Alfalfa for alfalfa-nieve deer
05-28-2007, 09:33 PM
#1
Fork Horn
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: West Virginia
Posts: 329
Alfalfa for alfalfa-nieve deer
Here's a strange question. I'm making a food plot and had plans on planting a alfalfa-clover mix. Then I got to thinking that the deer in my area have never been introduced to alfalfa. There's literally not an alfalfa field around (in any size) for miles. How do you think the deer will react to alfalfa in such a situation? Will they be attracted to it? Take a while to get used to it? Or avoid it?
05-28-2007, 09:44 PM
#2
Join Date: May 2007
Location:
Posts: 39
RE: Alfalfa for alfalfa-nieve deer
DUDE THATS A GOOD QUESTION. IM NO EXPERT AND I REALLY DONT KNOW HOW THEY WOULD REACT. I KNOW I WOULD EXPERIMENT WITH IT AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS. I WOULDN'T GET CRAZY WITH THE PLOTS, BUT PLANT A FEW DESCENT SIZE PLOTS IN DIFFERENT PLACES AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS. YOU NEVER KNOW HOW THE DEER ARE GOING TO REACT. MY OPINION ANYWAY.
ANDY ELLIOTT / PRSIDENT
ANDY ELLIOTT / PRSIDENT
05-29-2007, 01:35 PM
#4
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location:
Posts: 1,438
RE: Alfalfa for alfalfa-nieve deer
Deer are browsers and will sample almost anything green, especially if coming up in your clover patch. A lot of foodplots introduce "foreign" plant life (Austrian winter peas, oats, rape, etc.) If they try it and like it they will probably come back for it.
05-29-2007, 10:05 PM
#5
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: cazenovia, NY USA
Posts: 2,973
RE: Alfalfa for alfalfa-nieve deer
They'll like it alot.
But in my experience - Alfalfa is difficult if you have acidic soil.
It just takes so darn much lime for me that I cannot justify it. That and my neighbor (real farmer) -has 20-30 acres in alfafa each year - so a 2-3 acre plot for me - isn't a great draw - we do better with a unique offering.
My experience with our neighbor's alfafa :
UNBEATABLE SUMMER AND EARLY FALL ATTRACTION - every buck is in these fields when in velvet and first getting hardened antlers. It is THE attraction when our season 1st starts in October.
However - After a few hard freezes (not just frosts)- clovers, and grains like winter wheat and cereal rye are preferred over alfalfa. Often thier alfalfa fields are empty in favor of a 3 acre clover plot.
I never see deer pawing through snow for alfalfa - but often in clover, rye, winter wheat and now brassicas.
Maybe it gets bitter when cold??? Maybe its too Stalky? I don't know - but I see it every year.
FH
But in my experience - Alfalfa is difficult if you have acidic soil.
It just takes so darn much lime for me that I cannot justify it. That and my neighbor (real farmer) -has 20-30 acres in alfafa each year - so a 2-3 acre plot for me - isn't a great draw - we do better with a unique offering.
My experience with our neighbor's alfafa :
UNBEATABLE SUMMER AND EARLY FALL ATTRACTION - every buck is in these fields when in velvet and first getting hardened antlers. It is THE attraction when our season 1st starts in October.
However - After a few hard freezes (not just frosts)- clovers, and grains like winter wheat and cereal rye are preferred over alfalfa. Often thier alfalfa fields are empty in favor of a 3 acre clover plot.
I never see deer pawing through snow for alfalfa - but often in clover, rye, winter wheat and now brassicas.
Maybe it gets bitter when cold??? Maybe its too Stalky? I don't know - but I see it every year.
FH
05-31-2007, 08:32 AM
#6
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Southwest Ohio
Posts: 2,849
RE: Alfalfa for alfalfa-nieve deer
We were in a very similar situation 3 years ago. Planted 8 acres in alfalfa, now there are deer in it every day. They at the very least, learned to like it. It is not good in the fall once it dries out though. They seem to totally ignore it at that point.
