Hey guys. well fall is around the corner and its getting closer and closer to deer season. i came across whitetailinstitute.com and found that they give free samples (just pay shipping). well i purchased a set with a sample of whitetail clover, chicory plus, winter greens, no-plow, alpha rack, extreme, chic magnet, a 5lb bag of 30-06 minerals, a 5lb bag of minerals plus protein, dvd, info packet and a free subscription to whitetail news (all for $20). they say that each sample is enough for 100 ft squared. im not looking to do extensive work, preferrably something rather simple that will produce some growth by fall. i have a great overgrown field out back of my house that seems to be a highway for deer going to their bedding area. had lots of pawings and rubs within about a half acre. the deer are around (seen some already this year) so i just want to keep them around, get others to come around and fatten them up for fall. lets hear what you have done for food plots.

I would also like to hear. I have a bag of no-plow sitting in my garage i got last winter and havent put it out yet.. Any one use the no plow stuff?

Hey Guys,

I'm pretty familiar with the Whitetail Institute products, and have many of them planted as we speak.
No plow, is a veriety of brassica that grows, better in a range of soil types.
Any brassica means, "deer attraction".

The sample packs are nice, but too small...
I've found a 1/2 acre of brassica lasts abouta week, after the deer find it and use it.

Clovers, and Extreme are popular choices ...

Soil preperation is key...

Let me know if you need a ny help, I have equipment and product ready to plant.

Max

Well here is the thing, what do i have to do to plan the no-plow and make it grow as far as soil prep/tilling and all that? Where are you located maximumf7?

Keep in mind guys Maine has regs against advance baiting ... Below is from the hunting rule book... The way I understand it you can have feed plots but you can't hunt off it ???

http://www.maine.gov/ifw/laws_rules/pdf/huntinglaws_2008.pdf



• Baiting deer by placing salt or any other
bait or food to entice deer or hunting from
an observation stand or blind overlooking
salt, grain, fruit, nuts or other foods known
to be attractive to deer, during any open
hunting season on deer is prohibited.
(Does not apply to hunting from an observation
stand or blind overlooking: standing
crops; foods that have been left as a result
of normal agricultural operations or as a
result of natural occurrence; or bear bait
that has been placed at a bear hunting
stand or blind in accordance with bear
baiting laws.

no you can hunt over food plots,

went over this whole thing last year, there was a write up in the bangor daily by the local game warden.

I think this is the article: Oct 13, 2007 by John Holyoke; Attractants for deer not leagl for use in maine....
I could not open the article, no subscription, but I believe if you open it, The local Game warden Jim Fahey, states a food plot is legal.

as for no-plow.........rake the leaves off the soil, or use a leaf blower.....

needs bare ground.........use a rake to fluf the soil a bit............lime and fertilizer are key......
but no plow will grow well, its a brassica, and needs a few frosts to sweeten up the taste for deer.
and you have to plant it evry year.

Extreme is a good product, lasts for 5 years, and you can get away with a bit less fertilizer and lime.


.........I'm in Guilford, but do food plots all over, bangor...........newport...........

That is the article listed above............

it refers to a memo from 1998 from Col. Tim Peabody.....

"Any crop, no matter how large or small, and no matter where it is planted, will be considered legal."

and, in the law book reference above, it also references standing crops as being legal.

Max

Talked to a friend of mine yesterday and he said if it's a perennial feed plot it's leagle... He had 3 five hundred lb bags of seeds and fertilizer he was going to plant on the 700 acer property... He's also gonna transplant some oak trees.....

We just planted ours yesterday. Nothing amazing, just stuff from walmart. We just raked up small patches and chucked the seed down. Hopefully it actually works well.