Russ otten

If you need something to plant between strips, try Iron clay Peas, broadcast over a 40-50ft. strip. I planted a 40 ft. strip, 100yds. long a few yrs. ago and the deer used them for bedding. In fact they fed on them while bedding, and you couldn't chase them out of it. A darn sight better than a bunch of weeds. Some say you have to mow the weeds to keep them from seeding, but if you do that, there's nothing to bed in. The soil was quite fertile where I planted and they grew 3-4ft. tall.

Russ

Darton02

Yes, young chicks need bugs. However, in late fall/winter, the bugs are gone and they must rely on other food sources such as seed, and ragweed is one of the best quail foods out there.

Pro-line is already providing strips of clover for bugging areas, why not leave the weed strips for escape cover. What chance do you think a quail chick has to escape a hawk/owl in the middle of a 10 ac clover patch?

Russ otten

I guess it would depend on the nearby cover. West of me there is a 17 acre clearcut 3 yrs. old. Nothing done, no replanting. An elephant could hide there. South of me is 120 acres 8 yr. old pines with 5 foot sage grass, and to the East 80 acres of 15 yr. old pines with same sage grass. That elephant can hide in them too. But with the predators around, coyotes, bobcats, skunks, raccoon a quail doesn't stand much of a chance. Predator hunting? Shoot one and ten take its place. I take a rifle or shotgun every time I go to the timber but I don't score much. I really don't need weeds in the food plots.

Russ

Darton02

I agree, Russ, a lot depends on the surrounding cover, as well as the size and shape of the field you are planting. It sounds like you have excellent escape & winter cover nearby, and maybe adequate nesting cover as well. If your food plot is strictly clover, though, I would still say you lack a good food source for quail. Now, obviously if your only concern is deer/turkey, then none of this really matters. There are a lot of variables when it comes to habitat management, and there is not magic bullet to cover all species and scenarios. My main point in this whole thread is just to emphasize that "weed" is not a bad word (as long as that weed isn't KY31 fescue!). Many weeds provide valuable seed source and cover and are probably more beneficial (as far as small game goes) than a lot of the plots that we plant.

greg-dude

According to one of old college professors, the definition of a weed is a plant growing where humans find it undesirable to be. So some of those weeds may not be weeds and some of those crops may be weeds. Each site will be different and each management goal may be different. It can get complicated real quick.

lunchbucket

With GD... Clover should be mowed the last time about 30-45 days before brown out and limed and fertilized at the same time. We advise a growth stimulate be sprayed at this time and the clover be allowed to grow to maximum height to allow for cover and a banking of nutrition.
The dove/quali hunters in the south do heavy plantings for their birds.

Hawgnman

What type of clover is in Strut'nRut?

The turkeys on my lease have gone wild over it.