My BIL and I are wanting to try to put in a couple small plots this year. We have a 106 acre property (Idaho) that is mixed fir and pine trees at 4300' elevation. We haven't done a soil sample and if I can find a decent resource for that I do plan to do one. The soil definitely has some red clay content to it. The property is currently under a couple feet of snow and will be inaccessible until about April. Our main interest is to try to make the property more attractive to whitetail deer. Currently it holds a couple small family units of does most of the year, but no bucks until the rut. We'd like to hopefully change that. 1/4 of the property is thick and should be good bedding, and it has a year round spring fed water source. I say year round, but in winter the snow normally gets deep enough that the deer will move down to lower elevations until Spring time. We do lease the property for cattle grazing, as do most of the properties around us, and it has cattle on it normally from about mid July through mid October. We plan to do a low fence that the deer can jump over but keeps the cattle out of the plot. The only equipment available to us for ground prepping is atv's and a couple small harrows to drag behind them. I can get my hands on a skid-steer to scrape off the current vegetation if it is really necessary or will help greatly in getting a crop started. One of our thoughts was to grow alfalfa, but my BIL said he heard that it can be toxic to cattle? I've never heard this. It would be nice to eventually have a couple of "kill" plots, but right now we just want to attract them and hold them. Any suggestions on soil preparation, good online resources for soil testing, and good crops that fit the above are more than welcome.
It can cause bloat in cattle if they're just left to graze unattended. When I was still running cattle I would turn them out on a alfalfa field during the fall when that last cutting just wasn't going to make. Turn them out at 8am and then bring them off of it around 4pm. If I was going to use alfalfa in a plot I would mix in clover and vetch or chicory. And make sure to mow after it flowers to encourage growth. Edit* Even if the cattle were to graze it by accident, given that it is a small plot I doubt any harm would come to them. Grazing a hundred head on a 40 acre field, different story.
Well your above us in altitude. The soil test will give you a much better idea of what will grow and how much tweaking needs to be done to grow what you want. Alfalfa would be my last choice. I'll suggest you watch Whitetail habitat solutions videos from what you have said. He talks a lot about doe buck relations to land. If you are looking for perennial over seasonal. Personally I'd go with small burnett, trefiol, mix of different white clovers and sainfoil. There is thick stuff and then there is good thick stuff. Big difference in bedding preference. I really work on keeping my brush growing well. Native bushes are vital browse. I keep the honeysuckle bushes, autumn olive, and even some wild rose, and elderberry growing well in areas. Once had a DEC foresters marvel at how I kept them constrained. Water is also key near food plots. Not many talk about cultivating rub trees. I personal find them important. I take note of which tree get rubbed most often here and plant young ones with that in mind in certain areas. Usually transplants. Example young wht spruce, hophorns, basswood, soft maples, young blk walnut, cherry and beech These are a guarantee rub area. Read well on some of those perennial seeds I mentioned. I started out years, and years ago with them and buckwheat, now they are all in commercial blends. Most seed I buy from out west.
Thanks to you both, good info. OND, the bedding areas are fairly mature pine and fir as well as 6'-8' tall brush type cover. As far as rub trees, the ones I see rubbed the most are usually around 4-6 feet tall and only about 1"-2" in diameter. Where they do it seems to be pretty random...I've always figured because they are wandering through looking for does during the rut. We have white fir, red fir, lodgepole & Ponderosa pine, and tamarack. They will hit any one of them. We have a few elderberry trees here and there, as well as 3 different good sized patches of huckleberries. We also have a bit of wild rose. None of the other stuff you mentioned. A perennial would be preferred, at least right now. We were only thinking of alfalfa simply because once it is established it seems to come up every year after that with minimal work. We'd be more than willing to go with something else. I've seen good sized clover patches in the area, just none on my place, so I assume it would grow here.
Alfalfa looses it's appeal late season and is very ph sensitive. From what you describe you have acidic soil. Now when you study different white cloves and some reds mixing will give you an all season draw. Add to that small burnett which remains green year around. Trefoil and some clovers are acid tolerant, until you get the PH raised and gives you good protein. Also if that clay soil holds water ,alfalfa prefers well drained soil and a ton of light. Then you have the fact a few of these have the protein with low bloat trates. Buck will gravitate to a more aromatic tree to rub several years ago I planted several sassafrass trees scattered around. Only two haven't been rubbed dead. They have a wonderful strong smell.
I DON'T know your zone we are 5-6 here and routinely go sub zero in winter usually -5 to - 15. I can't say enough good things about chestnuts Dunstans specifically and Chinese. Also hardy hazel nut bushes. Blueberry bushes, dogwood bushes.
The average winter temps are between 15° and 35°F. But there is at least 1'-2' of snow cover for about 3 months. Summers can get up to 100°F, with the average being between 85-90F. We can sometimes go 2 months without any rain in summer, lack of moisture is one of my biggest concerns. For acidic soil you want to lime the heck out of it, correct? I'm also wanting to try to get a few apple trees going, as well as some hazelnut trees. My FIL has a hazelnut tree that has a ton of suckers under it that I plan to transplant this spring.
Take a look at the chestnut hill site for Dunstan chestnut. They also have persimmon. They give a list of areas they ship 3-4 gal potted trees to, usually, Walmarts. Way cheaper due to shipping direct. Mine have all had at least a couple of nuts the season planted and by 3 loaded. As far as water proper planting prep self watering and mulch. Yes lime to raise PH this said lime works best initially with particle to particle contact. Lime takes time the best is ag but I use pelletted. More expensive but what I can spread. What I do is add several bags each year after my initial heavy dump. Without good PH fertilizer is a waste of $$$. My soil calls for over 3,000 #'s per acre. Yep I know acid soil. I now check by smell . You can smell the acid or sweetness of a soil. Thats not all you need to know though. Soil needs micro and macro nutrients . Only a good soil test will give you that needed information.
