For most of you, archery season will open in the next few weeks and a lot of hunters will be looking for an edge to get that easy 20 yard shot on a buck. One very effective tactic for filling an early season tag is to have a small food plot in an area you know that buck will frequent. Basically you are taking the food to the deer. Generally these small plots are less than a 1/2 acre and are tucked in close to bedding cover or known funnels. These hot spots can usually be created with smaller equipment like a compact tractor or skid steer that can access these hard to reach plots. The good folks at Vail Products are making a line of equipment called the X Series that has a couple of implements that are perfect for these smaller plots. The first is called a “Land Planer” that is perfect to scarify and loosen up the top couple of inches of soil. If you have sprayed your plots ahead of time and mowed any existing vegetation down low, the “Land Planer” will leave behind a smooth and even seed bed that is ideal for most food plot blends. The other X Series attachment that is great for creating these small plots is their Rock Bucket. The rock bucket is ideal for removing debris from a field that keeps you from being able to create a good seed bed like rocks, small saplings, and brush. If you have a buck you have been after, trying taking the food right to him. It may take some extra effort to create an out of the way hot spot, but when the plan comes together and that buck reads the script, it’s all worth it.
