Protecting food plots
Contributors to this thread:Whitetail Deer
From: Hiker
20-Jun-18
I just purchased 15 acres in Oklahoma and will be putting in about a 1-1/2 acre food plot of Durana clover this fall. I have concerns that it will be over run before it gets started. How many of you use electric fence for chemicals to keep the deer off until the plot is established?
From: Mike-TN
20-Jun-18
Electric fence but only for soybeans. This pic is on a farm in KY with extremely high density of deer. The duel fence method works for me.
From: stick n string
20-Jun-18
Plant a cereal grain nurse crop to help take the pressure off until it gets pounded. A couple advantages with that
From: Hiker
20-Jun-18
Thanks for the responses, I forgot to mention that this is in the woods no AG or anything for miles if y’all think that makes a difference.
From: LKH
20-Jun-18
I started using the dual fence method in 2001 for tree plots. Here in central MT it's the only thing that allows me to get trees up and big enough to handle the whitetail fawns and later the rubbing bucks. Still have it around a double row of blue spruce that are 10' tall.
Wasn't cheap and it was part of a Riparian CRP program. Got help with everything except the fence. Now they pay for the fence and when I asked they said I was their guinea pig.
From: drycreek
20-Jun-18
I've had lots of clover plots and never had one devastated by deer yet. Beans and peas, yes. Clover, no. Planted in the fall, wheat or rye grain with it if you'd like, and you will be fine.
From: t-roy
20-Jun-18
Are you concerned about the deer decimating it, or are hogs an issue in your area? If only deer, agree with the other above comments. I, fortunately, don’t have any experience in dealing with hogs, so I don’t know if an electric fence would deter them or not.
From: drycreek
20-Jun-18
^^^^^^^ I don't think hogs will make a difference either, they never have in mine. I have about as many hogs as anyone, and they will eat in the clover somewhat, but not nearly like they will in grain crops. I terminate my wheat/oats/rye every year before it seeds out because I don't want to encourage hogs. The seeds, thankfully, are too small for them to eat.
From: PushCoArcher
20-Jun-18
I'm in SE Oklahoma no ag around either and I've never had a problem with hogs or deer tearing up clover. If you're still worried about them over running it and you have the extra room a nurse crop of cereal grains like stick n string mentioned. More food for the deer and more effective than fences or chemical deterrent in my opinion.
From: pdk25
20-Jun-18
I have had numeous plots torn up by hogs, even with 3 strands of hot electric, and even after established, they chase the deer out of the plots. An alfalfa field, and a clover mix field as well. Hopefully there aren't too many hogs on your land. Good luck.
From: Hiker
21-Jun-18
Thanks everyone for their replies, Luckily no hogs in the area that I can tell so I guess I will just go for it and see what happens. PushCoArcher I am in Latimer Co. basically at the Hwy. 1 and 2 split
From: dm/wolfskin
21-Jun-18
You need to let the deer in for a while to eat some leaves and then put it back up. The soybeans will put out more leaves and still produce beans if that your goal. Those tender leaves will fatten them up good.
From: PushCoArcher
21-Jun-18
Hiker I know Latimer county pretty well if you don't have hogs count your blessings. Have you seen any bears? My buddy has 120 acres in SE latimer he gets pics of a few bears every year.
From: Hiker
22-Jun-18
no bears yet... one of my neighbors at the property lost her chihuahua then found out a bear was seen in the area. I would love to see one but with the cost of an out of state bear tag, pictures is all I'll be shooting. My brother lives in Leflore and he has them come by a few times a year. Just enough to destroy his bee boxes.
From: APauls
22-Jun-18
From what I've read about clover (I'd like to plant some as well) good browsing from the deer is a good thing. It's kind of like mowing, and would be very difficult to be "overbrowsed" as it gets started. Stricly textbook knowledge, no real life!
From: Hiker
05-Nov-18
Do to weather and family commitments I was later getting things planted. I planted Durana clover and Elbon Rye on 9/30/18. It has had good rain on it and came up right away however the clover is only ½” -3/4” tall and the rye is about 3” -4”. I have read the Durana clover is slow growing but is this normal? Also what do I do about the leaves falling on the plot? I took a leaf blower and cleaned them off this weekend. Our first freeze is looks like it will be this Friday.
From: Hiker
05-Nov-18
here is a picture of the plot
From: BuzAL
05-Nov-18
I bought cheap cookie sheets from the dollar store, cut em in half, and hung em around my newly-planted plots in pairs so 's they'd spin and clank together in the breeze. Its been keeping tracks out of the plots for three weeks now. Gotta be untangled after a blow. I'll pull em out once I have a killing frost and start hunting downwind of there soon after that.
They won't keep a trespassing, self-entitled, sheriff's deputy from driving thru there (on private property) an hour and a half before sundown, or stop em from threatening to "get you in trouble, if you keep running yer mouth", though. Grrrr
From: flyingbrass
13-Nov-18
As usual the first reply nails it! close thread he answered it perfectly
From: BullBuster
14-Nov-18
I planted 1.5 ac annual clover and 1 ac perennials. Neither got more than an inch high and never flowered. Utilization cages flourished. 4ac other stuff. So clover can get overbrowsed. Can someone explain double electric fence setup or give a link? And I won’t be using it on clover
From: lewis
14-Nov-18
Not trying to hyjack the thread but what charger are you all using Lewis
