New Beginnings!

The guys and I probably didn’t need to wait until the first of April to start planting our spring food plots.  This year it was warm enough in late January for seeds to start hitting the ground.  To be on the safe side we waited until any chance of a late winter freeze had passed.  Once that threat was gone watching the radar became as popular as the ESPN iPhone app.  I was tuning into the weather everyday in hopes that a front filled with rain would move in off the Gulf.  We all kept watching the radar, and watching the radar, and watching the radar…..NOTHING.  In fact we didn’t get a single drop of rain in the entire month of March.  The 31 consecutive dry days had me and the guys in my hunting group feeling a bit of anxiety.  We had been waiting to plant these plots since the New Year.

You see, we signed on to this lease at an odd time, first of January to be exact.  PJ happened to score this piece of property through an old realtor buddy that he always has in his back pocket.  It’s a small tract, perfect for our small group.  It is close to the home, which we all love.  The wildlife on the other hand…..is present, but hardly plentiful.  The property has potential.  It actually butts right up to a really large tract that has tons of prime habitats and our scouting trips confirm that the deer and turkeys just seem to pass through our section.  On the plus side, our land has a permanent water source, but its missing one thing, “FOOD”!  So the idea of food plots began.

Trail cameras were deployed, feeders were filled and we started taking inventory of the animals that were using our section of woods as a cut through.  We watched their habits and mapped out three food plot locations based on water sources and potential bedding areas.  Next we brought in the heavy equipment.  We sprayed and tilled the areas that we desired to plant.  Soil samples were pulled to determine nutrient availability and soil pH.  The samples concluded that our current pH was a 4.0 and nutrient levels were poor, not much likes growing in these conditions.  To correct the low pH we applied two tons of lime/acre in order to hopefully raise the pH two points (around 6.0) and we decided to use a complete fertilizer that contained a micro nutrient package during planting.  All of this prep worked was completed back in mid-February.  This is why we were all antsy.  It’s a lot of work prepping the plots and it’s a huge victory when you compete the planting.

So to get back to watching the weather…… We all decided that April 7^th was the day we would begin slinging seeds.  There was no rain in the three day forecast but waiting any longer was going to drive us all crazy.  Everyone showed up to the lease, and we all had the specific tasks of spreading, fertilizing, dragging or rolling.  For the plots we chose to use a local seed company’s blend of seed.  Hancock’s Spring & Summer Food Plot Seed Blend.  This blend was developed for use in the south, especially Florida.  We seeded at a rate of 50lbs/acre and the 10-10-10 fertilizer went down at 200lbs/acre.  The seeds and fertilizer went down as planned and it was a huge accomplishment getting all the plots finished on our new tract.  The pictures of deer standing in lush green fields can’t escape my head. Now all we can really do is pray for rain!

 

If you have any questions about food plot preparation, soil issues or plant fertility we’d be happy to help.  Shoot an email to….Adam@TeamSouthernDraw.com. We’ll keep you posted on the progress of the plots and hopefully the deer and turkeys move in real soon.

Adam, SD Pro Staff

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The Turkey’s Have Arrived!!

From the moment duck season ended, I immediately began to think about turkeys.  You see, the problem is, since the beginning of September I’ve been hunting at least two weekends out of every month.  My wife has grown tired of hearing the “H” word, so for the last month and a half, I’ve done my best to stick around the house and not say that word.  Over that quiet month, I managed to plan four solid days of nonstop turkey hunting.  

The first two days, I would spend with Adam, as he drew a quota permit for the Green Swamp WMA.  He asked me to tag along and do some scouting, calling and the heavy lifting of carrying the camera.  The fun began last Friday as we headed to the swamp to do some scouting.  The sign was everywhere!!   We also managed to see a couple stud gobblers feeding along the roads and the two us were instantly pumped!

Opening morning arrived; we walked to our spot which seemed like ten miles to me.  Got our set up situated and I immediately started running the scenario of a big gobbler strutting around the corner and coming to us on a string. Needless to say, it never happened.  We did however; hear a lone gobbler not far away.  We gave him our best calling, but he was having none of it and meandered away.

