ATV's and food plots for deer

[AK Caster]

Curious about turning some spots on my property into food plots. They are all cleared of trees and stumps and am interested in the planting aspects. Maybe 1-2 acres total.
How many of you use ATV's to manage food plots and what are some of the attachments you like?

[C. Latch]

Rent a tractor.

ATVs are great if you want food plots the size of a small garden. Beyond that, probably the best thing you could do is buy an orchard plow ($600) and make a deal where you give it to your neighbor in exchange for him coming over with his real tractor and pulling it for you.

When we bought our place, I made the painful decision to buy a good solid tractor instead of several extra acres of land. I would have loved the extra land (read: extra neighbor-less space) but the tractor has been invaluable.

[Alstep]

Tractor over an ATV any day. Have a friend who is doing the same thing you're attempting to do with an ATV. Beat the living **** out of his machine and then blamed the machine for not being able to do the job. For 2000 to $3000 you can get a nice used "N" series Ford or a Massey-Ferguson tractor with a 3 point hitch. Now you have something that will do some work. And you can get all kinds of standard attachments that will hitch right up easily and off to work you go. For $7500 or so, you can get a little bigger machine. I picked up a 35 HP model 1045 Massey with a front bucket loader a few years ago. Use it all the time for lifting chores. Wish I got it 20 years ago, would have saved me a lot of back pain. Look around, talk to farmers & dealers, a good deal will come up. Ford-New Holland, John Deere, Massey-Ferguson, Kubota all make nice machines. Look for an older model in nice shape. Still a lot cheaper than an ATV that isn't up to the job.

[skeeter2]

I got a 4 ft plotmaster and couldn't pull it with my 8x8 argo with tracks. I sold the argo and bought a polaris ranger along with an old Farmall super C. The tractor cost me $1500. Right tool for the job. Don't pound with a wrench.

[Geezer in NH]

I like my 30 HP diesel made in china 4WD tractor better than the 4 wheeler or the 6 wheel Argo I had. The bucket loader and 3 point hitch makes it a work horse way beyond the recreational vehicles.

A mold board plow and cultivator will do what you want with power and versatility way beyond the other choices.

[John Allen]

The tractor is the only way to go. a 20 horse or larger will handle most of the things you need to do but bigger is always better!!!

[Silvercreek Farmer]

Have you already got the ATV? I agree with everyone on the tractor, but if the budget is tight, you can get a decent garden tractor from the 70's, a plow, and a disc for $500-$600 that will work just fine for an acre or two, just a bit slower than a larger tractor.

[AK Caster]

Already have the ATV. Will need to spend a couple of grand on a disc plow, spreader, etc so buying a tractor is not an option at this time.

[country gent]

If its not real heavy ground a simple roto tiller could be used also for this. Work ground both directions first couple times to break up sod clumps good. a hand crank seeder and then just lightly work seed under with a rake. I had a farmall cub with 1 bottom plow and I think the tiller was faster on the graden plot. Another consideration is where is your plot located, can you get to it with the ATV or tractor pulling equipment? Bigger equipment requires more room to manuver and get in and out. Im assuming you want some form of alpalpha or grass for deer, these when going will keep going corn would need to be replanted every year or so depending on wildlife. all of these can be done by hand.

[Mk42gunner]

Actually, if you aren't in a real big hurry for the equipment, you can find a smaller antique tractor with implements that match for around two grand. The matching implements are important, not a whole lot of brands used the now common three point hitch until late in the 50's and 60's. Some brands and some tractors can be converted to three point pretty easily though, for example, I made a three point adapter for my Allis Chalmers WD for about a hundred bucks. The only thing I really use the adapter for is a PTO broadcast seeder (that I gave $105 for at auction); the rest of my implements are either AC's snap coupler design or simple pull types.

For a couple of acres an old tractor would be loafing, whereas your ATV would be straining its guts out.

One thing if you go the antique tractor route; be careful, they didn't have near the safety features even a tractor from the 1970's has.

Robert

[AK Caster]

There are spots are through our property that are "cleared". Big enough to plant but it would be difficult to get to due to all the standing live timber. It is these area I want to plant in the spring with a yet undecided crop then in the fall with winter wheat.
At this stage in my life it seems more interesting to attract the deer and help them develop better antlers than actual hunting them. Will save the hunting for younger family members.