for an area that has moist soil that gets bad muddy after the winter rains. In other words, it’s a really wet area. Have tried the big buck blend from the coop but the deer really never got interested in it.

Rice?? Seriously, clover is a no go. I've tried several different clovers and only one did ok. Think it was Chickasaw but don't really remember. It didn't even do well enough to continue planting it. For what I've seen, wet areas generally have poorer soils. Not knowing your situation I would say move the plot to higher ground and open up more options. Or if big enough plant corn and just leave it standing.

We had a lease like that years ago, plenty of deer, but the dirt was river bottom mud. We found another lease, but if corn had been legal we would have kept it. Maybe it will pass this next year and problems like that can be as simple as putting out a few feeders.

Brute I've been researching the same issue as you. I have an area that floods out easily (water recedes fairly fast) and is generally just damp and low-lying. A lot of my reading is saying brassicas like purple top turnips along with oats and wheat. I can't say that I have personal experience to prove it works, but it seems like a lot of guys saying you can get turnips to grow in really damp or wet soil with the right pH.

What about millet? It would grow in thick and provide a bedding if deer didn't eat it. Bonus you could get some wood ducks coming in on the regular.

I’ve never had a problem getting anything to grow or eat it in these situations. The only limitation that I’ve found is the growing season. Once the rains start and the water table rises, the growth seems to stop. To combat this, I’ve started banking tonnage by planting the first week or two in September. We try to keep the deer out until bow season. This has worked really well for us.

Brassica's don't like soil that holds water. Moist is one thing, holding water is something else.

It’s not gonna turn a swamp into dry land or anything but if this is a field that’s been repeatedly tilled then improving soil structure and water infiltration may help you out a lot……pore space between soil particles.

We’ve had really good luck with brassicas in our plots. Maybe it’s an exception to the norm.

Tillling has done well for us. Seems like it helps to dry it out.

Yes, tilling can definitely dry out some soil……..

What I’m referring to is in the months to follow. Once the rains come again then the soil often times becomes compacted with very little pore space between particles. What you often times see if standing water in a field after a heavy rain that may stay there for days or weeks because it’s basically sitting on top of a solid compacted soil instead of a porous one. Improving soil structure improves the pore spaces long term. It not only allows for better water infiltration but it also allows for better air flow too….better O2 infiltration in the soil profile.

Again though, don’t take this to mean you’re gonna turn a swamp into dryland…..I’m just saying its an option that may help over time.

Drying it out is the goal. I haven’t had any issues with standing water in our fields like you’re talking about.

I have a similar area although not as wet but very close to a swamp. Whitetail Institute suggested the Imperial Clover will do good but not the Chickory. I planted it last year with a no-till before I knew it was a 4.9 ph.

Yeah that’s cool…….each field is a little different….I’m not really talking about your field specifically though……I’m talking about all fields in general. Check out some of the ag fields that get tilled the next time it rains really hard. I see it a lot around here. It’s one of the reasons people started designing drainage ditches and whatnot around some fields…..because the water was no longer infiltrating and they had to get it off the crops instead of standing. What’s so funny is that the very same fields will also be equipped with irrigation systems…..Drain off all the rain water so that you have to bring it back in mechanically later on. That's not very efficient. There’s some huge ag fields over by the river that are prime examples.

Once again, I’m not saying this will for sure solve his problem….some places are just bogs and stay wet…. but it may help…. better soil structure…… better soil aeration…. ….better water infiltration

That's the thing. What happens in ag field don't pertain to my situation, cause most ag fields aren't in the same kind of location. Kind of an apples to oranges sort of thing.

Anyways, you just have to find what works for your situation.

OP, did you have a soil test done on your plots?

I have not.

Does this area hold water, or just stays damp? I was under the impression it held water, which is why I made the comments about brassica's, mainly radishes, they don't like soil that holds water. Really not many plantings that do.

Yeah the area I was mentioning on my own place (not to hijack Brute's thread), doesn't hold water. It floods, recedes, and stays a little more moist than most other places on the property at times.

If I had a field that flooded periodically (which I do)….I’d definitely want to keep root structure in place at all times. When excess water becomes an issue then your looking at issues with erosion and lack of oxygen to the roots…..leaching of nutrients maybe another issue as well. Erosion and O2 can be helped out by leaving large amounts of root structure in place at all times.

This is not true in all situations, either. Every place is different and every place can't be "fixed" with that technique.

Fwiw, I've been having good luck with turnips and radishes in these wet conditions.

OP, get a soil sample done. It may tell you more about what's going on. Maybe there's an imbalance that makes your plot less attractive to the deer.