northernwhitetail Posted May 31, 2012 Report Share Posted May 31, 2012 i want to make an annual plot to attract deer in novemeber in Maine. they are going to be L or V shaped plots in the woods. what is my best seed selection or selections. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kcall Posted May 31, 2012 Report Share Posted May 31, 2012 attracting plot I've been looking at hot spot mixture by plant biologic seed company. It looks interesting! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LETMGROW Posted June 1, 2012 Report Share Posted June 1, 2012 I always say: "When in doubt, plant clover ". It is one of the easier plots to grow and maintain. Lynn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
northernwhitetail Posted June 3, 2012 Author Report Share Posted June 3, 2012 Yes i already have a few small and larger plots of clover. I want something different Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitetailfreak55 Posted June 3, 2012 Report Share Posted June 3, 2012 I would try a mixture of brassicas clover and the rye grass. Antler king has some nice mixes. Also if you can't use heavy equipment the throw and grow works good just make sure you have seed to soil contact Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hoosierhunter Posted June 3, 2012 Report Share Posted June 3, 2012 attracting plot Chicory all season. Turnips late season. Also give whitetail institute a call. They are more than happy to advise you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LETMGROW Posted June 3, 2012 Report Share Posted June 3, 2012 Yes i already have a few small and larger plots of clover. I want something different Wanting something different is fine, however do the deer want something different? What you plant will also depend on how much direct sunlight you have on your plots daily. Plots in the woods are difficult to get good growth in if the canopy is too thick to allow ample sunlight through. One of the best blends I have used in woods areas is Forrested Trail from www.heartlandwildlifeinstitute.com This is a blend of clovers which will grow well and really takes a beating and just keeps coming back. Another blend is Secret Spot from www.whitetailinstitute.com Brassicas like turnip, rape, kale and radish will grow well in limited sunlight but aren't a good attractant until after you have had a good killing frost. At this time the starch in the leaves turns to a sugar and the deer will devouir them almost overnight. They will come back later in the season and dig the bulbs up and feast on them. Often they won't eat the bulbs until after hunting season. This is also dependent on what other food is available around the area. I don't plant my brassicas until late July figuring 45 days roughly before the first frost occurs. The plants grow to about 24" and the bulbs are large but still tender. Planting too early will allow the bulbs to get tough and grainey. Deer may not touch them at all until late winter or early spring before greenup just because there isn't anything else around to eat. Most folks I have talked to in southern areas of the country haven't had much luck with brassicas. I suspect this is because they don't get real killing frosts like we do here in the northern zones. Good Luck, Lynn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LETMGROW Posted June 3, 2012 Report Share Posted June 3, 2012 I would try a mixture of brassicas clover and the rye grass. Antler king has some nice mixes. Also if you can't use heavy equipment the throw and grow works good just make sure you have seed to soil contact If you elect to use a Ryegrass in your plots be aware of using an annual variety can lead to real problems. This can become invasive and almost impossible to get rid of later on. Use a perennial variety such as Marshall, Passerel, Big Daddy, Rustmaster or Gulf. Other info can be found on the website www.barusa.com. Some of this info I obtained from the book " Quality Food Plots " available from the" Quality Deer Management Association" www.qdma.com. Click on to the shed link. Lynn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhunt Posted June 4, 2012 Report Share Posted June 4, 2012 If rye is a consideration, I would suggest rye grain and not rye grass. Rye grain is more pallatable and it will do well most places. Might also consider wheat. A favorite here for a long time has been pennington's wintergrazer rye, unfortunately our local feed store that was the only local seller went out of business and I have nowhere to buy it locally and I won't pay $35-40 a bag on freight. The wintergrazer rye planted in the late summer/early fall does very well, it is more attractive to deer than wheat is. Can mix the stuff with about anything, I like to use it when planting our perennial clover plots in the fall. Might also consider peas like austrian winter peas since you already have clover plots. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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