Alfalfa "food plot"

[GoldenTriangleIL]

It has been suggested to me that I plant a field of Alfalfa on a recently purchased property. I am aware of the spring and summer benefits of Alfalfa for deer, turkey, etc and the potential for some income. However, I'm concerned that in my latitude (West Central Illinois) such plainting won't be very productive in late fall/winter. Hoping that folks can chime in with their experience of late fall and winter deer utilization of alfalfa or if there is anything that could be inter-seeded with it in late summer that would function is a late season food source without being detrimental to the Alfalfa field.

 

[bwoods11]

I have alfalfa on my place, and the deer hit it until November in MN. Depends on how cold, and how much snow.

 

[S.T.Fanatic]

I see deer every year pawing through snow to get to alfalfa. It is brown and stemmy yet they still dig through snow to get to it. Why? I think it is because of the high fiber content at that time of year and that kind of browse is better than eating sticks in the woods.

 

[scott44]

I have a couple alfalfa/clover plots tht get used regularly all year, more in the spring/summer but they are used fall too. My plots are planted in strips so they graze back and forth across it all.

 

[WTNUT]

I have a couple alfalfa/clover plots tht get used regularly all year, more in the spring/summer but they are used fall too. My plots are planted in strips so they graze back and forth across it all.

Do you know what your mix is in the bottom pic? And what type of Alfalfa? Great plot


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[scott44]

Do you know what your mix is in the bottom pic? And what type of Alfalfa? Great plot


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This is about one of the only times I use a BOB mix for part of it, Whitetail Institute Alfa rack plus, ladino clover and med red clover, the plus in the WI is chicory.

 

[WTNUT]

Well it looks darn good! BOB or not! How old is that plot? I have a hard time growing alfalfa in plots when you don’t bale it.


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[scott44]

Well it looks darn good! BOB or not! How old is that plot? I have a hard time growing alfalfa in plots when you don’t bale it.


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That pic was from Aug 2018 and this year it was getting a little thin so I rotated it into a brassica plot, I usually get 3-5 yrs out of a clover alfalfa/clover plot with 1 or 2 mowings a year.

 

[roymunson]

I put about 2 acres in WINA Alfa-Rack. Mixed some Merit Seed chickory in with it when I planted it. Planted in April or May.

It's weedy right now, but the deer are pounding it.

It'll be a good early season spot, but I don't think I'll be hunting over it much from the middle of november on. And that's ok with me. I've got other plots/areas I wanna put them in when it gets cold.

This is the deer tranitioning from bedding behind them, and rolling right to left towards the big ag bean fields.
At this corner they pinch down to a 40 yard wide strip and I plan on being there in a blind late september

 

[goatman]

I live in west central IL. Alfalfa is golden. Even in winter. Especially first year alfalfa in post rut.

 

[j-bird]

I can grow it fine....I just don't have the deer density or the equipment to keep it in shape. I have to mow mine because I don't have the deer numbers to keep it under control for me. It simply matures and the deer loose interest. As such the mowing residue lays on it and chokes it out over time. Best thing to do is bail it if needed. Then other things creep in as the alfalfa fades. Places in my area that use it to feed livestock love it and the deer hammer it after a mowing and the fresh growth starts to come back....once it starts to get stemy they are not as much of a fan and will move to green soybeans. Fall/winter food the deer here prefer the corn and beans left standing or spilled in the ag fields. They will seek any food they can find once the easy stuff is gone. That's what I see in an area where we have far more food than deer and agriculture is everywhere.

 

[BuckSutherland]

It has been suggested to me that I plant a field of Alfalfa on a recently purchased property. I am aware of the spring and summer benefits of Alfalfa for deer, turkey, etc and the potential for some income. However, I'm concerned that in my latitude (West Central Illinois) such plainting won't be very productive in late fall/winter. Hoping that folks can chime in with their experience of late fall and winter deer utilization of alfalfa or if there is anything that could be inter-seeded with it in late summer that would function is a late season food source without being detrimental to the Alfalfa field.

Across the road to my north alfalfa was planted on 70 acres in 2013. My land is in north central, MN in the Chippewa forest where the landscape is dominated by poorly managed large tracts of forest. The true deer per sq mile number for our township and all the neighboring townships is probably in the 5-7 DPSM range. The alfalfa field is without a doubt the BIGGEST draw for deer anywhere within 10 miles that I know of. They go nuts for it in the fall. There has been many times since alfalfa was planted that I see 20+ deer headed there in the evening while on stand or 100+ deer in the field at night. As the alfalfa stand has petered out over the years its draw is less powerful, but its still the destination food source that defines movement in my neighborhood. They go there at night and they clear the field before daylight and head back to bedding. 2 years ago I abandon food plots and started to focus solely on cover/bedding/confiers. I want to make my land the premium bedding for deer that wanna feed in that field at night. The strategy appears to be working as I am finally starting to see daytime bucks again now. They hit our area alfalfa field until there is about 6" of snow before they give up. Pressure from gawkers on the road is probably what pisses me off about the whole situation.

 

[tcook8296]

I planted alfalfa in a long strip probably 200 yards long and 20 yards wide.
The deer browse it pretty much all year long.
They keep it browsed down to the point I dont have to worry about getting it baled.
This is in Calhoun Cty west central Illinois

 

[Bassattackr]

Pressure from gawkers on the road is probably what pisses me off about the whole situation.

You try a switchgrass or MG strip? I have a field along a road with similar issues I've been trying to improve for a couple years now.

 

[BuckSutherland]

You try a switchgrass or MG strip? I have a field along a road with similar issues I've been trying to improve for a couple years now.

I dont own the 240 acre farm with the big hay field yet. Vehicles sit on the gravel road gawking at the neighbors field and then I can hear and see them parked when I sit in a couple of my stands next to the road. Annoying as hell. Some switch would really obscure lots of the view across the 1/3 mile of road frontage. When I buy it gonna be the first thing I do.