huntinguide Posted March 11, 2008 Report Share Posted March 11, 2008 whats the best summer food plot for you guys? On the lines of attractions or ability too hold deer, and nutrtional. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhunt Posted March 11, 2008 Report Share Posted March 11, 2008 Beans and grains. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MUDRUNNER Posted March 11, 2008 Report Share Posted March 11, 2008 I would say beans also.From what I understand you need to plant a fair amount to keep them from getting eaten down to the dirt though.Most of my buddies do their summer scounting on bean fields. Second might be a perrenial legume like clover and alfalfa. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogdoc Posted March 11, 2008 Report Share Posted March 11, 2008 peas and beans--if you plant enough. Also hard to bean your perennials such as clover, alfalfa, chicory, and trefoil--however they're best planted in the fall. If planted in the spring you won't get a whole lot of forage until the fall--if it survives the weed competition and the hot dry oklahoma summers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhino Posted March 11, 2008 Report Share Posted March 11, 2008 We've tried cowpeas and beans in the past down here but when they reached a certain height the deer eat them down to the dirt. There was nothing left and that was in food plots from 1 to 3 acres in size. We had our best results planting alycee clover and jointvetch. The problem with jointvetch is it grows fairly slow (compared to alycee clover), the seed is very expensive, and it's hard to find. Now we just plant alycee clover in our summer food plots. Alycee clover is not really a true clover. It is an erect annual summer legume with a thin stem and rounded leaves. It can withstand heavy browsing during the later stages of growth. Total biomass crude protein is between 16% and 18%. Planting time in MS is from about May through the middle of June. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest EastALHunter Posted March 14, 2008 Report Share Posted March 14, 2008 Depends on several factors... whats the best summer food plot for you guys? On the lines of attractions or ability too hold deer, and nutrtional. If your deer density is fairly reasonable and your plot size is 3 acres or more, I recommend Lablab or forage soybeans. In this situation if your pH is below 6.0, I'd definitely go with Lablab as it grows on poorer soil sites. 6.0 and above then I would give Eagle Seeds forage soybean varieties a strong look. In the first year, I would plant both varieties if soil quality is there and gather a forage sample (don't confuse that with soil sample) after they have grown to about the 3 foot stage and send down to Waters Ag Lab in Camilla, GA (www.watersag.com) and get them to test for nutrients and protein levels. If your results show Lablab with a Calcium to Phosphorus (Ca:P) ratio close to or just below 2:1 then I would seriously consider the Lablab as it often maximizes this ratio which is better for skeletal and rack development and strengthens fawns and does as well. If both the Lablab and soybeans are really high in Calcium then I would consider going with the forage soybeans as they have a bigger leaf and produce a little more forage per acre. If you have smaller than 3 acre plots then you've got two options. First is fence off (you can do electric or hog-wire) and plant the Lablab/Soybeans and drop the fence when it gets 4-5' tall and put the fence back if it gets overgrazed to allow it to recover. You can do this by installing the fence to allow openings at two narrow ends of the field - just enough to let the deer have an entrance and an escape. You can maximize the added investment of having to put in a fence by creating your own bottleneck but I would give them outs on two sides because of predators and even 3 exits if predators get good at the game. If you make them large enough on each end, the deer can almost always outmaneuver the predators. If it's an electric fence you can add this option by putting a solid fence in these openings with the ability to remove it. The second option in small plots is to plant a perennial. The recommendation that I give to most of my customers is chicory - there are situations that dictate other forages but not too many. Cheap to plant and better on mineral uptake than any food plot forage out there - and it's not even close. It is the most complete food plot forage out there if you plant it with a legume. I personally like to no-till drill winter and/or spring peas into it. The legumes (peas) will slow down chicory's uptake of calcium and balances the Ca:P ratio to the optimum range just below 2:1. Chicory also helps aerate the soil with it's long tap root that can almost eliminate (I won't say 100% as soils and conditions can vary widely) hardpan issues that you find in clover fields that are not aerated and aerators are expensive to buy and impossible to borrow for most people. The long tap root also makes it extremely drought resistant and chicory can persist for up to 6 years if mowed and fertilized properly. Another recommendation that I make is to drill daikon radishes into the chicory (and any plot for that matter) in the spring as the deer generally ignore them but they can grow 8' long underground (icicle shaped radishes) and further break up hardpan and they develop rich organic matter as they decompose. Planting them year after year creates more and more organic matter that can extend the life of any perennial and will certainly help with hardpan issues in clover plots. The final consideration is what people are feeding or planting around you. The scenarios in those situations can be endless but one situation that people often ask about are what do I do in areas with lots of soybean production. Well, the answer is don't plant soybeans or if you do, put a fence around it and don't take it down until colder segment of deer season where you can drop/turn off the fence and the deer will be on your field hitting the soybean pods like ticks on a dog's back. In those areas of ag production, I also like to recommend chicory as it will give them some high nutritional value in early spring before the soybeans are planted. There are many, many other tools and techniques and I'd love to come out and consult on your property. I'll talk it all day and all night on here as well so just fire off any questions and if I don't have the answer some of my peers in the management business will probably have it and I'll go get the answer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhunt Posted March 14, 2008 Report Share Posted March 14, 2008 Welcome to the forums Don. Good information there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest EastALHunter Posted March 14, 2008 Report Share Posted March 14, 2008 Always good to be a part of.... Welcome to the forums Don. Good information there. a forum where I can learn more and share what I've picked up along the way. Thanks for the welcome. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wildthing Posted March 14, 2008 Report Share Posted March 14, 2008 I am a big fan of a perennial clover mix. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LETMGROW Posted March 22, 2008 Report Share Posted March 22, 2008 Like Don said, it all depends. Up here in the north we mostly prefer Clover and alfalfa as our mainstay perrenials. Of course we experiment with annuals as well for a variety. By the way: Hi Don and welcome to Realtree Forums. Lynn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PotashRLS Posted March 24, 2008 Report Share Posted March 24, 2008 I agree that it takes a lot of beans to keep up with hungry deer, especially if they can't get anywhere else but your plot. Imperial Whitetail Clover and Alfa-Rack Plus are the perennials that we plant. Doing fall plantings and keeping them mowed and fertilized will ensure a good nutritious plot for at least 3-5 years. Both are super high in protein, palatability and digestibility. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wildthing Posted April 1, 2008 Report Share Posted April 1, 2008 I was out fertilizing this weekend...getting ready to til and plot in a few weeks. I am going to put in a few more clover plots this spring. My clover plots last spring came in nice and green and thick...deer all them all summer and early fall. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bowhtr1 Posted April 2, 2008 Report Share Posted April 2, 2008 American Joint Vetch and Alyce clover. As long as you bushhog it once in the summer the vetch will take off. Try this in one plot and you will plant everything next year with this. The vetch is expensive but it is worth it and mixed with the alyce clover you dont plant as much. I cut the plot back to 8 to 10 inches in heighth after about a 1 1/2 months. The hotter it gets the more the deer like it. Good luck and try a small plot or take my word for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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