I guess it depends on what your objectives and goals are. If you're planting a plot to hunt over you want something that will be attracting in the fall where as if you're planting for qdm and to provide a source of nutrition you want something that will provide nutrition through the longest period of the year and especially during the crucial winter and early spring months.

Last year was my first year with plots and I plants two small plots. One is 1/2 acre of Imperial clover and the other 1000 sq' plot of Imperial Powerplant. I found that through the summer the deer preferred my Imperial Powerplant to the clover hands down. Good thing too because the Powerplant grew and grew and grew! It topped out at just about 5' tall and once the deer started hitting it hard they mowed it down to about 3' tall where it held its ground for the summer. The deer were in it at virtually all hours of the day and even bed in it. Mind you it's out of the way but the plot was little more then 30' x 30'. This spring I want to expand the plot to about 10,000sq'. I was impressed but it had a down fall. After the first hard frost it was done.

The Imperial clover on the other hand grew to about knee high and was virtually overlooked by the deer through out the summer. As soon as the frost hit and killed the powerplant the deer shifted their attention to the clover plot and continued to hit is consistently until the snow buried it shortly after Christmas. I'm excited to see how the deer hit it once the snow melts off enough and before spring green up around the second week of May.

What I'm really looking to do is to create a wintering habitat for the deer. Something to sustain them from late fall when the snow starts to fly through spring green up. This is the most crucial time for the deer and often the most difficult for wildlife managers. There is just little that last until the late winter. I'm planning to plant the family garden (aprox 3/4 acre) with oats and winter wheat as a fall crop next year to try and help. It's tough though with little choices for planting natural forages and I don't want to just feed the deer.