Can I pull a no-till drill with an ATV?
Filed under: Food Plots
You say that tilling your food plots take nutrients that is key to growing big, strong, and healthy deer, out of the soil. You say you use a no till drill. How exactly does this work? And We’re can I get one, and a big part is the cost. I want to make it worth my money because I have reasonably large piece of property to hunt and due to the CRP and key bedding area, we plant in a relatively small area to stay out of the CRP and out of the way of the cows that the farmer lets roam around a good percentage of the property. The place were we do most. Our hunting is a spot where cows can’t get. Anyhow we have been planting In tree’d in valley, where they are sheltered, covered an now have a good amount of food. I , looking for a good way to do this but keep the cost down. Would it be easier is a small area to plant by hand or what. And also can I pull the no till drill behind my 4-wheeler
David,
Using good soil conservation practices will certainly help improve soil quality! Quality soil produces quality forage and healthier deer.
I’m not aware of a quality no till drill that can be pulled by most ATV’s. There are some models designed for small tractors (30-50 horsepower). Many NRCS offices throughout the whitetail’s range rent no-till drills. I’ve rented them in several states.
I also create small plots by hand. I use glyphosate herbicide to kill existing weeds, use a hand rake, back pack blower, etc., to remove enough of the duff to allow good seed to soil contract, add plenty of lime and fertilizer, and plant the seeds just before or during a rain. It’s very important to plant just before or during a rain. The moisture is necessary for the seeds to germinate rapidly and raindrops will splash a bit of dirt on the seeds.
If you don’t spread the seeds just before or during a rain birds and rodents can remove most of the seed within a few days.
There are many video examples of this technique at this site!
Enjoy creation,
grant
October 30, 2015
