Alternative to throw and mow?
 

I have several small plots that I killed off, weadeated to bare dirt and planted before deer season. I have no way of breaking up the soil... we did not get a drop of rain and for the most part, it is still bare dirt.

If I were to throw down some seed and scatter out some hay to cover the seed, shouldn't this work about the same as throwing then mowing to cover it?

It should work. However, it's likely you'll get unwanted weed seed along with the hay. Regardless, it would be better than bare dirt.

I drag a bed frame around with my quad to break up the dirt.

I’ve heard about guys throwing down forage radish seeds to help break the soil. Radishes are planted on top and not buried at all. They help break up compacted soil because they “bore in” and if they aren’t eaten and break down they add composted material to the soil. Now, I can’t say I’ve had to go this route but I’ve heard it more than once and it makes sense to me. As I see it, anything you can do to loosen soil while attracting deer (they hammer them) is a good thing. And...while it’s too late to plant anything I know a guy who did this in the spring in a new field and then planted over it later. Just a thought...

Thanks everyone for the input...we will see how the plots do!

I have an old metal plow , just a big metal wheel with a blade that digs in and works really well .Its work but it's worth it

This and clover, but clover is slow to establish, so Id plant a nurse crop with it. Like brassicas, grains, like oats, wheat, or rye grain. Like stated, youll get weeds, but if you plant clovers you can use cleth and itll kill grasses, but wont harm your clover. It would be good long term thou as long as you plant white clover. Think Ladino, Durana, Arrowleaf. You could throw some oats, or wheat out too. Establishes pretty easily.

you might want to take a soil test, as if ph is BAD< nothing will grow well if at all
but the same weeds that were there before you killed them
weeds can grow in way poorer soils, than food plot like seeds
so unless soil is OK to grow, you might just be wasting your time and money
soil test 10 bucks, worth every penny!