Ideally, you have at least a small garden tractor, Bad Boy Buggy or ATV with a small disc. If not, and you are planting a large area, look for a tractor for hire. If you are only planting mini-plots, you can probably get the job done with some sweat and a garden hoe. If you do not any equipment and do not want to work hard, take a look at Evolved Harvest Throw & Gro. I use this no-till forage in areas I cannot get my equipment to.

Alright, so here is the process I go through before planting a food plot. It may vary based on your soil, what you are planting and where you are planting, but it is a pretty solid foundation that will do the job in most cases:

1. The first thing I do is look at what is growing now. There may be some vegetation that needs to be mowed as short as possible. Knock it down as best you can.

2. Broadcast lime and fertilizer. Your soil sample results should have recommendations on the amount of lime you need to get the pH in the proper zone of 6.5 to 6.8, or at least above 5.8. If you are lucky, your pH Levels may be fine and you can skip the lime. The same goes for fertilizer. The difference in a non-fertilized plot and fertilized plot is pretty obvious. Follow the recommendations on the report for best results.

3. Disk the area. We want to get the lime and fertilizers incorporated into soil and kill whatever weeds and other vegetation is currently growing there. A thorough disking will cultivate the soil.

4. Smooth the area. A portion of some chain-linked fence with some cinder blocks on top pulled behind your tractor or ATV will do a good job of breaking up the clumps on the surface of the soil

5. Spray herbicide. Once the soil is cultivated and smoothed, wait until the first new weeds and vegetation are sprouting from the soil. Spray with an herbicide to kill whatever is growing since you cultivated. Most herbicides recommend waiting 7-10 days after spraying before planting. Read those labels and follow the instructions!

After waiting for the herbicide to do its work and become unthreatening to the seeds you will be planting, it is time to plant. We will cover this next. I know this can be hard work, but trust me when I tell you it will all be worth it in the fall. I feel downright giddy when I am in a treestand overlooking a field I planted and watching deer eating from it. Then it is just a matter of waiting for ol’ Freak Nasty to show up!

I am sure we will wear out all the places we visit, but the CMA Music Festival in Nashville is always hospitable to the Bone Collector crew. What can beat listening to good country music while shooting bows on the riverfront under a hot summer sun? You can be sure I’ll be camped out at the Chevrolet Riverfront with all the other outdoor enthusiasts most of the time I am there.

Those that are still chasing longbeards, cherish each moment you get to spend out there. They will be gone until next season before you know it. Heck, I may have to make a few trips north to ween me off the turkey hunting schedule I’ve been following during the last few months. If your season is done or if you have tagged out, start making your summer plans to hang with The Brotherhood. I know it gives me something to look forward to until it is time to climb a treestand. I hope to see you this summer!

Some of you may know that my mother lost the battle with cancer when I was young. If y’all watch the show or read my blogs, you know how much I talk about my dad’s influence on becoming the man I am today. My mother’s influence was equally important, even if her time with us was cut way to short.

Man, I still remember momma’s phenomenal home cooked meals and the way she would get on my daddy for always being in the woods. Even though she is not with me physically, I know she is there on every hunt. I see her in every sunrise, every drop of rain, and every flick of a deer’s tail. She is watching over me and even helping me out when a little luck is needed. Thank you Mom!

And thanks to all the mothers of The Brotherhood out there. This Sunday, make sure, if you are blessed enough to still have your mom around, let her know what she means to you. It is easy to get caught up in the strain of day-to-day life and not take a good, hard look at what we are fortunate to have. That what this Sunday is for! Moms are truly a great gift and we overlook them so often.

I’ll be spending this Sunday with my mom in the turkey woods, saying goodbye to another fortunate season. It will be bittersweet, but just being out there and knowing there are plenty of hunters in other states just hitting the peak of their season will put a smile on face. Hope everyone has a great Mother's Day, and thanks to all you wonderful moms out there!

Remember in Part I when we talked about deciding what your overall goals are for your plots? Looking back at those goals now will help seed selection. I like plots that supplement nutrition and attract deer year round. This can be done by planting separate sites with a single type of plant. Or, if you are limited by area, a blend of seeds that mature at different times of the year, like Evolved Habitat’s ProGraze planted in a single location, will also do the trick.

