The Food Plot That Attracts More Deer

[@donald6427]

LOVE WATCHING FOLLOW UP VIDEOS!!!! Before and after such a great visual tool for people. Keep it up guys!!!

[@johnathonarnold9070]

Love seeing the before and after videos and all the trail cam footage. Super excited for bow season doc cleared me to draw my bow and I shot today for the first time since my injury and managed to be consistent for a few shots before I got tired! Very grateful I’m healed up with some time to practice archery with my 4 children.

[@huntingscienceexplained9825]

When I was out there about this time last year I had the pleasure of meeting Owen. He was eager to learn and I have no doubt he'll be a great property manager!

[@mattyp1113]

We have a small 30 acre land in Florida and I have been watching your program and we decided to do prescribed burn through the Florida Department of Forestry this upcoming fall. Through your videos on burns have been informative.

[@donniewillis2926]

Wow, seeing what can be done by employing proper techniques is a real eye opener. I knew it worked but seeing that property blew my mind. Also noticed no hinge cuts:) a practice that is too often employed IMHO. I also love how you teach soil conservation by the buffalo system.

[@codysmith5333]

I see people hesitant about fire as well. It certainly is a tool that should be used with caution...but with experience (& the right layout/scenario) is not as scary as most people think. A short clip in one video is certainly not meant to cover the how-to's of prescribed burning...but one thing that viewers should realize is that burning in the middle of a 700 acre property is different than burning cedar slash on the edge of a 40 acre tract. I've purposely burned higher risk cedar slash within a year of being cut BECAUSE I knew the dead cedar wouldn't be cured enough for full consumption...which resulted in more manageable fire behavior & a safer burn. Knowledge, a good plan, & advanced prep work make all of the difference! Also, what a dramatic visual on that plot!

[@ryanschoon8699]

Loved this one! Seeing a property being managed like that is wonderful We need more of it! Too many sub-divisions going in....

[@GrowingDeerTV]

Thanks Ryan! - grant

[@HunterEditz-1PM]

I love all your videos mr grant so helpful for me planting eagle seed bean this spring and fall planting to thanks for all the great work and pictures

[@GrowingDeerTV]

Thanks Angie! This spring I'll be planting the Summer Release blend. Checkout GreenCoverFoodPlots.com for more information. Soybeans are good quality forage but they are expensive and and at my place deer ate most of the beans before they reached maturity. That allowed weeds to grow. Let me know how your plots do!

[@thezacharykoerickshow3173]

It's crazy to see the difference between southern areas and northern areas. Cedars are where the deer up north "yard up" to survive the deep snow and cold winters. If you have a nice stand of cedar you know you'll have a great late season hunt as the snow starts to come in.

[@GrowingDeerTV]

Zachary - Most hunters in the north talk about white cedars - which are totally different that eastern red cedars throughout much of the whitetail's range.

[@scottschaeffer8920]

The other option, allow the forest to regenerate to early successional shrubs and forbs . So many wildlife species associated with young forests are in decline? Are deer a species of conservation concern? Depends-right? I love the reclamation project involving the cedar removal & prescribed burning-Excellent!

[@GrowingDeerTV]

Scott - Let's do both! Let's work to improve native habitat and food plots!

[@wolley2012]

Seeing is believing.

[@lastbreathtv4332]

No joke...that was awesome!

[@philmcafee343]

Welcome to Oklahoma Owen!

[@andrewlotz2602]

Grant could I just throw the bean seed on the top of the soil right before a heavy rain and still get good results?

[@GrowingDeerTV]

Andrew - Yes if the beans will make good contract with the soil. If the beans will land on top of vegetation or duff they will likely germinate but get a root in the ground and survive. - grant

[@Grizzlife]

Awesome video. Question on the controlled fire. In an area as large as he had with Cedar trees do you rake out a fire break on the downwind side edge and then back burn to that fire break before you burn rest of property?

