I wonder if alfalfa would work in a throw and mow planting?

I haven't gotten any on camera yet. That field is funny. I planted soybeans on it one spring, and the deer left them alone for a bit, and then it was like they discovered them one day, and the next day, no more soybeans.

I have to go mow, plant and start spraying, hopefully the weather holds this weekend and I can do that. I have a few fields I want to plant in peas and sunn hemp. Alot of mine have good stands of clover, so mowing will help get that going.

Its pretty expensive to take a chance on if you ask me. I will say I have done a lot of throw and mow, and it works, but, depending on the type of forage, I get better results if I disk and plant, like with soybeans.

After last fall, I hate to even try to throw and mow winter wheat. Turkeys wear it out. The don't seem to be able to do that as much with cereal rye.

I think it would work, because the seed is small. Thinking of trying a small 1/4 plot as an experiment.

I bet it would do fine in fields where someone has already been building topsoil for a number of years

Week 6. A good rain would probably help it along!!

You have an exclusion cage on it?

It’s going to need some rain for sure but otherwise looks like it’s doing good to me! Landowner where I used to hunt in GA kept 10-15 acres around his entry and they did everything by the book. You hardly drove thru without a deer being in it. But he spent a lot of money keeping it going year after year.

Lockjaw - Have you put a protective cage down to gauge the browsing pressure the field is getting? If so, what does it show?

No cage yet. I just got all the fields mowed last weekend, but haven't seen alot of traffic anywhere yet. I will put one up, I just have to get to it.

The imox seems to be taking out the horse nettle too!! BONUS!!

Week 7

Are the deer hammering it? Looks good.

It's hard to tell without a cage on it

No I am not getting camera pics yet. I think they have to find it first. Usually what happens out there is they discover something is there and then start keying in on it.

I planted some eagle beans on another field, and then I broadcast some buckwheat on it to give them some cover since I started to see a little deer traffic on it. But I really haven't seen alot of traffic on any of the fields, they may be in the 105 acres that was clear cut in Feb. Lot's of browse there right now.

I just want to make sure I have stuff for them in August. That is when the woods start getting really dry and the deer need food. I am off to Alaska so it will be a couple weeks before I get back out there and can plant some beans/peas/sunn hemp. I need to spend a day out there disking and planting.

How is it looking now?

You saving them big rocks😁
Interested to see how it goes when they settle in on it..

Lockjaw you are gonna love Alaska. My wife and I are there right now and it is awesome. Flew to a glacier and went dogsledding today, whale watching tommorrow. Just noticed you have already been.

update?

Question for the Alfalfa Pros. If I plant a field in straight Alfalfa in October, will it be huntable this deer season or do I need to mix in some cereal grains for the fall and kill them off in spring?