Food Plots What’s In Your Favorite Fall Mix

[Wonderland]

Like the title says and planting season will be here before we know it. What your favorite fall mix?

 

[JCDEERMAN]

100 lbs of grains - 50 lbs rye, 25 lbs wheat, 25 lbs oats. 10-20 lbs annual clovers - crimson…and arrowleaf if I can find it. Usually like a couple pounds of brassicas also, but when they do grow, they typically don't get eaten much

 

[JCDEERMAN]

And I'll add, that grain mixture will vary. May be 50 lbs wheat and 25 lbs of rye,etc… some years it depends on army worms. We just mix it up differently year to year, but 100 lbs of grains is permanent at our place. The deer love #1 oats, #2 wheat, and #3 rye in that order (where we are - locations vary). Poor acorn years, we will have a lot of rye. For instance, they'll still eat the rye in the fall, but more importantly, it's the first thing green on steroids coming out of winter when they are stressed and starving, so in a poor acorn year (you can tell and we'll asses before planting), we'll plant more rye than anything else to fill their bellies very early spring

 

[Ski]

Rye grain and chicory are my foundation staples. My mix changes a little year to year but always includes those two because they always grow and deer always eat it. Rye grows all winter long and greens up early in spring, and chicory grows lush green all summer & fall no matter how hot and dry.

 

[BSK]

The same as always: Buckwheat (to protect the real fall crop until the first freeze), Crimson Clover, and Wheat. In years past, I've also added Winter Peas.

 

[deerhunter10]

We do 50/50 oats and wheat back of the drill one front the other. We have enough volunteer crimson clover that we haven't planted it in a couples of years. Will have cereal rye some times. Will add winter peas some times. We will redo out clover as needed. But frost seeding usually take care of them. We have tried a pile of things and for us its a great and easy mix. I dont fool with brassicas much anymore with the last several years drought situations we push back and back. Late September to mid October is when we plant.

 

[Popcorn]

Cereal rye, wheat, turnips, radishes and balansa clover.
Food from wheat germination till we kill the plot next spring!

 

[Livin2hunt]

This has been my go to for plots over the last few seasons and the deer hit it pretty hard and then I drag in some of our trails with some Durana, wheat and rye

 

[rifle02]

I generally use wheat, oats or rye just whatever seems to be the mood I'm in plus I add in some commercial "buck in a bag" type of product. Last year I added a 50 lb bag of Pennington Deluxe fall mix. I was amazed at the variety of things that came up. In Spring through early summer there was quite a bit of crimson clover, that made me happy! I believe I will do more of that stuff this year.

 

[tellico4x4]

100# wheat, 15# Crimson & 15# Arrowleaf in annual plots. If poor soil will substitute rye. Cheap & provides food through June-July

 

[BSK]

100# wheat, 15# Crimson & 15# Arrowleaf in annual plots. If poor soil will substitute rye. Cheap & provides food through June-July

If you're not going to replant in spring (dual annual plantings, spring and fall), then I HIGHLY recommend Arrowleaf along with Crimson. Crimson blooms and dies by late May, but Arrowleaf will persist into July.

 

[Wonderland]

I started this thread to see if I could add anything to my mix but it doesn't really seem can compared to everyone else's comment. I plant 75 pds wheat, 25 pds oats, 2 pds turnips, 1 pd radishes, and 2-3 ladino clover. Clover being my main food source in summer. Would anyone add anything else to this mix?

 

[BSK]

I started this thread to see if I could add anything to my mix but it doesn't really seem can compared to everyone else's comment. I plant 75 pds wheat, 25 pds oats, 2 pds turnips, 1 pd radishes, and 2-3 ladino clover. Clover being my main food source in summer. Would anyone add anything else to this mix?

Is this a plot that will be left untouched through the following summer? Is the ground being turned when you're planting in fall?

 

[Wonderland]

Is this a plot that will be left untouched through the following summer? Is the ground being turned when you're planting in fall?

I use a no till drill to plant and leave clover as my summer forage. I just add the clover to keep it viable even though it has established itself very well

 

[kevin mays]

@BSK
Do you put a companion crop w it it just run straight clover?

 

[kevin mays]

@Wonderland
Reduce wheat by 30lbs
Increase oats by 20lbs
drop the radishes and turnips and put in winter peas at 20lb per acre
Keep your clover

 

[Wonderland]

@Wonderland
Reduce wheat by 30lbs
Increase oats by 20lbs
drop the radishes and turnips and put in winter peas at 20lb per acre
Keep your clover

Radishes and turnips feed deer into the end of January at my place. I've tried winter peas a few times before and they only last a month after planting and then you can't find them anymore.

