TJD

I have a new spot to put in a food plot in the coming year. This particular plot will be on the top of a rather high hill; in addition, some of the sidehill will get planted as well.

In doing research on what to plant, I came across the Whitetail Institute Alfa Rack. It is proported to be good for sidehills and well-drained soils.

Has anyone used this product that can give me some feedback on how well it worked out? Also any other suggestions would be appreciated as well.

Hawgnman

Yes, I planted it this past fall. It was a very small test plot and it has done well. It had a good season, meaning it rained when needed, but no washouts. It was planted near the NC/VA border the first weekend in Oct.

Rauch

how did the deer like it

Hawgnman

The plot is planted in a pine plantation. They are a few tracks in the plot and they are nibbling only. This is my first year to deer hunt this lease and with no agricultural food and only a few hardwoods it's been a bit of a puzzle to locate the deer. I leased it mainly for the turkeys. I have a larger plot. but still small where the deer have only nibbled that also. It is planted with Strut & Rut.

Kyler

TJD,

We planted Alfa-Rack this year and didn't have a whole lot of success. The weeds took it over pretty good. Which may have been more of our fault. But I thought it should have been better for all the work we put into the plot (liming, spraying, proper planting, etc.) I also emailed the Whitetail Instsitue three times for help and never received a response. What did come up through the weeds the deer ate somewhat.

We have had much better luck with plots such as Buck Forage oats and soybeans but unfortunatley they are annuals. We are going to give Alfarack another try. It may be just as good to try regular alfalfa as I believe we hunters pay more for a name versus the product.

The thing with food plots, is trial and error. See what works and try to improve it. Anyone who thinks baiting and planting foodplots are the same are simply crazy.

Good luck.

lunchbucket

Start mowing the Alfa-Rack an you might be supprised. Grasses will need to be sprayed... Don't give up!!!

Kyler

Lunch Bucket,

Would you suggest spraying with Poast or something else? How early would in the year would you spray?

Thanks

TJD

Funny thing is that my brother-in-law had the same experience with Alfa Rack as Kyler. He sprayed, limed, fertilized (using a 0-0-60 blend) and did mow it a couple times. Still, the thing got hit pretty much choked with weeds. Also, it did not grow as well as some of the other plantings he had. That is one of the reasons I wanted to see if anyone else had any experience with it. Thanks for the responses! [8D]

What he DID get to work was a much cheaper alternative from the local feed mill He bought a white clover from a local feed mill: genetically engineered, drought-resistant, high protein (I believe it is in the mid to high 20% range?). Came up great, kept the weeds out, and the deer hit it hard.

chhunts

I used Alfa Rack for the first time last spring with mixed results, most likely my fault. I rushed to process. I did not kill off all the existing cover. I did plow it under, disced, limed, fertalized and the weather was perfect. It started out great but soon the grass choked it out. I did not spray but should have. I mowed half of the plot in Aug. It looked dead from being too dry but as soon as the fall rain came it took off and the deer used it every night. They are still coming to it with snow on the ground.
The other half of the plot did poor. It did not get mowed and the grasses took over. I think I can save it. I plan to spray Poast or Poast plus or Advantage as soon as the grass get 4"-6" tall. Then fertalize after the grasses are dead. I can see the plants deep down under the grass so I hope it will all come back. I will work each dead spot by hand and re-seed those spots this fall. I have learned much just by trying this plot and hope to add more plots as I get better.

Deermanup

[Hello! I am new to this site but was clicking through and saw the post on Alfa-Rack. I am the Wildlife Biologist for the Whitetail Institute and would like to offer some help. First, Alfa-Rack is an excellent forage for deer. It is designed to be planted in well-drained soils such as sandy soils or hillsides. It provides up to 30% protein and can last 3 to 5 years after planting. Deer absolutely love it. To get the best results we suggest you do a soil test to determine the soil pH and get the pH up to 6.5 to 7.0 before you plant. Also, when planting the Alfa-rack be sure to create a good firm seedbed before sowing the seed. This can be accomplished with a drag or cultipacker. After you sow the seed, lightly drag or cultipack again to seat the seed in the top ¼ inch of soil. If you get it deeper than this you not have good germination. Good luck in planting and if you have any questions please give me a call at 800-688-3030 ext 232 I will be glad to help.

Also, to address the comment made “ I emailed the Whitetail Institute three times for help and never received a response”. I personally answer every email question that comes to the Institute and I must not have received yours. I apologize for this and offer you my phone number (above) to call me and I will help you out with your problem. We pride ourselves on having the best customer service in this business, “Bar None” and I would like the chance to earn your respect and business again. I look forward to speaking with you and anyone with questions on our products.

Rodney M. Dyer
Wildlife Biologist
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