News
- MDHA Admin
- From Whitetales
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Looking Back at Food Plots What Works and What...Not so Much
Looking back at the years of food plots I've built and planted have been probably more years that I care to remember, but I have had a considerable amount of experience to be able to look back and realize what works and what has not been so productive.
Over the years, there have been a lot of ideas and or, thoughts of what you should do or what you should be doing. A lot of these “ideas” or “plans” are simply to fill pages in a magazines or articles on social media. If there wasn't new and exciting things to look at, people wouldn't be buying magazines or reading on the internet from these “so called experts”. Who wants to listen to the same old mundane methods that actually work? If it's on the internet or in print, it has to be true!
It's fun to try new things, but some of these new marvels are not always very reliable. For example, throwing your seed on untilled ground or, my favorite, the liquid fertilizers and liquid lime. “Put a pint of this on your 1 acre food plot and magic happens.” Really? Simply put, if this was so great, why isn't it setting the agricultural world on fire? It isn't and in reality, it would take so many gallons of this per acre that it never would be the economic and labor free product they claim it to be.
The same seed company that goes to great lengths to explain how important it is to fertilize, lime and till the soil so that the seed has perfect seed to soil contact, turns around and says, “just throw this seed on the ground and it grows like magic”. It's all just advertising to sell their product. Think about it.
There are a lot of people out there nowadays specializing in telling you how to manage your hunting lands. I'm not saying all of them, but a lot of them are just talking the talk. Just make sure that they really do know what they're talking about. One of the sure-fire ways I have found to be true about these so called “experts” is food plot locations. I have seen it where , on the map, that they have made for you located a food plot in the middle of a cattail swamp. It seems they never really walked the property. They just took a map off of the internet or simply don't know what they are talking about. They're just making you an attractive map to charge you a large amount of money.
Another good one is telling you to plant certain plants that would never grow there or should never be planted in that soil type. It just sounds good and makes them sound professional, but really won't work.
Another thing to consider is cost. Is it really cost effective or saving you money? You still have to clear, or semi clear, an area which costs money, fertilizing which costs money, seeding which costs money, and then getting poor to mediocre results, which wastes money.
If you're going to spend time and money on a project like this, it would be worth it, in the long run, to do a little more tried and true farming practices, just like farmers do. Hence, all of the deer and large bucks in farm areas. There has to be something that they're doing right.
Basically, don't get caught up in all of the hype out there. A lot of the new seed, magic fertilizers and so called “expert ideas”, are what I like to refer to as the fishing tackle of food plots. After all, most fishing tackle is to hook the fisherman, not the fish.
Article By Jim Sobolik
Trophy Buck Food Plots
- MDHA Admin
- General Annoucement
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MDHA Had a Good Legislative Session
Greetings MDHA Members!
Last night the Minnesota Legislature adjourned after completing the work of assembling a two-year budget for Minnesota. Barring any need for a special session, they won't return to the capital until February of next year.
By no stretch was this a typical legislative session. The 2022 election gave Minnesota a DFL trifecta - coupled with a record near $19 billion dollar surplus and nearly a third of the legislature being brand new - all bets were off as to what the end result might be.
With the passage of a $72 billion dollar state budget - the largest in Minnesota's history, it remains to be seen the impact the increased spending will have on the state's economy. In addition - the majority party in St. Paul passed their ambitious social issue agenda without too much trouble - even considering they had just a one vote margin in the senate.
By most measures, the MDHA had a good legislative session. Several policies were included in the final Omnibus Environment bill that will benefit deer hunters across the state for years to come. Nearing the top of that achievement list are unprecedented measures to slow the spread of CWD, new investments in public lands, updated statutes around paperless licensing, and appropriations for new sport shooting facility grants.
We cannot forget the work done on prevention either. Stopping dangerous anti-wolf hunt policy was at the top of the list - and we built a successful coalition of partners that will continue to be effective into the future.
We built relationships - identified challenges - and worked to ensure your voices were present at the capital. And that effort will continue through the interim and into preparations for the next session.
We did not prevail on every issue - you prioritized opposing legislation that violated rights guaranteed under the second amendment. We made your voice heard, as did many other sporting and gun enthusiast groups, but in the end the legislature slid two of their own priorities into the omnibus public safety bill. Background checks will be expanded to include private transfers of certain semi-automatic weapons and pistols. And the "red-flag" law, which provides for court orders to law enforcement to confiscate weapons from people deemed a hazard to themselves or others was passed. I am confident we will hear much more about these provisions in the coming months - and it's safe to assume there will be legal challenges in court.
From my perspective - it has been a pleasure representing you at the capital - I have thoroughly enjoyed getting to know your organization and many of you. I look forward to working to make your efforts pay off as we go forward!
Enjoy your summer!
Erik Simonson
MDHA Lobbyist
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- MDHA News
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MDHA 2023 CHEVY TRUCK RAFFLE WINNER Congratulations Craig Evavold, Miltona, MN
Shown left to right: Sarah Dixon, Itasca Chapter Vice President Elect and Jared Mazurek, MDHA Executive Director, drawing the winning Minnesota Deer Hunters Association Chevy Raffle ticket Tuesday, May 16, 2023. The winning ticket was sold by the MDHA Alexandria Chapter.
- MDHA Admin
- Sponsor Corner
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Sure Game Wilderness Resort is your new recreational destination!
Sure Game Wilderness Resort has been around since 1941. A lot has changed over the years. On June 1st, 2022 our family’s adventure took a new turn. My husband Aarron, I and our two daughters recently purchased this amazing resort in Northern Itasca County. I bet you have lived your whole life in Minnesota and never heard of Wirt, MN. You are right, it is a small community surrounded by many wonderful attractions. We have learned a lot in our first year of owning a resort. I will never get over the beauty of Clear Lake. With only 5 houses and the resort on Clear Lake, some would say it’s extremely serene.
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- MDHA News
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2023 MDHA Education Raffle Winners
Minnesota Deer Hunters Association
460 Peterson Rd
Grand Rapids, Minnesota 55744
