That would be brutal Gavin. Good for you. I am sure you will enjoy the hunting. Good luck.

It is definitely a roller coaster. Some years you do everything and nothing results and some years it seems that you can't make a mistake. All the weather related issues are impossible to predict or control. You just have to move forward and hope for the best.

So far you are right Jake. The drilled plot is way ahead of the one where I just broadcast the seed. It will be interesting to see where it goes from here. I will keep updating. Have a great day.

Thanks Connor. I appreciate it and hope you have a great day. Good luck with your classes.

It is tough. You go to the trouble to spread everything, including the fertilizer, and then nothing comes. I hate fertilizing and then not having the rains come. The urea is not super- stable and the N starts to evaporate if it gets hot and dry for long. Short of spreading it in the actual rain, it is tough to know when to put out the nitrogen.

I was just down in central KS the past few days (Hutchinson at the Elevate tree stands operation) - very dry there. I do like to plant corn in some plots so that doesn't fit the true regenerative model, but in those spots where I go with beans I always broadcast (or drill - depending on the size of the beans) something like cereal rye or Wintergreens into them. Corn is a little harder to work with in that way because it shades out anything you broadcast into it. I have tried and had very limited success. Good luck.

It has been really tough this year because of all the pop up thunderstorms that either materialize out of nowhere or fizzle out before they get to you. Hard to know when to put out the fertilizer. We have not an honest go goodness soaking rain since maybe April? Have a great day.

Thanks. Much appreciated.

Good deal. I am glad this is helping. Have a great day.

I appreciate the comment. It is starting to take shape. Have a great day.

Thanks Art. Good luck to you too.

My pleasure. Thanks for the support, Donald.

Greg, it does seem like we are out of the woods now on the growth rates, but we will need more rains to keep this going. Have a great day.

We will get that filmed this week and uploaded over the weekend. Thanks for the support.

Thanks Mitchel. I appreciate the support. Have a great day.

It is good to find something I can grow!

Thanks Trey. I think that plot will turn out really well. Those Wintergreens are doing great. They went into moist soil with the drill and then caught a couple of showers so they are about six inches tall now!

Thanks Justin. That is a great idea. I will have Jordan and Ethan put one of those together for the Setup section of the channel. Have a great day.

No, not yet. They moved in late last year. It was sometime in October. I think they were hoping to make a lodge out of that spring house. What a mess! I sure hope they don't try that again this year. Have a great day.

That's a great point. Thanks. That is always the ultimate last resort rescue planting. Have a great day.

Yes, that is a very good point. Thanks for the input. Have a great day.

We will get to those as we get closer to the season. There are not tons of deer here so they aren't super visible in the summer - some on alfalfa. Once I get the cameras out the story will get more interesting as relates to deer.

That is a really good strategy. Also buys you some weed free time as the stuff you are killing is dying and the stuff you are planting is coming up. Have a great day.

The trees will hold their own, except in a drought, like Bill's experiencing.

The forester recommended giving the small seedlings that are coming up from the acorns two years of weed control and then let nature run its course. I am sure some would make it without any help, but I want to see as many as possible coming up. Good input. Have a great day.

@@bill-winke I watched your video when you put out the acorns. I've been watching and appreciate your videos.

Thanks dwaine. I appreciate the support and the comment. Have a great day.

Yes, I had one for a 4 wheeler back in the mid-90s on a farm I co-owned back then, but I had forgotten about them since. We used it for clover, but now there are some grass specific herbicides and some broadleaf specific herbicides (Whitetail Institute sells both - among other suppliers). With these herbicides the need for the wick bar went away, but for the thistles it would have worked great. I appreciate the input. Have a great day.

Thomas, don't make fun of my loyal four-wheeler. Cabela's gave that to me many years ago. I asked the guy I worked with, who handled sponsorships at that time, why they used the Coleman name. He said, "We didn't want to produce a low-end product like this and then put the Cabela's name on it." Low end or not, it has stood the test of time. That thing has been through hell and just keeps on going. I had Kubota as a sponsor at Midwest Whitetail and they set me up with some really nice side by sides. Of course, I had to give them back when I moved on. I probably need to contact Kubota again at some point.

