieties of corn.  However, I’m not familiar with anyone planting them that late in the northern states.  At that latitude, I’d rather plant a wheat/clover blend at least 45 days before the average first frost date.  I always recommend and practice applying enough fertilizer based on a soil analysis to ensure the crop can express its full potential.

I recommend collecting a soil sample from your existing clover/chicory plot and having it analyzed at a quality soil lab and adding the nutrients they suggest for maximum yield.  It’s much less expensive to insure clover has ample nutrient to thrive than it is to re-establish.  In addition, properly fertilized clover will be more productive and more attractive to deer!

Growing Deer together,

Grant

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Joe,

Unfortunately, there is not an easy answer to your question because there are so many variables.  For example, a good crop for your area would be something deer like to eat.  There are no soybeans grown in my area for agriculture or any other reason.  The first few years I planted soybeans, I couldn’t find where the deer had consumed any of the forage.  However, deer do learn and after a few years, now deer over browse the soybeans in my smaller plots.  I’ve found the same to be true for several other forage crops.

As for what to plant, deer consume wheat about everywhere it’s planted from Florida and Texas to Canada.  Wheat is a fine attractant and can provide qualify forage if fertilized appropriately.  If I had to pick one cool season crop it would be wheat.

I strongly suggest you collect a soil sample and have it analyzed before planting the food plot.  All crops, including wheat, are more productive and more attractive to deer if they have all the nutrients they need.  Even agricultural fields require being fertilized annually to produce a maximum yield.  Food plots are rarely established on soil as good as production agriculture fields so adding the appropriate fertilizer is even more important.  To make sure your food plot is as productive and as attractive to deer as it can be is only accomplished by collecting a soil sample and submitting it to a quality soil lab for analyses.  Make sure you tell the lab what crops you are planting and that you want a maximum yield (this is very important to the success of the plot).  Sadly, many soil labs treat soil samples from food plots very generically and give the customer a generic recommendation.  It’s critical that the lab recommends a fertilizer rate specific for the crops to be planted and to allow a maximum yield.  Using this system to establish a plot versus throwing out some seed and the “standard” 300 pounds of 10-10-10 fertilizer will help produce forage that is much more attractive to deer.

Growing Deer together,

Grant

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Ralph,

The residual vegetation should be dead and thin/short enough that a no-till drill can cut through the vegetation and place the seed at the appropriate depth.  Hence, the vegetation type, weight of the drill, speed the drill is pulled, etc., are all factors.

Generically speaking, the shorter the vegetation, the better the seed to soil contact will be.  I have a 10’ drill that weighs about 6,000 pounds empty.  I can drill through 8” tall winter wheat that has been killed with glyphosate, but must drive a bit slower than if drilling through short soybean stubble.  The amount of soil moisture and the soil’s texture are also factors.  For example, sandy soil is much easier to drill into that dry clay.

A final tip is to ensure the drill is closing the furrow that the coulter opened.  Sometimes excessive duff on the ground keeps the packing wheel from closing the furrow and leaves the seed exposed.

Growing Deer together,

Grant

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Marti,

There is not a great option for controlling weeds in clover. Mowing will only serve to set back most species of grass (like mowing your yard). Pursuit herbicide will control some species of broadleaf weeds in clover, but can burn the clover a bit. This causes a bit of stress to clover, but shouldn’t kill it if applied per the guidelines in the label. 2,4-DB herbicide will also control some species of broadleaf weeds in clover when applied per instructions in the label. To see if either herbicide will control the targeted weeds, simply check the label for each herbicide online and compare the weeds each will control with the species of weeds in your plot.

Growing Deer together,

Grant

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Eric,

I like wheat as most forage varieties are more cold hardy than oats.  Wheat fertilized appropriately is very palatable to deer and nutritious while it’s in the vegetative stage.  Once wheat begins to produce a stem, it decreases in both palatability and nutrition.  However, this occurs during the late spring, usually when other types of forage are available.  If you are leaving these areas as plots, it might be worth considering planting clover with the wheat.  Clover won’t be very productive during the first fall after it’s planted, but usually adds lots of biomass during the spring and is very attractive to both deer and turkey.  Clover is tough to kill with glyphosate, so if the plan is to return these fields to Round-up Ready soybeans or corn, I would suggestion not establishing clover.

Most forage brassicas are very cold hardy and palatable to deer, especially after a frost.  If mixing with wheat, I typically only add a pound or two of brassicas to the blend per acre.  Brassicas can be a great attractant during the mid and late hunting season.  Appropriately fertilized wheat is a fine food plot crop, but such plots can usually be enhanced, especially in northern states, by the addition of some forage brassicas.

Growing Deer together,

Grant

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Doug,

We try to follow the recommendations on herbicide labels.  This includes applying the herbicide to the weeds at the appropriate age/size, etc.  The label for Arrow recommends not applying the herbicide if conditions are not favorable for plant growth, such as hot and dry.  There are different recommendations based on the species of grass to be controlled.  We applied Arrow at the maximum rate recommended for fescue which was the primary grass we needed to control.

It’s tough to give exact counsel without knowing more details about which grasses and their current growth status.  I recommend you check out the label for Arrow and apply as recommended.

Growing Deer together,

Grant

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Darron,

It is very late to plant clover, unless you are in the very northern part of Ohio and ample precipitation occurs during the rest of June, July, and August.  If the weather is hot and dry, the young clover plants will simply die.  They won’t have enough of a root system established to reach moisture deeper in the soil profile.  I’d recommend waiting till late summer/early fall (at least 45 days before the first expected frost) and plant clover with a cover crop of wheat.  This may mean you have to spray again to remove any weeds.  Young clover is not a good competitor with weeds.

