Food Plot Selection

[woody7]

New to the forum so any answers would be helpful. I hunt in the Central Texas hill country. I have to do a balancing act with the rancher who runs cattle on our lease. I don't want to damage coastal and jigs grass which the cattle use. My concern is planting a food crop that could potentialy compete with and overtake these grasses. I am planning on planting two senderos overseen by my tower blind. I know winter wheat or oats can be planted by lightly scratching the ground with a disk and then pulling a drag to cover. This is something that I can plant without cutting too deep and disturbing the root system of the dormant grasses. Wheat and oats also die out when the weather warms and the grasses start growing. The cattle may be a problem on wheat and oats. What is the best method for planting clover and what type would be good for my area? Will it die off as well? Any other plant types that won't take over and can be planted with minimal discing? Thanks in advance.

[North Texan]

Wheat and oats have several advantages. One is they are reasonably easy to establish, and two is they are non-invasive. And as far as attracting deer and providing nutrients, they do about as good a job as anything. Given a little rain and a little fertilizer, and they will thrive as well as anything.

Doing some range reseedings, I have gotten a decent response from Illinois bundleflower and hairy vetch. I don't get enough rainfall for most clovers.

[Criggster]

If you are trying to plant something for the deer to feed on you MUST control the cattle! If you don't fence out the cattle you are wasting your time. See if the landowner will allow you to fence off a couple small sections for the use of a food plot.

[otismyman]

Criggster, bullseye.

Find the wettest bottom and fence it off. Spray the grass this springwith 3x Round Up and then disk a couple times this summer. Respray after regrowth begins each time.

Soil test ASAP. If your pH is 6.4 or higher plant clover this fall. If not add lime this spring to improve. The disking will incorporate it this summer.

I had a similar situation and it took 3 sprayings and then I retreated with Arrest the following spring. My field looks real good. I may need to spray it one more time this spring.

Most grasses that have been there for a while will leave quit a collection of dormant seed, theycan be a booger to get rid of.

http://www.whitetailinstitute.com/products/herbicides/for Arrest info.

O