Gamekeepers in the northern part of the country are getting ready to do some of their cool season food plot preparation here at the end of July. Most of the southern half of the U.S. has seen good rainfall for this summer and it’s been a great year for growing summer groceries for their deer herd. Formulating a plan this time of year on what, when, and where you are going to plant cool season plots can save time and frustration. Waiting until the very last minute and scrambling to find seed, equipment or fertilizer can be a major headache.
A great task for this time of year is to go ahead and do an equipment check and see if any repairs are in order before planting season. Pull your tractor under a shade tree and make sure all fluids, belts, hoses, and tires are up to snuff and ready for use. Bush-hog blades can be checked for sharpness, and the gear box for the proper amount of fluid. Discs may have bearings or blades that need to be replaced. This is also a good time to grease all bearing fittings. It seems like fertilizer and seed spreaders are always in need of some repair. Give your spreader a good run through and see if there are any parts that need repair or replacement.
These all seem like common sense farm chores, but doing them before planting season rolls around can help fall planting go much more smoothly by avoiding break downs in the field that cost you valuable time.