Growing Deer together,

Grant

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Matt,

I’d be a bit anxious about spraying Glyphosate during late May on plots where native grass seed has had a chance to germinate.  Young native grasses are difficult to identify.  Glyphosate is ground neutral, so any seeds that hadn’t germinated will be fine.  Given it was a cool spring in Kentucky it may be fine.  I hope you let me know for future reference.

Growing Deer together,

Grant

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Barry,

Glyphosate’s mode of action is absorption through living plant tissue. It has no pre-emergent properties for any plant I’ve ever researched. In fact, I just checked the Glyphosate label for wheat, corn, and soybeans (cereal and grain crops). It says

“Preplant, Preemergence, At-Planting

USE INSTRUCTIONS: This product may be applied before, during or after planting of cereal crops. Applications must be made prior to emergence of the crop.”

I have sprayed and planted in one day, and never experienced a problem with the crops I’ve planted.

Like you, I have limited days to plant when the conditions are favorable. I’d suggest also checking out the herbicide Gramoxone. It kills extremely rapidly (in a day for most annual weeds). However, it only top kills. Some perennial plants will resprout. This may be a good option if you have to spray one day and plant the next. Gramoxone requires a pesticide applicators license.

Growing Deer together,

Grant

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Gerald,

Your plan sounds fine! I always add ammonia sulfate and surfactant to Glyphosate (if it’s not included in the brand I purchased). The ammonia sulfate is readily taken up by most plants. This serves to improve the uptake of the Glyphosate.

The function of a surfactant (an abbreviation for “surface active reagent”) is to spread the spray droplet evenly over the leaf surface, help it to adhere to the leaf, and increase penetration of the herbicide into the waxy cuticle that covers the leaf surface. Just applying water to a waxy leaf surface would cause the spray droplet to bead up, so surfactants greatly facilitates spray coverage and aids in enhancing herbicide uptake (and of course the weed dies much better as well!).

Growing Deer together,

Grant

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Wade,

It is extremely rocky where I live and any openings were covered with fescue when I started, so I understand your situation. Besides being rough on equipment, exposed rocks usually indicate the local soil has very limited organic matter and won’t hold moisture very well. This results in plots that are very susceptible to droughts. I use composted litter and have been very pleased with the results and the amount of soil that has been established in my plots, as well as the antler growth that has occurred.

There are many methods to kill fescue. I prefer to prepare good fire breaks and burn the fescue just before it greens up during the spring. A slow moving backing fire will remove the dead plants, etc. This will encourage a flush of new growth from the fescue. When the new growth is 4-6” tall, I spray with two quarts of Glyphosate per acre mixed with ammonia sulfate and a surfactant. I like a sprayer/nozzle combination that produces a small droplet size and that is calibrated to discharge about 15 gallons per acre. In some cases, a second application of Glyphosate will be required, pending on the timing of the spraying, weather conditions, etc.

I then use a no-till drill or the broadcast technique to plant. Disking will only serve to bring fescue and other weed seeds closer to the soil’s surface so they can germinate. There are many programs that will work, but these steps have proven to work very well and are relatively inexpensive compared to other processes.

Growing Deer together,

Grant

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Tim,

Your observations indicate that food is a limiting resource in your area. Except in areas with production ag, quality food is usually in short supply and serves as a great attractant for deer. Combine quality food with limited human disturbance and you have a Hidey Hole (code name for my preferred place to hunt)!

To create a Hidey Hole in the conditions you described, use any method to remove the duff (dead grass, leaves, etc.). On larger scale projects in non urban areas, fire is a great tool. For some of my Hidey Hole plots, I use a rake and backpack leaf blower. Once the duff is removed and the remaining vegetation is growing, spray with Glyphosate to kill the competition. If the duff is removed, and the vegetation is putting on new growth, one application of herbicide is usually enough.

Then fertilize appropriately for the crop you wish to plant. Forage soybeans are extremely palatable and browse resistant. Soybeans germinate best when covered with soil, so they are a bit more difficult to plant in a Hidey Hole situation than smaller size that can be broadcast. However, they are a great early season attractant!! They will be killed by the first frost. If your goal is simply to attract deer later than the first frost to that location, mix some wheat with the soybeans and plant a month before archery season opens. Deer love young soybeans, and the wheat that will jump after the beans have been consumed or killed by the first frost. If your goal is to create an attraction plot to hunt during early, mid, and late season, mix in some brassicas as they will usually be more of an attractant later in the season. Clover is slow to produce much volume, so don’t count it as an attractant during the first season. However, it is a great attractant the following spring — if you like to turkey hunt! Turkey’s readily convert Hidey Holes in to strut zones.

Hidey Holes are a great tool that can be established with some labor, but not much cost in seed and equipment.

Growing Deer together,

Grant

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Tom,

Fescue = NEGATIVE for almost all wildlife! Fescue is not palatable or nutritious for most forms of wildlife, including deer. When deer are observed in fescue fields, they are most likely picking clover or other forages in the fescue.

Yes, fescue is very invasive. However, it can be controlled by spraying with Glyphosate at least twice at the appropriate times of year, etc. There are other good reasons to kill fescue and replace with either nutritious crops or cover like native warm season grasses. Fescue is very difficult for quail or turkey poults to move through. If the objective on your property is improving the habitat for wildlife, few activities will yield more benefit than converting fescue to better forage or cover!

Growing Deer together,

Grant

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