4 Ways to Save Time and Money on Food Plots | The Best Food Plot Process, Part 3 (709)

When you want to get the best low maintenance food plots for your whitetails but also want to save time and money this is the video to watch! Dr. Grant Woods, Ph.D Wildlife Biologist of ‪@GrowingDeerTV‬, shares 4 ways to save time and money when planting and maintaining food plots. These food plots do not require herbicide or fertilizer. They rely on some of the same principles as farmers that use regenerative agriculture but with a few changes to become the best food plots to feed white-tailed deer.
#deerhunting #teamoutdoors #foodplots
00:01 Start
00:09 How it's similar to Regenerative Agriculture
00:39 Cost and Time Savings
00:51 No Herbicide
01:40 No Fertilizer
03:03 Less Time On Food Plots
03:47 Food Plot Benefits
04:02 Food Available for Deer All Year
06:14 No Irrigation Needed: Soil Moisture
09:12 Father's Day
10:14 Results of Great Food Plots
10:37 Enjoy Creation

[@lancebrinkley5637]

All I own is a Yanaha Kodiak and a back pack sprayer. I've been using the Groundhog Maxx. It did good enough to scratch the surface and plant. I've had some great plots in the past 2 years. I'm going to try no till planting this year. I will have to run over it with my 4 wheeler to pack it down.

[@GrowingDeerTV]

Lance - If you are happy with the results from the techniques you use, I suggest you don't change!

[@tomfitzgerald6666]

Would love to do this. As soon as someone develops a reasonable price drill.

[@bucksniper65]

You can broadcast the seed into the standing crop instead of drilling it in.

[@GrowingDeerTV]

Steel, shipping steel, etc., is very high. Some folks are trying to push inexpensive drills. Be careful and check the weight! Weight per planting row is necessary to get seed into the soil, and handling the stress a drill takes.

[@bross63]

Grant, I sincerely appreciate not only the wealth of information you have shared over the years but more importantly your remaining true to your faith and encouraging others through your sharing it faithfully and consistently. I, like many others, don’t have and can’t afford to purchase a drill and crimper, and my 28 hp tractor won’t pull a drill that might be available through our wildlife agency, co-op, etc (there aren’t any available currently, even if I had a tractor large enough). I need to plant from 4-6 acres of plots and have a Ranger with a 25 gallon spray rig with boom, a pull behind broadcast spreader, and an over the shoulder broadcast spreader in addition to the disk and spike harrow I have for my tractor. Given the tools I have, what do you recommend for getting beans or a spring/summer release blend planted and for planting the fall grains, brassicas, etc or a fall release blend? I’m in between the small, 1/10th acre or 1/2 acre hidey-hole food plots that you show as an example of planting with the shoulder bag, etc and the large acreage plantings on farms that have or can afford the big equipment to handle those large acreage plantings. I believe in the release system but haven’t had any luck broadcasting beans into standing grasses. And without a crimper, the only way I know to terminate the standing grasses or grains is to spray them after I broadcast the seed. Any input and help will be greatly appreciated. My land is in west TN, by the way. Thank you again for your generous info sharing and your spiritual encouragement.

[@GrowingDeerTV]

Morning! Beans can be great forage, but aren't well suited for plots the size of yours. A few deer can destroy a crop of beans overnight in 1/2 acre plots. I believe you'd be better served by planting quality blends. Broadcasting seeds just before a rain can be a great way to establish a crop. It's important the seeds reach the soil and don't land on vegetation, etc., so there root will penetrate the soil when they germinate. Given this, you may need to terminate the existing vegetation with a herbicide and then plant.

