Best fall draw?

[NorthJeff]

I strongly feel that clover can be about the best April through mid-september draw, but when the going gets cold, I have relied on brassicas for my best hunting draw. Now I realize brassicas may be less desirable in ag areas, but have some friends that have had some great experience with Buck Forage Oats, out pulling everything(planted side-by-side by the way), from clover, to alfalfa, to brassicas, and even rye or wheat-in a heavy ag area. In fact, most of their hunting season plantings will be of Buck Forage Oats this year.

So what would you want growing on your plots during hunting season? Clumps of cabage, carrots, and beats don't count ;)

What would you want in your "harvest plot", of the easier to grow varieties anyways, seeing as corn and soys can be a great draw, but more difficult to establish, especially in small areas.

What do you think?

[farmlegend]

1. Oats (until they freeze out)
2. Wheat (draws all winter)
3. Alfalfa (King of Forages, but it also fades in Dec)
4. Rye (again, freezes out; if you have the soil for it, Wheat is a much better choice)
5. Clover - still a preferred food, and better all-around plot than most of those I rank above it. Ladino stays nice, green, and palatable for a good while, longer than Alfalfa.
6. Brassica - sometimes not touched by deer at all in heavy agricultural areas; D.E. Rape, in particular, is a dog in farm country, seldom eaten by deer. However, depending on deer density and available food sources, some brassicas are fed upon heavily from December on.

Of the above, Clover and Wheat, in my opinion, are the best all-around plots.

Not listed in the poll was standing corn, which is probably the #1 plot, where it exists, during November, and especially December.

Soys are a good December draw, particularly when a sudden cold snap comes on.

[Dawg]

I've got to say standing corn first and cut corn second.

[Swamp Ghost]

Wheat and standing corn.

Clover being the best all around plot.

[NorthJeff]

I didn't include corn and soys due to their diffuculty in establishing for the average guy, and in small areas.

Clover is my base, but when it's all I've had going into fall, it's been very dissapointing during our cold, U.P. hunting season. In fact, my deer are in the brassicas heavy in bow season, and very little in the clover. That being said though, clover is in every planting I have and this year I will plant either brassica/clover, or Buck Forage/clover, depending upon location-basically 1/2 and 1/2 for all my plots.

I'll have chicory in with the clover as well.

[Swamp Ghost]

I am trying chicory this year as well, already having a 9 acre pure clover field, I am trying a seperate 3 acre plot of 3/4 chicory and 1/4 clover.

[NorthJeff]

Seems like a great combo.

I talked to my friend down in the thumb that planted much of this side by side-all in a heavy ag area outside of Caro. The wheat didn't get high enough due to late planting, so that didn't really rate, but...

1. Buck forage oats-first by far

2. Clover

3. MI oats-hardly touched, walked over to get to the other 2.

4. Turnips-didn't touch at all, but 2 miles away, mixed with rape in a less farmland area was grazed heavily most of hunting season.

Most of the foraging took place in the Buck Forage Oats, and they didn't turn brown until into January. MI oats browned in mid-season.

They also planted soys in with much of their plantings in August, and although they died at first frost in October, they were instant draws within a week of planting, offering great forage immediatly for about 6 weeks.

[wild bill]

1. oats
2. winter wheat
3. clover/alfalfa

all in all standing corn works the best throughtout the whole winter but was not listed. if i had to make a choice of only one plant to have it would be clover. brassica's have been a total dissapointment for me. the deer just wont touch them.

[riverman]

Guys, Corn and soybeans are not that hard to establish. Both plants have seed available now days that have a gene in them that allow you spray roundup after emergence for weed control.. The ground to be planted will have to worked up at least 4 inches in depth. For corn you will need to apply at least 90 lbs act nitrogen to ensure grain fill on the ears. This can be done by buying urea in 50 lb bags and hand spreading 2 bags per acre. Draw a line in the soil with a hoe and drop seed every 7 inches or buy a garden tool that will plant lots of different seed, put the corn plate in and push away. Space your rows 30 to 36 inches apart. Try to place the seed 1.5 inches deep.
For soys, work the ground, plant in rows the same way as corn, trying to get 7 to 8 seeds per foot. Again that garden tool should have a plate for peas or beans that will work. You can also just broadcast the seed on top of the ground, using 1 bushel per acre as your seed rate. Lightly drag the seed in the ground. Pull a packer across if you have one, but it is not a must.
Wait untill the corn and soy beans have come as well as ALL of the weeds. 3 to 4 weeks is a good rule of thumb and then just spray the whole plot with roundup. All that will be left in 10 days is the corn and soys. Word of caution. It is ok to drive over the soy plants as they will recover and grow. Take care to avoid driving or stepping on the corn plant as it will not grow back. Give it a try, new seed technology makes farming easier everyday. Riverman

