Whenever you hear a gaggle of hunters discussing meals plots, there’s probability the dialogue will focus on white-tailed deer. And that’s not shocking when you think about 80 p.c of all hunters pursue whitetails, and meals plots cannot solely enhance the deer hunter’s odds of success, however can even lead to greater, more healthy deer. However meals plots aren’t only for whitetails —turkeys and turkey hunters each can profit.
Wild turkeys depend on a wide range of meals sources to get them via the yr. In actual fact, famend turkey biologist and creator of Wild Turkey Searching and Administration, Lovett E. Williams Jr., wrote, “Turkeys are among the most resourceful feeders, consuming hundreds of different kinds of insects, other small animals and plant parts, including almost everything that is edible and some things that are not.”
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So, in most of their vary, meals isn’t a limiting issue for turkeys. Mix that with the truth that no quantity of meals will produce a “Boone & Crockett” turkey, it’s comprehensible why planting meals plots hasn’t been a serious focus for a lot of turkey hunters. What meals plots can do, nevertheless, is present a useful meals supply for the birds at essential instances of the yr. They will additionally present good brood-rearing habitat and bugging areas, in addition to glorious locations for gobblers to strut.
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Best Meals Plot Mixes for Turkeys
There are a selection of meals plot species that may work properly for turkeys and, in lots of instances, these can function glorious deer meals plots as properly. Some species will present meals and appeal to turkeys in the course of the spring turkey season, however many are extra suited to offering a useful summer season and fall meals supply to assist the birds get via winter in good bodily situation for the spring breeding season.
Let’s have a look at a number of the extra widespread choices for turkey meals plots, in addition to tips on how to get the best profit from every.
Chufa
One of the crucial generally mentioned meals plot species particular to wild turkeys is chufa, notably for these of us residing within the south. Chufa is perennial sedge native to Africa and Southern Europe. Not like the opposite meals plot species mentioned on this article, it’s not the above-ground portion of the plant that pulls turkeys. It’s really the nut-like tubers that develop on the roots of the plant that the birds can’t resist.
Chufa ought to be planted in late spring to early summer season at a fee of 30 to 40 lbs./acre. The sedge performs finest in sandy soils however could be grown in any space the place corn will develop. Chufa is inclined to weeds, so good plot preparation is essential. Be ready to comply with up with herbicide weed management, if mandatory.
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One factor to remember with chufa is that it might take the turkeys some time to find the tubers, particularly when planted in a brand new space. As soon as it has matured, it’s possible you’ll must scratch up a number of the tubers and even calmly disk the sphere to assist the turkeys discover them.
Cereal Grains
Cereal grains corresponding to wheat, rye and oats are a superb choice for a wild turkey meals plot. They’re comparatively straightforward to develop, cheap, and may present meals for turkeys all year long. Their lush inexperienced progress is enticing to turkeys within the fall, winter, and spring, and as soon as the vegetation seed out within the late spring and summer season, they supply a useful seed supply that may final properly into the winter.
Cereal grains ought to be planted within the late summer season or fall at a fee of 90 to 150 lbs./acre (broadcast) or 60 to 90 lbs./acre (drilled). If broadcasting, be sure you comply with with a lightweight disking or a cultipacker for finest outcomes. Since cereal grains are fast to germinate and develop, they’re much less topic to weed points than many different meals plot species.
A cereal grain meals plot could be enhanced even additional when mixed with clover. Not solely will you get the complete yr’s good thing about the cereal grain, however you’re going to get the additional advantage of extra years of forage if correctly maintained. Remember the fact that cereal rye is probably the most winter-hardy of the three, nevertheless, it’s not a good selection If mixing with clovers (extra on that later). Wheat and oats each do properly combined with clover, however oats don’t overwinter properly within the colder climates of the north.
Clover
Clover can undoubtedly be probably the greatest selections for a turkey meals plot. Not solely does it present a fantastic supply of meals however, as a legume, it additionally attracts a lot of bugs for younger poults and grownup turkeys alike. Its low progress additionally supplies a superb location for gobblers to strut and younger poults to forage.
As talked about above, if clover is your turkey plot of alternative, I’d initially plant it in a combination with wheat or oats. The cereal grain will provide fast progress and act as a weed suppressant whereas the clover will get established. A superb combine for each turkey and deer could be 50 kilos of wheat, 5 kilos of Ladino or Durana clover, and 5 kilos of purple clover per acre.
Be sure you inoculate your clover seed with the right pressure of Rhizobium micro organism previous to planting, except you bought pre-inoculated seed. Additionally it is crucial that clover seed not be planted over 1/4-inch deep, as it would lead to poor germination. One of the simplest ways to get this appropriate seeding depth is to calmly drag or cultipack the seed after broadcasting. If you’re planting in a combination with cereal grains, broadcast the cereal grain first, calmly disk or cultipack after which plant your clover seed final.
Grain Sorghum
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Grain sorghum (milo) is a warm-season annual just like corn that was launched to the U.S. from Africa. It’s properly know for it’s drought tolerance and the big seed head it produces, which is most well-liked by turkeys, in addition to deer, dove and lots of different wildlife species. The Wild Recreation Feed (WGF) selection is a superb alternative for turkeys, because it solely grows to round 3-feet tall, leaving the seed heads extra accessible for turkeys.
Milo ought to be planted from April to June, relying on the place you reside, at a fee of 5 to six lbs./acre drilled or 8 to 10 lbs./acre broadcast.
Millet
Millet is one other warm-season annual grass that produces a seed head favored by turkeys. There are quite a few varieties obtainable, together with browntop, dove proso, pearl, and japanese millet. Every selection varies in its general peak in addition to how lengthy it takes to mature. Some millets mature in as few as 50 to 60 days, whereas others take as much as 120 days. By various what and whenever you plant, you’ll be able to present turkeys with a useful meals supply all through the summer season and fall months.
Millet could be planted from April to August, relying in your location, at a fee of 12 to 30 lbs./acre. Once more, it will rely on which selection you plant and whether or not you broadcast or drill the seed. Like clover, millet has a small seed, so ensure you don’t plant it too deep.
Meals Plot Concerns
When selecting a meals plot combine for turkeys, be sure you take the property’s deer density into consideration. Some species maintain up significantly better than others to heavy shopping stress. If deer are an issue the place you turkey hunt, and you might be planting small plots, it could be mandatory to stay with chufa or a wheat/clover or oats/clover combine. Have in mind with the latter, that the wheat or oats might by no means produce a viable seed head whether it is constantly browsed to the bottom by deer. Nevertheless, the wheat/oats will take a few of that shopping stress off of the clover, giving the clover an opportunity to turn out to be established. If hogs are an issue in your space, then chufa might show to be a poor choice. Though hogs can wreak havoc on any meals plot, they love rooting up the tender tubers of chufa vegetation.
Turkey meals plots, identical to every other wildlife planting, ought to at all times start with a soil take a look at. When you obtain the take a look at outcomes, comply with up with a lime and fertilizer software based mostly on the take a look at suggestions. Additionally it is critically vital to start the planting course of with a easy, well-prepared seedbed or, if no-till planting, a subject that has been correctly sprayed with herbicide to kill the present vegetation. Most meals plot failures could be averted on the entrance finish of the method with slightly planning and preparation.
Abstract
Whereas planting meals plots for turkeys might not be as well-liked as planting them for deer, it shouldn’t be missed as a method to higher turkey habitat and searching. Then, whenever you lastly get to tug the set off on that clever, outdated longbeard strutting alongside the sting of your plot, you’ll lastly perceive the complete rewards of working the land for extra than simply deer.