ProGraze is a blend of clovers, brassicas and chicory. The clover is the anchor of the food plots. It attracts deer and consistently provides high levels of protein and mineral content that deer will increasingly need throughout the entire year. The Brassicas is great for late season when other food sources are depleted. These plants actually get sweeter after the first frost. I’m not going to act like I know all about the process, but it’s got something to do with the sugars of the plant getting released when the temps plummet. I have seen deer paw at the snow to get to these plants. It was like T-Bone trying to get the last Cheetos stuck in the corner of the bag. They were determined! The chicory offers huge amounts of available forage for the spring, summer and early fall months, making it perfect for your bowhunting stands.

Now, I am just telling you what works good for me. In your region or your soil, it may be a different story. You may need an annual instead of a perennial. Or, if the property has agricultural fields, you may not need any early season plots at all. It is all relative to your situation. But, do your homework and find out what will grow well and what you need.

I learn the most just by jawing with local farmers in the area at the local seed shops. Show up with some coffee and guys who know a heck of a lot more about farming than me are willing to tell all their secrets. Heck, you may be able to get help from them when planting time comes. Usually, a well-cooked meal and a few dollars can open the door to rent their equipment for a day if you do not have your own.

There are also great resources on the web, like the QDMA forums or the Evolved Harvest website. Food plots are not as intimidating as they seem. Mix a little common sense with science and advice from those who know better than you and you will have fields of deer munchies in no time. Put a seed plan together and then we will talk about the planting phase of the process next. Boy, it is great when you see deer hitting the plots you made when the season rolls in. It is almost time folks, and food plots are one of the most important tools in a deer hunter’s belt. Don’t overlook them!

Food plots come in more shapes and sizes than Nick’s facial hair. There are no cookie cutter plots, but you should design yours to be attractive to your target species and in areas that allow for good growth and also serves the needs you have identified.

I am going to take a wild guess that most of y’all reading this are planting for deer in the fall. We all know deer love cover, especially during the hunting season when we Bone Collectors put a bounty on their heads. Good locations for plots will have some sort of cover the deer can quickly escape to once those over protective does start stomping, blowing and alerting the deer something ain’t right. Maybe some apples dipped in molasses would pull them away from cover, but until scientists figure out how to make that kind of seed, the usual fare won’t. Look for open areas that have cover nearby. Open real estate in the middle of timber is great, as long as it gets adequate sunlight. Field edges are great for long, narrow strips of food. Just be sure these areas fit your overall plan.

My plan incorporates a mix of destination and kill plots. The destination plots are those in larger areas that can handle heavier grazing pressure. These sites make for great evening hunts. Get in the stand early and wait for the deer to make their way from bedding areas to the food plot. I will hunt from a stand overlooking the edge of the large food plot over a trail the deer are using to get there. A lot of times deer will show up while it is still light, but hang tight to those edges until it dark.

In the morning, the deer will still be in the fields. This is when mini-plots shine.  I think deer are like T-Bone and eat at every opportunity, so if there is a drive-thru on the way home, he…Um, I mean the deer will stop for some fast food. Do some scouting, figure out what trails the deer are using to get from bedding areas to feeding areas and plant some small plots around these.

Both these sites allow you to get into your stands in the area without having a deer bust you. Come fall, they will be enjoying a snack until you put the Smackdown on him. No dessert for a Freak Nasty is served at my restaurant! It is easy to get excited and start buying seed right after you select these spots, but the area needs to pass one more test.

A soil sample needs to be taken. I know, it is a bit of pain, can be confusing and you have to wait for results. But, it is one of the most important steps of this process. The results will what plants, if any will grow best there. This is important info for seed selection and preparing the area for planting. It is inexpensive, most local farm bureaus will analyze the samples, and if you need help there is a whole bunch or resources online. I ain’t a farmer, so I am always going to the QDMA website reading their articles and asking for help.

Take some time, look at good locations that will fit your overall plan and hunting strategies and get those soil samples taken care of. Then, we can move on to seed selection.

If you have any more questions about this or anything, I will be doing a live chat at Outdoor Hub with T-Bone and Nick tonight at 8 PM EST. Stop on by. I will also be at Drop Tine Archery for their Open House in Allentown, Pa this Saturday. We will be shooting some bows, raffling some Hoyts and giving away some Bone Collector swag. It is going to be a back slappin, boot stompin’ and gut bustin’ time!

In Kentucky, I heard of a group of 5 good callers and hunters staking out a piece of prime turkey ground for 4 days. The results? A few gobbles heard and one bird shot. Even more shocking was the fact that they were seeing gobblers already flocking up again.

In mid-march, I heard of North Carolina hunters pushing hens off the nest with a dozen eggs already laid.

And from all parts of the country, “Birds are quieter than usual,” seems to be a common phrase this year.

