Habitat & Food Plots — Listener Q&A

Questions 151–176 of 556 in this category (page 2 of 5). ← previous · All listener questions · next →

Food Plots (continued)

Question: Jerry Kienas asks if his food plot program is missing anything for antler growth, and how to attract and hold bigger bucks. 66:46 — Episode #83 Don’s Buck Inventory shows 32 bucks over 150”

• Answer: Don says Jerry’s food plot program is missing soybeans, which supply winter protein his current mix lacks. 68:04
• Answer: Don advises Jerry to stop trying to attract bigger bucks and instead focus on growing them on his own land. 69:01

Question: d w sword asked whether mowing or spraying clover, per National Deer Association claims, is better for plot quality. 57:06 — asked by d w sword — Episode #78 - People ask questions but do not like the answers!

• Answer: Don agrees that keeping clover mowed produces a more tender plant that never matures to seed. 57:36
• Answer: Don strongly disagrees with the National Deer Association’s recommendation to spray rather than mow clover. 58:17

Question: Riley Welch asks Don what he would do differently if he could build his home hunting farm from scratch again. 65:00 — asked by Riley Welch — Episode #77 - Would you shoot this buck? Still looking for a shooter.

• Answer: Don says he would plant more native species, especially white oaks, than he originally did. 67:13

Question: Victor asked whether Don would drill the Deadly Dozen blend together or broadcast the plot topper and drill the harvest salad separately. 45:47 — asked by Victor Whitetail — Episode #73 - How much bigger will bucks get? Don’s best and worst of the week!

• Answer: Don said he plans to broadcast the plot topper seed with the extreme blower, then drill over it with the Genesis to plant the harvest salad separately. 46:42
• Answer: Terry warned that if the bulb-plant seeds get planted too close together, they won’t produce and will choke themselves out. 49:41

Question: Russ Parkins from Ozark, Missouri asks what to do on his 5 wooded acres, surrounded by cattle-grazing land with no crop fields nearby, to attract deer. 55:24 — asked by Russ Parkins — Episode #70 - Fathers Day Talk along with comparison of the Hunting Industry and the Drug Cartel

• Answer: Terry, having consulted a similar Ozark property, says the weakest link there was quality food, and recommends Russ provide as much food as possible. 56:31

Question: What all does Don have planted in the ground right now for spring food plots? 5:24 — Episode #65 Spring Plot Herbicide Discussion and Fawns dropping

• Answer: Don planted corn, soybeans, and Duane’s new test seed blend. 5:29
• Answer: He also has clover on the farm plus a couple plots saved for Deadly Dozen. 5:47

Question: Lamar asks how wide a buffer is needed between a food plot and a tilled field, and whether sprayed Miscanthus would die. 23:17 — asked by Lamar — Episode #61 - Live from the Midwest Sportsman Show - TOUGH QUESTIONS FROM LIVE CROWD

• Answer: Don explains that if pesticide overspray kills a planted Miscanthus buffer, the applicator who sprayed the neighboring crop is legally liable for replacing it. 24:15

Question: Derek asks how many acres of a 20-acre wooded property he should clear for a food plot. 32:37 — asked by Derek — Episode #61 - Live from the Midwest Sportsman Show - TOUGH QUESTIONS FROM LIVE CROWD

• Answer: Don says with only 20 acres of cover, he’d look at what’s the weakest link in the surrounding area before deciding. 33:39
• Answer: Don emphasizes that what surrounds a property matters more than what’s on it when deciding the food-to-cover ratio. 33:48

Question: Terry asks why and how soybeans get inoculated when planting into old pasture or CRP ground. 35:13 — Episode #61 - Live from the Midwest Sportsman Show - TOUGH QUESTIONS FROM LIVE CROWD

• Answer: Don explains inoculant is a fungus applied to soybean seed that boosts germination rates on never-farmed ground. 35:33
• Answer: Don describes the process: mow the old pasture, let it green up, then spray before no-till drilling inoculated soybeans. 35:48

