257 - I'm doing it. I'm planting summer plots

I cant read every post on this forum but I've read some.

I've got 22 plots some in hardwoods, some in pines. 4 plots are 1.5 acres, the other 18 less than an acre.
We test our soil every two years, this year is our test year so Auburn will see my dirt coming soon.
We lime as directed and usually over fertilize come fall.

My question is what can I plant to attract the deer ? I've heard you say soybeans are no good if I dont have a big enough plot to let them eat down some while the rest grow, so that's out. I've read on here iron clay peas. I guess what I'm asking is whats everybody's "go to" for summer plots ? I'm no farmer but with all my equipment you'd think I was so I have the tools, just need direction. Like everybody, gets dry in summer so I'd need to consider that.

Too broad a question ?

Thanks in advance for your time.

I’d have a general mix of IC peas, sunn hemp and corn for IC peas to climb on. Could use milo (grain sorghum) but the sugar cane aphid May ruin that for you. Start you some perennial clover spots too to hedge against costs in long run. Dixie reseeding red clover has done really well for me. There’s plenty ways to split it but those would be my first interest.

Matt, is there a mix you can buy with all that in there or would you be better off buying and mixing yourself?

Better off mixing yourself.

perennial clover, if you have any deer density at all you are wasting your money on things like peas, beans, and corn with plots that size

I planted a 2.5 ac field of milo this summer and then cut strips this fall for brassicas. The deer were heavily browsing the soghrum early this season and now are browsing the brassicas worked out great gives them some cover and food at same time plus the the milo doesn't get too tall to see over but enough for deer to feel secure to use. I did notice some aphid pressure but the plants produced well enough for a deer plot, you can't go wrong with any of the afore mentioned suggestions either.

My deer love the icpeas. Also have about 3acres of clover that is fairly easy to maintain. Add in some supplemental feeding and there is no reason fo the deer to go anywhere else. Its like mamas house, always welcome at the table. Just try it and see if it dont make a difference.

We usually just do ICP. Anyone plant buckwheat? I think we may give it a try this summer.

I planted 20 acres of it last year. Deer ate it up before it could get size. I mixed it with sun hemp

I am thinking of a mix for my smaller fields of, sun hemp, lab lab, icp, buckwheat. I have a few larger clover fields that I am just going to spray and keep cut. I am also going to plant another 10 acres of corn, I wish there was a good option of something that could work with the corn that could handle grazing pressure and was round up ready.

What works with corn, is browse tolerant and round up ready is Eagle forage soybeans.

I wonder how that would work with the 4 row planter I got from 257. Would it be best to alternate rows or plant the corn then come back and plant beans between the corn rows?

Gonna be tough to do that either way. Corn gonna shade out beans. I’d split field in half. I understand it’s just plots but you don’t want to waste money and time either

Plant your corn and beans separately. Planting them together is a grand idea but it will kill your yield. Plant your corn thick, pour the fertilizer to it and pray for rain.

We did some Buckwheat 2 seasons ago on some roads and small future plots to try it , the deer tore it up so we plan on doing again this year

ICP has always done great for me. Planted buckwheat two years ago and never actually noticed any deer pressure on it. They eat the piss out of my ICP and sunflowers. I usually broadcast another planting of peas around august to help fill in where the deer may have eatinthem down for bow season.

X2 our deer absolutely murdered the buckwheat that we planted last year. Turkeys liked it too