[rack collector]

We own some land in south western Virginia that is all mountain land. The land was select timbered about 15 years ago and now has become a very thick habitat for deer. We are tossing around the idea of planting food plots this spring but we dont know anything about them. What would be a good seed for mountain terrain? Some of the locations would be under a good canopy of shade while others would get sun most of the day. The areas are old logging roads and some untouched forest floor.

 

[Guest]

whatever you use be sure to prep the soil with lime and fertilizer. its been my experience that if you don't, you're wasting your $$. i always liked the idea of a strip plot using a high protein (like alfa-rack) for the spring and summer, this will help the does with lactation and boost the antler growth of the bucks, and a high carb (a turnip type) for the fall and winter. i've never had any luck with that throw and grow type stuff.

on a side note where in va? i belong to a hunt club near pulaski but have never hunted it. my daughter goes to school in salem, va. nice country down there.

 

[rack collector]

Thanks for your help. Ill be sure to do plenty of site prep. Will any type of seed grow there with the right soil prep?

My land is in a little town called Saltville. Its about 45 min north east of Bristol. Your right there is beautiful country in that area.

 

[Guest]

By :But remember, if

By :But remember, if the pletnay is to high, no corporate executive will risk the consequences associated with deep sea drilling. If you want them to drill, they're always going to want a profit and probably a safe harbor standard to avoid catastrophic liability and the potential risk of another big bang.That's what Obama has failed to realize in many areas. It reminds me of California's Governor Davis who practically declared war on anyone who produced electricity. There was one case where that entity was a city that brought in its own generators, and he had the state take them over, effectively stopping any other city from doing anything to help produce electricity in a time of severe need. Rate this comment: 0 0

 

[Hot Coffee Hunter]

Nitrogen is the first number in your set of numbers in fertilizers. I have not ever had much luck planting anything under a shade (canopy) other than gulf rye grass and then it only made it untill the leaf drop and then they smothered it out. If it was me I would only plant where good sun light could reach the ground for several hour each day. For the woods I would fertilize the browes that was already thier. Be sure and lime heavy where you are going to plant. In your part try the Imperal extreme mixed with chickory for a year round plot.

 

[Hunting Man]

Hillside planting? I would agree with ronn, plant rows and alternate different seeds. I would spend the up front money and chemically kill everything. Then run a soil ph check and adjust for accordingly. Soil conditions dictate the proper seed to use. Moist soils support clovers, brassicas. Dryer soils, alfalfas, specialized seeds for it. Whitetail Institute can give you excellent advice on proper planting ideas and seeds for specific soil conditions.

 

[rack collector]

I guess you could call it hillside planting. The tracts will not be very wide though just as wide as a logging road. That is the only places we were gonna put the plots was in the old logging roads. There is a flat on top of the main ridge that we were gonna get grubbed out then plant a plot there.

 

[Guest]

Such a deep anwsre!

Such a deep anwsre! GD&RVVF

 

[weewilly]

Remember that you need land owner premision to plant ! At least in NH.

 

[Hunting Man]

To help the deer nuitritionally plant early crops like clovers that bucks can use for antler production and give the whole herd good food source. Fall crops will give a boost for fall food shortages. Like ronn said figure out if it is for food or to shoot over then pick a seed. Personally if the plot is to simply harvest deer I wouldn't spend big money on high doller seeds. Farmer quality seeds would work fine.

 

[Huntin Fireman]

Rack Collector,
I was just back there in Nov and was hunting in Damascus. I live out here in California and have lots of family back there. This was my second year hunting back in Virginia and plan on coming back every year from now on. I took a drive up to the Clinch Mount. WMA to take a look around and drove right through Saltville. That's a very cool little town. Boy is that whole area very hilly and steep. I would love to buy some property back there and develop it for good deer hunting. Good luck with your food plot.

Jimbo

 

[rack collector]

Hunting Fireman
I know where there is some land for sale just outside Saltville on the North Fork River Road. It is mountain land with some river frontage. I dont remember what they were asking for it but Ill try to get a phone number for you if you want it. It actually joins my familys property. Your right that is some hilly steep country. But ontop of those mountains at sunrise is the closest thing to Heaven on Earth I think you will ever find.

 

[Huntin Fireman]

Rack Collector,
Hey that sounds great. Does the land look like it would be good for deer hunting? Is it next to the area that you want to plant that food plot?
On another note, have you hunted the Clinch Mountain WMA and if so how did you do?

