All season Food??

[Chippy]

So I'm wanting to start on some food plots! Are there any products out there that seem to be good year round? I have tons of acorns and a pond but want to give them a sort of "comfort food" for year round!

 

[Ski]

A good clover mix maybe?

 

[TNTreeman]

Right now I'd start pulling soil samples and getting your ground right.

 

[Bushape]

My clover stands have done a good job of attracting deer for the majority of the year. Can always overseed with a cold weather annual.

 

[tellico4x4]

IMO clover is as close as you can come to a year round crop but know that it is a commitment & that some years it's going to fail due to drought.

 

[deerhunter10]

Imo not true such thing but clover is as close as you can get. It would get you really close to all the way through if you can get enough acres planted. Ours get hammered so hard right now they are there but not really eatable.

 

[Ski]

You might start with wheat. It's the cheapest seed you can get, easy to grow, can be planted any day of the year, and deer like it as long as it's green. Try some right now. It'll grow and deer will love it because there's no other green food to eat until April green up. It grows well with clover too so they can be in a plot together.

 

[MickThompson]

If you've got the acreage, beans. They'll eat the leaves all summer and the grain in the winter. You can even top sow wheat or clover into the field in the fall

 

[JCDEERMAN]

If you've got the acreage, beans. They'll eat the leaves all summer and the grain in the winter. You can even top sow wheat or clover into the field in the fall

This

 

[Popcorn]

There is no single planting that is year round. A blend of clovers comes as close as you can get. Find a way to incorporate turnips, radishes and wheat or cereal rye mid august and you are as year round as you can get.

The other option is forage beans in may, wheat or cereal rye with turnips and radishes early september but do not mow or till the beans. Leave them standing and broadcast the winter crop into them

 

[BSK]

There is no single planting that is year round. A blend of clovers comes as close as you can get.

This. Perennial clovers are about the closest thing to a year-round food source you can get.

 

[TheLBLman]

This. Perennial clovers are about the closest thing to a year-round food source you can get.

And, makes for one of the more ideal situations in which you can simply broadcast some brassicas right before a rain in August. Can also do this with some oats & winter wheat in October, but I have more trouble with birds & turkeys eating the oat/wheat seed before it can germinate. Really key to do it immediately before or even during a nice rain (but hopefully not enough to wash away the seed).

You "can" broadcast the oats/wheat in September, but by waiting until October, the big feathered rats may be more pre-occupied in the woods eating acorns, and might not notice your seed as much.

 

[BSK]

And, makes for one of the more ideal situations in which you can simply broadcast some brassicas right before a rain in August. Can also do this with some oats & winter wheat in October, but I have more trouble with birds & turkeys eating the oat/wheat seed before it can germinate. Really key to do it immediately before or even during a nice rain (but hopefully not enough to wash away the seed).

You "can" broadcast the oats/wheat in September, but by waiting until October, the big feathered rats may be more pre-occupied in the woods eating acorns, and might not notice your seed as much.

Excellent point. In addition, in dry ridge-top soils with clovers that can take those conditions in the summer (Durana), I've even seen hunters broadcast Ladino clover into the plots in fall. Durana does not grow very tall, but the Ladino will in the cool season, adding a clover that produces a higher volume of fall/winter foods. The Ladino will die back in the summer. That's an expensive way to add another plant into a single species clover mixture for a single growing season, but to be honest, some of the annual clovers are getting just as expensive as the perennials.

 

[Popcorn]

I stopped planting single species clover 3 years ago and don't intend to do it again for permanent plots. However I do use balansa clover in my annual seed blends and it can become a great argument for single species plantings 9 months of the year.

 

[Chippy]

Excellent point. In addition, in dry ridge-top soils with clovers that can take those conditions in the summer (Durana), I've even seen hunters broadcast Ladino clover into the plots in fall. Durana does not grow very tall, but the Ladino will in the cool season, adding a clover that produces a higher volume of fall/winter foods. The Ladino will die back in the summer. That's an expensive way to add another plant into a single species clover mixture for a single growing season, but to be honest, some of the annual clovers are getting just as expensive as the perennials.

Mine is in an open field, I thought about doing turnips and then filling in with a clover! Or vice versa

 

[Huntaholic]

Corn. Corn thrown out twice a day, 365 days a year. LOL

 

[BSK]

I stopped planting single species clover 3 years ago and don't intend to do it again for permanent plots. However I do use balansa clover in my annual seed blends and it can become a great argument for single species plantings 9 months of the year.

I try to shy away from single-species plantings as well, but on dry ridge-tops, where the "soil" is primarily chert gravel, Durana is the only clover that will grow in summer.