[@bross63]

@@GrowingDeerTV Thank you for your reply. I may have been unclear in my message. I have one field that is 3.5-4 acres, one that is about 2 acres, one that is 1-1.25 acres, and then some smaller pieces. I only want to try and get beans going in the largest, 3.5-4 acre field and possibly the 2 acre field. I know the deer will slam the beans, and the smaller the planting the harder it will be for beans to get established. Do you feel those are still too small to get beans established? If so, I can just do a summer release blend instead. All this is for next year of course as we will be planting fall plots in the coming weeks of mixed cereal grains, clover, and winter peas in some places and mixed brassicas in others. In years past we have either had a neighbor with a tractor tiller prepare a “perfect”, smooth seedbed that we dragged after broadcasting seed or I have sprayed and cut standing grasses and then disced the ground, broadcast seed and then dragged with the harrow. I’m planning to try to broadcast the fall plot seed directly into whatever is standing and then spray the standing grasses/weeds in an effort to stop discing and to also leave more of the grass/weed material on the ground to act as mulch similar to what would happen with a crimper (although I know it won’t be exactly the same as with a crimper). My thought is the seeds will have a better chance of reaching the ground than if I spray first and the grasses fall down or I cut them first. It seems that material laying down would create more of a barrier to the seed reaching the ground. What are your thoughts on these plans and ideas? Am I thinking correctly, or am I still missing something? Thanks again!!!

[@chrispulchny1921]

Happy early father's day Dr. Woods, this will be my 1st father's day being a dad, little Fisher Oak was born 02/23/22, and I am blessed that the Lord brought him to my wife and I. I'm going into my 3rd year of attempting the "release process" on a small private property I have exclusive now hunting privilege to hunt, about 20 years ago a piebald doe was photographed by the local news paper on the property, I recognized the property due to the Macdonald's billboard near it's gate. I was a member of the church of the owner, at the time he was in his early 80's I may have been 16 but asked if I could now hunt her there, he agreed with the terms that I rebuild the back fence. The property was only 7.2 Acer's so I jumped to rebuilding fence, since his passing his son is the land owner and only ask I keep my word to his Father to continue to bow hunt, a small piece was sold to a gas line as right of way and it's down to 5.2 Acer's . But I promise more groceries are growing on that 5.2 than the surrounding 500. Thank you for your knowledge and I pray you have a blessed father's day!

[@GrowingDeerTV]

May God bless Fisher Oak! Having the best sources of food in the neighborhood is a position to be in!

[@chrispulchny1921]

@@GrowingDeerTV thank you and your right having that food source year round keeps the momma's and babies on the property usually bedding in a thicket behind the billboard that's still there and of course the bucks bed across the fence on a non hunted/no pressure parcel of property, but their stomachs and sex drive usually bring them on over to the food and mineral sites along with one small pond, maybe holds 1000 gallons full. I can typically limit out on Oklahoma tags there if I wanted, but I try to keep that place for early and late season only, and re-reading my previous post I seen many grammar errors where I intended to say bow hunt only. God bless

[@divadyrdnal]

Love to concept of the Crimper, but definitely would like to “try it before I buy it”…

[@GrowingDeerTV]

Maybe a buddy, dealer, etc., will rent one. However, I understand that crimpers are hard to find - they sell as fast as they are produced.

[@PatrickHRoss]

Thanks for sharing! The crimper really is such an amazing tool for cost savings and sustainability.

[@GrowingDeerTV]

Yes it is!

[@keithhimstedt6870]

Grant great series Thanks so much for sharing with us... am I too late for Summer Release? Been a busy year and I haven't been able to plant. Did I miss the boat? Should I wait for fall planting instead?

[@GrowingDeerTV]

Keith - If there's ample soil moisture and more rain in the forecast then the crop will grow! It will mature later than if planted earlier but that's better than a plot full of weeds!

[@jarodknable3756]

Love the great info. Question, why don't you put the crimper on the front of the tractor so you can plant and crimp in one pass

[@GrowingDeerTV]

Jarod - There are advantages to drilling and waiting a week or two to crimp and I have several small plots and the tractor would be very long and tough to turn with a crimper on the front.

[@brayevalentine305]

What’s the best way to get rid of stumps when doing timber stand improvement? Trying to clear out hickories and cedars to create a small food plot for deer and turkey. The trees I’ve cut already this past January are already to have sprouts coming off of their stumps

[@GrowingDeerTV]

Braye - Congrats on working to create a new plot! Cedars shouldn't form sprouts if cut below the bottom limb. Hickories almost always sprout unless terminated with a herbicide. If the hickories have already been felled, it may be necessary to treat the sprouts. Sprouts often have to be cut several times over several years to kill the tree's roots.

[@lifeonthehilltn]

My goal is to have a good drill as well as a crimper, but those implements are quite pricey and I just can't afford to pull the trigger on them just yet.

