Food Plot Basics

[OKRuss]

Retrieverman -Well let's see 1) yes I'm old 2) yes I forgot. I have been out of pocket since January 12th on the New Mexico elk hunt, a 3 day trade show and a trip to Nebraska to give a seminar on hydrogen sulfide generation in a sewer system. I have been busy. On top of that two close friends were found dead last Friday morning and Sunday morning. I have known the woman who died over 60 years as we were in Pre K together and grew up to graduate from high school together. Need I say more?

Sorry to hear about the loss of your close friends George. Lost a close one of over 50 years to a car accident the week before Christmas and it was painful on the heart.

Were you able to get an elk?
Didn't know you were going to Nebraska or you could've taken my soil samples to Midwest Labs!!

 

[Oklahomabassin]

Sorry for the loss of loved ones Deer Slayer and OkRuss.

 

[retrieverman]

Heading north in the morning to start clearing brush and expanding food plot areas.

 

[OKRuss]

Heading north in the morning to start clearing brush and expanding food plot areas.
View attachment 256279

Question for you as we're about to get someone on our place to also expand food plots using a skid steer. What about stumps? Will you remove the entire tree(s)? Reason I ask is one local rancher said that we would end up with lots of big holes that will then need fill dirt or end up with lots of holes filled with water. Looking into the use of a mulching head on the skid steer. BUT, it'll only get down to ground level so wouldn't be able to run a disc over the food plot without hitting stumps. He has a saw of some type to use on bigger trees and will get us down 3-4" below the surface. I wanted all of the trees uprooted but now thinking otherwise.

Find anyone interested in your cedars?

 

[retrieverman]

Question for you as we're about to get someone on our place to also expand food plots using a skid steer. What about stumps? Will you remove the entire tree(s)? Reason I ask is one local rancher said that we would end up with lots of big holes that will then need fill dirt or end up with lots of holes filled with water. Looking into the use of a mulching head on the skid steer. BUT, it'll only get down to ground level so wouldn't be able to run a disc over the food plot without hitting stumps. He has a saw of some type to use on bigger trees and will get us down 3-4" below the surface. I wanted all of the trees uprooted but now thinking otherwise.

Find anyone interested in your cedars?

No, I really haven’t had time to pursue the couple leads I have for the cedars.

Worrying about stumps and holes in deer food plots is a first world problem.

 

[Oklahomabassin]

Question for you as we're about to get someone on our place to also expand food plots using a skid steer. What about stumps? Will you remove the entire tree(s)? Reason I ask is one local rancher said that we would end up with lots of big holes that will then need fill dirt or end up with lots of holes filled with water. Looking into the use of a mulching head on the skid steer. BUT, it'll only get down to ground level so wouldn't be able to run a disc over the food plot without hitting stumps. He has a saw of some type to use on bigger trees and will get us down 3-4" below the surface. I wanted all of the trees uprooted but now thinking otherwise.

Find anyone interested in your cedars?

I cut several cedars down and left a couple bodark trees in one food plot. With a 5 foot tiller, it was easy to work arouns the cedar stumps the first couple years. By the third year, I believe all the cedar stumps were able to be pushed out before working ground. The deer made scrapes under the 2 bodark trees. The smaller tree finally died. Spraying and burning off the food plot each fall finally took its toll.

 

[Oklahomabassin]

Time to freshen up mineral lick sites as things green up, the deer will be hitting up the mineral sites.

 

[Oklahomabassin]

Time to freshen up mineral lick sites as things green up, the deer will be hitting up the mineral sites.

 

[cowadle]

Question for you as we're about to get someone on our place to also expand food plots using a skid steer. What about stumps? Will you remove the entire tree(s)? Reason I ask is one local rancher said that we would end up with lots of big holes that will then need fill dirt or end up with lots of holes filled with water. Looking into the use of a mulching head on the skid steer. BUT, it'll only get down to ground level so wouldn't be able to run a disc over the food plot without hitting stumps. He has a saw of some type to use on bigger trees and will get us down 3-4" below the surface. I wanted all of the trees uprooted but now thinking otherwise.

Find anyone interested in your cedars?

https://theperfecttreesaw.com/
this is a good tool for a skid steer and they make smaller ones for tractors or even atv. pulling ceders usually just spreads them cause some of the roots will just send up a new tree but if you cut them off at the ground level this happens less.

 

[MacFromOK]

I saw a small tree cutter attachment (in a magazine?) years ago, that basically looked like an overgrown hydraulic bolt cutter. I don't remember whether it was home-made or a commercial unit.
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