feeder/webcam setup

[213chrisp]

so after much though i finally convinced my grandmother to let me setup a deer feeder and a IP Camera to stream to a website so anyone in family or friends can watch the feeder anytime anywhere with any device.

im getting kinda excited about this project and got 400$ to work with on this, already picked up my feeder.
moultrie deer feeder 30gallon, going to buy the solar panel kit and rechargable 6v battery for it, that way no one has to be around the feeder for it to stay running, ill probably just setup for now 1 time a day to feed about 1-2lbs of corn till spring time and i might bump it to 2 times a day.
going to run a underground cat5 cable from house to where i want the webcam setup to be located at, and do a Point of Entry kit for power to run threw the ethernet cord as well to cam, burry the line and setup a post and a nice box around the cam to protect it from the elements as much as possiable. be about 200-300 ft away from home.

down where she lives in kentucky she use to have about 10 deer and multiple turkey around but since my grandfather passed away she stopped feeding them regularly and they kinda have moved more into the woods, so im hopeing this way i can get the deer back to there house and keep them healthy and setup myself for a good hunt next year :)

also behind the barn (600ft away from the house) is a small 2 acher plot that i might experiment with a food plot of clovers or something, any suggestions on what kind of seed i should plant back there for a food plot?

any and all suggestes i greatly appreciate !

[mrbb]

Well sounds like you have put some thought and work into this project, good to hear and look forward to seeing in up and running, wish I could set one up at where I hunt
as for suggestions for a food plot
well clover is a good idea, as it grows well and last fairly long, BUT it does need come TLC to stay prime, like weed control, mowing a few times a yr, will make it last longer, as will treating it by sprating it for weeds, as if not every yr, or even in one yr, the weeds will over take the plot, and choke out the clover
another good plant, is chichory, it can also be mixed with the clover seed and make for a good mixed crop plot, chichory, tends to last longer /staying greener better after a few front, where clover will pucker up after them, and then the plot will be more attractive later into hunting season, by planting both
best advice is, do it right, do a soil test, add whqt's the test say is needed to get soil at right PH and base line to grow seeds well
kill/burn down the sight well before seeding/too, to help kill as many weed seeds as you Can
be glad to explain how better if you like, but clover/chichory blend would be my suggestion for a plot

[213chrisp]

well the ground in question is a old tabacco field at a small cove between 2 mountains and a creek that runs along the side of one hill side and works its way back to the back, thick woods at far back and up both moutain sides, i was thinking of doing maybe a 100ft by 100ft patch or something kinda in the middle instead of doing the whole field, i was thinking next trip i would head down and till up the land with the tractor and let it sit for a few months, then repeat the process before planting, as for burning it off only thing that is back there at this point is just grass and any seeds that would of fallen around from the trees and such, so thinking chemical killing? round up? i was trying NOT to use chemicals but dont have access to a torch, only other option would be gas and a lighter :)

as for seeds , i guess ill be limited to buying clover/chichory online?

[mrbb]

ok sounds like you have a plan of sorts
100x100 ft(69 yrds x69 yrds-'s an acre)
OK so that size is about a 1/3 an acre or so
turning it over now is a great idea, BUT better idea is doing a soil test first, reason being is, if you do a soil test now, it will tell you what lime it needs, lime is what makes or breaks the soil PH level's, but lime has to be worked into the soil to work and that takes time
so if you do a soil test, find out say it needs 1,000 lbs of lime per acre(330 lbs then for your site)
adding the lime before you till it/turn it over will save you from needed to do that a second or third time
so if possible that is step #1, that should be done
next, as for things in the field, Grass /weeds are the number one plot killer, they are the fastest growing and hardest thing to get rid of or keep from taking/off in a plot
number one problem , weeds/grass
its not just killing what you see, its the fact there are millions of seeds in the gfround every where, once you turn it over, you will in return be exposing all sorts of new seeds to sun light which in return will cause more new weeds to grow
My best advice or found ways to work this out is this on site prep, planting plots
soil test#1
2-add needed lime(NOT fertilizer yet, just lime)
3- turn plot over mixing lime in good
4- let site sit for a few weeks5-6 weeks, let green up start yo happen,
5- turn ste over again
6- 4-5 weeks later now into green up, Spray plot to kill everything that just came up, to try to kill every new seed and any old one's that re grew
wait 2-3 weeks, check on any new weeds coming up, spot spray to kill them to
7- watch weather, wait for a rain storm coming soon, , closer to actual rain the better
8- now this site is still soft from the 2 turn over, should now be very weed free, from weeed control steps
rain is on its way, or hell even lightly raining
NOW add fertilizer, and seeds, let the rain cover and plant the seeds after you just broadcast them on the site
if you do this, you should have a great site, untill all the rest of the weeds in your area come to seed up, and then , as the wind blows, it will blow weed seeds int your new plot, nature of the beast, sadly, no way to stop this, closer you are to weeds, more seeds you get, I have found bunring down a border 4-5 ft wide around my plots help slow some, but??? the wind is hard to stop LOL
which brings to plot up keeping, this comes in forms of either spraying to maintain plots, and or mowing
mowing works, key here is to stay ahead of seedheads forming, if you can mow before the seeds on the weeds/grasses seedhead, mowing works great
the BETTER you prep the site and plant the seeds/AKA th better the take of the desired seeds(clover/chichory) the stronger the faster it grows, the thicker it gets, the harder it is for weeds to grow, as they need to start from the ground up, clover and chichory makes a broader leaf plant and a Thick plot will make a lot of shade, helping prevent weed seeds n to grow from the ground up, as they need sunlight to grow, more shade, less ability for new wind blown seeds to take off!
chemical control, works better if you ask me, as you will always have weed in a plot, spraying helps Kill any that came up at same time as your desired plot plant
spraying can be some what easy and cheap, but it can also get expensive if you really do it right and or need to do it several times
not to sound negative, cause it not my goal,
just being honest
you can use off brand names chemicals and even seeds and save a BUNCH of cash, they do work too, its what I use and have for yrs, so there are savings that can be done, it comes down to doing research to find ways to make plots last and being at prices you can live with, just I don't want folks to think you just turn ground over and seed and all is a big buck killing gold mine
doesn't work that way
like most things in life, you get what you put into things out of them
sorry if long winded, but trying to help with best info I can