[NorthJeff]

Riverman,

I agree, to me, corn or soys wouldn't be too terribly diffucult to plant, but anyone I've talked to with experience planting the two has recommended at least 2 to 5 acres or more, depending upon deer numbers.

I have 1, close to 2 acre field, but don't want to take the risk of trying to see if it works, and I need clover as by base in all my fields. I think the corn and soys are probabably more appropriate for the bigger plots, at least with what I've been told.

This august I might broadcast soys in with my clover/oats mix to try and get some immediate foraging.

If I had to choose a year-round forage, it would be clover. But I've been dissapointed in November when the usage slowed way down. Given the choice though, I'd pick the year-round usage over fall draw only.

[sargent]

1. buckwheat before a October killing frost (It will withstand a light frost)
2. clover/chicory/ryegrass plots
3. rye

all cheap and easy to plant and the deer love them.

[David G Duncan]

All my plots started out as very sand soil, which I have been trying to build up over the past three years.

Winter wheat mixed with some rape has been an excellent draw as compared to oats.

Now, finally last fall I planted one plot to a clover / alfalfa mix and will plant the others back to winter wheat in late summer. So finally I will see if clover is really as good an Oct. draw as I believe it should be.

[Pinefarm]

1. Carrots
2. Sugar beets
3. Bagged corn

:D :D :D

[answerguy8]

Where can you buy Buck Forage Oats?

[dfd189]

http://www.buckforage.com/

[Luv2hunteup]

By far I would have to say DE rape gets hit the hardest in the fall. I've yet to plant enough to last until the deer head the yards, but that will change this year. They hammer it every fall at my cap in Chippewa county.

I plan on trying triticale this fall with a new planting of clover. Will have to see if it draws as good as rye.

[NorthJeff]

Luv2,

What's your experience with clover?

Maybe it's the earlier frosts, colder weather, more snow, etc.. that we get up here, but my clover has been a poor draw, especially after September.

I will try oats this year, but 1/2 my plantings will be brassica/clover, and the other 1/2 oats/clover. I've planted clover by itself in the past, and can't imagine doing it again. Both the oats and the brassicas are gone in the spring, but I'm left with a great stand of clover for spring/summer/early fall, the best times for clover for me.

Have you mixed your rape with clover? I won't probably ever plant one without the other, unless I'm frost-seeding one into the other.

[Ed Spin]

Very good post topic with informed replies including the one suggesting carrots,beets and bagged corn. Could this be the gentleman that sells same?

North Jeff, yes indeed plant a brassica mix with your clover and if the clover brand dosen,t have it in the blend add a lb of chicory per acre. The brassica serves the role of being a nurse crop and the follwing year expect a banner legume plot.

Clover does best as an attractant when young, recently fertilized and/or freshly mowed. That's why one should plant it in late July or the first of August for that first year maximum results. Mow and fertilize the first of August for the hunting season improved odds. This is no guarntee, just buying insurance.

I have planted oats many times and have known about the forage oats brand for some time, yet have never planted it. You guys have convinced me to try it this late summer.

I have had excellant results planting 50-75 lbs per acre of round up ready soys on the first of August followed by a spraying of round up four weeks later. Then I will broadcast four lbs of a brassica mix per acre. The soys may be gone due to the deer or an early frost but the soys did their job of attrating the deer and with allah being with me they just might be there through the first week of October. If not the brassica is there and due to its regrowth ability last throughout the bow seasons.

This year i will use buck forage oats in place of the brassica in at least a few places.

By the way I have been planting corn for food plots by broadcasting it at the rate of no more than 20 lbs per acre for over 20 years now along with broadcasting fertilizer, then working them into the soil with a disk with blades set at four inches deep followed by a cultipacking with outstanding results. Plant round up ready corn and spray four weeks later and don't worry about the corn being trampled. It will come springing back.

