Episode #16 - Food Plots… Frost Seeding, Switchgrass Stratification, and Soybeans

Published: 2020-03-03
Episode page
Duration: 54 min

In this episode

ash-borer

• Terry described having widowmaker ash trees near his field edge that need to be dropped, but a lack of hard freezes kept him from safely accessing them. 7:40

cedar-trees

• Don recalled that cedar seeds he scattered years ago never germinated because they needed a stratification process to soften their hard shell. 14:02
• Don suggested mixing cedar seed with bird seed in feeders scattered around a property so birds process and spread the seed naturally. 15:52

clover

• Duane Hopkins advised timing clover seeding so it becomes the first thing to germinate once soil temperature reaches about 60 degrees, ahead of weeds. 16:59

consulting

• Don recounted consulting on three properties in Ohio plus additional properties in New York, Massachusetts, and Connecticut during a recent East Coast trip. 3:58

consulting-business

• Don said he expects to return to the East Coast for consulting because many people asked about his services during the trip. 5:17

crimper

• Terry noted most food plotters lack access to the large, heavy equipment that crimper rolling really requires. 38:26
• What are your thoughts on using a crimper instead of Roundup or similar products, and are they just a new fad? 33:19

crop-rotation

• Is planting Deadly Dozen year after year a bad idea for crop rotation? 42:18

family

• Don noted his daughter moved to Connecticut last fall to work at Yale University Medical Center. 4:29

food-plot-testing

• Don shared that last fall he test-planted seven plant species he’d never grown before based on customer suggestions. 25:51

frost-seeding

• Don recommended frost seeding as an excellent way to plant switchgrass and clover. 10:09
• Don explained that crops like soybeans and Game Plan mixes cannot be frost seeded. 10:23
• Duane Hopkins told Terry that if a field is dry enough that mud doesn’t stick to boots, the moisture has already sunk too deep to still frost seed. 18:23

industry-announcement

• Don teased that by the end of 2020 the podcast would have news that has probably never happened in the hunting industry before. 2:34
• Terry announced that upcoming stories for Chasing Giants listeners would be unlike anything else documented in the hunting industry, on TV or social media. 2:45

late-season

• Terry noted standing corn is great late-season food but doesn’t give deer the fat content they need. 21:41

live-taping

• Don announced the next episode of Chasing Giants would be taped live in front of the Master Course audience, who would ask unscripted questions. 50:22

muzzleloader

• Terry announced he is having a custom muzzleloader built. 30:38
• Terry said the custom muzzleloader project should be finished by around June or July so he can show it off. 32:05

personal-growth

• Don shared that lately God had not just been opening doors for him but ‘busting down walls,’ both personally and in business. 3:35

podcast-downloads

• Terry reported that episode 15, recorded on Valentine’s Day, became Chasing Giants’ highest-downloaded episode to date. 1:40

rub-sign

• Don shared that he posted a photo on social media of a gigantic rub he found while consulting on the East Coast. 5:03

soybeans

• Don stated soybeans are hands down his favorite food plot crop. 20:35
• Don asserted no other food source available in late season matches the protein content of soybeans. 21:21
• Don noted Real World’s high-oil soybeans are even preferred over typical agricultural beans. 21:46
• Terry observed that when soybean plots get mowed down by deer before fall, people wrongly view it as a failure. 25:09
• Terry noted that drought killed Don’s soybeans the last two years, forcing him to switch to planting Deadly Dozen instead. 26:52

switchgrass

• Don recommended stratifying switchgrass seed by cycling it between the freezer for about two weeks and thawing for about a week throughout winter. 12:18

time-management

• Don described frost seeding his clover plots, gathering trail cameras from another property, and fitting in a short shed antler hunt all in one day. 6:31

vortex-optics

• Terry said Vortex’s customer service is excellent when it comes to helping him spec out optics for the build. 32:41

weather

• Don noted Central Illinois has been unusually muddy this winter without a solid ground freeze. 8:28

whitetail-master-course

• Don announced the first Whitetail Master Course will happen at the end of the week. 49:24
• Don announced the first Whitetail Master Course is Saturday, March 14, preceded by a Friday, March 13 social hour. 50:11
• Don announced listeners can visit chasinggiants.com for Master Course information and to submit questions for future podcasts. 53:38
• Terry noted this year’s Whitetail Master Course opened to a bigger crowd and is almost full. 49:51

Deer activity

• unnamed buck (harvest) 33:02

Listener questions

Question: What are your thoughts on using a crimper instead of Roundup or similar products, and are they just a new fad? 33:19

• Answer: Don said crimping is a growing fad in the food plot industry that has its place but isn’t the best option everywhere. 34:21
• Answer: Don advised considering who is promoting a technique like crimping and what they stand to gain before trusting it. 37:04

Question: Is planting Deadly Dozen year after year a bad idea for crop rotation? 42:18

• Answer: Don explained his personal rotation keeps two-thirds of crop acreage in soybeans annually and one-third in Deadly Dozen, shifting which third each year. 42:50

Sponsors this episode

• BuyAFarm.com
• 360 Hunting Blinds
• QuietKat
• Real World Wildlife Products
• Vortex Optics
• Lone Wolf Treestands
• Mathews Archery

Don and Terry covered late-winter food plot prep, centered on frost seeding clover and switchgrass while noting soybeans and Game Plan mixes can’t be frost seeded. Don detailed stratifying switchgrass seed by cycling it between freezer and thaw, and recalled cedar seed failing to germinate without stratification, suggesting mixing cedar seed into bird feeders instead. Duane Hopkins’ advice was cited on timing clover seeding to soil temperature and using the boot-mud test to judge frost-seeding conditions. Don called soybeans his favorite crop for late-season protein, contrasted with standing corn’s lack of fat content, and mentioned Real World’s high-oil beans. A listener question on crimping drew caution from Don about who promotes the technique, and another on repeated Deadly Dozen planting prompted him to explain his two-thirds soybean, one-third Deadly Dozen rotation. Don also recapped a busy East Coast consulting trip across several states, and both mentioned the upcoming Whitetail Master Course and a custom muzzleloader build.

Unofficial fan project. AI-synthesized from public episodes; may contain errors.