btpatriot02

Has anyone have used either of these seed mixes in the northern region?I live in MN and was hoping to get feedback on the seed mixes.I would like to hear the good and bad of these experiance on the seeds.thanks

IL Trophy Hunter

I' ve used the Biologic Full Draw and got a good stand but the deer were never in it. One plot was with in sight of my dads house in a very good deer area. The deer that we saw in it were just passing through it without a nibble. I must admit however it calls for a fall planting and I had planted in in the late spring thinking it would still do well. I don' t know if this made a big difference or not. I' m going to assume if I had planted it in the fall like I was supposed to that I would have seen more activity. My guess is that by the time the soybeans fell out as being the deers primary food that the biologic full draw had matured to a point that it was no longer attractive to the deer.

NorthJeff

I' d be a little hesitant of Tecomate as it was developed in TX, an entirely different region than MN.

The Biologic has many varieties to choose from. Many of Biologic' s plants are of the Brassica family-rape,canola,turnip, and most of those need a few good frosts to increase the palability of the plant. Where I live, the brassicas do great due to the fact they are very high in protein and they seem to be quite attractive as there are no farm fields, nut, or fruit crops within 20 miles of my house. I' ve used the Full Draw together with clover, and it was a great fall attractant, with the brassicas dying out over the winter, and lush crop of clover left over in the spring.

Jeff...U.P. of Michigan

whitetail1

last year i planted a mix of lablab and cow peas in southern michigan and both grew great. they stayed green long after the soy beans browned. it wasnt till after the beans died that the deer hit the lablab and peas. as far as the biologic goes i have never had any luck with it.

btpatriot02

Thanks guys for the info that getting so far.What so darn confusing to me is that they have a summer blend and then a fall blend.The summer is good just till early fall.and if the summer blend you plant in spring or fall and then with the fall blend you can also plant in spring or fall.Both blends will be growing in the spring and fall,so whats the difference,aren' t the deer still going to get what they need thru the summer regardless what blend you use(summer or fall)?Regardless which blend I use I will be planting apples and presimmons in the food plot also.

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btpatriot02

I looked at the stuff and I noticed that certain types I could not get from my local supplier.

ranwin33

You might speak with your local conservation agent. Mine here in Missouri has advised me he will get me all of my food plot seed for free. Our local Soil and Water office has said the same thing, although it is limited and on a first come first serve basis.

I would not choose Biologic, and that is strictly a personal preference. I' ve had a very poor customer service experince with them about two months ago.

NorthJeff

BT,

You can get into some heated debates here, but there are two different camps regarding " seed-company" sales. 1: Buy the seed yourself and save the money, or 2: The seed companies often sell and distribute the varieties of seed that with their research, have shown to be the most palitable, forage resistant, cold-tolerant, and easiest to grow.

Many of Biologics, Imperial, Antler Kings, etc.., are designed specifically for deer, and the attraction or health of deer. There are many, many, varieties of seed, whether it be clovers, brassicas, whatever, and the major seed companies supposedly choose the best.

I guess it depends on who you believe!

Often, your talking a dollar a pound you save when looking at clovers or brassicas, of which you only need 5 to 10 #' s of seed per acre anyways.

Sometimes, in some situations, it may be worth the money you could potentially save, but most of the time it' s only a few dollar chance for the " deer-specific" variety.

farm hunter

You are on the right track, and are already questioning the best food plot - you' ll
do well - just remember:

The is no magic bean.


By this I mean, even if you use a mix - undestand what' s in the mix - and why is does/oesn' t do well in a particular season. For instance, while I' ve never used full draw - I' m pretty sure it contains ceral grains (and some clover I think) as a fall planting. A spring planting of cereal grains will get very little use - as its usually planted too late for use during the time just prior to " green-up" when it would be most beneficial - and when it is at its most edible state - so is EVERYTHING else - including wild forbs, that deer will often seek out first (especailly at fawning time). Once mature, it has little to offer in the summer.

The reason it is a good fall planting - is that it will grow to about 5-6" and then go dormant in most areas - right at is most desireable state of growth for deer.

While I' m not familiar with eithr planting type - I think they are advertising warm season plantings, and cool season plantings. In both cases - the majority of the blend is annual - and will need to be replanted every year. While an annual blend can do well as an attractant - its only available a short time of the year - and unless rotated with other fileds, leaves large gaps of time, with no useful plot.

I' d rather go with an perenial plot of clover as my main plot - then experiment with annuals in the fall (cereal grains) - and as summer plots (eg - corn, beans, etc.) in other sections in addition to my main plot. This setup provides food year round - and especially at the critical times of the year.

If you are only interested in attracting deer to hunt - then fall plots of annual clovers/grains and or mixes is your best, and cheapest bet.