You can plant a long food plot in your woods with corn providing it has plenty of sun. This means a lane at least 60 feet wide with a corn plot 30 feet wide planted centrally. On either side of this very long (up to 1/2 mile or more) and winding food plot lane plant a narrow strip of clover, brassica , soys or a combination of them as mentioned. Have this corn lane lead from a heavy cover (safe area) to a major feeding site with you having several tree blinds stratigically placed from near the feeding area for the early part of the bow season to the heavy cover safe area for the later part.

Deer just love corn and not onl;y for the food, they feel very safe and let down their guard when traveling in it. 30 feet wide is the minimum width you will need to make the deer feel at ease.

You just received one of my secrets. Donations are welcome, just make out the check payable to me.

Keep the fun in hunting!

[Luv2hunteup]

NorthJeff

The first year I planted clover (August '98) I planted a pure mix of IW clover with great results. At the same time I planted No Plow in a wetter area that I just disced under a few times. The rape/rye mix did great in that fall planting but the rape really got my attention.

Since that time I have always mixed in rape every fall planting. It's a real great draw if planted in late July early August. As for clover, the deer seem to hit it even when buried under the snow. One year old planting get hit the hardest when buried under snow. Extreme cold without snow cover changes it's drawing power.

Good news, no snow as of 5/3/03 with the exception of the bottom of my erosion ravines. I did overseed last falls plantings with clover and chicory. We had good overnight freezes so the walking was easy. They predicted warmth and rain for today.

I did see deer foraging in the food plots once the ground thawed about 10am Saturday and Sunday. The does looked great and it looks like the yearlings made it through the winter in pretty good shape.

I just finished reading "Grow 'E Right by Craig & Neil Dougherty.
Good reading, good pictures I would recommend it to anyone. It brings up more aspects of land management for the folks who choose to hunt in snow country rather than Dixie.

I might have to try a spring planting of Biologic Maximum.


Hey Answer Guy

If you're you go by I-75 exit 190, Standish Milling sells it. They had at least a pallet of it when I was there 3 week ago. They're less than 2 miles east of I-75

[NorthJeff]

It's interesting all the different votes, for the variety of plantings.

A couple of thoughts....

Brassicas may be better suited to forested/non-ag areas.

Clover may work better as a fall draw when utalized in warmer areas, such as lower MI, as opposed to the upper, or as Ed eluded to, if mowed and maintained for new growth as close to hunting season as possible.

Variety is a must!! In the beginning stages of your food plots, plant variety and see what YOUR deer like. If you go with a brassica, it might be better to plant a variety of brassicas, as opposed to one type of seed.

Plant various planting side by side for comparison, this lowers the variables of year to year moisture availability, various soil types of different food plot locations, and timing. You may be able to actually see for yourself deer walk over one to get to the other. I've personally witnessed deer walk over good clover to pick individual turnip growth out one-by one during late october, but a friend in an ag area had a field of turnips rot this spring after nothing touched it-nothing all fall, or winter.

It doesn't hurt to plant a perinnial, such as clover or chicory, with annuals, such as oats or brassicas, to provide multi-seasonal balance to the food plot. This especially works well with a fall planting, when you are targeting an annual fall draw species, say brassica or oats, but then have enough time left in the year to establish an edequate clover/chicory base for next spring. I personally like the idea of the brassicas or oats, as they experience a pretty high rate of total die-off during the winter, leaving you with pure clover in the spring, with the option to frost-seed more brassicas if desired, but without the hassle of dealing with existing rye or wheat growth that is less desirable during the summer months.

Plant a balanced plot in the fall, forget about it, return in the spring to fertalize, lime and frost seed, if desired. Then mow/target herbacide in the summer months if needed, giving you the option of leaving it alone and taking a great stand of clover into hunting season, starting the process again, or getting creative and over-seeding or possibly lightly tilling/dragging and seeding with a fall-draw annual.

Do you guys have an other tips that have worked for you concerning fall plantings?

[answerguy8]

If you're you go by I-75 exit 190, Standish Milling sells it. They had at least a pallet of it when I was there 3 week ago. They're less than 2 miles east of I-75

It was a lot cheaper at Standish than buying on-line. $42 per 50# bag on-line versus $20 at Standish Milling.
Thanks for the tip
Gary