Rye deer can be fickle about. Thy like it around the 4 inch range. Almost anytime in an oats growth, deer will like it. Clover is good, eventually makes nitrogen for you.
Rye is good for the soil, can go several feet down. Builds organics matter. IT can be a very important food source for deer just coming out of winter.
What did you do for this spot so far? Herbicide, tillage, recent soil amending like lime or fertilizer.
You planting this year? If so, Kinda wanna say skip the oats. Although they will grow some possibly. Rye will do better. Surface broadcasting may not work too well this late though. You'll need to get the seed down a bit., spread seed, then disc or mow. With the clover, definitely put some seed down. But, also put some seed on the ground in February, or anytime the ground is bare in the winter. Frost seeding with snow cover usually means the birds will eat it. IF there,s snow cover, put the seed in right before it snows again.
A mix of rye and oats, winter peas, clover, and maybe some brassicas like turnips, canola sometimes called rape seed, or even better tillage radish.
When tlking about food plots it's good to mention what you have at your disposal. Tractor, ATV, even a pickup truck can be used in some cases. Dics, plow, herbicide sprayer, kind of seed spreader.
MYself, I have an ATV. a set of discs for it, old school spring tooth harrows, tire drag, A nice 3ft drop spreader mostly for lime and fertilizer, a 12v broadcast spreader., also a nice bigger wheeled cultipacker and a lawn roller. Got all the pieces to make a 30 inch double disc seeder with a cultipacker for the ATV.
I like the tractor supply's plotpike forage feast. Although they do not use rye, they have wheat, oats, winter peas, rape seed, clover, and I think chicory. Been a few years since I have used it.
Rye can be thrown and cover up with thatch by mowing or dragging something over vegetation. It can grow even without it. OAts can be done the same way, although it may have trouble without atleast covering it u with thatch. Depends on the season conditions, rain, etc. Wheat I throw and mowed for the st time in early august. I haven't been back to that camp, but will be in early decemebr to see how it went. Not expecting a miracle. Although we did have decent rain n august and spetmeber here in NY.