I think my best long-term solution will be no-till drilling. That way you get the benefits of no-till but you put the seed down into the ground where germination is more predictable. The only real downside is the cost of the drill. Some places have them for rent. That is a good solution when available.

@@bill-winke yes cost of the drill, plus I only have about 3 acres of food plots, so doesn't make sense. my property is 90% wooded. I might consider a grain drill, the Tar River has an affordable one, about 2k last time i checked. will see how the tilling goes, i have all that equipment now.

I have not tried it, but it does make a bit of sense. I suppose it would rough up the dead grass and allow the seed to penetrate the ground more easily. I have heard that being used after broadcasting into tilled soil and then the ATV drag actually works the seed into the top layer of dirt for better seed to soil contact. In the end, that is what you are looking for - the seed firmly embedded in the top layer of dirt. Good luck.

That is right David. The biologists I talked to said that within a few years if I stop working the soil the thistles will naturally disappear. I actually sprayed them a couple of days ago and they are already withering. Impressive performance from a chemical called "Sonora". It is also kills the Queen Ann's Lace. I don't mind that stuff as much. Doesn't grow as thick.

Agreed. That will work well into September. I will come back to that if necessary, but the brassicas seem to be taking off. If we get a couple more good rains this summer I should be OK. Have a great day.

@@bill-winke I am at about the same stage you are with my plots in northern WI. All of my brassicas are germinated and starting to grow well, but I have alot of grass coming in. I think I am going to hit them once with clethodim to try to knock the grass out then let them go. I'll over seed with some cereal grains if need be in a few weeks. You have a great day also, and good luck this season!

Yes, I can do that as we approach the season and actually start hunting some of these spots. Have a great day.

@@bill-winke that would be awesome!!!! I'm just having some trouble trying to figure out our 15 acer property accesses routes

Daniel, that is the 5085e. I like it well enough. It is a good size for this farm and the things I need to do here. I didn't want a cab because I actually the open air experience, plus I have beaten up a few cabs over the years with the kind of work and places we go on these hunting farms. I bought it used and it had clutch issues that were mostly resolved before I bought it.

Thank you Bill. I recently bought a 248 acre farm in West Central Illinois and there is currently 40 acres in cash rent tillable and 55 acres of CREP that is 20 years old. In a year or 2, I plan to convert the 40 tillable to some CRP, some row crops, some more food plots etc. My land agent recommends a 90 to 115 horse tractor which seems big for me. Are you happy with the size of your tractor or would you go bigger or smaller if you had to do all over again?

Yes, it is a lot of work, but when it actually works, it is very satisfying. The weather has to cooperate. That is always the key. Have a great day.

It's a JD 5085. 85 hp. It has a loader bucket on the front. I think that helps with the hills, but no the front end has never felt light on that setup. Overall I have been very satisfied.

We will definitely post that comparison video in the coming weeks.

Quick comment on the genesis weight. I have the 8' HD (3700lbs) and my JD 5100E (100hp) would barely lift it! I bought a kubota 91hp that 3pt lifts nearly 7k lbs. So, make sure your tractor can handle the weight.

I have seen that when it is warm or moderate the deer seem to feed more on greens and when it is colder (even cold days in November) the deer will move more onto corn and higher carb diets. They will definitely eat whatever is available, but given a choice, this pattern seems to hold up. Corn when it's cold is a definite pattern. I also see them selecting specific varieties out of the food plot blends. I think they just like them better, but it may be related to time of season. I do think it can be wise to have more than one food type in a plot if the plot is big enough. For example, one acre plot could be have clover and half brassicas. I don't think I would divide up a plot that is less than one acre in size.

Fergy, it's this one: www.moultriefeeders.com/moultrie-atv-spreader-manual-feed-gate?gadid=&gclid=Cj0KCQjwib2mBhDWARIsAPZUn_mVWOKtVsHDBNI0gE87iQ4Rpyc8juqQpZbFnaCKJ1Dk2Mp1eLTZ3eEaAttTEALw_wcB You can also find some good ones here: wildlifefarming.com/Catalog/Category/WILDLIFE-FARMING/UTV--ATV-ELECTRIC-SEEDER--SPREADERS/1377

Bill...what about going through the Queen Anns Lace with a drag or cultipacker to knock it down?