can explain more if you want too, have more than 20+ yrs now of planting food plots

as for seeds,brand name is fine, but so are off brand names, find your local AG storte near where you plan to plant, ask about buying seeds by the LB, clover comes in many types(red /white/ ladino, etc.)
so price's vary based on what type, also, some grow wider taller or???, all clover, deer will eat!
chichory also, has a few different types, but no where near as many
but buying from a AG stor(like AG way)
will save you a ton of money, NO 1/3 acre plot will make small bucks huge, so no big name seed is needed, that claims to make "X" amount more protien than brand "X" does
that's a lot of hype
in a perfect senario, over time it can help maybe, MAYBE make bigger bucks, stronger healthier herds, but any plot will attract deer

any plot is better than NONE! hands down, you will pull new deer, you will make your hunting lands more attractive to all sorts of wildlife, and it will amke hunting easier (when done right and hunted right)

[213chrisp]

ill post a arial shot of the field or fields in question tonight so i can get more input esp for hunting purposes, i would hate to do all this work and find out i cant hunt this field cause i have no access to it.

[Strother23]

Yea. All of thAt sounds like a really good idea. Challenging but a cool idea. As far as food plot I would add in some stuff that will bring the deer in during the winter when food is scarce. Keep us updated as you go

[mrbb]

with only a third or so of an acre, I wouldn't worry about trying to plant a later season crop,in the mix, like a trunip or brassicia, or??, its just not going to last very long, and I assume you are in SW ohio/KY with this planting, and as such, a clover/chichory plot will hold deer till lat oct or longer, as long as there isn't many frosts
and chichory will last even longer in the plot as well as the clover
clover will grow yr after yr and proviode the best and most food for the most months, over anything else really
Sure there are better fall hunting plot seeds, but this is the best overall thing for attracting and holding deer the most most and not having to plant every yr
you can try just mixing in some seeds of brasicia/trunips come say late Aug, and HOPE some make it
but its not the best way to make a hunting plot
a second plot else where or next to this one planted in late summer is a much better option!

[213chrisp]

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b332/chrisp6108/Mobile%20Uploads/plot_zps401df06c.png (http://s22.photobucket.com/user/chrisp6108/media/Mobile%20Uploads/plot_zps401df06c.png.html)

[213chrisp]

the plot would be area 1, back in the valley, the feeder is going to be setup somewhere around point 2, i do also own the land to the north of that creek that i drew and also to the south on that hilltop but that is a pain in the butt to get access to it. they will come from up there, farther up that valley, and the hills to the north.

[213chrisp]

forgot to mention, that is in middle eastern Kentucky inside Daniel Boon nation forest super close to cave run lake.

and looking at this closer, i think ill be forced to do 50ft wide by 150ft long. cause the shape of the land.

