The Number One Best Food Plot For Deer

[Mennoniteman]

I’ve had really good results following this regimen. The only struggle I have is cool season grasses competing with the rye and wheat. I’m left with either spraying clethodim early and killing the cereals with the grass before they mature. Or letting the cereals mature and the clover suffering from battling the cool season grass, which then rears its ugly head again the following fall. If the rye suppresses the cool season grass, I haven’t noticed it.

I have also had this problem in the past, and my solution was to sacrifice the rye in early spring for one spring season to kill off the grass and save the clover, which still meets the main objective of an almost year round food supply with minimal maintenance, only sacrificing the spring rye fawning cover. It usually only takes one early spring spraying at 3" growth height to get the cool season grasses under control for quite a few years. It's also possible to spray Imazethapyr 2SL and kill the grass while saving the cereal rye because cereal rye has a higher tolerance for this particular herbicide, but the application rate is very touchy, and it needs to be applied when the early growth of everything is about exactly 3" high.
Sometimes I also have trouble with warm season grasses like cattails in late summer, I like a midsummer application of clethodim to control warm season grasses.
It seems like I can't get away from 1 herbicide application per year for this plot combo, if it isn't the cool season grasses, it's the warm season grasses. I don't worry too much about broadleaf weeds, as they are often just more deer food, but even a few blades of grass get my attention very quickly, as grass can quickly partially destroy a clover plot, and even a few blades of grass left go to seed will be an explosion like a house fire the next year.
For this Rye&Ladino combo plot I usually average two mowings, one herbicide application, and one rye planting per year. If the clover is looking sparce I add a little more ladino seed right in the spinner with the rye.

 

[Native Hunter]

I have also had this problem in the past, and my solution was to sacrifice the rye in early spring for one spring season to kill off the grass and save the clover, which still meets the main objective of an almost year round food supply with minimal maintenance, only sacrificing the spring rye fawning cover. It usually only takes one early spring spraying at 3" growth height to get the cool season grasses under control for quite a few years. It's also possible to spray Imazethapyr 2SL and kill the grass while saving the cereal rye because cereal rye has a higher tolerance for this particular herbicide, but the application rate is very touchy, and it needs to be applied when the early growth of everything is about exactly 3" high.
Sometimes I also have trouble with warm season grasses like cattails in late summer, I like a midsummer application of clethodim to control warm season grasses.
It seems like I can't get away from 1 herbicide application per year for this plot combo, if it isn't the cool season grasses, it's the warm season grasses. I don't worry too much about broadleaf weeds, as they are often just more deer food, but even a few blades of grass get my attention very quickly, as grass can quickly partially destroy a clover plot, and even a few blades of grass left go to seed will be an explosion like a house fire the next year.
For this Rye&Ladino combo plot I usually average two mowings, one herbicide application, and one rye planting per year. If the clover is looking sparce I add a little more ladino seed right in the spinner with the rye.

That is exactly what I'm getting ready to do in a few weeks. I'm going to sacrifice the grains for a year to get rid of the grasses. I've not had a good grass cleanout for several years. When you see tall fescue starting to clump, it's time to have a good cleaning.

 

[KSQ2]

Did you have a clean slate when you put your first rye crop in? I've never experienced anything beating rye outta the blocks in spring. But my world is also limited to my little postage stamp.

I started with a clean slate, but that’s been quite a while back. We haven’t worked this ground in 3 years now. Fescue isn’t easy to kill either mid to late summer, if it’s pretty dry. The biggest issue we have though is with a particularly tough type of grass that has the exact same growing season as the rye and wheat. I’m not sure what it is, but is green even in the cold temps and it’s very soft. It also does not begin growing until well after your spray in the late summer. Nothing eats it either.

 

[SwampCat]

I have plant food plots for 45 years of all types. For a number of reasons, quick, easy, cheap (relatively speaking), low maintenance, I have settled on wheat, durana, and a medium red clover. I plant about forty acres a year. I dont want to have to go to the plots for seeding but one time. I dont fertilize at all - clover fixes nitrogen for the wheat. Deer eat my awned wheat great - as do hogs, coons, and turkeys. I am one who still likes to semi maintain my clover plots in the summer - so I will mow if needed or spray. For that reason, I dont care to have other species in the mix that do not tolerate mowing or 24d buyrac.

