Antelope Creek Wildlife & Ponds
"Specializing in Managing and Developing Fish and Wildlife Populations
and their Habitats and Providing Land Management Services so you can
get the most Enjoyment and Profitability out of your Property"

ESTABLISHED 2012
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Managing Clover Plots

8/24/2017

 
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We are only a week away from the opening day of Nebraska’s deer season and a few short weeks later many of the other Midwestern States seasons open. Are you fully prepared for the season? Don’t think only about your tree stands and shooting your bow. Yes both are very important but what about those food plots? Right now is the perfect time of year to do that final management practices to clover plots.

August is the time that I like to do the last mowing for the season. Usually it seems we start getting a little more rain and the temperatures start to cool. This can provide ideal growing conditions for the clover. Mowing Clover helps with two things. It helps to control weeds in the plot along with rejuvenating the plants. That rejuvenation helps provide new succulent growth that wildlife love to come a browse. I base mowing these plots off on when the archery season opens. Trying to mow about 2-3 weeks before the opener seems to be best. That way by the time you are ready to climb into the tree that clover is thriving once again.

This time of year is also good for fertilizing your clover plots. Using something like potash or a high potassium fertilizer along with some potassium will also help you obtain those lush plots into the growing season. It is said that doing this fall fertilizing may also help lessen the effects of possible winter kill on clover. I plan to do some of my own side by side testing this year to see the different results on how stands come back the following spring.

In the past I have sprayed clover to knock out the grass and broadleaf weeds about this time of year as well. However I have found that spraying is likely best done in the spring and early summer months. Spraying does work now but given the time of the year, typically mowing the clover now will set most of the weeds back that they won’t be an issue the rest of the fall. I will follow the plots up with spraying next spring to get ahead of the weeds early. Remember to take soil samples this fall and follow those recommendations for spring fertilizing as well.

With the proper management and care of your clover plots you can get them to last 3-5 years, and maybe longer in some instances.

Remember to manage today for a better tomorrow!

Brett Kleinschmit


Fall Preparation

8/1/2017

 
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As I stood there staring at all the fallen trees entangled in itch weed and thistles my imagination led me to September. I could see myself sitting high above a lush clover plot as the deer came out to feed. First the does with their fawns, followed by the younger bucks. As evening turned to dusk, a mature buck came walking out 20 yards from my stand. I imagined myself coming to full draw and sending an arrow through double lung city leaving a frothy red trail as he ran back to the woods. 

As I sat there daydreaming of fall, I knew I could turn this tangled up weed patch into something spectacular. The next night I was back with a chainsaw and began going to work. Even after working 12-13 hour days I still found the motivation to come cut up some brush for an hour a couple of nights a week. Finally, after a couple of weeks of cutting off and on with the chainsaw I had cleared the area of brush and trees and even had dug a few stumps out which seemed to make the area double in size. On to the next step, I had to get rid of all the weeds and thistles which had grew to about 5-6ft. tall. I filled the sprayer on the four-wheeler up and headed back down to the plot. Being careful not to get my young apple trees on the edge of the plot, I gave the whole area a healthy dose of round-up. 

A week or two later and all the weeds and thistles were dried up and falling over. Now was the time to hit it with the rotary mower. Although the ground was covered with bark and branches, it was no match for the mower lowered all the way to the ground and the tractor roaring in first gear. A short 20 minutes later the plot was looking better than ever with the weeds gone and the wood chopped to tiny pieces. 

As it was the middle of July, the plot could be planted anytime. I just had to play the waiting game for rain. However, work slowed before rain came and since I was only summer help, I got cut for the summer. With nothing better to do, I headed back down to the plot and cleared even more trees out and at least doubled the size of the plot. Now as July is coming to an end, the plot is prepped and ready to be planted with the first sign of August rain. As long as all goes well, come the beginning of September the plot will be a luscious green with a frothy red trail leading into the woods. 

James Kleinschmit

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    Brett Kleinschmit

     Owner of Antelope Creek Wildlife and Ponds.

    Land Specialist for Whitetail Properties Real Estate

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