If you had one choice of seed to plant
03-09-2004, 06:31 AM
#1
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Broussard Louisiana USA
Posts: 349
If you had one choice of seed to plant
This should stump all the Clover men...LOL.....but I am curious.....
If you had once choice of seed to plant and you couldn't plant clover, what would it be? Also, think attraction first.....nutrition second.
Thanks
If you had once choice of seed to plant and you couldn't plant clover, what would it be? Also, think attraction first.....nutrition second.
Thanks
03-09-2004, 07:45 AM
#3
Typical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Munising MI
Posts: 501
RE: If you had one choice of seed to plant
Since we can't plant clover...this must be a bad dream, but I'll still respond. At the same time, it goes against everything I believe in to think attraction first, so my best replacement of clover, would be.....birdsfoot trefoil, offering the best 3 season nutrition I can think of, other than clover.
03-09-2004, 08:08 AM
#4
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 91
RE: If you had one choice of seed to plant
Alfalfa, without a doubt. Not sure about other parts of the country, but around here the deer prefer alfalfa fields to clover fields. There is just so much natural clovers available in CRP, wood lines, and old fields etc.
03-09-2004, 08:45 AM
#5
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Broussard Louisiana USA
Posts: 349
RE: If you had one choice of seed to plant
The reason I said attraction first is that we do not have the money to spend on large enough plots to give the deer herd the nutrition they need. With one acre only supplying the nutrition for 3 adult deer, a plot that could supply the deer herd with the nutritional values and effect the over all quality of the herd would have to be tremendouse.
So my point is, unless you are planting hundreds of acres....whether you think you are or not.....you are using your plots as an attractant.
So my point is, unless you are planting hundreds of acres....whether you think you are or not.....you are using your plots as an attractant.
03-09-2004, 12:39 PM
#7
Typical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Munising MI
Posts: 501
RE: If you had one choice of seed to plant
Actually, it has been proven that deer experience significant health benifits when as little as 1% of the land is growing in high quality food plots, or 6.4 Acres per section of land. So, when you only have limited acreage to plant, and it will significantly improve the health of your herd, you can't afford to waste acreage on a 1 season planting.
One of the best types of planting you can have on limited acreage is to offer a multi-season planting....basically the more bang for your buck(excuse the pun). Late season, early fall plantings of cereal grain/clover combos, or brassica/clover combos can be extremely effective at offering a 4 season planting. Basically, your clover will become established during the fall, but the cereal grains or brassicas will act as your primary fall attractant. During the winter, the brassicas or cereal grains will be available and still green. In the following spring, you cereal grains will still be effective, but as the grains beging to lose their attraction, the clover takes over, and will carry you through until your next planting the following year. On a 1 acre planting or larger, you can plant the entire field say in a wheat/oats/rye/clover combo, and then let the clover take over the following year. Then, with the entire field in clover, take your worst 1/2 of the field, herbacide if needed, and plant another fall combo. The next year, do the same on the other 1/2 and continue this process every year, basically only re-planting 1/2 the field each year. Or just till the entire thing up every year in the early fall and plant a fall combo, possible alternating from a clover/grains combo, to a brassica/clover combo each year. But, by only planting 1/2 at a time, your 1 acre plot never has a period of time, for the entire year, that something is not offering nutrition and food for your local herd.
Again, when you only have an acre to plant.....why waste it? Get the most from your plot and offer a planting for all 4 seasons. Even 1 acre can make a difference, and if nothing else, will be attractive the entire year, further enticing local deer to stay on your property.
One of the best types of planting you can have on limited acreage is to offer a multi-season planting....basically the more bang for your buck(excuse the pun). Late season, early fall plantings of cereal grain/clover combos, or brassica/clover combos can be extremely effective at offering a 4 season planting. Basically, your clover will become established during the fall, but the cereal grains or brassicas will act as your primary fall attractant. During the winter, the brassicas or cereal grains will be available and still green. In the following spring, you cereal grains will still be effective, but as the grains beging to lose their attraction, the clover takes over, and will carry you through until your next planting the following year. On a 1 acre planting or larger, you can plant the entire field say in a wheat/oats/rye/clover combo, and then let the clover take over the following year. Then, with the entire field in clover, take your worst 1/2 of the field, herbacide if needed, and plant another fall combo. The next year, do the same on the other 1/2 and continue this process every year, basically only re-planting 1/2 the field each year. Or just till the entire thing up every year in the early fall and plant a fall combo, possible alternating from a clover/grains combo, to a brassica/clover combo each year. But, by only planting 1/2 at a time, your 1 acre plot never has a period of time, for the entire year, that something is not offering nutrition and food for your local herd.