Question: Russ Casda asked whether planting fruit trees within a clover food plot would give him more efficient dual food sources. 35:34 — asked by Russ Casda — Episode #59 - Habitat Projects like Water Holes, Food in Bedding, Structure in Bedding along with other topics

• Answer: Don calls it a fantastic idea, saying he does it himself since clover is a great, shallow-rooted legume companion crop for fruit trees. 36:17

Question: Colby Koonan asked whether most does stay in their summer range through fall, and whether avoiding summer food plots could reduce doe numbers during hunting season. 50:50 — asked by Colby Koonan — Episode #59 - Habitat Projects like Water Holes, Food in Bedding, Structure in Bedding along with other topics

• Answer: Don dismisses the ‘dough factory’ idea as a clickbait catchphrase pushed by people chasing video views. 51:28
• Answer: Don counters that his own property actually has more does in fall than summer despite providing summer food. 52:32

Question: John from New Jersey asks whether to plant soybeans later so they stay green and palatable through September for the best buck activity. 47:08 — asked by John — Episode #56 RELOAD - Great discussion live from 2021 Master Class #1 - Terry answers some questions on cell cam test

• Answer: Don recommends planting both soybeans and Deadly Dozen at their normal recommended times rather than early, since deer prefer young, tender plants. 48:35

Question: Terry asks Don how long alfalfa can be left growing in the same plot before it needs to be rotated out. 11:59 — Episode #50 - Spring Food Plots with Duane Hopkins - the good and bad for different spring plot options

• Answer: Don says getting five years out of an alfalfa planting is doing fantastic. 12:05
• Answer: Don says four to five years is typical for an alfalfa stand, after which growers must rotate to a different crop rather than replant alfalfa. 12:09

Question: Jared Barr from Meadville, Pennsylvania asks whether, with proper fertilizer, Real World’s clover blend would grow in his very rocky soil or if he should plant something else. 57:07 — asked by Jared Barr — Episode #50 - Spring Food Plots with Duane Hopkins - the good and bad for different spring plot options

• Answer: Duane recommends the deep-rooted Real World clover and chicory blend as a good choice for rocky soil, alongside a proper soil test. 57:49

Question: Ryan Wisecock asks whether frost seeding clover across all 13 acres would waste time and money given he’ll no-till drill beans and Deadly Dozen later, and if COBRA would help. 68:38 — Episode #50 - Spring Food Plots with Duane Hopkins - the good and bad for different spring plot options

• Answer: Duane says the clover could offer early ground cover and help control weeds ahead of the no-till beans. 69:22
• Answer: Duane says his only concern is the added expense of frost seeding clover before killing it off to plant soybeans. 69:43
• Answer: Don agrees frost seeding clover ahead of the Deadly Dozen planting would be a great combination, unlike ahead of the soybeans. 70:32

Question: Terry asks whether, starting from scratch, Don would prefer four micro food plots for wind versatility or one large diverse plot huntable in multiple winds. 10:54 — Episode #44 - New Year’s Resolutions, Bedding Cover, Hunting Cold Temps, and Sharing Hunting Property with Family

• Answer: Don answers that small plots only catch pass-through deer, while fewer, bigger plots have real drawing power, likening small plots to a McDonald’s. 12:04

Question: Robbie Kohler from Williamstown, Kentucky asks for Don’s take on red clover versus white clover, and which one deer prefer. 50:00 — asked by Robbie Kohler — Episode #43 - Making Good Stand Great, Broadhead Debate Update, How We Celebrate a Kill, and Customer Service

• Answer: Don explains they tracked down a specific red clover variety deer devoured on a neighbor’s pasture and added it into Real World’s clover and chicory blend. 52:11
• Answer: Terry adds the key point is that specific varieties matter, not just whether it’s labeled red or white clover, since blends are chosen from tested data. 53:23

Question: Robbie asks how he can compete with an untouched 50-acre bedding sanctuary in the middle of his 200-acre property. 45:27 — Episode #41 - Don and Terry start a new December Series called “Make A Good Spot Great!”