[@GrowingDeerTV]

I understand! The NRCS rents drills and there's an office in most counties!

[@Hunterworks]

Would you consider making a how to start this process video? I have all the equipment and my first year fields look terrible and I know the soil really needs fertilizer now. So a video talking about getting this system going would be great because this is not working for me day one. Thanks Todd

[@GrowingDeerTV]

Great suggestion Todd!

[@masonbrubaker1952]

Hey Todd. I would say the best time to start would be in the fall. As long as you have some legumes and grasses in your field all winter, you should produce enough nutrient to have a decent plot in the summer. It’s all uphill from there. I agree, getting started is the hardest part, and it’s ok to fertilize for the first year or so until you get everything going. However I would try to stay away from putting N down. Giving legumes free N makes them not feel the need to put energy towards producing N through their relationship with the bacteria. That’s a first year cost savings. Good luck sir!

[@Hunterworks]

@@masonbrubaker1952 been 10 months since I ask the question. Actually ended up doing exactly what you just described

[@masonbrubaker1952]

@@Hunterworks how’d you make out with that?

[@Hunterworks]

@@masonbrubaker1952 summer release only looks good in one field. The other is sad

[@KBevis199]

This was my first year to plant a spring plot with the Genesis Drill. We planted the fall blend last year and it grew great! However, for this spring planting, we set the drill to the required seed settings and calibrated the drill to the recommendation on the Green Cover Seed Summer Release blend, planted the blend and terminated the existing fall crop. Unfortunately we had a very very poor germination on this blend this time and I’m not sure why… seed was laying down as it should and the calculations were precise for the acreage planted. Its almost as the lbs per acre should have been more than what was recommended by green cover seed as what did grow was very sporadically spaced… Of course it currently has not helped we have been at temps of 100 degrees and bone dry for weeks now here so what little did germinate is barely hanging on. Sad summer for me 😭

[@GrowingDeerTV]

The heat and drought has taken a toll on many plots and ag crops. It's a tough year in many areas. When drilling be sure the seeds aren't planted too deep. That seems to be an issue for some folks that are new to using a drill.

[@kylebevis]

@@GrowingDeerTV yes the heat is not helping at all... yes we actually used the 0.5" seed depth setting when we did the fall blend at 75lbs per acreand it grew great. We did the Summer Release at the 0.5" depth again, planting through the dough stage and did the recommended 40lb per acre. It's almost like the lb per acre should be more for the blend as patchy as it seemed to grow.

[@lukedog7028]

Kinda neglected to mention the expense of that high horsepower tractor, grain drill and roll crimper. Maybe the sponsors paid for yours but the rest of us have to buy our own. Like what you are doing but to make out like after a person buys all the equipment he is going to be saving huge money is kinda misleading in my opinion.

[@ryandaughrity9732]

The drill and the crimper alone is about 25k. You would have to be planting some acres for that to make financial since. I wish more local conservation locations had this equipment to rent because there is no doubt the process works.

[@lukedog7028]

@@ryandaughrity9732 John Deere quit renting out grain drills around here because the incredible expense to fix them if someone bent something. I think there drills start around 28k They said it was huge hassle to have to take people to court to recoup there repair cost and not real good for public relations. Do have one coop that still rents them out but they are ragged and usually set up wrong and you can never get one when the weather is right because the biggest customers or hunting buddy of coop manager gets first choice.

[@ryandaughrity9732]

Yea we have the same problem wind up working on the planter for hours and still have problems just from sure neglect. Never seen a crimper for rent and that's almost most vital part.

[@GrowingDeerTV]

Luke - You've made several posts. Are you made that some folks can drill? Have you watched our episodes about planting plots with hand tools? I don't own a jet, jacked up truck, land in Iowa to hunt, etc., but I don't mind those that do.

[@lukedog7028]

@@GrowingDeerTV I don’t have a jealous bone in my body. I have been blessed with many times more than I need. I simply was trying to say that it doesn’t look like your system is necessarily a money savings as compared to say discing a field and using a spreader to plant.

