For me this time of year is a test of mental strength. Deer season is over and cabin fever sets in. The occasional warmth of a sixty degree day brings on thoughts of chasing long spurred gobblers. A bone chilling cold front quickly snaps us back to reality. There is work to be done.

This is the perfect time of year to get projects accomplished that would otherwise be hindered by pests like snakes and ticks. Those pesky debris piles left over from last summer’s storms can be piled up and burnt without fear of uncovering a venomous snake. More importantly, those clearings that we have wanted to turn into clover plots can be cleared without getting covered in ticks.

A beautiful crimson clover plot at The Proving Grounds in the spring of 2013.

If you are like us there are always those few areas that have been overtaken by saplings before you can establish a good clover food plot. We spent some time this week mapping out those areas and clearing out those saplings before things get grown up with the warmth of the spring sunshine. It is the perfect time to evaluate the amount of clover seed that you are going to need before frost seeding. Ideally you have your seed on hand and your clover plots ready for seeding.

The GrowingDeer.tv team will be preparing our clover plots and watching the weather. When the forecast indicates that there are approximately four frosts left we will begin frost seeding clover. The freezing and thawing action of early spring will lead to great seed to soil contact. Before we know it we will be enjoying beautiful blooming clover and strutting gobblers. In the meantime we will be working hard to better The Proving Grounds. I hope you have a chance to get out and do the same to your property.

Chasing whitetails together,

Brian