New to 411 , need your help plz

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JUDE
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Location: Eastern , KY

New to 411 , need your help plz

Post by JUDE »

Love this food plot forum! Can't believe I never seen it before...i plan to plant a food plot on a small area next to a creek... I will need a row of something for heavy cover next to the creek. What should I use? Something that last but will bush out quickly for cover? The rest of the area needs to be food and needs cut periodically if it grows too high or just needs cut for the vegetation. I know Randy has already stated i should use clover and I will but what else needs planted and how often should I cut it ect...I'm doing this mostly for the bunnies that seem to love my place in the spring but go away in the winter for some reason. I'm green at this guys and I don't mean a green thumb lol...So all advice from start to finish will be great...

Here's what I've learned :
need salt blocks,
need clover but is there a certain kind?
Need some thick cover for bunnies to enjoy next to creek bank? What's best? Don't want something that will overtake my place... Just bushes ect
Where's the most economical place to buy this stuff?
Not looking to attract any other animal besides a bunny.

My fil has a couple riding tractors so I guess I need to know how deep i should have the ground turned too...

Thank you all in advance!
Jude's Beagles

Always in search of a more perfect hound!

Strivingfortheperfectrabbitdawg

rabbitatfarm
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Location: Michigan

Re: New to 411 , need your help plz

Post by rabbitatfarm »

Need lots more information. Where are you located? State, etc. Not very many shrubs or bushes grow quickly. On thing that creates cover quickly is brush piles or dropping trees. Look up "chop and drop" or "hinge cutting" on the web. Missouri has some good information on habitat work for quail; works just as good for rabbits. How big of patch are you working with? Medium red clover is good. Avoid grasses like fescue as it is detrimental to rabbits. I have had good luck in just disturbing the soil. Usually berry canes and weeds follow. Give us more info and we can offer more advice.

Larry
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JUDE
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Location: Eastern , KY

Re: New to 411 , need your help plz

Post by JUDE »

Located in eastern Ky...I've seen the brush pile build and will do that no problem.
This bottom is probably less than two acres. Rabbits seem to love it during spring
I have a couple hillsides that i keep cut as well and they seem to like it this time of
Year as well.

Should I plant alfalfa too? Should I mix the seed? How often should I cut what i plant?

With rabbits roaming there now would i be better off to just set a salt block and add
a couple brush piles? Or should I try to disturb the ground and plant food that will
Make it better?

If you need more info just lmk...

Thank you!

rabbitatfarm
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Re: New to 411 , need your help plz

Post by rabbitatfarm »

Definitely build the brush piles and add the salt block. You can build them about 25-30 yards apart. What is it that attracts rabbits there now? Is it vegetated or more like a flood plain? Do you recognize or know any native plants? In my corner of Michigan, clover, grass, strawberry, dandelions, and weeds are common fare for rabbits. If it gets sunlight, you might try a 1/4 acre of cow peas. They stand up well to browsing. Just disturbing the soil generates weeds.

Larry
LP R Ch Quick Strike Go Go Boots
LP R Ch Quick Strike Big Red

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JUDE
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Re: New to 411 , need your help plz

Post by JUDE »

I will get you a pic of the vegetation asap...

Thank you!
Jude's Beagles

Always in search of a more perfect hound!

Strivingfortheperfectrabbitdawg

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LR Patch
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Re: New to 411 , need your help plz

Post by LR Patch »

Buddy ,
I will say this too . I have a couple place's that like U I'd see rabbits all spring into late summer say Sept. late , then gone . I thought they were get'n destroyed by yotes , owls and hawks . Which I know some were but really most were becoming nocturnal at that time of the year .
As well U can never go wrong feeding , I don't do anything but salt in summer myself . In Sept I put in some crimson clover mixed with winter pea's , then go out farther a bit and put in some winter wheat . So guess 1 can say I only feed in late fall and winter , of coarse the crimsom clover will stay til may or june or gets real hot . I'm no gurue but that works well form me .Well also alittle lead here & there to the killers lurking around .lol
rv
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JUDE
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Re: New to 411 , need your help plz

Post by JUDE »

That sounds great , thank you Randy and Larry!
Jude's Beagles

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Strivingfortheperfectrabbitdawg

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LR Patch
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Re: New to 411 , need your help plz

Post by LR Patch »

Buddy ,
I was restocking my salt blocks Saturday and look'n at my last falls clover which is still growing some but it will b gone soon as it heats up and stays hot . But what I did see and I know I can't control was the amount of deer sign in the plots . I see no way unless I put up a 8ft fence I can keep them out . So for the last 2 yrs our TWRA has opened a fairly liberal doe season so I've killed 6 doe's in the 2 yrs and I quit deer hunt'n 20 yr ago till then . I have several old folks that deer hunted before they couldn't that I give most doe's to , we eat some so 1 per yr will do me and the folks I give to can really use the meat and R very thankfull to get it as well .
Randy
Randy Vanosdale
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Aubrey Holcombe
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Re: New to 411 , need your help plz

Post by Aubrey Holcombe »

I likewise love to keep my rabbit feed and need al I can to stay around, so I can train my pups.
I live in North East Ga. and here in the Foot Hill of the Blue Ridge Mountains,, the clover is mighty fine, I use crimson, little White Dutch, and ladino.

Time right now to plant Buck Wheat, Iron clay peas are mighty fine..