 

[deerhunter10]

Radishes and turnips feed deer into the end of January at my place. I've tried winter peas a few times before and they only last a month after planting and then you can't find them anymore.

Its funny how different places are. It seems our deer would starve to death before they eat a turnip or radish. Planted them for several years seen a couple actually eaten.

 

[Wonderland]

It's funny how different places are. It seems our deer would starve to death before they eat a turnip or radish. Planted them for several years seen a couple actually eaten.

I've heard that from several people. They didn't eat mine the first couple of years but about the third year they started devouring them. I've added them to my mix for about 17 years now and it's fun to watch them try to eat a whole one if they are apple size.

 

[Huntaholic]

Moultrie and shelled corn works pretty good! IN KY!!

 

[redblood]

100 lbs of grains - 50 lbs rye, 25 lbs wheat, 25 lbs oats. 10-20 lbs annual clovers - crimson…and arrowleaf if I can find it. Usually like a couple pounds of brassicas also, but when they do grow, they typically don't get eaten much

I planted turnip greens for deer last yr and had the ebst stand i ever saw……and deer never touched them. Im going to go cheap this yr. Wheat and rye

 

[redblood]

But i sure like the turnip greens so i will do plenty for myself

 

[Ski]

I planted turnip greens for deer last yr and had the ebst stand i ever saw……and deer never touched them. Im going to go cheap this yr. Wheat and rye

I had a fantastic spread of turnips, radishes, and kale one year. Giant bulbs and lush greens. Deer didn't want anything to do with any of it. It just rotted and stank.

 

[Bucket]

I had a fantastic spread of turnips, radishes, and kale one year. Giant bulbs and lush greens. Deer didn't want anything to do with any of it. It just rotted and stank.

I can relate with the kale - I pass on eating it too!

 

[BSK]

@BSK
Do you put a companion crop w it it just run straight clover?

I always add cereal grains, usually wheat, because it will grow in poor soil and is not as attractive to Army Worms as cereal rye is.

 

[BSK]

Radishes and turnips feed deer into the end of January at my place. I've tried winter peas a few times before and they only last a month after planting and then you can't find them anymore.

If you have primarily clay soils, Winter Peas are so attractive deer eat them up fast. That's why I no long plant them. I use Buckwheat as my "cover crop" to protect what I really want for winter feeding. The first freeze kills the Buckwheat, but by then, it's done its job (protecting the clover and cereal grains from early over-browsing).

 

[Ski]

If you have primarily clay soils, Winter Peas are so attractive deer eat them up fast. That's why I no long plant them.

Same here but I still plant them. I've found that peas lay on the ground all fall and winter then at random times germinate and grow.

 

[lol]

If you have primarily clay soils, Winter Peas are so attractive deer eat them up fast. That's why I no long plant them. I use Buckwheat as my "cover crop" to protect what I really want for winter feeding. The first freeze kills the Buckwheat, but by then, it's done its job (protecting the clover and cereal grains from early over-browsing).

Do you plant the buckwheat, clover and wheat at the same time, or do you plant the buckwheat than plant the others later?

 

[BSK]

Do you plant the buckwheat, clover and wheat at the same time, or do you plant the buckwheat than plant the others later?

I've learned my lesson about planting in mid-August. IF we get adequate rains in August and September, that planting date works great. However, rarely do we get adequate rain then. So, I'm switching to a mid-September planting of the Buckwheat and clover, and then early October for broadcasting in the wheat. I have a summer crop growing in the plots that will be productive until mid-September. I will mow that crop down on top the Buckwheat a Crimson Clover seed. I'll then spray the plots with Clethodim to knock back any grasses. I won't use a broadleaf herbicide because I don't want to kill the volunteer clover that has germinated over the summer. I have no worries about the summer crop trying to regrow. That's fine. But I have terrible problems with late summer growth of foxtail and fescue that I want to get under control.

 

[lol]

I've learned my lesson about planting in mid-August. IF we get adequate rains in August and September, that planting date works great. However, rarely do we get adequate rain then. So, I'm switching to a mid-September planting of the Buckwheat and clover, and then early October for broadcasting in the wheat. I have a summer crop growing in the plots that will be productive until mid-September. I will mow that crop down on top the Buckwheat a Crimson Clover seed. I'll then spray the plots with Clethodim to knock back any grasses. I won't use a broadleaf herbicide because I don't want to kill the volunteer clover that has germinated over the summer. I have no worries about the summer crop trying to regrow. That's fine. But I have terrible problems with late summer growth of foxtail and fescue that I want to get under control.

Gotcha. I may try this approach this year, I'm just concerned about how the local hogs will react to the buckwheat.