Thoughts?

QBD2

Old Mossy Horns
Got a new piece of ground, with a 600yd powerline. I already have a fall plan in place, but I haven't quite figured out anything for this spring.

The line is currently in weeds, briars, and scattered volunteer pines about 2 feet. A good mow is obviously the first step, but what to plant for a quick and easy spring plot to hold turkeys?

1.86 tillable, ph is 6.5, P and K are good, N is low. It's got plenty of light, and we're only planting one side as there's a gravel 2 track on the other.

Mow it and dump N to green it up? Will clover come up in time to use it? Don't really wanna spend a lot of money on it because it's getting redone in the fall anyway.
 
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sky hawk

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
I don't know the answer, but some type of legume would be good as a nitrogen-fixer. That would leave your soil in good shape for the fall plot. I would lean toward peas or beans since clover takes a little while and doesn't like the heat.

Edit: I missed the part about holding turkeys, sorry. I'm with LT - I think mowing it good and letting it grow back in fresh weeds this spring will be the easiest/cheapest, and maybe even the best for this turkey season. I see turkeys out in weedy pastures and hay fields regularly in the spring. Normal spring planting time is right in the middle/end of turkey season.
 
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lasttombstone

Kinder, Gentler LTS
Just wondering what the surrounding area is like. Hoping it is not that bunch of pines you were mentioning in the other thread. Are there any other food sources nearby? I'm a big fan of nesting areas and cover for small birds. If that is not present anywhere else, is there a chance that it should be left as is since there will be plenty of bugs in there. Maybe just mow down the small pines, sweetgums, etc. in wandering cuts that will leave the natural areas there till you put in the food plots in the fall. Weeds make a lot of seeds and maybe there are some blackberrys in there will come on this spring. Could the areas you cut turn into possible strutting areas? I'm sure you know there are lots more ways to attract and hold wildlife other than food plots. Good luck with it and don't get the tractor stuck.
 

Eric Revo

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
Make sure if the line is a high voltage line that access/food plots are allowed. Some power companies will spray for those volunteer trees and will sometimes spray for the higher weeds and brush as well.
If this is the case I'd have them spray and then just do a soil test or dump lime asap once the land is mowed closely to the ground. Since you're going to be doing a fall plot, I think I'd concentrate on locating crossings for stands and kill plot locations instead of developing plots at this time.
 

QBD2

Old Mossy Horns
Yea Lee it's pines, but the good kind. Maybe 4-5 years til they cut, lots of cover. Birds are in there now, I just don't know how well they'll stay put. The line will be a great strut zone, but it's to tall right now.

Eric, a call to the power company is in the works, as soon as I figure out who's it is. Not the the least bit worried about deer til after turkey season;) I've already done the samples, and nitrogen is the only thing it's lacking. The fall plot will be a pea mix, so N isn't really a concern.
 

Eric Revo

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
Yea Lee it's pines, but the good kind. Maybe 4-5 years til they cut, lots of cover. Birds are in there now, I just don't know how well they'll stay put. The line will be a great strut zone, but it's to tall right now.

Eric, a call to the power company is in the works, as soon as I figure out who's it is. Not the the least bit worried about deer til after turkey season;) I've already done the samples, and nitrogen is the only thing it's lacking. The fall plot will be a pea mix, so N isn't really a concern.

The power company where I hunt has no problem with access for hunting but doesn't allow vehicle traffic except on a diagonal crossing the powerline. I use established trails to get the tractor to the food plots and have never had a problem at all with them.
They spray every few years to knock down the trees with a boom mounted sprayer on either a skidder or a UTV...just depends on who got the contract I guess. The method used to spray pretty much dictates the effectiveness of the application, the skidder does a far better job.
It sounds like you are set up well, good luck with your new property.
 

GSOHunter

Twelve Pointer
Contributor
We've had good luck with the power company. They don't spray as long as we keep it mowed.
 

woodmoose

Administrator
Staff member
Contributor
yeap....mow it tight and put some fertilizer to it,,,,,,,,,no insecticides,,,,,,visibility, green weeds, and bugs will pull the birds in there,,,,,,

put ya up your popup blind and some decoys and that Ol' Man will be able to SWACK them,,,,,,,while you and QBD hunt them on foot,,,,,,,,
 
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ncnat

Ten Pointer
I would section off the power line.
Section 1 I would mow and let grow back naturely, as in no fertilizer.

Section 2 that will be fall food plots would get mowed, sprayed then planted in buckwheat at no less than 50 pounds per acre and fertilize per soil analysis. Buckwheat at that rate will suppress the weeds till the fall planting and the turkeys will eat and bug in the buckwheat.

Section 3 I would do no maintenance at all.

Section 4 I would haphazardly disc strips down through the power line to stimulate new growth and make a dusting area.
 

QBD2

Old Mossy Horns
Ended up mowing one 300 yd stretch tight and fertilized. The rest is meandering cuts to hit the worst of the short pines and left the rest. If I can get back over there to disc up a few strips I will, but if not no biggie.

The bottoms were wet enough to get the tractor stuck...when a phone call from the fella mowing starts with "I've got myself in a bit of a pickle..." well let's say that's never good lol
 
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