[{"@context":"http:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/community.legendarywhitetails.com\/blog\/must-have-food-plotting-tools-for-every-budget\/#BlogPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/community.legendarywhitetails.com\/blog\/must-have-food-plotting-tools-for-every-budget\/","headline":"Must-Have Food Plotting Tools for Every Budget","name":"Must-Have Food Plotting Tools for Every Budget","description":"Tools are defined as specific implements designed to help you do a job more efficiently.\u00a0 When it comes to food...","datePublished":"2016-05-03","dateModified":"2018-10-24","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/community.legendarywhitetails.com\/author\/hagosto\/#Person","name":"Hector Agosto","url":"https:\/\/community.legendarywhitetails.com\/author\/hagosto\/","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/d7bfedbdc5ef3ed8f8df91eb37e1ffbe?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/d7bfedbdc5ef3ed8f8df91eb37e1ffbe?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Legendary Whitetails","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"http:\/\/community.legendarywhitetails.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/logo-legendary-whitetails.png","url":"http:\/\/community.legendarywhitetails.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/logo-legendary-whitetails.png","width":522,"height":226}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/community.legendarywhitetails.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/185893_467964739888611_320529010_n-e1462307946410.jpg","url":"https:\/\/community.legendarywhitetails.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/185893_467964739888611_320529010_n-e1462307946410.jpg","height":717,"width":960},"url":"https:\/\/community.legendarywhitetails.com\/blog\/must-have-food-plotting-tools-for-every-budget\/","about":["News"],"wordCount":2057,"keywords":["Land & Habitat","Tips"],"articleBody":"Tools are defined as specific implements designed to help you do a job more efficiently.\u00a0 When it comes to food plots, the tools you have available will determine how hard you will have to work.\u00a0 Only have a hoe? You\u2019ll have to work your [expletive] off.\u00a0 Have a push rototiller? You\u2019ll still be working extremely hard. ATV or tractor? Now you can get some serious work done in a smaller amount of time.The truth is, food plotting is no easy chore.\u00a0 For most of us, myself included, gaining access to the right equipment is the biggest hurdle to planting food plots.\u00a0 Often it involves borrowing pieces of equipment from friends, neighbors, or local farmers for the first few years until you can afford some implements of your own.\u00a0 At a minimum, you\u2019ll need something to kill the weeds, something to expose the soil, and something to disperse or plant the seed.Below we\u2019ll cover the must-have tools of the food plotting trade for every budget.SprayersSprayers are first on the list of food plot tools because they are the first and most important tool used in food plot preparation.\u00a0 It\u2019s easy for hunters and land managers to get carried away and jump right to tilling up the ground because it feels like and looks like you\u2019re getting stuff done.\u00a0 Slow them ponies down.\u00a0 I assure you there will be a time when you get to play in the dirt with big boy toys, but it comes after you spray your food plot site with herbicide.\u00a0 Controlling weeds is the most important and difficult task of most food plot projects (see preparing food plots).\u00a0 Depending on your budget and equipment here are some options:Backpack or pump sprayer \u2013 these sprayers are great for small food plots less than \u00bd an acre and also for spot spraying later on. A backpack sprayer will typically run right around $50 and will be a good investment for small food plots, especially if they are inaccessible by vehicle.ATV Sprayer \u2013 If you\u2019ve got more than \u00bd an acre and have access to an ATV, you\u2019ll definitely want something around the lines of a 15-25 gallon ATV Sprayer to spray your food plots with. An ATV sprayer will run you about $200 give or take and will usually include a wand for spot spraying and a boom or broadcast sprayer nozzle for spraying large areas.\u00a0 Unless you\u2019re planting more than 10 acres of food plots, this sprayer will get the job done just fine.3-point or wagon sprayer \u2013 This is for those with big boy toys (a.k.a. tractors), the kind we all wish we owned. If you\u2019ve got more than 10 acres of food plots, chances are you own, hire, or have access to a decent size tractor to do the job of spraying, working up, and planting your food plots.\u00a0 A sprayer that can hold more liquid and spray a wider swath will be of great value.\u00a0 A large, 100+ gallon sprayer will run you a couple thousand bucks.Working the Soil\u00a0Here\u2019s where the job of food plotting gets tough if you don\u2019t have access to the right equipment.\u00a0 For your sake I hope you can at least wrangle up an ATV with a small disc attachment.\u00a0 Breaking ground on new food plots can be a daunting task, especially if there\u2019s an existing sod layer.\u00a0 Use the following equipment breakdown to help you choose the best way to work up your food plots.\u00a0 If there\u2019s a time to contact a local farmer this would be it. Spraying and planting can be done somewhat easily with very minimal equipment, but tilling ground usually requires more horsepower.The GroundHog Max is a popular choice for\u00a0food plotters because it’s small and fits to any ATV.A lighter or torch \u2013 one of the easiest and cheapest ways to rid an area of foliage and debris is to burn it off. Of course this requires extreme caution and care when implementing, but should not be overlooked as a means to expose the soil in small food plots.\u00a0 Once it\u2019s burned, plant immediately and rake in the seed to obtain the best seed to soil contact.Garden rototiller \u2013 They work, but you\u2019ll be sweating your tail off. I wouldn\u2019t recommend doing anything over 1\/10th of an acre.\u00a0 Sometimes you just have to use what you have available.