Does each brand work the same?
 

Ok, I am just wondering, if you bought, lets say Imperial, will it grow the same as if you bought some other brand, like Magnum Buck? Thats what I have, it has Ladino Clover, Red Clover, Alsike Clover...etc. Will Imerial be better growing/attracting/deer eating it wise, or will it all work about the same?

RE: Does each brand work the same?
 

I think all the differant deer mixes will do reasonablly well for you. They all have a blend of differant clovers so that some will be matureing at differant times and to ensure a good stand in conditions they have no control over.

I have to disagree with Stinky on the idea of 1/3 of the Imperial not growing im many areas. In most of the US it will all grow. Now if you were 400 miles north into Canada or more I'd agree that the California clovers would frost out. Or if in the Arizona desert only the California clovers would have a chance. But in areas not at the real extremes it will grow fine.

I've tried the IMperial clover. It's good stuff. I'm in Mi. and have no complaints with them. And if Stinky were correct I'd be the first to agree. But differant seed hybrids are more flexable than he's giving them credit for. There is othing wrong doing things Stinkys way at the co-op. And you can save some money, if you know what you're doing.

Bottom line is that the deer blends are fine, and you don't have to do any guess work about what you need.

RE: Does each brand work the same?
 

The Imperial brand does not nor has it ever claimed that it will grow anywhere. There are two blends, a northern and southern. It will grow anywhere an agricultural product will grow with the same care and the following of instructions. We know of people that grow the product in mid Canada. The buck on the Imperial bag is an actual deer that is mounted in Ray Scotts office. I would buy some of each and plant them side by side and see for yourself what the differences are in each product..

RE: Does each brand work the same?
 

Thank you!! Cost effectiveness vs time... For the life of me, I don't understand why folks will spend hundreds of thousands of dollars for property, $500.00+ for a fireame and or bow, and use up valuable vacation time yet when it comes to the seed/nutrition products will balk at what amounts to about to less than $10.00 a year per acre over a 3 year period for quality products that have proven track records.

RE: Does each brand work the same?
 

Kreg,

If you don't mind laying out the money all at once for several differant 25-50 pound bags of seed so you can blend the ag clovers then Stinky's way will save you some money. But you still need to know WHICH varieties will work best for DEER not cattle/horses/sheep ect. Now Stinky may know this, or he may have trusted/hoped that the ag person behind the counter did. Ag stores don't pay a whole lot so I wouldn't bet on it, and even a agronimist who has a collage degree in farmers needs doesn't have a degree in whitetail deer biology. So while the ag products may work, do you want the best results possible?

My advice to you is to do as Lunchbucket said. Try some of each next to each other in a plot. Include a section done by the ag co-op if you like. NOw which of them gets the best results/usage? That is the one to plant in the future.

RE: Does each brand work the same?
 

Stinky,

In the interest of helping Kreg and others, could you post the exact type/brands of clovers you used? The type of red that is not good for deer as well as the one you did use? And the percentages of the blend? I'm not trying to be nosy here but most who visit this board won't have access to a biologists help.

RE: Does each brand work the same?
 

As I recall I saw a post that stated the gentleman from N.Y. had "shined" 15 deer in his clover field at night(1/02/02) that had just walked thru his biologic without touching it. I asked for a clarification as the clover should be dormant at this time and both his post and mine are now missing. I tried to put 2 and 2 together and ended up with zero.

RE: Does each brand work the same?
 

If the weather is below freezing any forage will be dormant.... However this does not mean there is no nutrition available. Some forages will manitain a high nutritional value even under snow.

Edited by - lunchbucket on 01/10/2002 08:24:10

RE: Does each brand work the same?
 

Just to add something,
This is a very unusual year with the snowfall and temps. Even though we've had over 40" of snow, the inland lakes are frozen, and the river even froze once, we have only a few inches on the ground with some bare spots. My clover field that would normally be under snow right now by 2-3', is exposed in some areas and the deer are here in January for the 1st time in a long time.

The deer are really hiting the clover hard where it's is exposed. The clover completely covered isn't getting hit, but anything showing, and anything next to it is being eaten to the dirt.

This was as of last Thursday. Over the weekend the weather turned back into the 20's and we've had a little snow-I think the deer will soon be gone for good, but it was neat to see the flury of activity on the clover.

Jeff...U.P. of Michigan.

RE: Does each brand work the same?
 

Lunchbucket give you the right idea. Plant an acre of each and see what works best for you. There is times when you are better off paying the little difference.