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Post by smsmith on Feb 3, 2021 7:35:57 GMT -6
Woke up and looked towards the clover plot to the west like I do most mornings. 7 deer bedded and 1 standing up. They've been pawing for clover quite a bit lately. If/until we get a bunch more snow, or the snow gets a crust I bet they'll stay with the digging. What could they possibly be getting? My stuff was pretty much scalped by the time the snow flew. Clover/alfalfa mix out there was over a foot tall going into winter. Many of those long "strands" of clover are still out there. I'd imagine they have more nutritive value than woody browse. I get pics of deer with clover stems hanging out of their mouths. This is why I want the thickest, most lush clover possible going into fall/winter.
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Post by Bob on Feb 3, 2021 7:52:08 GMT -6
What could they possibly be getting? My stuff was pretty much scalped by the time the snow flew. Clover/alfalfa mix out there was over a foot tall going into winter. Many of those long "strands" of clover are still out there. I'd imagine they have more nutritive value than woody browse. I get pics of deer with clover stems hanging out of their mouths. This is why I want the thickest, most lush clover possible going into fall/winter. I need more clover then.
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Post by Catscratch on Feb 3, 2021 7:58:53 GMT -6
I pay close attention to what deer are doing and what they are eating. What smsmith says holds true; they eat the leaves when available, but will quickly turn to stems if leaves are not there. I'm often amazed at what little will attract/hold deer. Cut beans have tons of deer on them right now. I walked a bean bean field last weekend, there's a bean on the ground every now and then. I bet a deer has to take a step for each one it eats. Seems like a lot of work but that's what they are doing at the moment. My clover is basically "scalped" right now, but the same holds true as it does for the beans and they are spending time looking for what nuggets they can find.
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Post by smsmith on Feb 3, 2021 8:07:09 GMT -6
There's a daily procession of deer under our bird feeders. Different groups of 1-5 does/fawns will pass through and check the ground under the feeders. Sometimes there's a bunch of seed spilled (oops) and sometimes next to nothing. They'll still eat the few kernels available. We see deer there pretty much any time of the day
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Post by smsmith on Feb 3, 2021 8:15:37 GMT -6
Clover/alfalfa mix out there was over a foot tall going into winter. Many of those long "strands" of clover are still out there. I'd imagine they have more nutritive value than woody browse. I get pics of deer with clover stems hanging out of their mouths. This is why I want the thickest, most lush clover possible going into fall/winter. I need more clover then. If you aren't mowing your clover too late in the year, you get timely rains, you've limed and gypsumed the heck out of your plots, your soil isn't blow sand, and you don't have clover at least 8" tall going into fall....you need more clover. edit...and maybe a more diverse clover blend
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Post by Bob on Feb 3, 2021 9:14:06 GMT -6
There's a daily procession of deer under our bird feeders. Different groups of 1-5 does/fawns will pass through and check the ground under the feeders. Sometimes there's a bunch of seed spilled (oops) and sometimes next to nothing. They'll still eat the few kernels available. We see deer there pretty much any time of the day If you put a cheap mixed bird feed in your feeder, the sparrows outta knock all of it to the ground to get at the sunflower seed.
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Post by Bob on Feb 3, 2021 9:16:28 GMT -6
edit...and maybe a more diverse clover blend To what end? You thinking more tonnage or lesser desirability to ensure it survives to winter?
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Post by Catscratch on Feb 3, 2021 9:29:05 GMT -6
I buy milo and sunflowers for birdfeed. Milo at the CO-OP is $6 per 50lbs. A lot of milo can be spilled at little cost compared to "real" bird seed from wallyworld. Whenever I go to the CO-OP to buy bird seed they tell me "everybody else buys corn for deer". They look at me like I'm crazy when I say it's not for deer hunting. Way back when I was fertilizing plots they looked at me like I was crazy for that too.
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Post by smsmith on Feb 3, 2021 10:13:24 GMT -6
edit...and maybe a more diverse clover blend To what end? You thinking more tonnage or lesser desirability to ensure it survives to winter? More tonnage. All clovers fill a niche. I've probably got 5 or 6 different VNS ladinos, 2 vns Dutch whites, crimson, berseem, NZ white, and balansa. Throw in some cheap alfalfa and chicory too. The thicker the better.
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Post by Bob on Feb 3, 2021 10:29:41 GMT -6
To what end? You thinking more tonnage or lesser desirability to ensure it survives to winter? More tonnage. All clovers fill a niche. I've probably got 5 or 6 different VNS ladinos, 2 vns Dutch whites, crimson, berseem, NZ white, and balansa. Throw in some cheap alfalfa and chicory too. The thicker the better. I've had so many blends the past few years, I'm not even sure what is where. Balansa is the one I don't think I've got all over, but most of the rest is at least a 5 way blend or a blend of the following: Ladino, dutch, new zealand, balansa, medium red, mammoth red, alsike, berseem, and crimson. Outside pride has a blend that is 50% ladino, 40% new zealand, and 10% alfalfa. I will probably use 5 lbs of that for my expansion this summer, and then top if off with some balansa and whatever else I've still got on hand cloverwise. Then it'll also get every other perennial legume and broadleaf I can get my hands on, and likely spring wheat, rye, and forage collards as a fall cover.
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Post by smsmith on Feb 3, 2021 10:31:16 GMT -6
More tonnage. All clovers fill a niche. I've probably got 5 or 6 different VNS ladinos, 2 vns Dutch whites, crimson, berseem, NZ white, and balansa. Throw in some cheap alfalfa and chicory too. The thicker the better. I've had so many blends the past few years, I'm not even sure what is where. Balansa is the one I don't think I've got all over, but most of the rest is at least a 5 way blend or a blend of the following: Ladino, dutch, new zealand, balansa, medium red, mammoth red, alsike, berseem, and crimson. Outside pride has a blend that is 50% ladino, 40% new zealand, and 10% alfalfa. I will probably use 5 lbs of that for my expansion this summer, and then top if off with some balansa and whatever else I've still got on hand cloverwise. Then it'll also get every other perennial legume and broadleaf I can get my hands on, and likely spring wheat, rye, and forage collards as a fall cover. That's my base mix. Add more stuff to it every year
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Post by Bob on Feb 3, 2021 10:31:26 GMT -6
And cowpeas, sunflowers, and buckwheat.
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Post by smsmith on Feb 3, 2021 10:32:35 GMT -6
Too many broadleafs will reduce clover density. Not a problem if that's you want. That's not what I want
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Post by Bob on Feb 3, 2021 11:01:18 GMT -6
Too many broadleafs will reduce clover density. Not a problem if that's you want. That's not what I want Perennial herbivoral chaos. It’s like the Royal Rumble food plot. Shit, maybe that’s what I should call it!
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Post by Catscratch on Feb 3, 2021 11:37:16 GMT -6
Too many broadleafs will reduce clover density. Not a problem if that's you want. That's not what I want I throw a lot of broadleafs in with my clovers. Typically not a problem because deer like to eat them as they grow. They may germinate high density but certainly don't end up crowding the clover out due to summer grazing pressure.
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