Fall/winter crop

wmonroe · Sep 3, 2014

My neighbor farms a portion of my property and has soybeans planted this year. After harvest the fields remain unused till spring when he works the ground and replants. One small section (1/2 to maybe 1 acre) below my barn I was thinking of planting a crop of some sort that might be useful for the deer to feed on. Are there any crops out there that can be planted in late October or early November that deer would be attracted to?

jeff9366 · Sep 3, 2014

wmonroe said:
Are there any crops out there that can be planted in late October or early November that deer would be attracted to?

November is pretty late for germination. However, I would think a Clover based mix would germinate and mature. I am uncertain a Brassica (Turnip, Rape, Kale) based mix would have time to mature before late April.

Pennington, a large food plot seed producer, is headquartered in Pennsylvania. It is preferable to buy seed grown close to your soil and in your climate conditions.

Pennington-Seed-Wildlife

I do not know about Pennsylvania, but in Florida Ace Hardware and Southern States Co-op are good sources for 40-50 pound bags of plot seed at competitive prices, around $25. Walmart has plot seed on a hit-or-miss basis, in Sporting Goods.

Tiny Clover seed will be the most expensive seed.

Baby Grand · Sep 3, 2014

Depending on when you get your first killing frost, maybe tillage radish?

jeff9366 · Sep 3, 2014

This LINK may help:

Try These Cool-Season Food Plot Mixes | Quality Deer Management Association

I bought cool season food plot seeds at Ace Hardware today:

50 pounds Mid-South Feeds, Alma, Georgia "6-Way Wildlife Mix"_________________________ $18.99
(Rye 5%, Wheat 53%, Oats 39%, Clover 1%, Rape 1%, Austrian Winter Peas 1%)

50 pounds Mixon Seed Co., Orangeburg, S.C. "Mixed Iron Cowpeas and Clay Cowpeas"_______$34.99
With post-purchse research, Peas will not be planted until March.

wmonroe · Sep 3, 2014

Babygrand - the first killing frost varies but depending on when my neighbor gets the soybeans out I'm going to be right around the first frost. I'm hoping since he got the beans in a little early this year that the weather will cooperate and he can get them out early.

Jeff9366 - thanks for the link. I'm going to have to spend some time on that site as it looks like there is lots of useful info.