[@tommybarksdale5783]

I’ve watched so many of your videos, I really like the idea and would like to start, however I don’t have the start up money to purchase the equipment (Genesis or the cremper). Any ideas? I like the thought of using no fertilizer. We don’t use herbicide. We bush hog, disc, lightly drag, seed, fertilize, then lightly drag again. Your process seems like it will be better, but again it’s the start up cost. In the future it will save money. However right now everything is just so expensive. Again do you have any ideas?

[@GrowingDeerTV]

Tommy - Many NRCS offices rent no-till drills. Their will be an office near where you hunt. Check them out!

[@deertime6297]

Mr Woods I planted my buckwheat a week ago tomorrow. There’s been enough rain fall. How long does it take for buckwheat to start growing.

[@GrowingDeerTV]

Deer Time - There are lots of variables (soil temp, etc.) but usually about a week.

[@jamesmartin7282]

I'm a big fan of your Release Process, but my hunting club can't afford a Genesis drill for several years and the county does not allow us to burn because we're surrounded on 3 sides by state and national forest. Is there anything we can spray onto our duff/thatch to make it break down faster?

[@GrowingDeerTV]

James - Wow - what state do you live in that can prohibit the use of prescribed fire. I assume it's in the northeast? There are some bacteria formulas that are marketed to breakdown dead vegetation rapidly. However, that somewhat defeats the purpose of the Release Process. The mulch is the best tool to suppress weeds, keep moisture in the soil, etc. If the mulch is limiting broadcast seed from reaching the soil/forming seedlings, then you might be sure that seeds are broadcast just before a good rain - 1/2" or more.

[@johnlantz2351]

Mr woods, is it possible to broadcast with a handheld spreader, and then roller crimp it with an ATV?

[@GrowingDeerTV]

John - Yes, but the odds aren't as good for a great crop as with a drill. I broadcast seed in plots every year. I use about twice as much seed per acre than I do with a drill as some of the seed will land on vegetation, rocks, etc . It will get moist and warm and germinate, but the root won't reach the soil.

[@johnlantz2351]

@@GrowingDeerTV thank you

[@travissmith-wz5nc]

@@johnlantz2351 same position. I had bushhoggg it left the clover alone

[@ethanmoore9259]

Hey Grant - we have and use a genesis drill and are now looking at purchasing a crimper. Our summer food plots haven’t come in well this summer, can the crimper be used in place of herbicide before fall planting to kill summer weeds? Thanks for all of the free information you offer us.

[@GrowingDeerTV]

Ethan - Thanks for the kind words! May I ask why the summer crops didn't get off to a good start? Crimpers only terminate plants that are making seeds in the dough stage. For example, driving across a yard doesn't kill grasses or weeds - in a few days the tire tracks are gone. If the weeds you wish to kill aren't in the dough stage (producing seeds that are fully formed but still full of moisture, a crimper isn't a good option.

[@ethanmoore9259]

@@GrowingDeerTV Hey Grant, I really appreciate the feedback. I think several things contributed to our poor summer food plot results. 1) it’s our first year starting the release process, so we don’t have a big mulch layer built up. 2) we planted before a rain, then didn’t get another rain for two weeks. 3) I made the mistake of sticking with 1/2 inch depth on the drill when I now think I would’ve been better served going 1” due to how hard the ground was planting before the rain. Funnily enough our farm is in upstate South Carolina, and you’ve hunted with a dear family friend of mine and my father through Mr. Hamby and I’m certain that he has talked about our farm before. Small world! Again, thanks for all the information you provide.

[@ethanmoore9259]

@@GrowingDeerTV Hey Grant, I really appreciate the feedback. I think several things contributed to our poor summer food plot results. 1) it’s our first year starting the release process, so we don’t have a big mulch layer built up. 2) we planted before a rain, then didn’t get another rain for two weeks. 3) I made the mistake of sticking with 1/2 inch depth on the drill when I now think I would’ve been better served going 1” due to how hard the ground was planting before the rain. Funnily enough our farm is in upstate South Carolina, and you’ve hunted with a dear family friend of mine and my father through Mr. Hamby and I’m certain that he has talked about our farm before. Small world! Again, thanks for all the information you provide.

[@joelg1432]

What options does the micro plotter have? I have a few 1/4 acre and smaller plots. What's my options? Beside tilling and disking.

