So as I am sitting in my stand I started thinking about what I need to do differently for next year. I am thinking of a food plot. In the picture you can see red is the perimeter, blue is creek and pond, yellow is my stand, green is feeder and the dark red circle is the clears I am thinking about removing to put a plot in. I was going to go all the way up to where the hardwoods start along the creek bed but they are mostly hackberry. Should I leave all the hackberry trees? Do you think the food plot will be good size, it will be about 150yards by 50 yards. Give me advice guys. I was hoping to have this done by this year but it seems like something new is constantly taking priority with owning land.

I wouldn't cut any hackberry down for a food plot.

This. And I wouldn't hunt over plot. Put it in the opposite corner from blind, where it is already thin.

That spot may be thin because the soil is not worth a crap. May not grow a plot.

The spot you are referring too is all rock, I think you are talking about the top left corner where it looks white inbetween the trees? Everywhere else is good soil. I thought everyone hunts over a plot if they can?

Definitely do a food plot. You know where the good soil is, utilize it. I've got a place I hunt that's pretty much the same as yours. Food plot helped tremendously.

Erathkid, how big did you make your food plot?

A food plot will help you more than anything else you can do. And I have had food plots that I hunted over and plots that I did not just to give the deer a safe haven........I was stupid.....hunt the plot with a feeder half way down one side next to the hardwoods. You are going to kick your butt for not doing it this year.

I know Mr. T but I want to hunt this year so I don't want to make too much commotion with cutting trees and planting. First year ownership, got to take year by year. I want to do the food plot and get me a spot in the woods for next year

By you some ryegrass and spread it around the feeder and blind for this year. Ryegrass will grow just about anywhere if you get enough rain on it.

Just throw it on top of the ground or do I need to till it?

Throw it on top of the ground. I did it in the Hill Country on very rocky soil and it grew well if it rained. Plant it thick right before a rain if you can.

Dang it's raining tonight, would have been a good time for it

If it is still more rain in the forecast for this week do it one evening. Really better it soil is wet and then gets another rain on top of the seed.

No more until the 3rd of November then it looks like we will get a few days in a row. I can wait till then. Do you recommend just regular rye grass seed or something like this. http://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/evolved-harvest-throw-gro-5-lb?cm_vc=-10005

Same company has oats, radish and clover bags. All no till

I use Gulf Rye and if you think you will get enough rain (then add a bag or two of the others if you have some decent soil). TSC down here has the Gulf Rye also IIRC. I have planted oats also mixed with Rye Grass. If you read the label most no till will be mainly Rye Grass and more expensive than buying 50# of Rye Grass. You can buy the oats,clovers or radishes/turnips to mix in also.

Cool, thank you for the info

we used to soak our oats for a few hours, then toss them out on top of the ground 4-7 days before a rain was forecast. This would give them a bit of a jump start. I don't know if rye would do similar.

It's not to late to grab a bag of oats (50lbs) for $12 and pour them out on the ground. Then take a rake and just cover them up as best as you can. They will sit in the ground and grow with the first rain. Takes about 9 days for them to come up. Here is a photo of exactly that along a fence row that I did last year in the road. Yes, people will tell you that they will die during the first freeze but that is not all together true. It takes a really hard freeze that last over a couple of days or so.

Hackberry trees are born looking for a place to die. Grow fast, die fast. Trash tree-cut 'em down if you want. Oaks, elms, or other hardwoods I would leave.

I'll go through this spring and clear them out. You are the second person that said to get rid of them. I do like them more than the stinkin junipers that pop up everywhere.

I may plant some oaks depending on what I have out there already and cut down some of the larger hackberry and leave the smaller ones just for density purposes.