[leaker19]

My parents own 10 acres in New York. The biggest chunk is an unused farm field with wooded fencelines. The field has woods and other fields around it, not much is farmed actively. I'm thinking about going up there this fall to hunt. What could my Dad plant that may help me this fall? I need something fairly easy to go in, that wouldn't really require much maintenance. My Dad knows farming, but I don't want to put him through too much tending my deer garden. I'm thinking till up a patch, throw down some seed, and shoot a nice deer in November or December. Do they make something like that? Can you do any good in a year? Or are food plots a five year proposition?

Thanks . . . Leaker

 

[Rebel2]

If you grow it, they will come :cheers: Sorry leaker man, im not much help to ya.. not really sure what type of cover and what nots out in the big states, but good luck to ya my friend :cheers:

 

[Hoytshooter]

If you're looking for something that is only going to help you out this fall then not come back I would go for an annual obviously, but there are a ton you could choose from.
You could go with a row type crop like corn, soybeans or milo. The only problem with any of those that I can see is that not having a big field full of soybeans they may not make it very long. If the deer start hitting them hard soon after they get going you could end up with a nice plot of nothing. The corn and milo would both be good choices in my mind. Work the ground, plant the seeds and you're done and both shouldn't have a problem maturing and drawing alot of deer if there isn't much agriculture near you. If milo is used I would be sure to check and see how long it takes it to go to seed and plan my planting accordingly. If you plant too soon it'll be gone before you want to hunt over it.
Another choice, and you'll get a bunch of differing opinions on it is a brassica like rape or turnips. I think the results down here are 50/50 with these plantings as far as success goes. However, generally the more harsh the winter weather the better a brassicas plot should produce and I would think the winters up there would make it a great choice. The other good thing about brassicas is that the planting and all would be much easier, or at least could be. Those seeds are so small that they could be very successful with minimum groung prep/working. With the corn and milo you'd want to get your seed buried a little deeper.
You may want to ask around to some people from the area to get better ideas. Different areas need different plots.

 

[henry]

The shorter growing season of the brassicas would allow them to be sown later in the year and still produce. That would be a big plus on how much effort your dad would have to put out to control weed and grass competition. He could also sew clover with the brassicas or peas etc, and then have a plot that just needed alittle fertilizer and mowing after that for a few years.

:cheers::cheers:

 

[Whitemarsh]

Leaker, I have a farm in NJ and don't get there as much as I should. I have found that the deer there go crazy over any thing high in protein. We plant alfafa and oats the first year. The alfalfa for the protein and persistence and oats for weed suppression. We have to mow it 2-3 times the first year to keep the weeds under control. After that we have it mown at least 1-2 times per year to keep tender forage available. If the plot is large or if you have multiple plots I have found the locals will be calling to ask to harvest it for horse hay. Alfalfa is a valuble commodity on the East Coast. I haven't touched any of the plots for years but the locals have taken good care of them (fertilized and mowed) in order to get the hay. And the deer love it. :cheers:

 

[Outdoorsfool]

Originally posted by leaker19
I need something fairly easy to go in, that wouldn't really require much maintenance.

Do they prohibit baiting? Dumping a few bags of corn leading into the season would be the easiest. eepwall:eepwall: (see related thread. :rotfl

Seriously though, like Hoyt said, check your timing and seasons so whatever you plant is harvest-ready about the time the season gets going. Check what works best in that area...and another thought, what, if anything, is on the neighboring land. If it's all beans on adjoining land, plant something else. Deer like variety.

 

[Redonthehead]

Assuming the field now has grass and weeds, I would work the ground up this summer (brushhog/spray with Roundup) and disc/plant winter wheat this fall. Then assuming you are going back, broadcast ladino clover in Jan '07.