[213chrisp]

test kits.
would something like this be enough at least for me to get a base line if its something that is possiable or not?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/SOIL-TEST-KIT-LAWN-FLOWER-PLANT-TEST-GARDEN-TESTER-pH-NPK-RAPITEST-1601-/151071175871?pt=US_Garden_Tools&hash=item232c8b34bf

[mrbb]

well that might work, but I suggest you just use a compamy that does it for a living, tell them what you plan to plant and they will tell you exactly how much lime, fert you need based on what size plot you want
go to this link, and download a form, follow instructions and mail the smaple to them, its like 10 bucks, and you get a fast accurate result and info
all the big name seed companys I know of use the same dam lab too, but they all charge there won different fee's LOL
Bio logic has been the cheapest
Unless you know your local soil conservation dept office, and some will do them for free, but hard to beat 10 bucks in the mail a d a e mailed result or hard copied mailed back to you, gas to drive to the soil office will cost me more! even if the service is free!!

when you get your soil sample, try NOT to use a rusty shovel, so it doesn't alter the test results, and take a bunch of samples from all over the site, and mix very well ina VERY CLEAN bucket, then place in baggie and mail that out!
http://www.plantbiologic.com/t-soil.aspx

http://www.plantbiologic.com/images/document/soiltest.pdf

[mrbb]

well now here is my take on this pic, I added where I would have a plot, in yellow, and numbers 1-2- and 3,
#1, not sure if that is your property or not, but if so, I would have one at #1 and # 2 and if possible # 3 too
reason is, having food at 1 and 2 or just 3, you create a tract of woods between the two plots, making better chances of wind being good for one, and buck tend to like to cruise between the two, and scent check one and view the other and deer like corners to come out in, gives them more places to lave in a hurry if they have to
nothing wrong with any sized plot, bigger is better due to a small plot will get eaten down faster, but the size of a plot is , up to the size of the budget more or less
better to do a small plot right, than a big one and go light on anything
all in all, that looks like a great place to hunt, pressure will be the biggest worry here, if low pressure you can build a gold mine, if heavy pressure, , well then, its a coin toss , like ever other place is, not saying bad, just not all it could be!
How many acres is there here you have to work with ??
also on plots, what ever is green in them fields now, can be a help too, and I bet deer naturally use it for feed, and if you can turn over lands fairly easy, even if you don't do a plot, making it just dirt for a little while, can be used to steer deer into your sets as well
so don't forget that, if the budget doesn't allow for a bigger plot
same goes for if you do a very small plot, you might have to fence it off, and then open just before you start to hunt it, making it a hot spot
they sell small electric wire fence kits , double the wire up and confuse the deer, and they work, but not so great on BIG plots, as gets pricy on wire and suppy's
and last, if you join the NWTF< national wild turkey federation, they sell left over seeds at dirt cheap prices, many times in seeds like, sorgum, soybeans, and corn, some times even clover and winter wheat or oats
that's a hell of a great way to plant a food plot, deal with them is, what ever you plant has to be left for wildlife, and not harvested
last yr I got a 350 dollar bag of corn seed for 20 bucks?? talk about savings??
all things like the seeds they give can be planted with simple tools, just disc, or till the ground and then broadcast the seeds and re turn over the lands, 90+ % of seeds will grow, if you do this, just seed 20% heavier, to make up for a little loss, and its worked for me for yrs!

http://i1190.photobucket.com/albums/z457/mrbb1/kypic_zpscdefd779.png (http://s1190.photobucket.com/user/mrbb1/media/kypic_zpscdefd779.png.html)

[213chrisp]

thanks for the info , option 1 is almost impossiable to get machines up there to do what i need, so i can work with 2 and 3 for sure, make 2 smaller beds back there, as for pressure there is little to no pressure in this area for deer hutning, i know one of my cousins hunt it but after this year he wont be. ill make sure my grandmother doesnt allow anyone else, she lives down in ky in a holler where its just about all family and we own about 250 achers, most of its hills and woods , thats why i cant get great access to 1, the access road to it has been washed away bad and only about atv's are my only option to getting up there anymore.

[213chrisp]

rant post coming up , fair warning!

Its amazing how stupid alot of people are and can be, i joined a CCTV forum to get advise on ip cameras and what i should be looking for and what not, i cearly told them basicaly what i wanted to do, first person chims in and suggest something completely unable , 2nd guy says , for a deer feeder? and post a link of someones camera on a deer feeder, the 3rd guy says buy brand XXXXXXX, the 4rth guy says that there good up too 300 METERS, instead of feet, but yet every product i find is only good for feet, so i asked him for more info on a 300Meter item. and last guy says hes worried about it getting stuck by lighting. so i tell him its next to a old wooden tabacco barn with a metal roof, surrounded by hills and trees, and ill be building a wooden sturcture to mount the cam to, dont think its going to stike that camera being 3-4ft off the ground. but i could be wrong.



its like no one answers any questions and is more cuious as to WHY instead of just answering my questions... BLAH... i hate idiots.
i think i know more about this crap then everyones thats replied so far...