 

[LetThemGrow]

A decent stand of clover is a great start. If you have broadleaf weeds it's not too concerning, you could hit it with Butyrac200. But if you have grass it needs to be addressed, I'd try clethodim first. With a little bit of attention your existing clover should be just fine for a late summer or early fall interseeding.

Timber management is also my hobby and just as important as plots. My advice for you is to simplify, I specifically posted this simple, yet complete and very effective plot first, for people like you who might get confused with all of the complex options out there. Go back and re-read the second post, then just concentrate on that one system. (Balancing nitrogen and carbon is extremely important for a continuing, troublfree plot) Do wheat in half, and rye in half if you want. Once you have that plot figured out and working for you and are starting to get bored with the simplicity, come back here and study some of the other great options in the next posts.
Here's deer eating rye in clover (clovers froze off of course) several days ago. View attachment 23424

Nice condo!

 

[MarkDarvin]

I started with a clean slate, but that’s been quite a while back. We haven’t worked this ground in 3 years now. Fescue isn’t easy to kill either mid to late summer, if it’s pretty dry. The biggest issue we have though is with a particularly tough type of grass that has the exact same growing season as the rye and wheat. I’m not sure what it is, but is green even in the cold temps and it’s very soft. It also does not begin growing until well after your spray in the late summer. Nothing eats it either.

That stuff seems to haunt everyone down your way. I forgot about that one. I think the primary grass I have is quackgrass, and that seems to give in a littler easier.

 

[KSQ2]

Well, after reading your responses, I believe I’ll do an early spray with cleth on all our plots. Perhaps that will get me by a few years like some of you. I have sprayed in spring before, but not early enough I’m guessing to catch the cool season grass in that 3-4” growth range.

 

[Kurt]

KSQ2, That cool season grass isn't smooth brome is it? This is a great thread as I am starting with old pasture and working towards some of the objectives here. Following along and learning. Appreciate everyone's input so far, great stuff.

 

[KSQ2]

KSQ2, That cool season grass isn't smooth brome is it? This is a great thread as I am starting with old pasture and working towards some of the objectives here. Following along and learning. Appreciate everyone's input so far, great stuff.

No it’s not brome, we don’t have a lot of brome around here, but I am familiar with it. One thing about brome, I’ve always had good luck finding sheds in it. Especially when it is located near wheat.

 

[Mennoniteman]

I had this idea that I wanted to start a topic about some the top food plots for deer, and I knew that I wanted to start the topic with one of the easiest and most successful plots out there, so that beginners could read about it and give it a try, but I was a bit hasty in putting it all together, and reading the comments, I realized that my original concept of a clover and small grain combination plot was getting bogged down by me over-emphasizing my choice of the "ladino and rye" species.
The success of this plot system doesn't necessarily require those exact two species, any clover and any grain will work just as good, if suited to the particular summer and winter climate where it is planted.
Therefore, I have edited my second post and have renamed this plot system at the start of the thread from "dual system of Ladino clover and rye" to "Dual System of Perennial Clover and Cereal Grain".
Ladino (white) clover and rye, although being the two species that I often use, are not the key to the success of this system, rather, the important components being any perennial clover being well established and then being interseeded with any grain crop to bring nutrition, balance, and weed control. Interseeding dates, periodic mowing, and controlling grasses are way more important than the species of clover and grain that are used.

 

[Mennoniteman]

I could answer what’s the simplest plot for a beginner. Because I destroyed my soil and my plots started off great and went down hill every year until I started listening to you guys.

Fall plant a grain, crimson clover, and a brassica. Let the CC mature the following year, throw your desired seed and mow. And It’s a beautiful plot and there is no question about what the person is looking at, which gives a real confidence boost.

But for you more experienced guys, how many years would be the max to repeat this process before I should broadcast into the CC before it seeds?

