Creating Food Plots - CultipackerS
The secret weapon when it comes to getting your food plots to produce crops
quicker and attracting wildlife . . . a Cultipacker! - by Jacob Roberts.
The Right Equipment -
I have seen a lot of "ATV" products being manufacturered for creating food plots, and I find myself amazed. First of all, let's just say that I don't recommend any of them for several reasons. Your food plot should be at least several acres (as in three) to provide enough food to attract and more importantly to feed a sizeable herd over the course of a year. The sensible way to accomplish this size job is to use the same thing that has been used as long as I've been alive to sow your crops . . . a TRACTOR, disc harrow, and my favorite new secret weapon, a cultipacker. Although the video below was not actually filmed in a food plot, it does show you what this tractor attachment is capable of.
What to Plant
Ladino clover produces the most protein of any other kind of clover. It packs a whopping 24 percent of crude protein at peak points during its growth cycle. If you mow it every 4 to 6 weeks, it will stay at this point all summer long and provide great nutrition for growing antlers and high quality milk for fawns. Come fall and winter though, Corn is the #1 choice of deer because of all the carbs, but if you have a dense population of deer, you may never see an ear of corn as deer will eat the plant itself. Winter wheat and rye are better choices as they are cheap, and good sources of energy for the deer when it is cold outside.
Why use a cultipacker?
With soybeans, rape, clover and wheat you can simply run your disc harrow over your plot to break the ground. We recommend one or two passes. On the second pass, work your seed into the ground and then you are ready to go over your food plot with a cultipacker.
If you watched the video, then you can see the V's that are left after going over it. This is the real advantage of using the cultipacker. Rainfall is gathered in the V's and is retained. You will find that this feature allows your crops to have the proper amount of water, and in turn they will come up far quicker than if you didn't use a cultipacker.
