Alfalfa-Deer Food Plots Crops and Seeds

 Alfalfa-Deer Food Plots Crops and Seeds

The truth is, there’s next to nothing as easily accessible that produces more raw protein than top quality alfalfa. Deer will consume it all of the summer and for as long as the plant remains nourishing in to the fall. They may also begin it as fast as possible early in the year. Also, a correctly managed alfalfa plot can last as long as 7 years and is relatively drought tolerant. Alfalfa is a wonderful method to obtain protein. Finally, you will find there’s a ready and well-established marketplace for good quality alfalfa hay. Since you’ll want to cut the crop and remove the remains anyway to help keep the field weed-free why not make some income? 

Alfalfa has also downsides. First, alfalfa is chiefly a summer food source. It turns brown easily following the first hard frost and can be used less by deer afterwards. Also, it doesn’t green-up as quickly early in the year as winter grains or alternatively clover, therefore it isn’t of great help during periods of high stress. Second, alfalfa is often tough to ascertain and manage. The soil should be properly drained or the crop will swiftly flood out. Leaf hopping insects love the leaves just as much as the deer do, so you will need to observe the plot on a regular basis and treat it for bugs occasionally.

Also, alfalfa is pricey to implement. You may need to anticipate liming, fertilizing and paying a premium price for substantial protein types. You’re most likely looking at well above $125 per acre even though you do the project, more in the event you don’t. Although this might not seem so bad if you look at the the price tag covering the lifetime of the area, do not forget yearly fertilizer costs that add about $35 per acre. 

Should you be selling the hay, the math will be a lot more attractive. Actually, alfalfa as a crop is often pretty worthwhile. But, unless you want to get into these things, you might be more well off keeping the crop put up on halves with a local farmer. Under the ideal conditions, alfalfa is a superb alternative.

Food Plots-Milo Deer Food

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Winter Grains-Deer Food Plots Crops and Seeds

Winter Grains-Deer Food Plots Crops and Seeds

Because winter grains are planted within the fall they benefit from a period of time when many regions of the united states receive steady seasonal rainfall, causing this crop a good solution in otherwise arid areas. Winter wheat, rye or triticale are employed greatly in numerous southern food plot programs where heavy deer densities and dry summer conditions make other fall and winter food sources much less reliable. Most people have heard the expression green field when discussing southern deer hunting strategies. Green fields are usually some mix of winter grains along with a little clover included. With sufficient moisture, winter grains grow fast and may be employed by deer within a couple weeks of planting. In addition they stay green well in to the winter and therefore are very unyielding to frost. Early in the year, there’s the initial plant to green up, so they really are an essential early food for deer seeking to restore them after a challenging winter.

However, being an all-purpose deer meal source, winter grains are unsuccessful. They rapidly become harsh and unpalatable as spring wears on. Many birds eat the seed heads (and turkeys will eat them also) but deer don’t appear too interested past mid-spring. Because winter grains work well in certain situations when nothing else is, they stay within the list of feasible possibilities. Winter grains seem to be more of a piece to a bigger vision of an all incompasing food plot. They are great as an inhancement but not a sole food plot seed.

Food Plots-Alfalfa Food Crops

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Corn-Deer Food Plot Crops and Seeds

Corn-Deer Food Plot Crops and Seeds

Everybody knows that Whitetail Deer love corn! Corn is especially attractive to deer in the hart of the winter, when everything else is dead or dormant, corn is still available and and is packed with carbohydrates. I realize that many of you know this all ready but I must state it again to be sure. Corn is not a great year round food for deer. It offers little food value to the herd with regard to nutrients. It’s best attribute is that deer can make it through the end of rough winters by eating corn. I use this analogy all the time, that a biologist friend of mind said to me many years ago, “Feeding deer corn is like giving a starving person a candy bar. It will keep them alive but you don’t want it to be the primary food source.”

The nice thing about corn is that it is an abondant cash crop, so it is everywhere. Many times if you search around you can find corn seed that is left over. You may even be able to get it a very low price if not for free. Which is great for people like us that want a cheap deer food plot.

I don’t feel the need to talk much about corn as a plant because everyone is familiar with corn and there are volumes of information on growing it. Idealy, your food plot should contain other crops in it to maintain the herd through the spring, summer and fall and the deer will not depend on the corn until they have to. This time of year happens to be when most hunting is accuring, so corn can be a vital resource for late season stands and blinds.

Winter Grains-Deer Food Plot Crops

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Perennial Clovers-Deer Food Plots Crops and Seeds

Corn-Deer Food Plot Crops and Seeds

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