[@GrowingDeerTV]

We create fire large fire breaks around the entire area to be burned! Remember - fire is never satisfied - so there must be a seamless fire break to control the fire. - grant

[@Grizzlife]

@@GrowingDeerTV Thank you sir!

[@travissmith-wz5nc]

Good for owen. College is not paying off for lots of students and saving him self from college debt and earning a income at a young age should benefit him. Save it and earn it owen.

[@kevinhamilton1127]

I have a question what could you do if you have 50 acres how would you make it something good to get more deer and better hunting??

[@ethanschroeder9531]

We have abunch of eastern red cedar on our property. Do you recommend removing the majority of them and replacing them with other things?

[@GrowingDeerTV]

Ethan - Pending on the land use before the cedars grew, the cedars can be cut and then burned in two years and great native plants will grow! The results is extremely productive habitat!

[@Jase-E]

I have a similar 3 acre patch of these useless cedars. I went through this year and cut some of them down to act as barriers so you couldn't see directly through them but I'm open to trying this as well. My question is what do you do with the cedars once they're cut? How low should I cut them? I dont have access to a dozer but can definitely prescribe fire.

[@GrowingDeerTV]

Jase - Cedars cut below the bottom limb won't sprout back. That's my goal. I then let them lay two years and then use prescribe fire. This results in great habitat! - grant

[@davidjackson534]

If your only option for food plots is a hand fitler (spreader), can you still achieve success of the beans early season and fall buffalo in the fall?

[@GrowingDeerTV]

David - It can be done but is tougher to get good seed to soil contact. I use that technique in some of my small plots - grant

[@davidjackson534]

@@GrowingDeerTV Dr. Grant, any way you could make a video about how to do so? Or explain it? I'm getting hung up on how to terminate the Buffalo blend in the spring time and getting good seed to soil contact for the beans! I've had great success with the beans, and this is my first year planting the fall buffalo blend. I have amazing soil here in Southern Michigan, and wondering if I really need the buffalo blend vs. maybe just using the broadside blend. Thank you, Dave (Side note, my food plot is .02 of an acre)

[@lancefine7326]

Love your videos

[@bullrun1]

New subscriber. What reconyx model camera do you currently recommend? (Price not an issue, looking for the one you feel is best) - thank you - western PA area.

[@andresmedcalf7045]

Do you ever do any in Oregon area at like Eugene.

[@GrowingDeerTV]

Andres - I haven't hunted in Oregon but I'd like to someday - grant

[@johnbarrows111]

What is the fall Buffalo blend?

[@GrowingDeerTV]

John - It was a food plot blend. I've learned more since then and now use the Summer and Fall Release blends. Checkout GreenCover.com and search for the Summer Release.

[@quinnm.2314]

wouldnt matter if they are round up resistant if they have not germinated yet.. round up is a post emergent. unless youre talking about spraying again once beans are established..

[@chrishowell9936]

I have a lot of eastern red cedars on my place. Why would you cut the cedars (leaving the stumps) rather than dozing the trees? Btw, I am in Central Texas. Thanks.

[@codysmith5333]

Dozing would cause a similar disturbance of the ground bringing dormant seed to the surface similar to what Dr Woods mentioned about the ripping. You also end up with dozer piles of cedar/dirt that serve more as varmint habitat than habitat benefiting deer, turkey, small game, etc.

[@chrishowell9936]

I get that, but was concerned about the large number of cedar stumps that would be left. With the proper wait time before burning, is that issue mitigated?

[@codysmith5333]

Typically, the cedar stumps will be cut low (even more so in an area with "open grown" cedars that have lots of low limbs). In a scenario where prescribed fire is implemented following the cutting, as portrayed in the video, the stumps are a non-issue as you wouldn't be disking, no-till planting, etc in these areas. The seed bank is the source supplying native grasses & forbs so there's no need for planting with equipment. Additional species could be broadcast into the area to add diversity if that's necessary/desired...but again the stumps wouldn't be a problem for broadcasting as you'd simply go around them. In Missouri the ground moisture is high enough you probably won't see the fire consume the stump at/below ground level. Taller stumps will often light & even smolder for days. This, of course, depends on conditions (weather, fuel moisture, etc) at the time of the burn. If you're plan was to do some other type of conversion than what they portray in the video then that's a different conversation. Hope that's helpful...take it for what it's worth. 😀

[@Jase-E]

@@codysmith5333 what happens to the trees after they're cut?

