East Texas Food Plot Plan for the Parrish Property (June 2005 –May 2006)      
 

More Deer, Bigger Deer… Period!
Prepared by Wildlife Biologist John Schwarzlose, June 9th, 2005 on behalf of TEXLA Wildlife

Before coming to work for Texas Wildlife Unlimited, my wildlife management company was called TEXLA Wildlife.  While operating TEXLA Wildlife a fellow biologist and college friend of mine Mark Calicut, called me out to a property near Kennard, TX where he was doing wildlife management consulting for the owner.  Mark wanted to contract out the food plot portion of the management plan to me, having me write up a comprehensive food plot plan that included proposed costs for the landowner to do the work himself as well as costs for having TEXLA Wildlife take care of food plot installation.  Little did I know at the time that the landowner was TexasHuntFish.com owner Jason Parrish, who was looking for a “few good men” and basically testing Mark and myself to see if we were worthy of consideration for future business endeavors.  TEXLA Wildlife was hired to install the food plots for several seasons on the Parrish property which became the location for TEXLA Wildlife’s video documentary:
More Deer, Bigger Deer.

As the website's head biologist I feel I can safely assume Team TEXLA passed the test.  The following is a copy of the food plot plan I prepared for Mark to include in his comprehensive wildlife management for Jason’s east Texas property.  Hopefully it will serve as good resource for those of you who are considering food plot installation on your own properties or hunting leases this coming season.  If you have any questions please do not hesitate to ask… helping follow outdoorsmen is why we are here.

(In the picture files below are diagrams of the plot layout of the project)

The Parrish Property Food Plot Program 

Objectives
The food plots on the Parrish property will serve to increase the size and overall health of the resident eastern wild turkey ( Meleagris gallopavo silvestris) population, white-tailed deer population (Odocoileus virginianus), and mourning dove (Zenaida macroura) population, as well as increase the viewing opportunity for the outdoorsmen who frequent the Parrish property.
The 2 types of food plots used in wildlife management are nutrition and harvest plots.  While nutrition plots are designed to maximize their nutritional value for target wildlife species, and harvest plots are designed to maximize the hunter opportunity created by the food plot, most food plots provide both superior nutrition and excellent wildlife viewing/hunting opportunity.  The food plots on the Parrish property will provide superior nutrition for targeted wildlife species and excellent hunting opportunities because they are designed with ecologically and agriculturally sound principals and practices (as explained in later sections).

Plot Layout
There are 5 separate proposed food plots and 2 dove strips that total 19.75 acres of planting.   The southern most section of food plot cultivation is divided into three separate plots adjacent to cochino creek that will be designed primarily for white-tailed deer and eastern wild turkeys.  About 0.25 miles northeast of this area 2 strips that are 890’ x 20’ each and run along a tree line that marks the east boundary of the Parrish property will be planted to attract mourning doves during the September dove hunting season.  Two similar strips will be planted along a tree line north of the road that divides the property; they are 729.6’ x 20’.  Finally two other plots will be located on the northern portion of the property.

Dove Strips
Dove strips are a great way to provide hunting opportunities for wing shooters in the month of September.  When planting strips to attract doves there are a few things one should keep in mind.  One of which is proximity to water.  Given the abundance and fairly even dispersal of small ponds and stock tanks in this area, water availability is not a limiting factor and should not be given much thought when deciding where to install dove strips on the Parrish property.   A second thing to consider is that doves travel along linear structures such as tree lines, fence lines, or high lines.  This is why the proposed dove strips are located along tree lines that provide potential roosting and navigation structure for mourning doves.  A third consideration of dove strip placement is that doves prefer to feed on open ground.  For this reason each dove strip area will be composed of two actual strips that are twenty feet wide and are separated by ten feet of ground that should be kept fairly open by occasional tilling or discing.

Step 1. Herbicide application:
To ensure a good crop the area to be planted should be sprayed with a 3% solution of roundup pro, at a rate of 50 gal per acre.  This will kill the existing vegetation and reduce competition from undesirable plant species once the dove strip begins to germinate.  Herbicide application should be completed as soon as possible (mid June) and at least 5 days prior to tilling to allow time for the herbicide to translocate to the root system of unwanted plants, ensuring they are completely dead.  It is important to use a sprayer that is about 20in or closer to the ground and uses no more than 50 psi to spray the herbicide to minimize drift and damage to plants not targeted for herbicide application.

Step 2. Liming:
The average pH of the soil where the dove strips are to be located is 5.5.  This requires 3000 lbs. of agricultural lime per acre to raise the soil to neutral (4500lbs. total on proposed dove strips) and should be applied as soon as possible.  It can take as long as 6 months for lime to fully leach into the soil but will start raising the pH gradually soon after application.

Step 3. Tilling:
A week after the herbicide is applied, the dove strip areas should be tilled or disced to prepare the soil for planting.  I recommend using a deep tiller for the initial preparation to ensure that the soil is turned over to an extent that will allow for optimal forage crop production.  After fertilizer is applied the area should be tilled again to work the fertilizer into the soil and to further turn the soil.

