Is there such a thing as turkey food plots?

[Bigeclipse]

My wife and I purchased a home which has 120acres that boarders a couple thousand acres of other peoples property and state lands (most of this is hardwoods, pines and some small fields). I have seen some turkey in my woods (toms and hens) but was unable to get on them during our hunting season. I saw them the week before the opener in two over grown hay fields (grasses/weeds were about 2 feet tall) that we own and each is about 2 acres. I recently converted those two over grown fields into food plots for deer. Tilled them up and planted oats, wheat, rye, brassicas and clover.  On one of the fields I have seen turkey now on 2 seperate occasions and there is definitely a lot of turkey sign in there. It got me thinking...why are they coming to the field now and will they be there in spring? It is really the only food plot near by...you need to drive about 2 miles to get to an open field/some AG fields (im sure birds will travel that far). I know that nothing will pull birds more than giant 10+acre short grass fields but was wondering if there is something I can plant which may help keep the birds hanging around my property more. FYI this is in NY.

[Yelper]

Plant one of your fields in something like this.

Biologic's Turkey Gold Chufa Seeds For Food Plots

[Bigeclipse]

Plant one of your fields in something like this.

Biologic's Turkey Gold Chufa Seeds For Food Plots

How much would I have to plant to support say a group of 5-10 birds? As in, would they wipe them out in a matter of weeks if I didn't plant enough...

[TauntoHawk]

if your plot is the first thing to green and the low enough to strut in they will be there a heck of a lot more than when it was 2ft tall.

[Tail Feathers]

Leave some of that overgrown field land for nesting habitat.  Hens love to nest in that thick, high grass.  Food is important, so are roosts, water and nesting habitat.

[JHoyle]

Agreed on the nesting habitat. We have a place that holds very few birds in the fall but loads up in the spring. It's managed for quail and the turkeys thrive there in the spring. Food and nesting is equally important.


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[aaron]

Turkeys are attracted to a variety of different food sources.   If you want to really amp up your turkey attracting power, simply till up rows of fresh dirt in your plots. 

[idratherb]

chufa and peanut fields

[Fieldturkey]

We plant a lot of clover, chufa, and peanuts for turkeys. All do well

[Greg Massey]

Lot's of clover and good Ac. of Chufa....

[Cut N Run]

At my old lease, we planted several small plots (.5-2 acres each) of ladino clover mainly for deer, but since it was mostly timber and almost no crops in the area the turkeys came in droves. It almost wasn't fair.  A guy I know who owns some land just down the road from that lease said he plants clover and chufa with great success.  He said he gets his pick of any gobblers in the area because they all come around eventually.

Definitely have your soil tested by the agricultural extension agency before you plant to get the most out of your plots.  The better quality the soils, the happier your plants will be.

Good luck and let us know how it goes.

Jim

[Wingbone]

I plant ALL my food plots for turkeys. It just works out that they draw in deer and other wildlife, too. I do lots of clover. As much as I can, wherever I can. This is mainly to hold them on my properties. Then I have "kill" plots that I plant in grains the summer before and disk under in late winter. I'll disk those again about a week before season opens. Like another member mentioned, nothing draws turkeys much better than freshly tilled dirt. If you have some sandy soil, Chufa is great for drawing turkeys.

[nitro]

We have tried a lot of foods for turkeys. Chufa is good if you have the right climate and soil. Not sure how well chufa will do in New  York. Chufa is a lot of work and weeds can choke it out if you aren't prepared to spend the money to control invasive weeds. Chufa is a nut sedge and hates competing against other weeds.

Clover is possibly the best turkey specific food source- for several reasons. Once it is established, clover is easy to maintain - if it gets too tall, bush hogging or mowing can keep it producing for years if you choose the right variety. We have used - Arrowleaf, Yuchi, Durana and Ladino  ( in SC and GA ) with great results. The more temperate climate in NY will be well suited for any clover.

A side benefit is that clover plots attract all kinds of beneficial insects that hens and gobblers alike will eat.  Hens need some insect matter to aid in healthy egg production..

Get soil tests done to make sure the PH is right.. clover will produce it's own nitrogen.. won't need much of it..

If it were me, I would plant a good quality Oat seed ( we use feed oats or Buck Forage Oats) and top sow the clover in there with it. The oats will provide a food source for the deer and turkeys while the clover is getting established. Once it does, the clover will take over the plot.

Good luck.

[MK M GOBL]

We look at them mostly as an over winter food source, they are used throughout the year but getting birds through the winter and good food supply are the thing here in WI.

This is just Corn & Soy Beans we get through our local NWTF, we buy the beans (cheap) and corn is free from our chapter. We also have other open spaces for strutting and for hens rearing young, hay and grasses.

On the home farm, cattle supply a daily meal besides the ag bags.

Seems to work for us forget the count but 90+ birds in the winter flock

MK M GOBL