New videos explain how to use farm equipment for wildlife food plots

White-tailed deer food plot in Washington County, TX

Many landowners are looking for ways to bring more wildlife back onto their land for hunting and/or aesthetic reasons.  Food plots are a good practice to attract and supplement the nutritional needs of white-tailed deer, especially on ranches with introduced grass species that do not benefit wildlife.  Establishing food plots also qualifies as a practice for maintaining a wildlife tax valuation for your land.

Before planting a food plot on your property, it is important to establish your goals for why you want the food plot, and find out some basic recommendations for food plots on your property.

A new series of videos on our YouTube channel will help you understand how different farm equipment devices can be used to establish food plots on your land.  They are organized to show the three main steps landowners may need to do to get a productive food plot.  These steps are:

1. Knowing your soils and fertility

Soil sampling tools

First, consider the soil type and fertility of your property to know what kinds of plants you can have in your food plot.  One good way to determine the soil type on your property is to use the Web Soil Survey mapping tool developed by the Natural Resources Conservation Service.  After that, take a soil sample and send it to the Texas A&M Soil, Water and Forage Testing Laboratory to determine the fertility of your soil and if any nutrients need to be added to the soil.

    


     
     2.  Soil and site preparation

Disking is an easy way to disturb the soil for a food plot

Before planting, it is important to have a level seedbed with unwanted vegetation removed so that the plants can grow.  These are the implements that can help you do this:

Shredder
Subsoiler
Bottom Plow
Disk Plow
Rototiller
Box Blade
Chain Harrow

   

     3.  Seed distribution and planting

Brillion Cultipacker

There are a couple of ways to distribute the seed.  If broadcasting, it is important to go back over with an implement to press those seeds into the ground to ensure good seed-to-soil contact.  But you can also use a no-till seed drill which will plant seeds into the ground.  These are the implements that will help you do this:

Seed Spreader
Roller Packer
Drag
Cultipacker
No-Till Seed Drill

If you have any further questions, contact your local County Extension Agent.