April 2010 Food Plot Update

A Favorite Picture

The Perfect Food Plot

Welcome to the April Food Plot Journal. Unfortunately I haven't done anything in our food plots since our last journal. I suppose this could mean there is nothing to say, but spring has marched on without my efforts.

The weather has been either hot or cold and dry and the ground is cracked like it's the middle of the summer. It hasn't been the best weather for growing clover but there is still some clover in places that have surprised me and other places look like the weather has taken its toll.

Oldhouse Food Plot

The Durana in the oldhouse plot didn't jump up in April quite like I hoped it would. There is still quite a bit of clover but it is pretty low to the ground. I think some rain would do this plot some good.

The Durana in the cornpatch plot looks pretty good. This is one plot that hasn't seemed to have been hurt as much by the dry weather. On the 15th I mowed some of the higher weeds and the plot looked pretty good by the end of the month.

To the untrained eye the cornpatch plot would appear to be a wild onion plot. To the trained food plotter this is a food plot with some clover and a wild onion outbreak. I need to mow this plot as soon as I can and some rain would help as well.

I forgot to take a picture of this plot so we'll use our imagination.


Middle Clearing Food Plot

The Monster Mix in this plot is still surprising me. The plot isn't wall to wall clover, but there is still a good bit of clover. I'll keep watching this plot as spring turns to summer.

Whippoorwill Food Plot

The Monster Mix and Durana in the this plot looks a lot better than I would have expected a month ago. The plot consists of some pretty purple flowers and some real nice clover. This plot is a surprise at this point and could get kicked off of the plow list.

Hayfield Food Plot

Durana is the only thing left in the hayfield plot, planted at various times. The two areas I planted fall annuals in have been disked but sat idle the past four weeks. Hopefully I'll get some Durana planted in these two areas soon.

The oldest Durana is probably the poorest plot that I currently have. It was planted two years ago and has been taken over by grass. I may plow this area up and plant an annual of some variety.

The long strip of Durana that I planted a year ago has good spots and bad spots. Maybe I'll take a look at the bad spots in the fall for an annual.

Even being spotty, there will be a good bit of clover for the deer to eat this spring and summer.

Right Of Way Food Plot

The Durana in the Right Of Way plot has surprised me. The plot is probably half clover, which is much better than I would have predicted a month ago.

Even though I didn't get to do any work in our plots they managed to do okay without me. We're supposed to get some rain the next couple of days and the plots were already in need of a good mowing. If we get this rain they'll definitely need mowed soon.

My work is lined up ahead of me. I need to disk and plant, but mowing needs may trump the disk. There isn't any use letting a good plot get grown over to plant another. It will be a juggling act over the next month.

We get thousands of pictures each month with our digital trail cameras but we narrow down each set of pictures to our favorite six or seven and these are usually buck pictures. As you can imagine there are always several more that are very good but don't make the cut.

Below is one of our favorite pictures from April. We are a deer hunting website but turkey hunters still like to see gobbler pictures so here you go. A gobbler waltzing through one of our food plots. You can take a look at our favorite deer pictures from April 29 here.

Sometimes I get questions asking about the best food plot seed or blend to plant. I don't mind answering these questions although I don't feel that I've yet become an expert on food plots. The problem is that there are just too many variables and it is my opinion that the weather is far and above at the top of this list of variables.

It has been my experience that I can do everything perfectly and the weather can make my food plot efforts look like failures. On the other hand I'm sure I've probably put some plots in in a hurry and the weather has made me look good.

I've probably written about this before, but I feel that it's important to keep reminding all of us that the weather plays a big part in our efforts. I'm seeing this again this spring with cracked ground in April. The crazy thing is that by the end of May we may be talking about the large amount of rain we received, how the clover is thriving and that we didn't get much of an opportunity to play in the dirt and get much planted.

Do you suppose I could be using the weather to cover for my poor farming practices?