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Fence Out Your Food Plots
by John Howle
For
years, I would look across the pasture bottoms and cleared hilltops of
my family’s farm thinking this land would make ideal food plots for
deer, turkey, and other wildlife. Every time I planted forage that was
preferred by wildlife, the cattle were the first to eat the fruits of my
labor. It is possible through solar charged fencing, however, to fence
out your food plots so both livestock and wildlife can reap the
benefits.
Effective
food plots range from one to four acres in size. If visualizing an acre
poses a problem, picture a football field in your mind. An acre is about
the size of a football field without the end zones. Knowing the exact
acreage of your food plot will come in handy later when estimating the
amount of seed, lime, and fertilizer you will need to order from your
local Co-op. |
John Howle makes sure the
solar fence charger is placed in an area that will receive plenty of
sunlight. |
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Just
as you have been doing with pastureland, take soil samples, state the
forage you intend to plant and that it is for food plots, and follow the
recommendations on the soil test report. The areas that produce the best
growth in pastureland generally perform the best with food plots. An
advantage of a pasture food plot is that, more than likely, the soil pH
and fertilizer requirements won’t need much adjustment. |
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On the sides of existing
fencing to be used for the food plot, raise the lower strands to 18
inches off the ground to allow wildlife access and have the higher wire
around 32 inches high.
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Start
the Fence
Begin
your food plot fence at an existing fence on your pasture property
border. Run the fence to your desired size and shape, then, tie in to
the existing fence again. This allows the existing fence to be one side
of your food plot. The existing fence side is where wildlife will enter
the plot. I select a few spots along the existing fence side, and raise
the lower strand of wire so wildlife can enter easily.
If
you plan for the food plot fence to be semi-permanent, you might want to
use wooden fence posts in the corners, bends, and fence gap openings. If
your fence will run in a fairly straight pattern, you can save money by
alternating metal T-posts and fiberglass fence rods. I usually run two
strands of fence wire. The first strand will be approximately 18 inches
off the ground and the higher wire will be around 32 inches high.
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A
ground rod will be required for the solar fence-charging unit. Be sure
to drive the ground rod into the ground at a depth of three or four
feet. This will help prevent the unit from becoming knocked out of
commission by a passing thunderstorm.
Many
of the modern, solar fence chargers that can be purchased from your
local Co-op are convenient to use, easy to move, and offer high
performance if you follow the instructions closely. Obviously, make sure
the solar charger is placed in an area that will receive plenty of
sunlight. Many of the units allow adjustment of the speed of the current
and will give you a reading of the charge level.
To
help make the fence wire more visible to cattle, I tie blaze orange
flagging on the wire between posts. However, usually all it takes is one
sniff of the wire from a cow’s wet nose standing on damp ground to
remind it that the food plot is off limits.
Once
the initial investment of a solar fence charger has been made, solar
fencing can provide a huge savings over traditional barbed wire fencing.
If you have more than one food plot
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John Howle attaches
insulators to wooden posts for the electric wiring. |
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within
pastures, as the cattle are rotational grazed, simply move the fence
charger to the fence where the cattle are. After a while, the livestock
will learn that the small, smooth wire packs a big bite. |
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Arrowleaf clover is one
of the legumes used in food plots.
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Just
as solar fencing is used widely in intensive grazing systems for cattle,
the same principle can apply to your food plots. If you decide after a
couple of years to move the fence, often all that is involved is pulling
up the posts or rods, respooling the wire, and moving the fence to a
different location.
Once
you’ve fenced out your plots and planted forage, be sure to place a
couple of exclusion cages within the plot. An exclusion cage allows you
to see how much forage the wildlife are eating because they can’t eat
inside the cage. I will roll dog wire into a hoop with a diameter of about
three feet and secure it to two, metal T-posts with tie wire. |
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When
it comes time to mow your plots, being in the pasture has another cost
cutting advantage. Simply open the solar fence gap, and let the
livestock in for cleanup grazing. This helps beat the high cost of fuel
and wear and
tear
on the tractor. This will also make reseeding easier. If you plan to
seed clover in February, for instance, livestock traffic inside will
promote good seed to soil contact by compacting the seed into the
ground.
As
with all solar charged fencing, it’s important to check your fences
periodically. There may be briar growth into the wire that can cause
shorts. A summertime thunderstorm might send a shock through your fence
system. Also, rotten overhanging limbs and trees may hit the fence by
strong winds making fence repair necessary.
Food
plots and pastureland can exist together to benefit wildlife and
livestock, so fire up that fence. |
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