[@GrowingDeerTV]

Joel - I often use Rx fire to remove vegetation from small plots - which may require weed eating first, then broadcasting seed before the next rain.

[@travissmith-wz5nc]

I had white and red clover under the rye and wheat. Instead of a crimper I bush hoged 10 inches high. The clover popped and looks good. Wheat was at steam stage and rye was at dough stage. Was this a decent idea?

[@GrowingDeerTV]

Travis - If you like the results then it's great! I always believe there's context to every situation - what tools, conditions, etc., folks have to use. Your work sounds good to me!

[@landreeingle989]

What is the name of that summer blend?

[@GrowingDeerTV]

Landree - The Summer Release blend from GreenCover.com

[@Brandon-uo1rv]

So again, my experience was a bit different with the process. Plant through the rye, crimp, had to spray because of all the weeds that came up, replant and now waiting with no rain in the forecast. I like the concept but lots of passes in diesel for me, wasted seed and more chemicals to buy it ended up costing way more. Weed control IMO is the limiting factor with this method for the vast majority of food plotters.

[@GrowingDeerTV]

Brandon - We'd need more information to understand. How thick was the stand of rye? What weeds were present? We know the Release Process works for many. I'll be happy to help you, but need accurate data.

[@Brandon-uo1rv]

@@GrowingDeerTV I'd say the rye stand was moderately thick, there were a few light patches within. There were virtually no visible weeds when the rye was growing and it created a really nice canopy. May have had weeds at a low level that I didn't examine, but not really sure what to do even if that was the case. Crimped at full anthesis and worked well. However at that point the weeds took off. The vast majority of weeds was mares tail, but other broadleaf and grasses were evident and scattered. So I guess there are two things to potentially address. 1 is weeds in the soil seed bank and how to address without chemicals. 2 if small weeds are growing within the rye how to crimp and address them without using chemicals for a summer/fall plot.

[@Chemical0504]

Do you not crimp down your summer crop after you plant your fall blend? I’m broadcasting instead of drilling. Not sure if that makes a difference. But I thought you crimped your summer plot after you planted your fall plot.

[@GrowingDeerTV]

Layne - Crimping would help if the seeds are broadcast. When drilling, the drill knocks down enough of the summer drop for the fall crop to grow. Deer prefer eating where there's a bit of cover and the partially standing summer crop is perfect to make deer comfy during daylight hours!

[@Chemical0504]

@@GrowingDeerTV thank you! Also, I’m going to try and build a crimper before I do my fall plots.. what’s a good weight to shoot for? It’ll only be 4ft long or so.

[@kevindean4284]

Lol I don't have a seeder , so how do I seed?

[@GrowingDeerTV]

Kevin - Many folks broadcast - if you use that technique be sure the seed are spread just before a good rain - 1/2" or more.

[@nancyisdrunk8450]

Crimper $5,000; Grain Drill $6,000-$10,000; No thanks, I'll keep tilling!

[@lukedog7028]

Maybe for a 3 foot wide model. The cheapest one I found in grants model was 22,500.

[@nancyisdrunk8450]

@@lukedog7028 Tar River DRL-072, look a little flimsy but I've seen some guys have success with them. Yes Genesis models are wayyyy over priced.

[@tommysteven1821]

@@nancyisdrunk8450 Genesis 5 is around 15K compared to a Great Plains which is around 28K. So yes they are quite the investment but much cheaper than a GP. This is my first year using one and I was very skeptical but so far working very well. Dont think it would be worth it unless you are doing lots of acres. I planted a total of about 30 acres on 5 different properties and I would not have been able to do that if I was tilling with the time I have available. Hoping that I can get rid of fertilizer cost which I figured would save about 3K a year minimum which could make the investment make sense.

[@kyleshaw3361]

@@nancyisdrunk8450 I use a Tar River and like it for the price; it will struggle with hard packed clay but otherwise seems to be doing the job, and seems to be a little heftier/better components than the FieldTuff. For crimpers, the cheapest thing I've found is a PackerMaxx with crimper attachment. I haven't used it enough to comment on effectiveness, but when filled with water it's got some weight to it, so hopefully it will work out.

[@GrowingDeerTV]

Nancyisdrunk - I understand!