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food plots in wooded areas

L

Loggerhead

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new to site and don't know much about computer either but I do have a question my land is all woods does anyone have suggestions on a food plot that will grow in shaded areas
 
TRIED TO PLANT SOME FOOD PLOTS MYSELF THIS YEAR. I HAVE A LOT TO LEARN. BUT I DID FIND OUT THAT IF YOU PLANT ON LOGGING ROADS,THE ROADS NEED TO BE RUNNING NORTH AND SOUTH FOR THE SUN. MINE RAN EAST AND WEST-NO GOOD.
 
thanks,my land is very steep but does have some flats no roads though but I think my problem maybe is it's on the north side of a ridge
 
it will need some sun, at least 4 hours. but i believe food plots are the way to go and well worth the trouble
 
Get a chainsaw and let Mother Nature do it for you. If you are totally woods Its hard to beat the natural stuff ie. greenbriar and honeysuckle. All you need is some sunshine. IMO you would need at least a 1/4 to 1/2 of an acre to have a foodplot that would survive the onslaught of browsing depending on how many deer you have.
 
there is a fiew deer but what I'm trying to do is .I've only got 25 acres but every piece of land joining me no one is allowed to hunt so if I could get them to pass through more often it could be great!!!
 
I love the little hidey hole woodland plots. I'd always find me an opening in the woods and rake it clean, throw the tiller to it, and plant wheat/oats/clover mostly. It didn't make like an open plot but would be enough to draw a few deer.
 
I bought a fully wooded 53 acre tract last year. The first of this year I brought in a dozier and semi-cleared about 6 acres and had a pond dug. I left all the oak trees and a few hickory's for the squirrels. The tract probably averages 4 hours of direct sunlight daily. I sent a soil sample to Biologic Labs to determine how much lime and fertilizer I needed to grow the plants they recommended. Most of what I used was the Clover Patch Plus, but I'd recommend you talk to one of their specialist. I had the local Co-op come in mid-July and spread the lime. Then I had them come back late August to spread the fertilizer. I immediately disc the ground and spread the seed (I never plowed it). I went back over it with a cultipacker before it rained. The first rain it immediately starting coming up. Today it stands an average of 12" tall and the deer are mowing it down. I've seen as high as 19 deer with 4 bucks in the field at one time...and that was an afternoon hunt. I believe the biggest key is proper ground preparation. I had great success on a tract that had always been completely wooded. Good luck with your food plot! I'll never go another season without one!
 
I really appreciate all the feed back I've been hunting 22 years but this is the first property I've owned I've always wanted to try food plots and I like alot of these ideas (Keep em coming)
 
Is the area deciduous? if it is i would recomend an annual because of the fall of the leaves, the most shade tolerant type of plot i know of is sub-clover this along with any clover, particularly white clover will be a good bet. if leaves are a problem, then a grain (oats, wheat or rye) along with austrian winter peas should do nicely. also try brassicas or rye grass as both of these persist in very unforgiving conditions
 

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