That is the Moultrie model. Here you go: www.moultriefeeders.com/moultrie-atv-spreader-manual-feed-gate?gadid=&gclid=Cj0KCQjwoK2mBhDzARIsADGbjepw8f_MGb9CDitwKNfgAwKeTnA_CUSA8Ee5Dc37SSdz34QgfGW2vBwaAmGHEALw_wcB

It would lay right over the trees then. Better to let it stand so the deer can eat it and the sun can get through it down to the trees. It is not as thick as the thistles and doesn't seem to be covering up the trees as badly. It is just stealing moisture that I am sure the trees would like to have. I have found a chemical (Sonora) that will kill it and not the trees, so I may use that in some select areas, but I do like that the deer are eating the QAL. They seem to really like it.

Thanks I ordered a Moultrie, it looks pretty effective. I wasn't't sure if the drag would hurt the trees.

That update will be in the next episode. Overall, it is OK. I think tilling is better to get initial germination, but with a couple more rains, this one may catch up. It comes down to how quickly you get seed to soil contact and without tilling it takes more rain for that to happen. The rain has to beat the seeds down through the grass so they reach the ground.

@bill-winke can u just spray,till and plant or do you need to spray again after tilling before planting bc you bring more weed seeds to surface again?

Not yet. I usually start in September after the bucks begin to filter into their fall ranges. I will show my findings once I get them out.

I have about 21 acres of food plots this year and 85 acres cash rented to local farmers. Those are in corn and alfalfa. So a total of roughly 15% of the farm is in food. I will bump up the food plot acres a little bit over time but I doubt I can get much over 25 acres long term.

@@bill-winke appreciate the reply Bill, hope the rains start showing in in northern iowa/southern WI!

It is a Chapin model 61900 (4 gallons). www.amazon.com/Chapin-61900-4-Gallon-Commercial-Stainless/dp/B001FA09S2?th=1 I have rebuilt it a couple of times because if you leave chemicals in them over the winter the plunger tends to get warped. The generic ones are pretty cheap now so I am not sure I would ever rebuild one again - just replace. Or better yet, I will remember not to leave chemicals in there over the winter. Good luck.

@@bill-winke thank you sir!

Football field is roughly 150 feet by 300 feet. Roughly 45,000 square feet. An acre is 43,000 square feet and change. Easy for people to visualize a Football field.

Definitely does beans not sure about corn

@melvinsacromentoe thanks for the info. If I had to pick one, I would prefer corn. I have had my eye on the Genesis for awhile but the Kasco Foodplotter definitely can plant beans and corn. I have to check them both out in person. Thanks again

It will plant corn too- I have done it. But like any drill, it is not as accurate at seed depth as a true corn planter so you get uneven germination. That is probably OK in a food plot but would definitely lead to lower yields in a full-scale farming operation. That is why farmers don't plant corn with drills.

@bill-winke thanks, Bill. Of course, we would like as much volume as possible but at the end of the day, we aren't (typically) harvesting and needing max yield for an income. Appreciate your info

They will bust them in half and eat the seeds, core. It’s like hot fudge sundae to us. But they also like the leaf. It is a brassica

They have not touched the leaves yet. I bet it will be a few years before they figure out that pumpkins are edible on this farm. I will break a few open in October to help them along. Have a great day.

Ethan finds a way to go do some real estate stuff when the real work starts! Trail cams will go out in early September. My annual start time. I like to wait until the bucks start filtering back to their fall ranges before I start.

85 horse with 8 foot no till. It is a PH Outdoors G8.

@@bill-winke Thank you!

Jordan is still around. She likes a little home time. I am on the run a lot and spend several days a week at the farm. Jordan will be back in the field soon. Thanks for noticing. Have a great day.

Good question. I am guessing some kind of wilt or blight about 10 to 20 years ago. It has been dead for a long time and I have only owned the farm for a couple years now so I am not sure. We see oak wilt from time to time and if it is an ash tree (I have not looked at it that close) the emerald ash borer most certainly killed it. Thanks for the support. Have a great day.

Archer, if we keep getting timely rains I think things will work out. It was sure touch and go there for a while. Thanks for the support.

Amen. Some things a guy should not do himself. But actually someone did tell me that even an idiot can grow pumpkins.

Thanks for the support Steve. Don't want you to be jealous. Hopefully, you can find or buy something of your own soon. Have a great day.