Time to plant game crops
RICKY THOMPSON

This year probably will be one of the better years for wildlife to have supplement food. Wildlife have been doing great this year with abundant food supplies. When the weather changes they may need an additional food plot to keep them in good condition.

Young and tender food supplies make excellent snacks for wildlife of all types. Each type of wildlife has a favorite food but when it is not available they eat many crops, some good for them and some not so good.

Food plot plantings can be made in openings, along roads, power line right-of-ways, pipelines and other natural openings. Anything you plant will be used in some way. Normally we think of oats and wheat but our East Texas game will eat almost anything you will eat.

The first and most important step in wildlife plantings is soil preparation. If you plant the same area each year it may need lime, then after plowing spread your fertilizer and plant food crops.

You can plant small areas with one type of seed or if you have some acre-size areas they can be planted in strips of different food crops. I have seen a number of these strip plantings and these work very well for deer, turkey, hogs, birds, and squirrel.

Winter plantings can include the oats and wheat, ryegrass, clovers, vetch, winter peas, turnips, mustard or even field peas will grow until it freezes.

Summer plantings are often overlooked. Plantings of field peas, corn, soybeans, milo or grain sorghum, blackberries, millet, partridge peas and sunflower will help supplement the diet of wild game during different periods of the spring and summer. These can also be planted in the fall for browse but will not have time to produce grain or fruit.

Some food plots will need followup care such as topdressing with additional fertilizer and clipping to promote new growth which is tender. Study what you plant and care for it in the proper manner.

Ricky Thompson is the Texas Cooperative extension agent for Jasper County. For more information call 384-3721.