It depends how it looks by now, looking at the plot and observing the progress of it should give you your answer. Once a continuous replant starts to fizzle it's time to shake it up, and do something different, but as long as it keeps coming back and the weeds aren't taking over the whole thing, why change?

 

[Mennoniteman]

Good mix MM. And Native I agree with the chicory , RC and WW. I still plant WR certain fields and WW in another. WR greens up faster in the spring and WW survives nasty winter weather better.
But you guys forgot to add brassica. Over seed that brassica in Aug into the clover and then get 3+ years of natures reseeding for free. The deer thank me daily !!
Now if I could figure a way to feed deer without planting , mowing , or sawing. Wait. That would be my fallow fields. I can’t get much lazier.


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You have got it right, fallow fields have got to be the easiest food plot for deer by default, there's very little inputs. There's only one major drawback that I see, and that is the requirement to have larger acreages, which often aren't available to the average guy with a hunting cabin on a smaller acreage and few small food plots.
A 4 acre fallow plot that's just left go (with only minor inputs after a proper start) can still be a destination plot for a local deer herd. A 1/4 to 1/2 acre fallow plot is often just a spot of weeds in the woods that deer pick through sporadically on their way to real food. A 1/4 to 1/2 acre managed plot with pure clover and grain can be a destination plot in it's own right.
Why don't you do an article here on the how-to's and the do's and don'ts of fallow plots?

 

[Triple C]

MM - Great thread! Your "Dual System of Perennial Clover & Cereal Grains" is the default plot for many of us that followed Paul Knox. It's easy. It's bomb proof (except in severe drought years). It feeds deer pretty much year round. And, it's relatively inexpensive.

In the early years of owning my farm, I wanted to plant, plant, plant. And I did. Beans, sunflowers, grain sorghum in the summer and then the typical fall mix of multiple clovers, cereal grains and brassica mixes in the fall. Every little opening got planted. Whew!!! Time consuming and EXPENSIVE! At the end of summer we'd spray it, plow it under and plant to fall/winter stuff.

Today - No summer plots and no spraying. I have 16 acres in food plots. We mow at the end of summer and then make one pass with the disc followed by the planting of fall/winter blends that are mostly cereal grains. Every plot has a base of perennial clovers. Originally, the 3 plus acre plots got planted in ladino around the perimeter and then grains n brassicas in the interior. The clover has now spread throughout all the plots.

I no longer do anything after the fall planting in the big plots. Just let em grow with whatever comes up during the summer and then the tried n true method of mostly cereal grains back in them in the fall.

Perhaps, just as, or even more important than what to plant is the establishment of large (3 acres or more), destination plots. Down south, every new property owner is generally faced with small loading decks from timber harvests. These naturally get used as food plots. The one big game changer for me has been to slowly increase the size of a few plots into destination plots. I've abandoned some of the micro plots in favor of expanding our larger plots. For every hundred acres of land, I encourage guys that ask me to focus on expanding one plot to a minimum of 5 acres or larger in order to attract multiple doe groups to that plot every day. I maintain a few 1/2 acre or less food plots just because they are so aesthetically pleasing to bow hunt over, but the heavy lifting goes to the 3 plus acre size plots that I know will have deer in them every day.

When guests with children hunt my farm, I'm always going to set them in a destination plot where I know they will have multiple shot opportunities in an afternoon sit. I'm scheduled for another thinning of my pines in the coming months and will use the opportunity to expand our largest plot of 6 acres to something approaching 9 to 10 acres.

BTW...MM - Hope your enjoying that habitat hook. My grandson loves the pistol grip walking stick you sent. Hope it's years before I actually put that thing to use!

 

[dtabor]

Love this thread. Im going to try it on one of my small plots this year. If I can get it going well I will do the other next year. Ive tried to follow Sturgis' no till method and it just doesnt seem to take well. Looking forward to all the follow ups on here.

 

[dtabor]

I note that you say this process works best in zone 6. I live further north in zone 4/4a. I have no problems growing rye so that would be fine. Wondering what tweaks you might make further north or are there any?