Again, when you only have an acre to plant.....why waste it? Get the most from your plot and offer a planting for all 4 seasons. Even 1 acre can make a difference, and if nothing else, will be attractive the entire year, further enticing local deer to stay on your property.
03-09-2004, 01:20 PM
#8
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Broussard Louisiana USA
Posts: 349
RE: If you had one choice of seed to plant
I believe I have made my decision. I am going to plant a 3 acre plot. It will consist of four sections. The first being Buckwheat....The second being the Tecomate's Lab Lab Plus......The third being the Tecomate's Ultra Forage and the forth being the Imperial Whitetail Extreme. I believe this will be a good combo because.
The Lab Lab Plus offers 39% protein to help their nutrition but also offer a very good attractant value. The Ultra Forage offers a different blent of the Brasicas and Chickory. The Extreme offering the perrenial blend of clovers, chickory and other evergreen leafs and the Buckwheat offering a good cereal.
What do you guys think. This way I am getting the both of both worlds and at the same time see which seeds give me the BEST BANG FOR MY BUCK.
The Lab Lab Plus offers 39% protein to help their nutrition but also offer a very good attractant value. The Ultra Forage offers a different blent of the Brasicas and Chickory. The Extreme offering the perrenial blend of clovers, chickory and other evergreen leafs and the Buckwheat offering a good cereal.
What do you guys think. This way I am getting the both of both worlds and at the same time see which seeds give me the BEST BANG FOR MY BUCK.
03-09-2004, 05:09 PM
#9
Fork Horn
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Tunkhannock, PA USA
Posts: 171
RE: If you had one choice of seed to plant
Stone Cold, if you want the best bang for your buck dont buy any name brand stuff. You can get the same stuff alot cheaper if you buy it at the local feed store. You are only paying for the Marketing and their profit if buy whitetail clover or tecomate.
Why buckwheat? unless you are going to use it to mellow the soil that has never been planted,,dont bother. The deer it eat like crazy but it really offers them nothing. Its like candy. They come, eat it and its gone.
If you are gonna plant 3 acres my recomendation would be to try some different things. But keep it simple. Ladino clover would be one of the choices then choose a couple of other options.
I found out you can spend and waste alot of $ in a hurry. I love Ladino clover. The deer are crazy about it and it helps the overall quality of the deer. What I dont like about it is it is gone by the mid to late bow season (mid November) so its not good at attracting them into hunting season.
Just my 2 cents.
Why buckwheat? unless you are going to use it to mellow the soil that has never been planted,,dont bother. The deer it eat like crazy but it really offers them nothing. Its like candy. They come, eat it and its gone.
If you are gonna plant 3 acres my recomendation would be to try some different things. But keep it simple. Ladino clover would be one of the choices then choose a couple of other options.
I found out you can spend and waste alot of $ in a hurry. I love Ladino clover. The deer are crazy about it and it helps the overall quality of the deer. What I dont like about it is it is gone by the mid to late bow season (mid November) so its not good at attracting them into hunting season.
Just my 2 cents.
03-09-2004, 08:11 PM
#10
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Delhi, NY (by way of Chenango Forks)
Posts: 1,706
RE: If you had one choice of seed to plant
I can here the registers ringing - cha-ching, cha-ching
humor me and check into the prices of some of the generic species (clover, chicory, and any others that you find in the mixes) - you may find that there is a better bang for the buck.
just a thought
humor me and check into the prices of some of the generic species (clover, chicory, and any others that you find in the mixes) - you may find that there is a better bang for the buck.
just a thought