Drought-Proof Food Plots: Early-Season Fixes w/ Nutrien's Skeeter Rutkowski

Drought-Proof Food Plots: Early-Season Fixes w/ Nutrien's Skeeter Rutkowski Deer season's knocking, but the weather's not cooperating. Matt sits down with farm manager Forrest Bonin and Nutrien's Skeeter Rutkowski to talk drought, staggered planting dates, no-till vs till, herbicide burn-downs without residual surprises, when to replant with cereal grains, and how to keep new plots alive through a heat wave. They also break down early-season stand choices (acorns vs field edges), why water holes shine on 85–90° days, and simple camera tricks to monitor plots you can't visit weekly. Stick around for fertilizer/micronutrient tips, tissue sampling, and a quick Idaho elk teaser for next week. Timestamps: 00:00 Intro—Tim's out; guests Forrest & Skeeter; today's plan 01:16 Planting in August, then… drought: spread risk with staggered dates 04:20 What drought does to corn/beans; speeding maturity & stress products 06:14 Crop harvest timing shifts deer movement; acorns starting to drop 07:22 Early-season trees vs fields—when to slip into the timber 08:30 Skeeter's background & why ag testing maps to food plots 09:31 Cameras show deer returning to clover; velvet shed and a cold front bump 12:28 Silage coming out pushes deer; green-plot transition continues 13:06 Heat wave problem: keeping germinated plots alive (foliar stress reducers & growth promoters) 18:08 No-till vs till this year: moisture savings vs weed flush tradeoffs 23:09 Burn-down recipe & avoiding residual issues before replanting 24:57 Safety, labels, and pre-harvest/grazing intervals—big-picture chemistry checks 27:31 Terrain differences & stand locations (creeks, rivers, field edges) 33:13 Ponds vs dwindling creeks—why hot evenings are prime for water sits 35:52 Using 360 "revolver" cams on ponds for full coverage & intel 37:12 Replanting playbook: go cereal grains late; bump seeding rate; add N 40:15 When to add micros (foliar), tissue sampling timing & zinc for cereals 41:15 Watch the DeerCast piece on tissue sampling; community & RAC Pack plug 43:07 Next week's Idaho elk prep episode tease & sign-off Join the Rack Pack Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/n73gskJT7BfB2Ngc/ Get ahead of your Game with DeerCast available on iOS and Android devices App Store: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/deercast/id1425879996 Play Store: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.druryoutdoors.deercast.app Don't forget to stock up for your next hunt! 1st Phorm has you covered! Protein Sticks: https://1stphorm.com/products/protein-sticks-15ct?a_aid=DruryOutdoors Level-1 Bars: https://1stphorm.com/products/level-1-bar-15ct?a_aid=DruryOutdoors Energy Drinks: https://1stphorm.com/products/1st-phorm-energy?a_aid=DruryOutdoors Hydration Sticks: https://1stphorm.com/products/hydration-sticks?a_aid=DruryOutdoors Send us a voice message on Speakpipe! https://www.speakpipe.com/100PercentWild?fbclid=IwY2xjawHG5cpleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHS-OqetdhlMV6LGrV5KfUBO7fjYcduyut_LzgxrQnEgBbe_vPXGCMgF1Sw_aem_ZmFrZWR1bW15MTZieXRlcw For exciting updates on what's happening on the field and off, follow us on social Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/OfficialDruryOutdoors Instagram: @DruryOutdoors Twitter: @DruryOutdoors Be sure to check out http://www.druryoutdoors.com for more information, hunts, and more! Music provided by Epidemic Sound http://player.epidemicsound.com