Guys I am putting in my first food plot on my families farm on SE Ohio(100 acres). We got permission from the gas co to plant on the gasline that runs through our property. The guy doing it does several hunt clubs so he knows a lot about it. I want to mainly concentrate on turkeys, but deer as well. He is going to plant a mix of chufa, clover, and rye grass. He said this mix will do it all. He's going to plant around an acre for me down the gasline. From what he said the turkeys will be drawn to the chufa but the clover and rye grass will produce bugs in the spring attracting birds as well. He also said the deer will feed on the clover and rye grass.

I would punt the ryegrass with a perennial clover. If it seeds you'll wish you never heard of it. Your guy better know what he's doing, because the seed sizes are quite a bit different (depth).

I guess we'll see. He has been doing this mixture on his leases and has had great success with it he said.

Good luck - I can tell your looking forward to a good plot.

I'll second punting perenial ryegrass. The only reason I would ever plant a perennial ryegrass would be plant an area that I didn't expect deer to feed, and that I mowed once per year. The grass can offer seed and cover for birds, mice and even deer fawns - but deer will very seldom eat it. Farmers sometimes mix it with a clover or alfalfa to add ruffage to the cow's diet. Deer just "skip it" in their diet.

I'm all for a mix, but keep in mind you will want to mow a couple times - look at an annual cereal grain like rye or oats in the mix - but concentrate on the clover for deer. I cannot comment on chuffa - never planted it.

He said the main reason for the rye grass was to cut down on weeds in the plot, not to feed. He said the clover will be there for the deer and the chufa for the turkeys. He said deer will eat the chufa as well. This is my first plot so we'll see what happens. Next year I might try something different. I'll let you know how it goes. He's the one that recommended it and has had success so we'll see.

Good luck, I hope you plot does well.

If you put the ryegrass in, make sure you mow it before it seeds. I suggest an annual type that you can control easier by mowing. If you let it seed out it will become the "weed" your trying to control. It's aggressive so be careful and keep an eye on the field as it matures.

Good luck

I would double check the depth of the gas lines, just in case, especially if the area is not relatively flat. Erosion up and down the lines can partially expose the lines or have the depth more shallow than when the lines were put in. Locally there was a problem with 4 wheelers and dirt bikes running up and down the lines and the pipes were exposed or were made VERY shallow.