Deer Preferred Forbs

neonomad

5 year old buck +
This is just going into a couple acres, but is there a deer preferred forb you might dope it with?
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They will hammer about half of that list. If your deer densities are high, you might assume they never came in.


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Also, my family place exploded with blue gals indigo with the first year of grazing deferment....

I may have a new favorite flower because of that.
It might edge out beardtongue false foxglove.


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They will hammer about half of that list. If your deer densities are high, you might assume they never came in.


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Thank you, good to hear. I won’t spend
a bunch of time trying to fine some more magic beans to add.
 
Purple prairie clover would be a good companion in that mix.
 
It would be hard to go wrong with almost all clovers, just need to see which does best in your area for you. The Durana clover grows well and tall, birdsfoot trefoil is a good one too competes well and grows tall.
I've got most of your pollinator list out and more, takes a couple years for those to come in good but are super for bees and butterflies too, the Indian blanket is one of my favorites.
 
It would be hard to go wrong with almost all clovers, just need to see which does best in your area for you. The Durana clover grows well and tall, birdsfoot trefoil is a good one too competes well and grows tall.
I've got most of your pollinator list out and more, takes a couple years for those to come in good but are super for bees and butterflies too, the Indian blanket is one of my favorites.

Wouldn’t certain (or many) clovers eventually take over?
 
Wouldn’t certain (or many) clovers eventually take over?

No, almost the opposite over time. The clover stays in the understory pretty good, your pollinators and grass will outgrow it to where it is only in the thinner spots and trails.
 
I don't think I'd plant ag clovers in a prairie mix. You don't want the competition with the natives and you'll be using fire to maintain it. You could add lupine to that mix for another deer-favored forb.
 
Deer like lupine?
 
Deer like lupine?
They eat native lupine on my place- especially the flower buds. But they eat things on my place that they don't eat everywhere; I have high deer density and poor native browse.
 
Cool. I will plant more lupins then.
 
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