Question for the farmers -- Disc use

[AGarbers]

My next project is to make a food plot in my woods. If I cut the smaller trees and brush off at ground level, will a disc ride over them without damaging the disc?
Thanks.

 

[Farmerjon]

Well, a lot depends on the weight of the disc and amount of penetration you are getting. A good disc slightly "rolls" the dirt so when it encounters a stump and it doesn't "roll" yeah, could break a disc bell. If it is one of the lightweight discs for pulling behind your 4 wheeler, leave the cement blocks off of the top. Might want to be sure you aren't making a turn or curve when the disc is down and running over a stump. Hope this helps.

 

[IndianaSlim]

Go around em or pull em out....saves any headaches. You WILL break something trying to disk over the top of them.

 

[jd4320t]

I say dig them out. Won't you want them out anyway?

 

[AGarbers]

I would dig them out, but all I have is an old beat up MF TO20 with a grader blade. I've been using a come-along to pull some of the trees out but that's a ton of work. Maybe with the ground being wet it will make it easier. Valuable trees like cherry, oak, and walnut are going to stay. The ash and sassafras are going.

 

[fireball168]

See if someone around has a root rake, you're likely going to need more tractor.

 

[rugernut65]

well first get the landowners permission. if he is a cattleman,like me, he will want the cherry trees removed, they are poisoness to cattle. if he or she dont mind maybe they have a small tractor with a 2 bottom plow which in most cases will uproot those trees. i cut EVERY CHERRY TREE ON THE PLACE. but please make sure he or she doesnt mind you do that. also check with the dnr rules i believe that could be considered baiting if you hunt off of them,

 

[Farmerjon]

Creating food plots is considering habitat improvement. Hunting over food plots is not considered baiting. Now if you tilled up an area in the fall and poured a bunch of corn ove it calling it planting a corn habitat, yep, baiting.

My answer was for an interior woods food plot thinking of small equipment with 4 wheeler. Don't get caught up with food plots being symentrical, deer don't care if they are longer, wider at points, go around a big tree, etc. This is more natural anyway. So pick a spot that has light (large tree has fallen) thus a spot in the canopy allows light for growth. Thus, don't be afraid of going around stumps. Take a cordless drill with you, drill as large a holes as you can, in the spring pour some salt in the holes, they will help rot the stumps quicker. This could be baiting so do it in the spring and keep the salt filled all summer and quit so salt is gone before next hunting season.

 

[IndianaSlim]

That is still baiting FarmerJon, as all you are doing is creating a mineral lick that will be around for years. The salt gets absorbed by the soil and the stump, pretty soon the stump will be gone and the deer will have a hole ate in the ground from them eating the contaminated soil.

 

[Farmerjon]

Yep, don't do nothing. Not arguing today.

 

[mattkellyind]

My two cents from a forum newbie is I look at a food plot as bringing the health and body wieght up to better deer health over a period of plantings. With todays enriched seed antler growth is greatly increased for a area after the third year. Hunting a food plots its no different than hunting in my wifes garden the deer eat it up. If you can get the surrounding landowners to put out plots than the real benifet comes. A little work between neighbors can make a heck of a difference in a for square mile area. As for the trees go around them make it as natural as possible, if needing more light top some of the larger ones to get the UV Light. A big thing about food plots and hunting the area is to minimize human action in the area-- set it and forget it. Just my two cents--