\u00a0\u00a0 Push rototillers do fairly well on previously worked ground, but struggle if there\u2019s any type of sod layer.\u00a0 You\u2019d only use a rototiller if you already have it in the shed, don\u2019t go out and buy one for food plotting.ATV disc \u2013 you can certainly break up some ground with an ATV, but it likely won\u2019t be as easy as you\u2019d think. ATV pull behind discs work great for sandy soils or previously worked ground, but don\u2019t have the weight required to till new ground effectively.\u00a0 There is a smaller attachment called the Ground Hog Max which uses the weight of the ATV and driver to really dig in.\u00a0 I\u2019ve got no personal experience using this, but it seems like the most effective ATV implement to work up new and old ground.\u00a0 Not to mention it\u2019s a whole lot easier to transport and only costs about $400 for the kit.Tractor Implements \u2013 A tractor is really the best tool for working up the soil on any type of food plot project over an acre in size. Since there is a variety of implements for the job, we\u2019ve broken them down below.PTO Rototiller \u2013 This is probably the best tool for breaking up a sod layer and preparing a seed bed. Rather than simply turning the soil, it mixes and mulches the vegetation into the soil and breaks up the clumps leaving a well prepped seed bed behind.Disc harrow \u2013 With the help of a decently sized tractor, you\u2019ll be able to work the ground with a disc that actually weighs enough to dig in and rip it up.No-Till Drill \u2013 You won\u2019t need to work up the soil if you have access to a no-till drill. Since it\u2019s technically a planting device, it\u2019ll be covered in the next section.Planting\/SeedingThe work is almost done and now it\u2019s finally time to throw some seed down and watch it grow!\u00a0 Generally speaking, seeding food plots is pretty easy.\u00a0 The most difficult thing about seeding is figuring out how far to open up the spin seeder or calibrating the seed drill correctly.\u00a0 Based upon your budget, here are the best options for planting your food plots.Broadcast Spreaders \u2013 These come in a variety of shapes and sizes and are what I would say the majority of food plotters use. They are relatively cheap and easy to use and can be used on just about every type of food plot seed other than corn.\u00a0 It\u2019s important to note that with a broadcast type spreader you\u2019ll want to drag and\/or cultipack the area after seeding.Hand Spin Seeder \u2013 Whether you use one with a bag or a plastic bin, they basically function the same way. You open up little gates on the bottom that allow seed to fall onto a spinning disc while you walk around the food plot cranking the handle.\u00a0 It\u2019s always better to start with the opening too small and have to walk over the food plot two or three times compared to starting with too wide of an opening and running out of seed before you cover the entire food plot.\u00a0 A good and versatile hand spin seeder will cost about $40.ATV Spreader \u2013 Just like spraying, seeding can be done faster and a little bit easier with the help of an ATV attachment. An ATV spreader uses power from the ATV battery to turn the seeder on and off.\u00a0 I plant roughly five acres of soybeans every season with this type of spreader and usually have excellent looking food plots.\u00a0 An ATV spreader will cost roughly $125.PTO Spreader \u2013 A PTO spreader functions like the ATV 12 Volt spreader, but rather than being battery driven, it\u2019s driven by the PTO and can hold substantially more seed or fertilizer. Obviously, this is made for a tractor with a PTO and will cost a couple hundred bucks.A spin seeder like this one is great for planting small food plots.Seed Planters \u2013 These differ from broadcast spreaders in that they put the seed directly into the ground in nice and neat rows \u2013 no need to cover the seed by dragging or cultipacking. The most effective planters are pulled behind an ATV or tractor.ATV 2 Row Planter \u2013 This is a pretty decent planter to have handy for smaller food plots. You can\u2019t rush the job, but a slow and steady approach should yield good results.\u00a0 You can find a 2-row ATV planter for somewhere around $600+.Row Planter \u2013 Typically anywhere from a 2-8 row planter is what food plotters would use. Because food plotting is most likely a weekend project, it\u2019s hard to justify buying a planter just for planting food plots. If you\u2019re in need of one, throwing $100 at your local farmer will typically get the job done.\u00a0 Price will vary.No-Till Drill \u2013 If you\u2019re not familiar with a no-till drill, they are the king of food plotting. They are called a no-till drill because you eliminate the step of having to till the soil before planting with a no-till drill. Simply spray, let die, and plant.\u00a0 If everyone could afford one of these, everyone would have one.\u00a0 They reduce erosion, minimize compaction, and save time and fuel, all while building the organic matter of the soil.\u00a0 A good no-till planter will run you a couple grand.A lot of food plotting equipment is not cheap, and on top of equipment costs are the costs of things like seed, fertilizer, and herbicide.\u00a0 While it can certainly seem like food plots are for the rich, they don\u2019t have to be.\u00a0 If you\u2019re creative, willing to work hard, and have a good reputation with friends and neighbors, chances are you can get your food plots put in for minimal costs.\u00a0 The biggest step is to get started, you\u2019ll learn the rest along the way.If you want to know what seed to plant in your small food plots check out this article: WHAT TO PLANT IN SMALL FOOD PLOTSIf you want to know how to prepare your food plots for planting check out this article: HOW TO PREP FOOD PLOTS FOR PLANTING"},{"@context":"http:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"https:\/\/community.legendarywhitetails.com\/#breadcrumbitem","name":"Legendary Whitetail's Blog"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https:\/\/community.legendarywhitetails.com\/blog\/must-have-food-plotting-tools-for-every-budget\/#breadcrumbitem","name":"Must-Have Food Plotting Tools for Every Budget"}}]}]