The next morning we were recharged and decided to go to another spot where we found a roost tree with tons of sign all around it.  We slipped into the woods to about 150 yards from the roost and waited.  Sure enough, at day break the ‘Ol Tom’ belted out to let us know he was on that tree.  “I knew this was it”!  I had the camera positioned perfectly to catch him coming in.  We saw and heard him fly down and he continued to gobble like crazy.  Again, we called, he responded, and unfortunately he went the other direction.  Adam and I were puzzled, “what could we have done wrong”?  I personally think those public land birds are of a finicky type.  Regardless, we had a great time, and saw some really nice birds.  It was time for me to push on.  That next morning started the second leg of my turkey trip.  As Adam and I were packing up to leave the WMA, I was so excited to get on the road.  I gave him the, “yeah yeah, well I’m going to get” routine, and off I went.  South Carolina bound!!

 As soon as I arrived, I hit the woods running to see if I could put a big boy to bed.  Sure enough, an hour before dark they started filtering in.  I had 3 gobblers roost 70 yards from where I was sitting. I had to wait until well after dark and basically army crawl out in order not spook them.

This morning felt like Christmas to me!  The other guys in camp were drinking coffee and just barely waking up.  Not me, I was as excited as a hound waiting at the back door, wondering if we were leaving yet.  We got to the woods and the fun began.  The chaos sounded like there were twenty gobblers in the woods.  I worked the group that I roosted the night before; and unlike the green swamp birds, they liked the music.  Within 30 minutes of sitting, here they come. Two rounded the corner strutting and before I could enjoy the show I fired a shot and had a tom down.  Sooner than I could even get to my bird, I heard one of the other guys, not far from me, shoot the other gobbler retreating from my shot.  A double in the first 40 minutes of day light!  

 Despite not scoring on public land, this was one of the best few days of hunting I’ve ever had.  I’ve been thinking about spring since the last season. Hunting turkeys really jacks me up and I’ve been rather lucky the last few years. The past four days went by way to fast and I’m already trying to figure out my next turkey trip!

P.J. SD Pro Staff

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Out with Deer – In with Turkey!

Deer season is quickly coming to a close here in central Florida.  It has been a difficult year for me personally, the slowest season of my life to be honest.  Even sightings during all day sits seemed low.  Maybe it was just bad timing, maybe it was the weather?  It has been unusually warm….  It doesn’t help that work interfered with hunts, I was up and down for about a month with West Nile Virus, our new lease in central Georgia had a lot of problems, mostly lack of organization and quite frankly, I just ran out of time.  I know these are just excuses but they make me feel better.  Isn’t that what’s most important? 🙂  As bittersweet as the whitetail season coming to a close is, it is also a time for me to get excited.  It’s time to talk Turkey!!

Turkey hunting is an awesome time for me personally.  I get to run all over the woods, hunting with different people, chasing Eastern and Osceola birds, and did I mention that I don’t have to worry about scent control.  I set the Scent-A-Way to the side my friends. It is also one of the only times I can get my wife in the blind with her shotgun or her bow.  During most hunts she prefers to film rather than to be on the hot seat.  Hopefully this season we will be able to get her a bird within range. 

Hunting turkey this season is going to be interesting.  I have a few different hunting locations for the first time in a while and can’t wait to put the boots to the grind chasing some feathers.  One of my first hunts will be a public land 2 day quota hunt that will take place in the Green Swamp WMA.  I’m looking forward to this hunt and the running and gunning on this giant tract.  I also found a flock of birds on our new central Florida property and all I saw on stand this year at our Georgia lease were chickens.  One would think that the opportunities should be there.  We will see.  Hopefully my luck will change following a very uneventful whitetail season.  I’d better go get my diaphragm calls warmed up, it’s time to start annoying all of my employees for the days to come.  I’ll keep y’all posted.

Adam, SD Pro Staff

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