PB 1769 a Guide to Successful Wildlife Food Plots Blending Science with Common Sense
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University of Tennessee, Knoxville TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange Wildlife and Fisheries UT Extension Publications 2-22-2012 PB 1769 A Guide to Successful Wildlife Food Plots Blending Science with Common Sense Craig A. Harper Follow this and additional works at: https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_agexfish Part of the Forest Management Commons, and the Systems Biology Commons Recommended Citation "PB 1769 A Guide to Successful Wildlife Food Plots Blending Science with Common Sense," Craig A. Harper, PB1769 , https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_agexfish/16 The publications in this collection represent the historical publishing record of the UT Agricultural Experiment Station and do not necessarily reflect current scientific knowledge or ecommendations.r Current information about UT Ag Research can be found at the UT Ag Research website. This Wildlife Management is brought to you for free and open access by the UT Extension Publications at TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange. It has been accepted for inclusion in Wildlife and Fisheries by an authorized administrator of TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange. For more information, please contact [email protected]. $20 PB1769 A Guide to Successful A Guide to Successful A Guide to Successful Wildlife Food Plots Blending Science with Common Sense Wildlife • Are you planting food plots for the first time and wondering how to get started? • Do you need information on planting equipment and/or how to read a soil test? • Are you an experienced “food plotter” looking to take your food plots to the next level? Wildlife Food Plots • Are you wondering which forages deer prefer, and what you should plant to provide needed nutrition and attract deer year-round? Blending Science with Common Sense • Do you need to know what herbicides you can use on various plantings for weed- free plots? • Would you like to know how to manage food plots for food and cover for wild turkeys, bobwhites and rabbits? Food Plots • Would you like to grow the best dove field in the county, or attract ducks miles from the nearest wetland? • Have you ever wondered how you could make your woods road into a “linear wildlife opening”? If you answered “Yes” to any of these questions, the answers are inside this handy reference guide. Knowledge gained after years of practical experience guided by scientific study is explained clearly to help you grow and manage top-quality food plots that will benefit many wildlife species. Harper E12-4911-00-018-09 PB1769-1M-6/09 (Rep) 08-0073 Craig A. Harper Copyright 2008 The University of Tennessee. All rights reserved. Programs in agriculture and natural resources, 4-H youth development, family and consumer sciences, and resource development. University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture and county governments cooperating. UT Extension provides equal opportunities in programs and employment. A Guide to Successful Wildlife Food Plots Blending Science with Common Sense Craig A. Harper Professor/Extension Wildlife Specialist Forestry, Wildlife and Fisheries The University of Tennessee Copyright 2008 by Craig Harper University of Tennessee Extension Institute of Agriculture Knoxville, Tennessee ISBN 978-0-9795165-1-1 Produced by the Office of Marketing and Communications Services University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture Designed by Donna Hundley Edited by Wanda Russell Printed by the University of Tennessee Graphic Arts Service To purchase, visit www.utextension.utk.edu/publications/wildlife/default.asp Corresponding author: Craig Harper Department of Forestry, Wildlife & Fisheries University of Tennessee Knoxville, TN 37996 [email protected] (865) 974-7346 Photos by author except where noted. Contents Sponsors .......................................................................................................... vii Foreword.........................................................................................................xiii Preface ..............................................................................................................xv 1. Introduction ..................................................................................................1 2. Initial Considerations ..................................................................................3 Determine your objectives ..................................................................................................... 3 How much does it cost? .......................................................................................................... 3 What and how much to plant? ............................................................................................... 4 Where to plant? ....................................................................................................................... 5 Size and shape ........................................................................................................................ 7 Measuring plot size ................................................................................................................ 8 Distribution of food plots ....................................................................................................... 8 Crop rotation ........................................................................................................................... 8 3. Soil Fertility and Amendment ................................................................... 11 Soil pH ....................................................................................................................................11 Benefits of correcting soil pH with aglime......................................................................... 13 Improving soil fertility .........................................................................................................16 Soil testing – a cheap source of knowledge ........................................................................ 19 Key to nutrient deficiency symptoms in crops ................................................................... 20 Fertilizer applications .......................................................................................................... 21 4. Plot Preparation and Planting ..................................................................25 Some basic plant definitions ................................................................................................ 25 Preparing the site – controlling problem weeds before planting .................................... 26 What are surfactants?.......................................................................................................... 28 Preparing the seedbed ......................................................................................................... 29 Planting ................................................................................................................................. 30 iii Contents Planting large and small seeds together ........................................................................... 33 Seed selection and calculating Pure Live Seed (PLS) ....................................................... 34 Inoculating legume seed ...................................................................................................... 35 Seeding rates ........................................................................................................................ 36 Weed control .......................................................................................................................... 37 5. Considerations Before Planting ................................................................43 Preference vs. availability and wildlife use ...................................................................... 43 A word about commercial seed blends ................................................................................ 43 Measuring food plot success ................................................................................................ 44 6. White-tailed Deer .......................................................................................47 Forage quality ....................................................................................................................... 50 Annual or perennial plots – which is best? .........................................................................51 Annual vs. perennial plots .................................................................................................. 52 Food plot recommendations for white-tailed deer ............................................................. 54 Warm-season plots ................................................................................................................ 55 Grain sorghum or milo – which is it? ................................................................................. 66 Cool-season plots .................................................................................................................. 67 Red clover and alfalfa – not just for cattle! ........................................................................ 76 Monitoring food plot success with exclusion cages .......................................................... 77 Don’t plant perennial cool-season grasses ......................................................................... 78 7. Wild Turkeys ...............................................................................................81