Lots of land, not much machinery

[mgrouse]

A friend of mine recently acquired a big farm in Central Kentucky with two medium sized ponds and a seven acre lake/pond (big bass, huge crappie), with about three hundred acres of nice fields and twenty or so acres of woods. Deer and doves are all over the place. For now, I am more interested in the doves. I have free reign to plant or do whatever on the property, but I don't have much in the way of equipment. There are a couple of tractors I can use but only a bushhog and batwing as far as implements. I can borrow a plow, but can't transport discs or other implements. My question then is, what can I plant for a dove field, I thought millet, but also how should I go about it with just a plow. I do have a tiny little tiller at home which I guess I could use if I had to.

[Landguy]

I new a fellow that instead of using a disc in his tobacco field he would just drag it. He used two railroad ties connected with a cable. It seemed to work pretty well as he always had a good tobacco crop. You could probably use something similar....perhaps a large log or something. After sowing the seed you could run over it with an old piece of fence or an old gate to cover the seed.

[gates]

If you can let an area grow then burn it at the right time in the spring It will be almost void of plant matter above the ground. Then you can brocast seed and fertlizer. If you do this you really need a cultipacker so not to "drag up" the seed. If you burn in late Jan or Early Feb there will be enough freeze and thaw to plant the seed for you. Make sure to put down the proper lime on the fall before. This method takes time but little to no machinery. I have done this for food plots with only a 4 wheeler and small pull behind disk. I disk about 10' around the area until it is nothing but dirt and then burn. You can also just keep 10' around it mowed as low as possible, the short green grass will not burn. You want just a little breeze and dry grass. I pull a fertilizer buggy with the seed mixed in with my truck. I have used a plastic barrel with a metal rod and 2x4 frame pulled behind my 4-wheeler to press the seed to the ground. I fill the barrel 1/2 full of water, more will come out the hole in the center of each end that the rod goes thru. I planted 3 acres of Imperial clover like this 6 year ago. I now have better equiptment. Good seed/soil contact is a must.

James

[Darton73]

Hey mgrouse,

Pay Southern states to come out and spray the area you want to plant with Roundup(or borrow a sprayer and do it yourself). Then contact your local Private Lands Biologist or your local NRCS office and see if you can get your hands on a no-till drill. You can drill millet and/or sunflowers. It's not as effective as traditional plowing/discing, but it may be the only way with your equipment limitations.



Brian Grossman
Darton73@alltel.net

[Birdman]

Will millet grow as winter wheat does? If so sow you seed while your grass or weeds, what every it may be is standing and then bush hog leaving the grass or weeds lying over your seed. The cover will hold the moisture in and your seed will germinate quicker than if you plow and disk. We do wheat this way every year. If not get in touch with your ASCS office or what every their calling it now, usually they will have equipment that they can rent at a very low cost.