The Proving Grounds 2 has provided fresh venison! Grant tags the first deer from a hidey hole food plot we created using hand tools. We created this plot next to a small pond so there were multiple attractions to create a pinch point. Watch to learn more about the strategy of this successful hunt and the lessons it provided.
Hidey Hole food plots are a great tool to get bucks and does within range, no matter where you hunt! Hunters can use food plots as an attractive food source and/or a bottleneck. Cody Kraut experienced two action packed early October hunts that demonstrate how hunters can effectively use and hunt hidey hole food plots. During Cody's hunts, he encounters multiple bucks that show pre-rut activity including lip curling, scraping, grunting, and nudging does. In addition, Cody tags a big nanny and brings home lots of Illinois venison for his family! Watch this video to learn more about Cody's hunting strategies and the deer behavior Cody observed.
There are big changes at The Proving Grounds. See how it all came together along with the new projects and new hunting opportunities that are being created!
See how changing hunting strategies based on whitetail food sources can increase your chances of tagging a buck! See this video on identifying oaks,https://bit.ly/3Rd8BNm
These new food plots will be attracting deer soon - just in time for deer season! Grant shares tips on how to plant these small food plots easier and faster!
See how to attract more deer and save money on your new food plots. It's an easy, quick way to make new food plots the place to harvest deer this fall.
A quick reference guide with step by step directions and options to get you started on small food plots for fall: plot size, weed control, seed bed preparation - fire or herbicide, seed choices, when to plant, hunting strategies for small plots, and much more!
This is the video to watch before planting this fall! See the critical steps to grow your best fall food plots: timing, planting techniques, design, size, seed blends, and more!
This video is full of useful tips on how to select the best locations for small, hidey hole food plots: access, minimal disturbance, hunting strategies, the tools to make scouting easier, and a look at the good- and bad - of several prospective locations.
White-tailed deer are selective on what they eat. But what makes them choose to eat one plant over another? Grant and the crew from Ward Labs check a food plot to see what the deer are eating now then pull samples of that forage for nutrient analysis. See what you should be planting in your food plots and why!
When you want to get the best low maintenance food plots for your whitetails but also want to save time and money this is the video to watch! This is Part 3 to the series: The Best Food Plot Process
1,500 +/- acres of The Proving Grounds is for sale! Grant shares an update on the property and how you can see it with a virtual tour using Land Tour 360.
Grant explains the second step to growing the best food plots - it saves money, protects the soil, conserves moisture, reduces weeds, and provides natural fertilizer! See this vital step to growing killer plots!
Tips for planting the best food plots. See how to plant green with no fertilizer or manufactured inputs.
Soil test results are in! See a line by line explanation of what the analysis means - how to use this information to grow healthier food plots and bigger deer!
This step by step guide provides tips on how and where to take a soil test along with the science to help understand it all. See the mistakes to avoid - how to do it right!
Grant shares new tips and info to determine the best time to begin planting food plots at your specific location.
Time release food plot seed blends can attract and feed deer and turkey throughout the year. See how having really high quality and ample groceries right now mean turkeys and deer can be as productive as they're biologically capable. That means turkeys can lay as many eggs as possible and antlers are getting off to a great start.
Sharing one of the best presentations we've ever heard about the principles of soil health and how to apply them by Keith Berns from Green Cover Seed.
See an interesting demonstration of an inexpensive and fast way to learn more about the soil quality where you hunt. This will show that it is not how much rain you get but it is how much rain you keep!
Tips on how to plant food plots with hand tools when you don't have access to big equipment. Grant shares the steps, recommendations for planting rates, timing of planting for the best food plot success and more.
See a great example of how hidey holes and larger food plots can be used with other habitat and terrain features to create bottlenecks in timber as Daniel assists a landowner with making improvements to his hunting property.
Grant shows examples from the field on why roots and worms make the best tillage for food plots. No-till planting with cover crops will save you time and money with more nutritious food for whitetails!
Grant shares observations about a major cold front that recently moved through the area and the associated deer movement. That event provided useful data on the relationship between weather and deer movement, generating useful tips for hunters on how to hunt more effectively.
Recent headlines show that fertilizer prices are up about 80% or more from last year. Growing food plots need not be expensive. In this video, see easy techniques that can help avoid or significantly reduce the need to purchase lime or fertilizer and save time.
With deer season behind us, it's time to start planning for spring food plots! In this episode, Grant and Keith Berns talk about soil biology, new seed blends designed to overcome food plot challenges and how to save money on your spring food plots.