 

[Ski]

I try to shy away from single-species plantings as well, but on dry ridge-tops, where the "soil" is primarily chert gravel, Durana is the only clover that will grow in summer.

You've got my interest piqued with that Durana. Is it difficult to grow? How much sun does it require? What kind of ground prep do you do? My place is hills & hollers hardwoods with acidic soil and rock just below the surface. Man it's tough to get anything to grow.

 

[BSK]

The biggest problems with Durana are 1) it is crazy expensive, and 2) competition, as it is not a tall-growing species. But as long as you can keep grass competition down, it is amazing stuff. It is best drilled but can also be broadcast onto the surface late in the cool season. I've got a client that uses it extensively in their worst-soil ridge-top plots, and well maintained, it is beautiful stuff. Next time out there, I'll take some pictures.

 

[Ski]

The biggest problems with Durana are 1) it is crazy expensive, and 2) competition, as it is not a tall-growing species. But as long as you can keep grass competition down, it is amazing stuff. It is best drilled but can also be broadcast onto the surface late in the cool season. I've got a client that uses it extensively in their worst-soil ridge-top plots, and well maintained, it is beautiful stuff. Next time out there, I'll take some pictures.

Please do get some pics!

I wouldn't be able to drill but can certainly broadcast. The only real competition it would have is that thick heavy bladed ridge grass. Not even sure what it is but doesn't seem too hard to kill. When you say late cool season do you mean now? Or closer to say March?

 

[BSK]

Please do get some pics!

I wouldn't be able to drill but can certainly broadcast. The only real competition it would have is that thick heavy bladed ridge grass. Not even sure what it is but doesn't seem too hard to kill. When you say late cool season do you mean now? Or closer to say March?

March/April

Right at green-up.

 

[puppy]

You've got my interest piqued with that Durana. Is it difficult to grow? How much sun does it require? What kind of ground prep do you do? My place is hills & hollers hardwoods with acidic soil and rock just below the surface. Man it's tough to get anything to grow.

I managed to keep a Durana plot looking good for 5 yrs before burning it down and planting rye to burn up some nitrogen out of the soil. It is hard to get established and you won't see much clover the first fall but it will explode the next spring, keep it mowed for broadleafs and sprayed for grass and it is great.

 

[Ski]

I managed to keep a Durana plot looking good for 5 yrs before burning it down and planting rye to burn up some nitrogen out of the soil. It is hard to get established and you won't see much clover the first fall but it will explode the next spring, keep it mowed for broadleafs and sprayed for grass and it is great.

Thank you! I think I've got some spots perfect for it. Stayed up reading a bit about it last night and will be ordering some for both spring and fall planting.

 

[JCDEERMAN]

I managed to keep a Durana plot looking good for 5 yrs before burning it down and planting rye to burn up some nitrogen out of the soil. It is hard to get established and you won't see much clover the first fall but it will explode the next spring, keep it mowed for broadleafs and sprayed for grass and it is great. View attachment 165631

Looks great. We just started 4 one acre plots in all clover this past fall. Will be frost seeding in February and trying to keep it maintained. We tried this before years ago and failed. Hoping this go around is better

 

[BSK]

I managed to keep a Durana plot looking good for 5 yrs before burning it down and planting rye to burn up some nitrogen out of the soil. It is hard to get established and you won't see much clover the first fall but it will explode the next spring, keep it mowed for broadleafs and sprayed for grass and it is great. View attachment 165631

A perfect description of Durana.

 

[DoubleRidge]

I managed to keep a Durana plot looking good for 5 yrs before burning it down and planting rye to burn up some nitrogen out of the soil. It is hard to get established and you won't see much clover the first fall but it will explode the next spring, keep it mowed for broadleafs and sprayed for grass and it is great. View attachment 165631

Clover plot looks great!.....but that buck....the body on that joker.....what a tank!

 

[puppy]

Clover plot looks great!.....but that buck....the body on that joker.....what a tank!

That is what we called him, unfortunately never saw him during season. Did have an encounter with him while on tractor one afternoon right after velvet drop, he just stood there at 30 yds like he knew I couldn't touch himo_O That was a banner year for nice bucks:

 

[Ski]

Well if that buck likes Durana then by golly I'm planting Durana!

 

[JCDEERMAN]

That is what we called him, unfortunately never saw him during season. Did have an encounter with him while on tractor one afternoon right after velvet drop, he just stood there at 30 yds like he knew I couldn't touch himo_O That was a banner year for nice bucks:
View attachment 165739

View attachment 165740

That buck in the first pic is a toad!!!!