Step 4. Fertilizer application:
Fertilizer should be spread in accordance with the results of a soil test or at a rate of 300 lbs/acre of 13-13-13 fertilizer.  The soil test is highly recommended.  After the fertilizer is spread with the use of a tractor or ATV spreader the area should be tilled to work the fertilizer into the soil. Sixty days after initial planting a second application of fertilizer should be considered.  A soil test can determine if this is appropriate.  Keep in mind that granular fertilizer should never be applied during periods of extreme drought.  If at anytime the crops appear to be in poor health (wilting, yellow coloration, etc.) an application of liquid fertilizer can be used to “green up” the dove strip.

Step 5.  Planting.
TEXLA Wildlife East Texas Dove Strip Mix:
30 lbs/acre white proso / browntop millet
40 lbs/acre perdovik black oil sunflower
10 lbs/acre Grain Sorghum (milo)

This seed mixture is a strong attractant for most upland game birds and especially doves.  These seeds are easily shattered by mowing strips of standing crops which scatters seeds to the ground making them easily accessible and highly palatable to doves.  This mix involves a seeding rate that exceeds many recommendations, but if properly cared for and monitored throughout the growing season will produce a thick stand of crops that is superior to any other dove food source in the area. The seed should be broadcast from a fertilizer spreader or other spreading device at a rate of 85lbs/acre.  For best results one should then lightly till or disc the area to cover the seeds 1 – 1.5in deep in the soil.  The seeds for the dove strip should be sown in late June or early July to ensure a good stand of crops for the opening weekend of dove season.  The dove strip should reach maturity in 60 days.

Step 6. Mowing:
Mowing strips in stands designed for doves is important to achieve maximum attraction.  As previously mentioned doves feed on the ground, and mowing strips in a thick stand of dove forage crops creates open areas filled with shattered seeds that are well covered on each side by standing crops.  This creates optimal feeding conditions for upland game birds, especially doves. Mowing should take place in about 4-5 ft strips with a brush hog that is set to cut approximately 6in or higher off the ground.  After the crops reach maturity the edges of the stands should be mowed.  After a couple of weeks the center of each individual dove strip should be mowed.  As scattered seeds are consumed and mowed strips began to grow back, mow other 4 ft sections of the stand to ensure shattered seed remains on the ground for dove consumption.  Do not mow during periods of considerable drought for this may cause excessive stress to plants.

Deer and Turkey Plots on Cochino Creek
The proposed food plots on the Parrish property that will specifically target eastern wild turkey and white-tailed deer are located on the southern potion of the property and have been divided into 3 separate plots. Two of these plots are adjacent to the north bank of the cochino river and are separated by a fence.  The larger plot to the east of this fence is about 7.0 acres I will refer to as “Food plot on the cochino 1” while the plot to the west of the fence is about 2.21 acres an d will be referred to as “Food plot on the cochino 2.”  Adjacent to the south bank of cochino creek is an area called “Lynn’s stand” where a third food plot will be located that is about 2.37acres in size.

Cool season (fall plantings):
I recommend planting only the 2 smaller plots in this area, Lynn’s stand and cochino 2, during the cool season.  These 2 plots are situated so they will make excellent harvest plots and are large enough to provide supplemental nutrition during the winter stress periods of low natural forage.  One of the primary objectives a manager hopes to accomplish by the installation of a fall harvest plot is the concentration of target species in an area for increased viewing/ hunting opportunity.  If too much of an area is planted in food plots game will become spread out reducing the probability of encountering game animals.

Fall Seed Blend:The seed blend I recommend for the cochino creek portion of the Parrish property is primarily composed of Tecomate’s bucks and bosses perennial seed blend, but with a few modifications to provide better overall nutrition and habitat for white-tailed deer and eastern wild turkey.   Bucks and bosses is formulated to provide turkey with bugging habitat, brood cover, and plenty of highly nutritious seeds. It also provides clover and chicory to attract deer almost year round.   When planting in the fall it is best to add clover to the mix so as to ensure that an abundant high protein food source will be immediately available in early spring.

Spring Planting:
To ensure year round food plot production and to create ideal turkey habitat and rack producing protein for deer I recommend over seeding the 2 fall planted plots with lablab and chufa at a rate that is one fourth to one half of what is recommended on the package of each plant, depending on the success of the existing stand.

The 7 acre plot, cochino 1, should be planted in early spring after liming and proper soil preparation.    This plot will be planted with a mix of annuals that provide for the essential elements of turkey brooding habitat, poult production, fawn survival, and superior antler growth.  The forage species that will make up the bulk of this food plot include chufa, lablab, and milo.   

Special Consideration:  Chufa is a forage species that produces an underground “nut” and is relished by turkeys.  However, it is also relished by feral hogs (Sus scrofa) who can devastate a food plot if their numbers are too prolific.  As long as chufa is not the primary forage species planted in a food plot this is usually not a problem.  However surveys should be conducted to determine if the feral hog population on the Parrish property is abnormally high and if so a substitute for chufa should be found.