LOL rant over!
HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[mrbb]

I hear you seems in modern times its hard to find anyone that knows crap about there job or products they sell, seem like everyone is just papertrained, to give basic info and anything past that is like too taxing on them to find out or give Honest info

BUT that said, contact the folks that run this site, they been having a live cam for yrs and yrs, and what ever they use works fine, and sure they can give you some tips on how to get rolling

http://www.pixcontroller.com/WebCam/WebCam.htm

[mrbb]

I hear you seems in modern times its hard to find anyone that knows crap about there job or products they sell, seem like everyone is just papertrained, to give basic info and anything past that is like too taxing on them to find out or give Honest info

BUT that said, contact the folks that run this site, they been having a live cam for yrs and yrs, and what ever they use works fine, and sure they can give you some tips on how to get rolling

http://www.pixcontroller.com/WebCam/WebCam.htm

here is there link to the camera's they sell and use

http://www.pixcontroller.com/

[mrbb]

well just so you know, you can build and make food plots with JUST an ATV too, making remote places possible
but remote plots turn into super killing spot, making the added work many time well worth the extra efforts
and that is a great place then, with little pressure, you can build a honey hole in no time
I wish I had a place like that
there getting harder and harder to find these days
best of luck to you
like they say, build it and they will come
never more true words , when talking food plots!

[213chrisp]

have you had any luck with trhe no plow seed?

[mrbb]

If your talking about so call throw and grow slaes pitched seeds
Well, sure there good seeds, but all seeds need to make contact with soil, and soil must be at right PH levels, and have enough fertilizer to make it grow and continue to grow
there is no magic seed
the better you prep the site, and follow what it needs the better it will come out
short cuts never work for long

[213chrisp]

i was just thinking for the hard to access land to toss that out with the atv up there. i figured would ask about it,

[mrbb]

OK I understand that part, and that's also why they market it, , BUT the problem really is, that because of the pre existing plants and weeds already growing there, they will out grow and thus shade out any new weaker seeds, as in a throw and grow deal
NOW if you spray the site to kill the what ever, and then seed it, IT might work, I say MIGHT because seeds really need to contact soil to mature and grow
so if the sit is just dead, and there is matter, be it leave's gras, dead what ever, preventing the seed from making contact with the soil, and or the ground just being too hard, the seeds honestly just cannot grow
thus most throw and grow, seeds will just be wasted, and you get a poor take
some of the , have so call fertilizer and what nots, sprayed onto the seeds to help boost there odds of growing, I don't buy into that all that much, way too much of that coating will wash off before the plant starts to grow and that , when the roots are growing is when a new plant needs fertilizer and likes, not when its in seed form, when its growing
I will NOR say something won't grow just by throwing and hoping, as some should come up, but I doubt much will really take hold, and also will survive the striggles of trying to out grow weeds
weeds tend to win them wars, adn they grow faster and alrerady have deeper roots than a new plant

if you can get an ATV there you can work in a food plot if you have the time and willing to do the work
drive atv there, spray site once green up happens
many AG stores rent Tillers, if you don;t have one, many tillers can be put on a small trailer and hauled in there, and work that site after it dies down
, or you can invest in a small disc made just for an ATV, the heavier made the better it will work, but sadly they don't come cheap, a decent one will run 600-700 bucks, but will last a LONG time, so over the yrs, its a cheap investment, and in todays world, they sell fast used too, so you can always flip it
or go to farm estate auctions,a look for an old drag harrow, they are almost all made in sections, and a section is about 3 ft wide, and can be taken apart and used behind an atv real easy, and many old harrows can be found dirt cheap, I bought several over the past few yrs for like 50 bucks, and ended up taking them apart and sell ing them , and made more money back than I spent
I have used one for about 15 yrs behind my atv too, so I know they can work and they are easy again to find if you just drive about old farms, most older farms have one sitting in there yard some where on the property, as NO farmers use them these days, so they just sit, and most will again sell, due to that, theer just iron lawn ornaments now! so cash talks

or if your willing to actually do hard work, a pick and a shovel and a rake can make a plot happen too, but it will take a lot longer and put your back to the test!
but I have done many like that yrs back, before ATV's were common!(late 80's) so like they say where there is a will, there is a way!

[213chrisp]

and that makes since, i do have access to a larger tiller but i know ill have to spend alot of time getting that thing running again, cause its been sitting in a shead for years LOL. ill work on the access road too and see if i cant get the tractor up there as well, that might be better for long term anyway.