Food plot report from camp

[Bowsnbucks]

One of our members has several game cams out and he says there are multiple bucks using the one plot in particular - alfalfa & red clover mix. He told me there were 7 bucks feeding at the same time in one of his pix. The other plot that has been hit hard is the one with 3 varieties of white clover - Ladino, Alice, and Kopu II. Does have been hiding their fawns in some high weeds and in the plot of grain rye from last fall which is about 4 ft. tall. We didn't mow it yet for just that reason.

 

[j-bird]

I have a plot that was carry over from a fall planting that had a large amount of red clover in it that the deer are hammering the crap out of as well. I have some red clover mixed with my other clover plots so I guess I don;t notice it as much, but this plot has essentially been turned into a red clover plot and in some places it appears nearly every stem has been hit. I was going to kill it and plant summer annual grain crops but left it because of the deer utilization of it.

Always nice to have results that the deer are using the plots we plant for them!

 

[BobinCt]

Is Red Clover a perennial or biennial? I've never heard a bad thing about Red.

 

[j-bird]

It

Is Red Clover a perennial or biennial? I've never heard a bad thing about Red.

depends on where your planting it (regionally) and what type your planting. When I mix it with my perennial white clovers it tends to persist on it's own, but I have a lot of it around here naturally. The stuff the deer are hammering on my place - I assume (and you know what they say about that) will not come back as strong next year.....maybe not at all, but it sure has been a pleasant surprise thus far this year for me.

I took this pic tonight of the red clover I have that came from some BOB seed (I don't recall which one - sorry).....look at all the nipped off stems. This is totally by accident on my part as it was a component of a BOB mix that I planted for brassica last fall, and I had no intention of it having any "carry-over" affect into this spring and summer......but it has obviously gotten my attention. Keep in mind this location is literally right next to 30 acres of soybeans and a small perennial white clover plot as well.


Keep in mind this is different than say a crimson clover as well.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

BobinCt - Like J-bird said, some are good for 2 years max, and then some others are supposed to go for several more years. Marathon, I believe, is one of the longer lasting types, hence the name. Wiscwhip always recommended Marathon red clover, if I remember correctly. ( I miss his input and expertise ).

The plot I referred to in post # 1 is seed from Welter's in Iowa. It's Starfire red clover and Supreme brand # 1015 alfalfa. It's been a great plot for us and is pretty lush. We limed and spread 5-20-20 as prep last year. It gets sun almost all day and is on higher, well-drained ground. FWIW.

 

[BobinCt]

Thx J-Bird & Browns. I'm going to plant some in August.

 

[bueller]

Bowsnbucks, sounds like this may be a good year for you guys. IMO red clover is underrated.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

Bueller - ^^^^ Good year ?? ........... We're hoping so. Here in Pa. the pressure is heavy with several camps near ours on our mountain. We have 217 acres, next-door has 90, another who we share boundaries with has over 6000, and still another has over 7000. Our " hole card " is we have loads of food and there isn't any other source of mega-variety chow close to us. The deer travel from place to place in the fall - for food and rutting. Archery season is our best shot at good bucks - gun season is a circus of quads and crowds. Deer go underground, I swear.

We've had pretty good luck with Starfire and Marathon red clovers at our place for duration. Medium red does well for us for 2 years max. The Welter's mix with alfalfa is our hot spot right now. We'll always have some red clovers planted.