About J. Wayne Fears

We have heard from many Whitetails Unlimited Magazine readers who want to use their ATV/SXS to work their food plots, but are having trouble finding farm implements to do the job. Here is a guide that should help you find ATV/SXS specific implements. (Note: prices, models, and specifications are current as of May 2016.)

Prepare to Till: Mowers

During warm weather, keeping weeds and brush under control is a constant job and an important task when you are reclaiming old fields and keeping food plots and wood openings mowed. Kunz Engineering offers a variety of mowers in 44-inch and 57-inch cutting widths that have been engineered to use as pull-behind mowers for ATVs. Ranging in price from $3,650 to $5,295, these heavy-duty mowers are available with electric start Briggs & Stratton or Kohler engines and 3-gallon fuel tanks.

Using an ATV with enough muscle and a good selection of implements can make food plot management easy.

Tilling a Seedbed: Discs/Tillers

I have written many times that one of the most common mistakes made by those who plant wildlife food plots is to not prepare a good seedbed for the seed they are planting. Tilling a food plot should not be rushed. Remember to break the field when the soil is dry, and to take your time. Good seed-to-soil contact is essential for a productive crop, and a fine textured seedbed is what you want.

Here are ATV tillers that can get the job done:

For cutting up new ground or breaking a hardpan to get a deeper seedbed, the Kunz Till-Ease 43-inch chisel plow/field cultivator is equipped with a five-shank chisel plow that is depth controlled with an electric lift. In front of the plow are five blades that break dirt clods. Priced at $2,295, this multi-purpose implement can make a seedbed that is up to six inches deep.

Another multi-purpose tiller is the Tarter Disc/Culti-packer Combo. It combines deep cutting of the eight-blade tillage disc, with soil preparation and compaction of an adjustable cultipacker. The cultipacker is easily raised and lowered with a front mounted winch. The cutting width of this implement is 48 inches, and it has rubber tires that can be adjusted to make moving to other locations effortless.

Polaris, the maker of ATVs, also has a line of food plot implements including a 54-inch disc plow. The disc features two individual gangs of four discs and five adjustable cutting angles, and costs $399.99.

	Kunz Till-Ease 43 Chisel Plow/Field Cultivator

For tight spaces such as narrow plots, Tarter has the 36-inch Compact Disc which features 10 notched 16-inch blades for maximum deep cutting. It is equipped with rubber wheels which can be raised or lowered to transport the disc to other locations.

For wider cutting, the Tarter 8-Blade Disc Harrow provides a 48-inch cutting width and features eight 16-inch blades that can be adjusted from 0 degrees through 20 degrees. It also has rubber tires which can be adjusted to make moving the disc easy.

Smoothing the Seedbed: Chain Harrows

ABI Tow-Style Chain Harrow

Once a seedbed is cut up and the dirt clods broken, the bed needs to be smooth, and a chain harrow is an inexpensive piece of equipment that can get the job done.

An economical method to lightly harrow food plots is the ABI ATV Tow-Style Chain Harrow. The harrow mat itself is reversible and can be flipped for three levels of aggressiveness. Level one is most passive, with the tines facing upward. Level two allows the tines to face downward but also to release under pressure. Level three is the most aggressive, with the tines fully locked downward when pulled forward. The harrow mat is made of ½-inch thick chain, made from high-carbon heat-treated steel. Each mat is four feet long from front to back, and the tines themselves measure four inches long.

Tarter has two chain harrows, the ATVH44, which is 44 inches in width, and the ATVH48 which is 48 inches in width. They are ideal for smoothing seedbeds. Each mat has teeth for grabbing soil or grading surfaces, and each is 48 inches long and can be assembled in a variety of configurations.

Lime, Fertilize, and Seed: Broadcast Spreaders

A valuable, multi-purpose ATV implement to have is the broadcast spreader. The following spreaders are ideal for spreading seed, lime, and fertilizer.

	EarthWay Spreader

ABI offers a Broadcast Spreader for ATVs that is axle-driven. The seamless one-piece steel hopper, which holds up to 470 pounds of materials, provides strength for heavy loads, and spreads up to 46 feet with directional spreading available. Each spreader includes an application rate decal adhered to the spreader, removing any guess-work while at the site. The levers on the unit allow for adjustments to vary application rates based on material.

Tarter has a 5-Bushel Pull-Behind Spreader/Trail Feeder that is designed for ATV use. It is axle-driven with an all-steel gear drive complete with grease fittings. It has a 300-pound capacity and can spread up to 20 feet wide.

Earthway Products offers two electric powered broadcast spreaders that mount onto your ATV. The M20 holds 80 pounds and is equipped with a 12-volt motor. The M30 is a heavy-duty spreader that holds 100 pounds. Both are easily and fully controlled by the driver.

Polaris has a hitch-mounted material spreader which spreads large volumes of material quickly and efficiently. It attaches easily and securely to the tow hitch. The spreader connects with the vehicle’s electrical system to power the spreader motor; $1,499.99

Cover Seed Carefully: Cultipackers

One of the most overlooked pieces of farm equipment is the cultipacker. It should be used following tilling and harrowing to firm up the seedbed. Then when the food plot is planted, it can be used to give the seeds good soil contact. Seed covered too deeply will not come up; seed not covered enough will be eaten by crows, wild turkey, and so on. Rule #1 – good seed to soil contact is essential for a high germination rate. A cultipacker can do this.

Kunz Till-Ease Cultipacker

ABI Versa-Drill Cultipackers are built in 4-foot and 6-foot widths. For use with an ATV or UTV, the Versa-Drill easily flips between transport and operational positions. Packer wheels are 9.5 inches in diameter with crushing knobs and are mounted on a 1.75-inch shaft. They are equipped with massive agricultural-quality, grease-able, pillow block bearings for long service life.

Kunz Engineering offers two Till-Ease ATV cultipackers, one in a 48-inch width and another with a 72-inch width. They feature 9.5-inch cast iron packer wheels, and the shaft pillow block bearings are grease-able. The 48-inch model weighs 257 pounds and costs $795. The 72-inch model weighs 384 pounds and costs $1,045.

All-in-One Equipment

As wildlife food plots have become very popular, smart engineers have developed an ATV-pulled, all-in-one, piece of equipment that is designed for small fields. The machine will till, level, plant, and cover the seed all in one trip around the field.

Ranew’s Outdoor Equipment offers a unit they call the Firminator G-3 ATV model. This is an 800-pound, ground-bursting, seed-planting, seed-tamping machine that is promoted to plant seeds to their optimal depth and density. It has six 24-inch discs with an Accu-seed delivery system and a cast iron cultipacker. This machine costs $5,500.

Plotmaster Systems offers the Plotmaster Hunter 400 with a 48-inch cutting width, and the Hunter 300 that cuts a width of 36 inches. These all-in-one machines have 12 heavy duty 16-inch notched discs with sealed bearings, a Versa Seeder, Reverse Auger Brush System designed to plant all types of seed and seed blends, a cultipacker/drag with metal grating, and a unique down-pressure system for the 1-point hitch. The Hunter 400 costs $5,299 and the 300 costs $4,499.

	The Firminator G-3 from Ranew’s Outdoor Equipment

Hitch & Implement System

Polaris offers a quick implement 3-Point Hitch system, which can optimize work time on your food plots. Install the 3-Point Hitch ($799.99), 3-point Hitch System Frame Support Bar ($39.99) and Accessory Tool Bar ($139.99) for easy implement tool installation. It allows you to quickly interchange implements.

Remember that you do not have to be a farmer to have good food plots. Much of the work can be done with an ATV and the right implements.