Aldeer.com Forums Alabama Deer Talk Quality Deer Management Throw n Mow Q&A

Good deal!....It's looked rainy here for the last couple days but we haven't got squat yet.

Blum, I look at planting like playing Texas Hold �em��it�s a matter of probabilities. A guy may have a Jack/5 and decide to play it and the results may be that he wins the hand or it may be that he loses the hand. Someone may go in with a pair of pocket Kings and still lose the hand�..but the probabilities of each hand are still really what you�re playing. The same with planting�.I look at planting time as well as the techniques we choose to use as a means of trying our damdest to be holding a pair of pocket Aces when we plant or as close to it as possible. It�s not a hardcore black and white line�.it�s gambling.

I agree. Problem is, we never know when its going to rain. Several times last month the weather channel was calling from 70%-100% chance of rain at my place, and we didn't get a drop. They would call for 20%-30% and it would rain, so i try and plant about the same time every year that i've been planting for the last 25 years, with rain in the forecast and it works for me. Knock on wood, i've never had an army worm problem. I hear people say wait for October, and yet October on average is our driest month. Bottom line, do whatever works best for you. BTW, i planted into some live knee high grass at the club Sunday. Yesterday i sprayed, we'll see how that goes.

I have got to plant this weekend. I sprayed last Thursday, would not mowing as low to the ground help with moisture? Or does it matter how low you mow?

The more I think about it, the more leaving standing vegetation might help a little....but I'd still like my seed to be covered. Honest answer would be... I don't know for sure.

Thank you. Almost all my plots have plenty of cover. Last year i mowed about as low as the bush hog could go but I had plenty of mositure and it rained a good bit almost immediately following the planting. We have 30%, 30%, and 20% Monday-Wednesday with much cooler temps behind it. Even if it doesn't rain we should get some dew or fog in the mornings. I was think leaving 6-8 inches standing would help keep the birds off it and shade would help with moisture. We will see???

Still holding here. I'm in the orange now on the drought map. It came a brief afternoon shower going on three weeks ago and that's been it. I've got my fingers crossed that this front brings enough rain to settle the dust and then this tropical system heads our way. You can see dust kicking up off the dog's feet when they run right now. Snakes are on the move too. Neighbor has killed a couple within the last week and I got a small rattler here at my place yesterday.

I plant plots every year for a couple of clubs and they are freaking out that I haven't planted yet. I sprayed a couple of weeks ago and their plots are brown... Grown men that don't understand it takes rain to make it grow.No rain in the 7 day outlook other than a sprinkle today with the front coming thru.

There�s no need to until we get some different weather for sure.

this weekend will be the only weekend I can get all my members there to help me plant, If I dont plant this weekend I'll end up doing it myself. I' cant decide what to do

This weather pattern has to break pretty soon.

I threw Saturday and mowed today. It rained almost enough to settle some dust. I am hoping the cool weather will at least have some moisture in it at night and the morning.

We got some serious rain in south Shelby county. Sure hope that seed put down 2 weeks ago didn't all get eaten by birds.

Still just waiting on rain. I�ve decided that I�m just gonna drag my seed in. My soil is so soft and this hay is already broken down enough that I believe I will be better to just use a drag.



In the future I won�t try anymore double cropping of natural vegetation, I�ll just let the field do its thing naturally until planting day. Here is a strip I left to compare what it would have looked like. All of this vegetation has gone through its summer growth cycle and is now ready to transition naturally to another crop.



Here�s what that would look like after being mowed. You can see that it�s just as dead as if it would have been sprayed.

Planted most of my plots the generic disk and sow method and tried the "throw n mow" method on 3 plots. I will say, during these drought times, the generic disk and sow method was the only plots that we got seeds to germinate and grow with the one rain we have had since planting...

With the weather the way it is right now, that may end up being a detriment that it sprouted. I wouldn�t call winners and losers just yet. As long as the birds aren�t hammering the fields then your seed is still there in the T&M plots. I know hunting clubs plan certain planting weekends in advance but with the current conditions the way they are��.it would be better to not plant at all right now. I know that doesn�t sound like an option for many but going ahead with planting right now is a huge gamble regardless of the method. It would really be good to let it go ahead and rain first before we all started trying to plant. It�s gonna take a really good rain event to turn around the brown drought we�re getting into. These are just horrible planting times�.worst I can remember seeing for fall plots.

CNC, like you, I tried to double crop but now I don't have enough to mow. I've only got two T&M fields because the hogs jacked up one of them. I'll be running the disk over the plots with the gangs in a non-aggressive position. I'm hoping that I can keep most of the thatch on top. We are going to spread our lime and fertilizer this weekend and wait for a better forecast before slinging the seed.

Well, after 2 days of running a sprinkler on a bottom plot, i've finally got some sprouts showing up. I was so excited, like a kid at x-mas. I'm going to water again and this weekend hit it with some fertilizer. At least i'll have one plot to bowhunt. I had an eight pointer last year just out of range on this plot.

Hey, at least now we know. Next year it'll be easy to sit back and just let the field be until planting time.

I was sitting here thinking about trying to water something like a 10' x 10' area right in front of my stand. As dry and dead as everything is around here....one little green patch could put an old doe right in easy stickin range.