I have a small running pen and it has Privy Hedge, its mighty good for cover, but it grows rather fast and it there All Year, all the time. I have to much, as it about 25 years old. I just dug lots of it up and getting ready to try some Switchgrass, that is what lots of folks are planting inside their Running pens,, they say it very hard to get established,, but once there it real good for the rabbits,, they love to bed in this stuff and it get about head high and very thick,, real good cover so the hawks and owls can't catch your rabbit..

Like you say,, this is a real good place to talk and ask about food plots.. The University of Ga. has ran lots of test on wild live, and they found that the Sulfur Blocks are very good for the reproduction of Wild live.. I been using them now for a number of years and I seen a big difference in all my wild live,, rabbits, coon, deer everything seems to be doing well here on my little part of Ga. about 6o Acers, on one big creek and a few small branches.. These are Salt blocks with Sulfur in them so they will be yellow in color. I had to ask my feed and seed dealer to get them for me and there about 7 or 8 dollars each 50 pound block will last a long time.

Daddy Rabbi~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~>>
ARHA Hall Of Fame, own "The Daddy Rabbit Kennels", Royston, Georgia

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LR Patch
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Re: New to 411 , need your help plz

Post by LR Patch »

Never thought bout the sulfur but I can see where it would b good . Go'n to get some tomorrow and put'm out .
Randy Vanosdale
LOUDON RIDGE PATCH
KL Vanosdale

http://www.loudonridgepache.com

Home of the tried and true Patch Hound! "Where honesty and
good hounds are a family tradition"

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JUDE
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Re: New to 411 , need your help plz

Post by JUDE »

Thanks for all the info Randy! I had my weed patch plowed up and planted 4 types of clover along with Blue grass...Its growing great! Next fall I will try some winter peas in the mix if all goes well.
Jude's Beagles

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LR Patch
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Re: New to 411 , need your help plz

Post by LR Patch »

Anytime Buddy ,
we have also had good luck with winter wheat , lots of animals like it too . Also it's best to sow crimson clover right now for a good winter cover & food source .
Randy Vanosdale
LOUDON RIDGE PATCH
KL Vanosdale

http://www.loudonridgepache.com

Home of the tried and true Patch Hound! "Where honesty and
good hounds are a family tradition"

Aubrey Holcombe
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Re: New to 411 , need your help plz

Post by Aubrey Holcombe »

Update on my Running pens with the newly planted switchgrass ?

I had bad luck with my Switch Grass? I see where this Grass is a very hard type to get start in your starting pens, if you have other type of seed and cover already been there, for a long time !

So I only had some spots to come up and lot of it was chocked Out by the other seeds. Here is a Caution about buying these, bags of Mixed Seeds, that have packaged for the Deer Food Plots !! There was a seed in some of them,,that I didn't Know What it was, and like a fool, planted a bag of that stuff back a few months before I made the decision to order the Switch Grass seed. Well that stuff, took over my newly planted seeds, and it start raining here in Ga.it was the wettest, year on record, so I got lots of good looking feed for whatever, but the grass, that i was wanting got choked out !! Deer lives that stuff, and they jumping over inside my starting pens, just to get to that stuff ? I have to keep an eye on them to try and keep them out, but an old doe had three little fawn inside the pen, and they don't know how to get out to they about 5 or 6 months old

Thinking about Spraying that stuff, an trying to kill it our before, i go to all the expense, of plowing it up and starting over again this Fall,

D.R.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~>>
ARHA Hall Of Fame, own "The Daddy Rabbit Kennels", Royston, Georgia

Aubrey Holcombe
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Re: New to 411 , need your help plz

Post by Aubrey Holcombe »

Don't seem like it has been this long,, 10 years ago I was trying to get this Big Blue Steam & Switch Grass started inside one of my Starting Pens.
I have worked with the Mule Shoe Texas Seed Company. Bramblets I think they go by this name, right off top of my head sounds about right?

Lots to lurn, way to much for me, but the main thing is you have to Spray an Kill everything and then you Can Not plant it until the ground Temp is 65 degrees. These seeds are so small and light weight has to be hand seeded. Not very deep at all and cult packed into the ground!

It took me a few years, but once it growing best cover I ever had, inside my Starting pen rabbits reproduce mighty fine and its well worth all the effort, this Seed Company in Mule Shoe, Texas works hard with me an If i had not got their advise, never been able to get it going so well..

D.R.~~~~~~~~~~>> :check:
ARHA Hall Of Fame, own "The Daddy Rabbit Kennels", Royston, Georgia

Aubrey Holcombe
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Re: New to 411 , need your help plz

Post by Aubrey Holcombe »

Aubrey Holcombe wrote:
Tue Mar 13, 2018 2:56 am
Don't seem like it has been this long,, 2 years ago I was trying to get this Big Blue Steam & Switch Grass started inside one of my Starting Pens.
I have worked with the Mule Shoe Texas Seed Company. Bramblets I think they go by this name, right off top of my head sounds about right?

Lots to lurn, way to much for me, but the main thing is you have to Spray an Kill everything and then you Can Not plant it until the ground Temp is 65 degrees. These seeds are so small and light weight has to be hand seeded. Not very deep at all and cult packed into the ground!

It took me a few years, but once it growing best cover I ever had, inside my Starting pen rabbits reproduce mighty fine and its well worth all the effort, this Seed Company in Mule Shoe, Texas works hard with me an If i had not got their advise, never been able to get it going so well..

D.R.~~~~~~~~~~>> :check:
ARHA Hall Of Fame, own "The Daddy Rabbit Kennels", Royston, Georgia

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