Aldeer.com Forums Alabama Deer Talk ALTurkey Talk -- Beards and Spurs Converting a food plot to brooding cover.

I have a food plot I want to convert to brood cover later this year. It’s about 1.5 acres or a little larger. There’s a small area adjacent to it that was clear cut last year due to pine beetle damage. Other side of plot had the timber thinned at the same time. In past years I’ve had broods using this area based on cameras but nothing this year. I have found a few broken eggs in the plot area this year but I’m pretty confident the nest was not in the plot but eggs were carried there by possibly a grey fox. I think nesting cover should be better in this area next spring.

As far as the plot, I’m pretty sure there will be some clover that reseeds as well as ryegrass. I’m planning on a late fall disking and letting it go fallow. I’ll spray clethodim to take care of the ryegrass. Ideally it will come up in a decent stand of ragweed. Pretty sure there will be some thistle, I’ve been spot spraying it but know there will be more, not a fan but it does attract a lot of pollinators.

Now to the question, if the forb response isn’t adequate is there a warm season crop that could be seeded in time to offer decent cover ? Not opposed to buying ragweed and partridge pea and planting the following fall if needed. I also have another area that’s too heavy in broom sedge, brushy bluestem and Bahia that I’m starting to spray now to reduce grass stand. It’ll get disked or burned this fall as well.

What would you do ?

Broom edge, would be my pick for cover. But you've already said no. It does stay really wet after a spring summer rain. But i could be completely wrong. Have found nests in several stands before.

I’m looking for more of an umbrella type cover that allows the poults to forage with overhead cover. Ragweed is just about ideal.

A December disking produces a nearly solid stand of ragweed in my plots. My problem is finding time to do it. If I don't disk the plots, they grow up in dog fennel.

Hope I can be that fortunate. Ernst has partridge pea and common ragweed. If winter disking doesn’t produce what I’m looking for I will try one of their mixes and probably add to it.

I disked by dog fennel this winter and I mostly have dog fennel again this year. This year I'm going to try mowing it down before it goes to seed and then come back and disk later.

Good luck and please do report back.

There are a few places in Union Springs that sell both local ragweed and partridge peas. Local is better. However, most of the annuals that come back from a winter disking are good brood cover without having to plant. MHO

Thanks for the info.