 

[dtabor]

Sorry, another early question: You say within 2 weeks of Labor Day the cycle starts again. Im assuming you mean just broadcasting the cereal grains (rye) as the clover is already there.

 

[Elkaddict]

I note that you say this process works best in zone 6. I live further north in zone 4/4a. I have no problems growing rye so that would be fine. Wondering what tweaks you might make further north or are there any?

I would plant mid August.

 

[Mennoniteman]

Sorry, another early question: You say within 2 weeks of Labor Day the cycle starts again. Im assuming you mean just broadcasting the cereal grains (rye) as the clover is already there.

An important point here, like Elkaddict noted, the further north that you are, the earlier that you want to throw-n-mow the grain component, and further south needs to be later. One rescue option if the grain component is planted to early and gets too tall and tough before frost is to mow it, however, I like to enter the fall season with a maximum stand of clover, the taller and thicker the clover, the longer into the fall that it will last.

Sorry, another early question: You say within 2 weeks of Labor Day the cycle starts again. Im assuming you mean just broadcasting the cereal grains (rye) as the clover is already there.

Yes, the clover continues, the interseeding process knocks it down, but hopefully the clover stand makes an almost full comeback before the first frost hits.

I note that you say this process works best in zone 6. I live further north in zone 4/4a. I have no problems growing rye so that would be fine. Wondering what tweaks you might make further north or are there any?

Clover and cereals are definitely a top choice for cooler climates.

 

[Mennoniteman]

MM - Great thread! Your "Dual System of Perennial Clover & Cereal Grains" is the default plot for many of us that followed Paul Knox. It's easy. It's bomb proof (except in severe drought years). It feeds deer pretty much year round. And, it's relatively inexpensive.

In the early years of owning my farm, I wanted to plant, plant, plant. And I did. Beans, sunflowers, grain sorghum in the summer and then the typical fall mix of multiple clovers, cereal grains and brassica mixes in the fall. Every little opening got planted. Whew!!! Time consuming and EXPENSIVE! At the end of summer we'd spray it, plow it under and plant to fall/winter stuff.

Today - No summer plots and no spraying. I have 16 acres in food plots. We mow at the end of summer and then make one pass with the disc followed by the planting of fall/winter blends that are mostly cereal grains. Every plot has a base of perennial clovers. Originally, the 3 plus acre plots got planted in ladino around the perimeter and then grains n brassicas in the interior. The clover has now spread throughout all the plots.

I no longer do anything after the fall planting in the big plots. Just let em grow with whatever comes up during the summer and then the tried n true method of mostly cereal grains back in them in the fall.

Perhaps, just as, or even more important than what to plant is the establishment of large (3 acres or more), destination plots. Down south, every new property owner is generally faced with small loading decks from timber harvests. These naturally get used as food plots. The one big game changer for me has been to slowly increase the size of a few plots into destination plots. I've abandoned some of the micro plots in favor of expanding our larger plots. For every hundred acres of land, I encourage guys that ask me to focus on expanding one plot to a minimum of 5 acres or larger in order to attract multiple doe groups to that plot every day. I maintain a few 1/2 acre or less food plots just because they are so aesthetically pleasing to bow hunt over, but the heavy lifting goes to the 3 plus acre size plots that I know will have deer in them every day.

When guests with children hunt my farm, I'm always going to set them in a destination plot where I know they will have multiple shot opportunities in an afternoon sit. I'm scheduled for another thinning of my pines in the coming months and will use the opportunity to expand our largest plot of 6 acres to something approaching 9 to 10 acres.

BTW...MM - Hope your enjoying that habitat hook. My grandson loves the pistol grip walking stick you sent. Hope it's years before I actually put that thing to use!

The habitat hook is being put to good use. The great thing about stopping by your place is that now I have a good picture in my mind every time you are describing what you've currently been up to!
You gave us a good picture of your journey of going from planting plots like magazine covers to planting what is simple and works well.
I'm stuck in the middle, I have some simple plots, and yet I will still get out the corn planter and the bean drill.

 

[Mennoniteman]

It's sloppy weather in PA this morning, and our deer are out grazing rye right now as the snow falls. Pics by Tactacam Reveal X.