A Jaunt Up The Mountain On The 2284

[CADplans]

I had a 50lb bag of salt in the shed for the deer I had not put out, so yesterday I went up to my deer food plot to put it out



The deer love the salt, they empty my cut-off drum a couple times a year.



After dumping in the salt, I cover it with dirt.



When I cleared the area, we bulldozed a hole to see if it would hold water, it has never been down more than a couple inches in 5 years.



That is on the side of a mountain, and 30' across, who would of thought that it could hold water!!??

I used a couple drums filled with rock as an overflow.



Out of the blue, I believe a foxglove tree popped up, the leaves are 14" across, bigger than the 2284's steering wheel!!



If it ever stops raining, I may try to get the grass reestablished.




That was my Cub Cadet day, yesterday.

What do you plant in your deer plot?

[PaulS]

We have two deer food plots at our camp. They too are on top of the mountain so are drier areas. We have tried several things but found that a perennial (sp) clover works best for us. It never gets much over 3 or 4 inches as both 2 legged and 4 legged mowers keep it down. Trail cam shots have revealed turkeys, deer, bear and an assortment of small game use the plots on a regular basis. We tried the brassicas but they did not grow well at all.

[Cubcrazy]

Nice pics CAD!

[ACecil]

Great pics, CAD! Glad you had a good cub day.

[nikster]

Great looking woods. I can just envision taking a ride like that.

Some folks would do anything to have a spring like that. Moonshiners would fight over that spot.

Nik,

[CADplans]

Originally Posted by nikster

Great looking woods. I can just envision taking a ride like that.

Some folks would do anything to have a spring like that. Moonshiners would fight over that spot.

Nik,

That is about a quarter mile from the house.

I have actually talked to a DEA agent that has been there, I wonder what that helicopter was looking for??



I have been thinking about hosting a plow day. Instead of moldboard plows, the guests use front mounted blades, to improve the trail.



Chainsaws, instead of tire chains!!

[johncub7172]

That's great Cad! Giving back is what it is about! Another good thing we can do is plant a tree, or trees. I see you have that one covered as well! Nice pictures!

[zippy1]

Why salt Cad? There is NO nutritional value in salt what so ever, granted deer love the stuff, but all it does is make them thirsty which in turn makes them drink where they feel full.
If you have an established area where deer frequent, why not use a mineral where the nutrients will help with antler growth and milk production in the does for their fawns?
As for food plots, that all depends on your soil PH and type, and what you are trying to accomplish with the plot itself.
If you're looking for an attraction plot, (kill plot) then you can't beat a annual, brassica's, turnips, radish and a annual clover. Around these parts when we get the second good frost the sugar content rises from the roots up to the leaves and the deer crave the stuff, plus it's up to 35 % protein, great for the deer through the winter months.
As for perennials, we use clovers, chicory and alfalfa's. These we use for feed plots. Someplace where the deer can go and not be disturbed, and it's a great source of protein throughout the spring and summer months where the bucks get the nutrients they need for antler production throughout the antler development as well as the does for their health and the health of their unborn fawns, and into the milking stage.
Just remember all seeds are not created equal. There is seed specifically engineered for whitetails and there is seed designed for mass tonnage for farming.
Most important part of a food plot is preparation. By seeing you gardening pictures, you already know that. Soil test is the best $12 (in these parts) one can spend before planting.
One of our annual plots and clover. We use Whitetail Institute products only. Tried all the others, and had the best results with their products.

[CADplans]

I guess I use the salt just to entertain the deer. There is no shortage of food in the area.

My apple trees fatten them up plenty!!

I do not harvest the deer, I just enjoy them. We call that area "Turkey Point"

Several people have seen over 100 turkeys in the area at one time.

10# of cracked corn spread with a grass seed spreader, and the area will be covered with turkeys the next day.

[johncub7172]

When I lived in the Rocky Mountains of Montana, we always put a mineral block of salt out for the deer to come to. I would guess it's the same principal that you do if you raised cattle. So I see some point in a mineral salt lick.