The spring food plots have been completed. We are hoping for a bit of help from mother nature and it should make for some great food plots this year. We tried some new seed this year and have planted about two acres of the Whitetail Institutes Power Plant. The Power Plant is made up of forage beans, cowpeas, sunflower and sorgum. Since I can never plant a straight food plot product alone I customized it by adding a small amount of chuffa and also by overplanting corn on about one third of the ground. My intention is to have the corn add cover to the food plots as well as add a growing aid to the forage beans. The only question is whether or not it is to early to plant beans in NE Ohio. With a little luck and mother natures help it should turn out great. Most of the mast trees have matured beyond the frost stage and there are several trees now starting the apples for this fall. This will add to the late September and early October hunts as the apples are always a big drawing to the deer once they begin to fall.
The deer are all adding weight now and everyone looks to be good and healthy going into the late spring. The bucks are all well into the antlers now and you can easily pick out this falls trophy bucks already. The biggest difference is the mass at the base of the antlers right now. I have seen several 4-5 year old bucks that are bigger than your wrist at the base and this should make a great foundation for the big racks to come. All of the does are getting closer and we expect to have some of the older doe drop within the next week to ten days. It is a very exciting time here at Oak Ridge between the antlers and the fawns.