• Answer: Don advises Robbie not to compete with the natural sanctuary but to focus food plots on his own acreage to pull deer out of it. 45:53

Question: Brian Scott asks what he can broadcast into standing soybeans before harvest so another food source is ready once the beans are gone. 57:43 — asked by Brian Scott — Episode #27 Season is closing in. Final prep work is being done along with addressing some hurt feelings.

• Answer: Terry advises waiting until soybean leaves start changing color before broadcasting oats or brassicas into standing beans, so sunlight can reach the cracked seed and it germinates. 59:11

Question: Peyton asked what signs, besides the seed bag instructions, indicate the perfect time to broadcast fall food plot seed. 53:24 — asked by Peyton — Episode #23 - Spring Plots, Trail Cam Test, and the first adversity of the 2020 season for Terry as he suffers serious injury

• Answer: Don said if a property sits near Interstate 70, the ideal fall planting date is around September 1, shifting a week earlier for every 100 miles north. 54:18
• Answer: Terry explained the logic is timing fall plots roughly fifty to sixty days before the first major frost so plants mature before cold weather. 55:33
• Answer: Don said he always preaches food plot diversity, mixing greens and grain such as soybeans, perennial clover or alfalfa, and annual blends. 58:44

Question: Robert asks how long he can wait, given a wet cold spring, to plant Real World Clover and Chicory mix and still have it mature. 38:33 — asked by Robert Bergerson — Episode #21 - Working on Food Plots and Watching the Weather - Lots and Lots of Questions

• Answer: Plant it at the first chance you get, since it can be frost-seeded while dormant. 38:56
• Answer: Frost-seeding is Don’s favorite method for planting clover. 39:10

Question: What spring-planted brassica or mix would attract deer to new small food plots before fall overseeding? 46:45 — asked by Russ — Episode #20 - Food Plot Prep Continues - Native Grass and Miscanthus in the Ground

• Answer: Don recommends planting soybeans in spring rather than brassica for these small new plots. 47:19

Question: Phil asked whether deer in large ag areas take longer to adapt to a new food source, based on his slow brassica plot results. 33:30 — asked by Phil Ostrowski — Episode #19 - Finishing Timber Projects and Starting Food Plot Projects

• Answer: Terry theorized deer initially bite bitter early-season brassica plants and write them off as food. 35:27
• Answer: Terry advised Phil to stick with brassica plots for a couple more years. 35:51
• Answer: Don agreed and advised keeping soybeans as the food plot foundation rather than relying on brassica alone. 37:01
• Answer: Don guessed Phil’s ag-ground plot likely still has residual high nitrogen suppressing deer use of the brassicas. 38:41

Question: What are your thoughts on using a crimper instead of Roundup or similar products, and are they just a new fad? 33:19 — Episode #16 - Food Plots… Frost Seeding, Switchgrass Stratification, and Soybeans

• 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: Given limited visit dates, should the listener prioritize more food and less cover, or more cover and less food? 43:05 — asked by Ben Allgood — Episode #14 - Don and Terry talk deer during the superbowl…

• Answer: Don says the answer depends on what’s scarcest in the surrounding area, using his own cover-poor, agriculture-heavy area as an example. 43:56

Question: Casey Kimrey of Warrington, Missouri asks how to hunt in December with no food plots, relying only on browse and cut ag fields. 59:20 — asked by Casey Kimrey — Episode #10 - December Tips - Scouting for 2020 - Big Announcement from Real World

• Answer: Don says that after the rut, hunters must focus on food since that’s the deer’s priority. 59:51
• Answer: Don advises identifying deer’s preferred feeding field on the property and setting up between bedding and that food source. 60:13
• Answer: Terry says he tries to work with the landowner to understand the farmer’s plans for the field. 61:19
• Answer: Terry recommends broadcasting Real World’s winter forage oat blend. 62:09
• Answer: Terry explains broadcasting oats into standing corn or turning beans before harvest lets the combine drive over them, creating a green late-season food source if the farmer skips fall tillage. 62:18
• Answer: Don suggests broadcasting Real World Plot Topper into standing soybeans before harvest; once the farmer cuts the beans, the plot quickly grows in as a late-season food source. 64:27

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