Step 1: Lime application
Lime as according to the recommendations in the dove strip section previously mentioned.  Portions of cochino 1 will most likely need to be cleared prior to liming so they can be accessed with a lime truck.  If some sections are not accessible to a lime truck granular lime can be spread from a fertilizer spreader, but is more expensive ($8.00/50lbs).

Step 2: Herbicide application
Herbicide cochino2 and Lynn’s stand food plots during early to mid September, and cochino1 during mid- late February in accordance with the recommendations for herbicide application in the dove strip section of the food plot plan.

Step 3: Tilling
Begin to till the plots a week after herbicide application to allow for the translocation of the herbicide into the root system of targeted plants.  Till the plots again after fertilizer has been applied to work the fertilizer into the soil and to further turn the soil.

Step 4: Fertilizer application
No more than a week prior to planting, fertilizer should be applied to the food plots and worked into the soil by tilling.  Since all of these food plots involve legumes that fix nitrogen from the air into the soil a low nitrogen, high phosphorous fertilizer should be used such as 10-20-10, at a rate of 300lbs. /acre or under the recommendation of a soil test. Sixty days after initial planting a second application of fertilizer should be considered.  A soil test can determine if this is appropriate.  Keep in mind that granular fertilizer should never be applied during periods of extreme drought.  If at anytime the crops appear to be in poor health (wilting, yellow coloration, etc.) an application of liquid fertilizer can be used to “green up” the food plot.

Step 5: Planting
As previously described fall planting will include the Lynn’s stand food plot and the food plot on the cochino2.  In late September or early October (ideally prior to rainfall) 8lbs / acre of Tecomate’s bucks and bosses perennial blend and 8lbs/acre of Whitetail Institute’s imperial whitetail clover.  After fertilizing, tilling, and creating a smooth firm seed bed the seed should be broadcast and then rolled over with a cultipacker to ensure the seeds are in good contact with the soil.  In early spring cochino1 should be planted with 15lbs. /acre lablab, 5lbs/acre milo, and 18lbs of chufa.  The seed should be broadcast and then lightly tilled or disced to burry about 1in deep. Broadcast chufa and lablab unto the 2 smaller plots in the area during early spring at a rate that is between ¼ to ½ that which is recommend in the planting instruction on the bag.

 
Deer Food Plots on the North End of the Property:
The two proposed food plots located on the northern portion of the property will be planted year round in fall cultivars that provide maximum attraction and energy and in spring plantings that provide highly palatable forage plants, rich in protein for antler growth and fawn survival.  The north most of these plots will be referred to as the “X stand food plot” and is approximately 5.0 acres in size.  Just to the southwest of the X-stand food plot is a 1.87acre food plot that will be known as “The turtle pond food plot.”   Liming, herbicide application, fertilizer application, and tilling should be done according to the instructions outlined for the year round plots in the previous section.  

Fall Planting:
A combination of 40lbs/acre of oats, 15lbs/acre of winter rye, 60lbs/acre of wheat, and 8lbs/acre of imperial clover should be planted in late September.  Broadcast the wheat and oats and then lightly disc or till to burry the seed about 1in deep.  Then broadcast the clover and rye and rollover the seed with a cultipacker to ensure the seed is in good contact with the soil.

Spring Planting:
As the following spring approaches the clover will be the first thing to green up and will remain productive until the hotter portions of the summer.  Broadcast or drill lablab over the clover (20lbs/acre) in the spring to ensure year round plot production.

Summary Timeline for the Parrish Property Food Plot Program (June 2005-May2006) 

Early June 2005
1.      Clear saplings, small trees, and bushes from cochino1
2.      Herbicide dove strips
3.      Lime all plots

Late June 2005
1.      Till dove strips

Early July 2005
1.      Fertilize dove strips
2.      Re-till dove strips
3.      Plant dove strips

Late August 2005
1.      Mow selected strips in dove strips
2.      Disc/till ground surrounding dove strips
3.      Check fertility needs of dove strips
4.      Fertilize dove strips if necessary

Mid-September 2005
1.      Herbicide plots to be planted in the fall

Late-September 2005
1.      Till food plots to be planted in the fall

Early October 2005
1.      Fertilize cool season food plots
2.      Retill cool season food plots
3.      Plant cool season food plots

Mid-December 2005
1.      Check fertility requirements of cool season food plots
2.      Fertilize as needed

Mid-February 2006
1.      Check fertility requirements of cool season food plots
2.      Fertilize as needed (10-20-10 for reemerging clover)
3.      Herbicide cochino1

Late-February 2006
1.      Till cochino1

Early to Mid March 2006
1.      Fertilize cochino1
2.      Retill cochino1
3.      Plant cochino1
4.      Over seed cochino2, Lynn’s stand, the turtle pond food plot, and the x-stand

Mid-May 2006
1.      Monitor the fertility requirements and stand success of food plots
2.      Reseed and fertilize as necessary

Images and Files: View all 2 photos / videos here.