[@codysmith5333]

@@Jase-E normally you would leave them where they fall. If you look at the drone footage in the video there are numerous brown cedar "corpses" scattered across the treatment area. They'll provide some cover for wildlife while the native grasses & forbs ramp up their growth. As Dr Woods mentioned, given enough curing time & the right burn conditions you can consume much of them during your prescribed burn. "Skeletons" not fully consumed continue providing some cover, & as he pointed out deter excessive browsing of plants within their footprint. Think of the wire cages he puts in his food plots to monitor plant growth potential in a plot versus the surrounding browsed plants.

[@davidhickenbottom6574]

I'm in NYC every week its still big deal trust me.

[@philgorski1418]

What is Fall Buffalo Blend?

[@GrowingDeerTV]

Phil - It's a blend of forage species that work together to provide quality forage and improve the soil! - grant

[@johnbarrows111]

@@GrowingDeerTV who makes it and where can we order it?

[@LouStoriale]

Why not plant the beans in 2 sections 2-3 weeks apart that way when one section turns yellow and deer ignore it, they go to the next section (green) and keep browsing on the green beans.

[@swamprat9018]

They are not planting ag beans, if planting ag beans your system is better if the weather was stable to do that.

[@matthewjeffersom4414]

Grant check out TED Talk "How to green the world's deserts and reverse climate change | Allan Savory" 100% ties into your buffalo blend

[@highperformanceballers2507]

I emailed you awile ago about our property and I never heard anything back.

[@GrowingDeerTV]

Send it again - sorry! I receive lots of emails and must have missed your note while I was traveling. - grant

[@Thenorthoutdoors1]

Yay

[@shawnhampton2895]

So he just used the fall blend all year long

[@GrowingDeerTV]

Shawn - He overseeded the summer blend with the fall blend.

[@marypoppins9596]

What happened to the old outro music

[@jhoffman81]

If you have the money to purchase 755 acres youre so far out of touch from most of us its not even funny

[@GrowingDeerTV]

Jeremy - I'm sorry you feel that way. Deer behave about the same everywhere I've worked and the soil, forest, etc. also. We do a lot of experimenting and that's takes some space.

[@jhoffman81]

@@GrowingDeerTV wasnt directed at you. Was directed at clients that can just drop the money for 800 acres these days. 800 acres is a serious chunk of change, yours is wrapped up tight in the business and research side, it makes more sense.

[@padenrichie3300]

4th

[@ThirdLawPair]

It drives me bonkers when people use the term "biological desert" for an area that isn't suited to deer and turkey specifically.

[@GrowingDeerTV]

Scott - Several studies have show very limited cover and forage produced in closed canopy forest. You might enjoy listening to Daniel Boone's biography on KZbin and his descriptions of the habitat. Many think it was all old growth forest but that wasn't the case!

[@ThirdLawPair]

@@GrowingDeerTV of course it wasn't all old growth. Some species thrive in early successional habitat, some in old growth, and plenty others in everything in between. None of these are biological deserts even if they have limited cover and forage for deer specifically.

[@ThirdLawPair]

@@GrowingDeerTV Consider this, if you go to any forest habitat at any stage of growth on any continent in the world, you're going to find a variety of birds, mammals, and invertebrates occupying every single component of that habitat from the top of the canopy down to the soil. Do you really think that in the last hundred million years there haven't been any birds rodents amphibians invertebrates in the last 100 million years to adapt to mature and medium age forests? Because that's exactly what you think if you say that anything other than early successional habitat is a "biological desert."

[@joshsinglefooter]

1st!