Dual use clover fields

[OkieKubota]

Okie, you grow some beautiful plots.
My plots seem to have a lot in common with Baker's plots. I've planted oats a few times with little success/use too. Also completely throw-n-mow so no tillage here either. The only problem I find with this type of plot is I don't get to tinker with it much. I like to play with plots and this type doesn't lend itself to a lot of tinkering.

Only if it rains...rain can make a zero into a hero or vice/versa on this growing stuff deal...This year is not starting off good in that respect...

 

[Baker]

This is another dual purpose clover field of 13 acres. It was planted about 3 yrs ago in crimson and has been regenerating without requiring additional plantings. You can see it starting to dry up and harden seed. About May 1 I will plant it in sunflowers for a dove field. The nitrogen from the clover feeds the sunflowers. The crimson regens in the fall. Easy with minimal maintenance. And the dove hunting can be superb.

 

[cutman]

How will you plant the sunflowers, Baker? With your no till drill or with a planter?

 

[Baker]

How will you plant the sunflowers, Baker? With your no till drill or with a planter?

I use the no till for everything. For soybeans this year, I'm going to experiment with taping off every other feeder to widen the spacing. I will use the drill and go directly into the crimson with sunflowers., then spray with gly if necessary. I don't see many weeds or grass in the crimson field now though.

 

[cutman]

I've got a mix of rye, crimson clover, and chicory that will probably self terminate in May. Maybe I will try some cheap sunflowers as well...

 

[Baker]

I've got a mix of rye, crimson clover, and chicory that will probably self terminate in May. Maybe I will try some cheap sunflowers as well...

I'm sure you know that deer will hit them very hard. My experience is either it takes a big field with heavier planting rate, or a VERY low deer density, or hopefully if they haven't seen them before you can get away with the first yr.

Deer actually wiped this entire field out a few years ago even planted at 10 lbs/acre. Ive had it in millet the last few years and now have a couple of soybean/pea fields close by which hopefully keep them away. And I do not have an especially high density.

 

[cutman]

Yes, I'm sure they will wipe it out. I can only plant 4 acres. I'll have 7 acres of corn and 6 acres of peas closeby so maybe they will help take the pressure off.

 

[catscratch]

I am curious about the awnless wheat. I understand it may be more preferred but I've never given these deer the option. I know they relish the wheat heads. Watched a doe just this evening enjoying a meal.

I didn't forget about this thread. The deer are hammering the awnless wheat right now. They are eating the heads whole and leaving just the stems.
If you look close you can see the heads in the first pic, and just stems in the second. It didn't take a couple of seconds to mow through that clump of grain...

 

[Chainsaw]

No question oats are great. I've tried them several times though and not had good luck. Best guess is that winter is a little to cold on them and they turn red and stunted. Wheat and rye on the other hand handle winter just fine and go to seed nicely in the spring. My double cropped fields are all shoulder high now with the wheat already hardened seed and the rye turning now. I'll begin drilling into them perhaps as early as next week.

Baker your mini deer world food plot described in your first post sounds excellent. On the oats of course they die out here long before spring. However I mix rye or triticale with the oats (and peas) and clover figuring as young fall plants there is extra room in the planting. Then come spring the rye and or triticale can have the space to themselves with the clover of course.
The success of the oats here is measured in the extra fall draw they provide as compared to the rye or triticale. It sounds like some wheat should be put back on the table as well--will test that again.

 

[Rempump870]

For the guys that plant the WR and clover- Do you see much grazing ounce the WR and clover get tall, like 4-5 feet? My plots look like the above pictures full of clover and WR but I cant see any browse other than a little along the edges. I am thinking maybe I got the WR too thick and the deer wont wonder into the plot because its too thick?

 

[shawn cox]

For the guys that plant the WR and clover- Do you see much grazing ounce the WR and clover get tall, like 4-5 feet? My plots look like the above pictures full of clover and WR but I cant see any browse other than a little along the edges. I am thinking maybe I got the WR too thick and the deer wont wonder into the plot because its too thick?

. They eat in the WR fine for me. They make trails through it and eat all through it knocking the rye down.

 

[Chainsaw]

For the guys that plant the WR and clover- Do you see much grazing ounce the WR and clover get tall, like 4-5 feet? My plots look like the above pictures full of clover and WR but I cant see any browse other than a little along the edges. I am thinking maybe I got the WR too thick and the deer wont wonder into the plot because its too thick?

Just as shawn cox found, the deer eat the clover and chicory through the tall rye and maybe even more where the rye is five and six feet tall. And they hide their fawns in it as well. And yesterday we walked up on a buck and four other deer bedded in it around 2 pm;They were very reluctant to get up despite us being pretty close to them!! There simply is no reason not to combine the two anytime a fall clover planting is done.