I am interested to get a little more input on this year’s season from The Brotherhood. I know some of y’all are just breaking out the calls and vests, while some are at the tail end of the season. But, in the context of where you are hunting, what have you observed on the birds behavior? I think this observational data from the hunters holds more water than the reports from biologists trying to explain what is normal in the wild world of nature.

It is how we react to the curveballs and monkey wrenches Mother Nature throws us that keeps us on our toes. As hunters, we try to learn everything about our prey, but some things can’t be explained on paper. It is great when all the pieces fall into place and a hunt goes exactly according to script, but how boring would that get after a while? Because things don’t go according to the textbook is one of the magnets of our sport. We play the hand we are dealt and hope for the best, always trying to stay a step ahead. Sometimes it pays off and sometimes we left scratching our head. But really, is there anything else you would rather than chasing Thunder Chickens on spring morning? Didn’t think so.

How has this season unfolded for you? Are you hunting birds like usual or have you had to change up the gameplan?

The advice to find a tree as wide as your shoulders is good, but man, it is hard to find one when you are a grown man with wide shoulders. Don’t worry if you can’t. When and how you move the gun is more important that what you are leaning against. The biggest thing I see people mess up on is when they see the turkey for the first time, they immediately get down on their gun ready to shoot. I see a lot of birds bumped when they are 50 or 60 yards out because we panic and give in to instinct of pulling our gun up too fast. It don’t take many of these “uh-oh” moments to teach you the right way.

As soon as I see the bird, I will just freeze and maintain my visual. As soon as that turkey gets behind any piece of cover, I will make my adjustments. Once he gets behind an obstacle, I don’t make subtle moves, but quick shifts while I am shielded from his vision. Once he is range, I will get on the bead and stay there with slow and sly motions. Now you are in position to shoot him whenever you want to. If he looks like he is getting nervous, pop him.

If you are working a bird in a field and there are no shields, just sway the barrel super slow as the bird moves. It is not a time for sharp and jerky movements. Be smooth like butter, just like you would come to full draw on deer in the fall.

I hope this helps you with keeping your jitters in check. Keep your eye on the turkey, use the obstacles to move your gun, don’t panic, and get him in range. Once you have him in range, you can start the slow movements as you keep your sights on him.  When you feel comfortable or as soon as he gets a little rabbit in his blood, pull the trigger and let him eat dirt. Man, there ain’t nothing better than flopping an old longbeard on the ground!

It’s likely that if you wake up one morning, a week before opening day, decide you are going to plant food plots, run to the store, tear up some ground, spread some seed and sit back to watch all the big bucks show up for a free meal, then you may as well just throw your money in the plot, cause you will likely see the same results. So, I am going to write a few blogs on how I go about my planting and sprinkle them in with the blogs on turkey hunting, deer scouting and anything else I get my hands dirty with over the next few months. Because, when done right, food plots can help you achieve your goal of collecting bigger bone once those harvest moons start rising.

The first step is planning. Take a good, hard look at what you want the food plot to do. Do you want to hunt over it in the fall? Do you want it to be a reserve for late winter that the bucks will hit when the other agricultural and natural food sources are gone and the available food looks like a buffet after T-Bone gets done with it? Do you want it to provide minerals and protein in the spring and summer when the bucks are growing their antlers and the does are carrying babies?

Obviously, it would be nice to have all these needs met, but some do not have the time, money or resources to get it done. You need to prioritize. For me, I think the plots of high-protein and high-mineral content in the spring and summer are the most important. Second on my list, would be late-season food sources. The food plots to hunt over during the season when there is food available comes in last place in my book. Let me explain:

On my properties in Georgia and Kansas, there is a great deal of food available to the deer in the early season, before all the corn, wheat and beans are sucked up by tractors. Also, the acorns are dropping and, well, there is a lot of good seeds out there that deer love, acorns, when available are like candy to a deer. These feeding areas will be where the deer go until they are gone. I will place some mini-plots along their travel routes between bedding areas and destination plots, but I found large food plots in the early season won’t get hit until the existing food is gone.

Your situation may be different. There may be a lack of food in the early season, and this is when a good food plot will shine by attracting deer and giving them a reason to stay on your hunting land. What  I am getting at is, before you put any time, money or sweat into the ground, take a look at what you want the food plot to accomplish. This will help in the later phases of selecting where, how and what to plant.

Not all hunters are farmers, but luckily there are the food plot pros at Evolved Harvest to help me out with all my attraction, supplementing and planting needs. Heck, you don’t need heavy equipment or a degree in agricultural to add a little flavor to the menu of your property. As you are going through this process, it may be helpful to check out the resources at www.evolved.com.

