Bushogging now?

My food plots are knee deep now and just are not pulling the birds like before. Have you guys bushogged mid-season to try and give another area for them to strut in?

Dr. B

I bushogged some of our patches 2 weeks ago. More to help out the clover than anything though.

I doubt that it would bother them to much, they would run off and then walk around and come back at another time and love it.

That's my hope N2. About the only thing I have for them are those openings as my woods are too thick for them to stay in. I did cut 40 acres about a month ago and I'm seeing some tracks in the cutover but the fields are too deep for them to visit now. I figured it would probably stir up some insects as well.

Dr. B

Take a disc in there and turn them over. They will like that even more than bush hogged

Any chance of nests in there?

Doc, a member mentioned cutting our fields also. I think we are going to try and cut them this week.

Haven't thought about that. I gotta see if my man can even find time to get up there and do it for me.

Dr. B

It works. Ours were done 2 weeks ago and the birds have been all over them. When I am not there of course.

Discing will be alot more effective than bushogging unless you have established clover but you need to get the wheat and rye cut. The turkeys are shying from it since they cant see predators sneaking up on them. Just do it sooner than later so you dont destroy nests or young poults on up in the spring.

I hate to say this, but I agree with you

Yea a good one! I have seen a lot of nests in grown up greenfields this time of year, especially where the woods don't have good nesting cover and are too thick, unburned and/or un thinned.

Well, I'm proably screwed unless it dries out quick. That shower yesterday is probably gonna make it impossible to get to my plots with a tractor. Maybe this wind and some hot weather may help me. I just gotta get them a reason to get back on my place. I'm tired of hearing them holler across the line!!

Dr. B

I would do all three if possible. a strip of it disked, as strip B'hogged and a strip left like it is.
The disking give them a place to dust, the bhogged strip will let the clover come on and the strip left alone would support insects and seeds.
Just my 2cents.

I plan to bushogg a few of my fields tomorrow. Only going to do a few in hopes that they will attract the birds therefore there wont be as many places for them to be.

Disced mine about a week before season came in. Alot of regrowth since, but not too much to keep the birds out of the fields.