If you could only plant one thing for a food plot for the deer what would you go with?.....Marty::)
That's a hard one! They love apples, but... They are total hopeless addicts of winter rye or buckwheat. I think winter rye is the most reliable of the inadvertant attractants I have planted. They absolutely TRAMPLE it. (Does corn get any votes here?) LW
I like the idea of corn. They can hide in it, and better yet, so can you!
It also depends upon which season you want to feed the deer, spring, summer, or fall. Winter is a little harder. That's when your timber harvests are best for them. Do you want to help them in the spring after a hard winter, view them during the summer, or fatten them up for the hunting season? I prefer the wildlife seed mixtures available from the Conservation Districts compatible for your local area rather than staying with only one food source. Also have your soil tested for fertilizer needs if not already done.
A key to success is to vary your plots with different crops, which helps provide food throughout the year. Planting a mixture of rye and clover works well in the fall. Rye comes up fast and provides protein. Clover gets started in the fall, but provides a good food source in the the following spring and summer when the rye is gone.
Some landowners prefer alfalfa which is an outstanding deer food. One way to determine what is best for your area is to contact a local farmer. They usually have decades of experience and are usually willing to share their insights with you. They attract a lot of deer to their lands.
Guess what I was getting at is what others plant for the deer. Mainly for a fall/winter crop. In my area the deer really go for drawf essex rape. The deer eat it so fast it really never had time to grow back up.I tried alfalfa but it never really took off good even after I had my soil limed and fertilize but that was probably due to the lack of rain we had. Got some clovers and trefoil planted now but for some reason the deer never really hit the clover too good last year maybe it was because of the acorns I think.If my neighbor would sell me that back field that joins mine I would put in about 5 acres of that rape........marty8)8)
Where I hunt, the greatest attractant to the does is the sound of a chainsaw. They wany cedar, and every deer I've shot had a belly-full. I don't think you need to plant if you're in a cedar swamp area, just lay a tree down a few times a year. They like those tender top shoots. The reason the cedar regenerates so fast where my land is, is that the snow cover is so deep the deer can't get to the little saplings.
Hey Ron,
What did you mean by:
Rye comes up fast and provides protein. Clover gets started in the fall, but provides a good food source in the the following spring and summer when the rye is gone.
You should plant the rye in late august, or early september! The rye will be up and there, all winter, spring, and most of the following summer for the deer and turkeys!!
I have deer and turkeys "grazeing" on my rye right now that i planted last sept..
Robert
My Milling Pictures,
http://albums.photopoint.com/j/AlbumList?u=1331114
Rye is a good choice for spring, summer, and fall cover. It is easy to establish and fast growing. A seed mixture with rye is best for wildlife feeding and nesting.
We mix buckwheat and rye of equal parts together and broadcast at a rate of 200 lbs to the acre when the danger of frost is past. The buckwheat comes up and shades the rye which stays in the bottom till a fall frost kills the buckwheat. Then the rye comes on and gives a green crop for fall wildlife feed. In the spring the rye can be disced or plowed in as green manure crop or let the rye grow and disc it in late summer for seed. I've done this at home and at work in the Pigeon River State Forest's wildlife openings. Works for us.
Greg Whittaker
Wolverine Mi.