Help planning deer foodplots
 

Looking for some info on what/when/how to plant a couple of 5 acre foodplots.
Located in NW LA, on either end of a ~75 acre hay field, I'd like to plant something easy for the first year. Soil is sort of sandy but puts out awesome Bermuda for hay. Wondering two things:
1) what to plant easily (I've got access to large disc) and how/when
2) how to keep cows off of it (one 5 acre block is already fenced, the other has a 650' corner needing fence, but wondering about relative costs/effectiveness of temporary electric fences vs. permanent barbed wire

Many thanks

Can't go wrong with beans of any sort. They are high protein and high calcium. Im sure there are designer plantings for your area. Buddy of mine also supplemented with Cotton Seed ... it's crazy but they'll eat it. It's high protein and doesn't need water to grow.

Get some soil samples and send them to the Texas A&M soils lab for analysis of acidity and N P K so you can get a fertilizer recommendation.. at least a starter. You're biggest concern is going to be planting in the middle of summer heat.. those plants are going to wilt hard and fast with no establish root system in sandy loam soils. You might have to wait to plant in sept. or plant some type of winter crop at that time.

Cows.. I'll let someone else cover that.

i plant peas, beans and rye grass. seems to work, but the turkeys will eat all the seed up if they find it before it sprouts.

Definitely need to get the soil tested first. Nutrients, pH, and organic matter.

As far as what and when: there isn't much you are going to have success planting NOW. Anything is going to be a September/October planting.

What to plant:

Any legume (beans, peas) is a good start, and regardless of soil test results, you won't have to apply nitrogen (legumes are nitrogen fixators). Some good ones here include austrian winter peas, crimson clover, and white clover. How wet the site stays will play into your selection as well.

A small grain (rye, oats, wheat) or ryegrass is also good. Things like nutrients and pH do play a role here.

Really, consulting with the local LDWF office, NRCS, or AgCenter will go a long way in helping determine what will be best for your site.

As for the cows, just go with a temporary electric fence, and put it far enough away that they can't stick their heads under the femce and eat up your hardwork.


Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G920A using Tapatalk

Rye and winter wheat does well, just needs some good rain to get started. DOn't waste your time on Vetch, deer won't touch it. Beans are assume, but they get attacked by the deer as soon as it sprouts. Deer will travel 1 1-1/2 miles for some good Rye grass. Buttt....every year is a little different.

So, every biologist and text on deer is wrong then?

Dave Moreland plants vetch in his food plots, and that guy LITERALLY wrote the book on white-tailed deer in Louisiana.

This is beside the point however, becaise vetch is a spring food plot species. Not to say it isn't relevant, but it will do the OP no good in a discussion about fall food plots.



Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G920A using Tapatalk

Yep...but there is one bait that works , most of the time !!

Hey OP, this guy just told you what to make of his advice...ignore it. He's a corn feeder type of fella obviously.

Seriously, if you really want to know how best to manage your property for deer, including what to plant in food plots, google Dave Moreland. You may have to throw in something about deer in that google search, but you will get many articles from Dave.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G920A using Tapatalk

A "Corn Feeder" type, with 30 years of planting annuals and perennials for wildlife. There's ton's of profit motivated propaganda out there, about what to plant for deer. There are thousands of variables, that can effect the attractiveness and productivity of "food plots".


Rye grass works pretty good. It is pretty easy to grow, and affordable.


Electric fences work pretty good. Not however, if you have horny Bulls, and Cows in "heat", on both sides of just an electric fence.


To each their own "Small-s"guy. :)

What does profit have to do with a species that occurs naturally in Louisiana, and is also planted successfully and heavily browsed by deer in food plots across the state?


You sit here pontificating about how there is "profit motivated propaganda out there", and promote ryegrass, rye, and wheat. Whether it's affordable or not, someone makes a profit on selling the seed. One could just as simply promote native vegetation and not spend any money on food plot seeds or seed mixes. what "profit motivation" does LDWF, NRCS, or the LSU AgCenter have in recommending particular species for food plots? None.



Didn't he say he wants to keep the cows off of it, meaning the cows will only be on one side of the fence?

[QUOTE=Smalls;822060]What does profit have to do with a species that occurs naturally in Louisiana, and is also planted successfully and heavily browsed by deer in food plots across the state?


You sit here pontificating about how there is "profit motivated propaganda out there", and promote ryegrass, rye, and wheat. Whether it's affordable or not, someone makes a profit on selling the seed. One could just as simply promote native vegetation and not spend any money on food plot seeds or seed mixes. what "profit motivation" does LDWF, NRCS, or the LSU AgCenter have in recommending particular species for food plots? None.


Dude you need to calm down !!