RE: Fall Clover Planting
My favorite mix is Buck Forage Oats, Annual Rye, and clover, with about a pound of chicory.
I'm in the U.P. of MI and we probably have about the earliest planting date in the country at about mid-August. I would guess you should be closer to Labor day for a planting date. Your fall draw will not be the clover, but the grains. What you want in the fall is for your clover to become established for next year. What will happen with the above planting is that the oats and rye will be a great combination for fall attraction. During the winter the oats will definately die out, which is good because you will only be left with a 1/2 field coverage of rye, as well as the clover in the spring, without the additional competition of the oats. The deer will be able to forage on the rye throughout the winter and earliest spring months, and then the clover will eventually take over for your main attraction. Next summer you can do 2 things: 1st, you can kill the rye in the field with post if you suspect it is too much competition for your clover, or you can mow it down before the head dries out and goes to seed. Also, on this type of planting I always frost seed in a brassica clover mix in the spring to fill-in any light areas, as well as to add the additional nutritional benifits of brassicas on a field that is already attracting deer with a sound clover crop. If you are in an area that deer seem to have a hard time getting used to brassicas, this will aid in the process of getting your local deer used to the crop without wasting the use of a field in the process. Also, always plant a good MIX of brassicas, not just 1 or 2 varieties.
When you reach the 1 year anniversary of the planting, take your worst 1/2 of the field, kill it, and plant the same thing again. You can rotate each 1/2 of the field so that each 1/2 is planted on alternate years with a 2-year life. In this way you will offer nutritiion and attraction on the field for entire year, with no lapses for your local deer herd, while at the same time combating any weed problems with a spraying every 2 years. What you are doing with this planting is targeting a sound hunting season attraction, with a perrinial base that will offer food for a full 4 seasons.
Jeff