Next we will talk about site selection and soil samples, but until then, really think about what you need most on your property because we can’t move forward before we know that.

I get that some don’t want to bring that technology world into the pristine sanctuary of the woods. I can totally understand where you are coming from. Heck, there are some days when I just want to be alone out there with my thoughts and the bone, beards or beasts I am after. But, I also love sharing the excitement of the hunt with y’all, whether it is with a video camera filming a new episode of Bone Collector or posting a photo of the most recent Thunder Chicken me and ‘Ol Grady introduced to the dirt. Also, reading up on what The Brotherhood is saying passes the time, and getting on there to reply to your posts with the touchscreen of my phone keeps my trigger finger limber.

I try to respond to all of your questions, comments, and stories of the hunt as much as I can. I often wish this was around when Fred Bear was around. Man, I would have been on there every day asking him a question until he told me to shut up.  

I know some are not tuned into the whole Facebook and Twitter scene, but I think those that are should take advantage of it. For hunters, it is a great tool for learning more about, promoting and protecting our sport. I have learned so much from the people who post there.

It is not a place to bash one another by the people who seem to already know everything there is about hunting and only go onto hunting pages to dish out hate and better highlight their own jealousy and pettiness while dictating the way we should hunt based on their shallow knowledge of the real reason we go to the field in the first place.

These macho men would probably never say some of the stuff they do to another hunters face, but once they are behind a computer screen, they feel 10 feet tall and bulletproof.

To me, if you’re a hunter, you’re a hunter! We have to stick together and meet in the middle with our personal views and passions when it comes to hunting in general, and try to all better promote a declining culture. Let’s give all the PETA folks and anti-hunters trolls out there that stop by our Facebook pages a real representation of what we are all about.

We are hunters that are proud to admit it, and stand behind the God given desire and right to do so. We are providers, we are care-takers, and we are leaders. We are a strong community that is there for one another, even if we are just connected through our computers or phones. We also like to have a good time, so stand proud and let’s keep talking about our contributions as well as the tags we have filled!

Everyday, I get on Facebook and see photos or read stories about children being introduced to the outdoors. Without fail, I get hit with a big ‘ol grin upside my face. I can’t help it. Just yesterday, I read this story from 13-year-old Logan, thanking his father for putting him on his first gobbler. I see pictures of mothers and fathers instructing their little ones on the proper techniques of shooting a bow. I know the feeling the parents must be experiencing, because just this season, my youngest boy, Meyer, laid the smackdown on his first timber rooster. It immediately rose to the top of the list of my favorite hunting memories.

And yet, in the midst of all this celebration, I will get a message from a boy or girl asking how to get to go hunting for the FIRST TIME. It is painful to hear the desire in their words and know that nobody in their life has stepped up to the plate to usher these already passionate young persons to the glory of God’s creation. I try my best to answer any question they have, but the real magic of the outdoors won’t come through a computer screen. As we discuss who may be willing to take them on a hunt (Their dad? Their uncle? A family friend? Anybody?), I get hammered with a sense of appreciation for the way my daddy raised me.

My father has always been an incredibly hard working man. Being in the construction business most of his life, he taught me the importance of working hard and knowing the difference in right and wrong. And, he also taught me how to hunt and how to respect what God gave us. Together, we learned to turkey hunt and daddy was the man responsible for running me all around God’s green earth to compete in turkey callin’ contests. If he didn’t do that, who knows what I’d be today.

Luckily, now being in a position to raise my kids that teaches the importance and freedom of the outdoors, I can say how truly blessed I am to have a dad who showed me the ropes of how to do it correctly. Having been on numerous hunts with my father and reflecting back on the memories of those hunts, I can now see how hunting with your children is the most rewarding experience there is. Even if you do not have children of your own – as hunters, as good stewards of the outdoors, it is our bond that makes hunting so worthwhile, and we must pass it on to the next generation of Bone Collectors.

This winter, as I toured the shows and gave my “Celebration of the Culture of the Hunter” seminar at each one, I would be approached afterwards by Brotherhood members asking, "What can I do to help?” People tend to walk away from these engagements feeling like they really want to make a contribution but not knowing how to take action. My answer to everyone I meet was and still is: Take a kid hunting. Take them under your wing. Share your stories with them and tell them everything you know about the outdoors. Show them what you found in the wild and what is there for them. And celebrate with them after the hunt.

As hunters, this may be the brightest work we do, and I promise you, it will not feel like work at all in the spring turkey woods!