Jimbo

 

[rack collector]

Jimbo,

The land I am talking about is next to the area I am wanting to do the food plot. I have seen many deer on this land. In this area one big business is buying and selling rock off of your land it is very similar to logging. The rock was sold off this land. I know that the land is thick, it is steep in places, it consist of ridges and hollars. I have been thur Clinch Mtn WMA several times. We used to hunt an area that was on Clinch Mountain and joined the WMA in which I have done pretty good. I took a 13 point buck (which I have not had scored) and several others. There are several good areas in the WMA to hunt. How far did you go back into Clinch Mountain WMA? Did you make it to the lake?

Justin

 

[Huntin Fireman]

Justin,
Yea we made it up to the lake, very nice up there. One thing I really thought was beautiful was the stream that followed the road up to the WMA. My hunting buddy and I also followed the road that takes you past the shooting range and parked where the gate was closed. We walked about a mile in and ran into some guys on horses that told us that the road goes back in there farther than we might want to walk. We saw one doe off of the road but that was it. If I lived back there and had more time I would like to take more time and check out that area more. I have to tell you that I love it so much back in Va. I have spent so many summers as a kid at my grandparents place (in Meadowview) hunting any small creature I could. The land your talking about does it have areas that would be good for a food plot?

Jimbo

 

[rack collector]

Jimbo, the road forks there at the shooting range so you either went to Jacksons Gap or Panther Lick (thats the local names). Both are good areas to hunt. Also as you start up the mountain in the WMA there is an access road that takes you into Little Tumbling also another good place to hunt. Down the mountain a little lower there is another area called the muck. We have hunted that area quite a bit. I haven't got to hunt the other areas much myself but my family from there has hunted it and done well. All these areas are in the WMA. Its like anywhere else you have to do some legwork to find the good places. The land I was telling you about is very thick. There is 24 acres and an old house foundation. The old house burned a few years back. I guess you could put a food plot on it but it would have to be ontop of the ridge behind the old house seat. This property directly joins my property between two ridges. Have you ever heard of Google Earth? If you haven't its free to download off the net. If you have it I can give you some GPS coordinates for this land. Where in Meadowview is your family from? Mine lives in Aistrop Hollow Rd.

 

[Guest]

Sounds like you're

Sounds like you're going to get a good haul. Out here in the midwest late bighlt fungus is ruining a lot of tomatoes. I think farmer's market tomatoes are one of my favorite parts of summer RE: RE: Agriculture prices have been pretty volatile this summer. I think the high prices at the grocery are more related to the stickiness of price drops at the consumer level, compared to price drops at the wholesale level (of course, price increases at the consumer level aren't so sticky ). The corn and soybean crops are really big this year, so maybe retail prices will go down again. Rate this comment: 0 0

 

[Huntin Fireman]

Justin, We went left of the shooting range which would be Jackson's Gap. We took that road until we came to a locked gate and a small parking area. We parked and walked in about a mile when we ran into the two guys on horses, thats when I asked them how far the road went. My Grandmother lived on Loagan Creek Rd. My cousins live down Robindale rd, just down from Snavely's store. Are you failure with that store? I use to go down to that store when I was a kid and get a new knife every summer. As far as Google Earth goes yes I use it all the time and spent a lot of time on it studying Clinch Mountain. If you know how to out line a mapped area that would help to outline the property but gps numbers would be great too!!! Have you ever seen any bears up on the mountain? We saw bear scat when we were up there and it looked fresh. On another note I spoke with the guys at Whitetail Institute about a product that I could use that would work for me and that would not require a lot of time to keep it up. They recommended planting annuals. They told me that they have lots of customers that live far from where they own property and this would work for me.

Jimbo

 

[Huntin Fireman]

ronn I agree with you. I think Va. is a great state to live. When my parents split when I was a kid my brother ended up living back there with Dad (bro. always got in trouble and needed a heavy hand) and I stayed with my Mom out in California. My brother doesn't hunt and I do, go figure. When ever I go back there I feel like I'm home. My wife is amazed when we drive around because I know all the back roads and can get here lost in a heartbeat.

Jimbo

 

[rack collector]

Jimbo,
I am familiar with that store. I was in there a couple of summers ago. Yes I have seen bear on Clinch Mtn. This summer I saw one cross the river road not far from my land it was heading up onto Little Mountain. Turkey, deer, bobcat, coyote, bear, and I don't know if I believe it but I have been told that there are now mountain lion in that area. If you would have went up by the shooting range there is another road that leads to Panther Lick. I have been camping and hunting in there. No luck that trip though. Ill get you the GPS coordinates tonight and try to get you a link to the Washington Co. tax map and a name to look it up by. If you came from Saltville up the valley to the WMA then the mountain to the right was Clinch Mountain and the mountain to the left was Little Mountain. The land I am refering to is on the opposite side of Little mountain.