Is winter Rye, the same thing everyone tells you to stay away from Rye Grass, is this the same thing...im new to this and trying to work out a plan with what seeds....Im thinking some Plot 1, Frigid Forage, etc....But one of them is Frigid Forage Autumn Quick Plot, it has Winter Rye in it....<<<<<< Is that bad? I just don't know...Plus going to use some Eagle Seed... Thanks Creeks!
In a food plot mix they are probably the same. Winter rye can be good when it is young and tender. IMO it is slightly inferior to oats or wheat for deer. If I have my choice of planting a cereal grain it will be oats, wheat, then rye. The benefit of putting it in a food plot mix is it will grow really fast and draw in deer quickly, as well as protect the other plants from overgrazing until they mature. Overall it's not terrible to use, but not my favorite
I would do a mixture of winter rye and oats, these pics where from last week and deer are still hammering my winter rye an oats plot. Scoot
Creeks, I just use winter rye and oats from my local ag store. I planted this long thin plot around Labor day. Scoot
I avoid buying anything with a picture of a buck on the package. Find a local feed mill that will sell you seed by the pound and custom blend your own. Use the money you save for a soil test, and lime and fertilizer if needed.
I don't have a place like that around here....Plus the stuff I was looking at don't have a buck on the bag...LOL......Well maybe it does....Plot 1, Frigid Forage, Eagle Seed, and Real World...Can't make up my mind on which one to use....
I understand why some shy away from "buck on the bag" food plot seeds. From a cost standpoint they are definitely more expensive. And many are the exact same seed you can get from an AG store......however, that is not the case for all food plot companies. There are a few that actually research and develop seeds SPECIFICALLY for deer. These seeds will make a better plot than Ag store seed. That has been proven. Ag store seed isn't developed for deer, it's developed for cattle, cover crop, or hay production, none of which make it ideal for deer. Sure it works....when nothing else is available. But is has been tested over& over again that if u plant an AG oat for example, next to an oat variety developed for deer, it will be clear which they prefer if given the choice. That being said, if price is your only concern, buy AG store seed and you will have some good looking plots.....I would however challenge you to research different varieties; you will find not all are created equal...for example there are over 100 varieties of clover. Picking the right (or wrong) one can have a huge impact on the success of the plot.
I have had excellent results with feedmill seed. Alfalfa, red clover, Ladino clover, seed that is proven to grow in my local area.
I have no doubt they grow well. My point was they aren't made for deer. Have you ever tried X-9 alfalfa or Insight clover? They are both extremely leafy, very thin stemmed, as opposed to hay alfalfa or red clover. They don't get as tall but deer will annihilate them because they are so tender. I was just making the point that just because a bag says "clover" doesn't mean it's the same as another one. It doesn't matter to me if the bag is plain or has a big buck on it....I don't care about the bag. I look at what's in it.
Booonerville, good post and couldn't agree more, I actually bought 3 bags of antler kings slam dunk which has peas, radishes, rape and buckwheat in it for $5.99 a bag last month, its normally $19.99 and does a 1/4 acre. I also picked up a bag of antler kings honey hole brassica mix for $4.99. Now is a great time to buy food plot seed on clearance and with those savings bob bags are a steal. Scoot
I tend to agree but from what I have found with the commercial food plot seed for deer is that some seed simply is better suited for different parts of the country. Living in a northern climate I can't follow some of the planting instruction as far as a time schedule. Lots of people plant their fall forage Labor Day weekend, depending on the year I could possibly have less than a 3 week growing season before the first frost. I also have no farming within 5-10 miles of where I hunt so the alfalfa and clover I plant is not competing with what else is available. I have 1/4 acre kill plots and year after year they are eaten down to dirt.
I think this statement Sota proves Booner's point even more. Seed companies, some with the dreaded "buck on the bag" packaging are geared and designed for deer specifically....just as you said some seed naturally is designed or does better in certain parts of the country. I wholeheartedly agree with this theory on some seed types, but Booner was spot on, so long as the buyer does their research their are quite a few seed blends out there that will out perform the ag seed from the local co-op any day of the week.
You beat me to it! You are spot on. doing due diligence is key. No different than looking at mineral supplements so you can tell the difference between a beneficial mineral & a glorified salt lick. Sota makes a good point that not everything that works in the south will do so in the north. But doing research will help determine what will work in your area. Sota....when you plant a fall brassica for example, regardless of what the bag says, you want to plant 60 days before the first frost. That may be in mid September in the south, or it could be in July in the north. There are usually a range of recommended planting dates on the bag, but this isn't set in stone. Local conditions should dictate planting.
I'm not anti-BOB as I've planted mixes from various bags in years past, but I really want to do a side by side planting of Ag vs. a bag mix one of these years to test that statement. Maybe this year is it :D
