Clover, and especially white clover, is perhaps the single best plant available for deer food plots. It's fairly easy to establish, provides a high protein level, and when perennial types such as ladino are used, they can provide a food plot that lasts 3-5 years, sometimes even longer. All they require is mowing a few times a year, and occasional spraying if grass competition gets out of hand.
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| If you want easy to establish flower and one that will last a long time, the author believes BioLogic Non-Typical Clover Food Plot Seed Mix is it. |
A number of other wildlife seed companies now offer different mixtures of clover, but a new offering has been released by Mossy Oak Biologic that should be of particular interest to deer hunters. It's called "Non-Typical Clover" and consists of one single seed type that goes by the name of "Critical Mass."
Says Bobby Cole, President of Mossy Oak: "It's a true ladino and it is available from our company exclusively. We were attracted to the many great characteristics this clover has for wildlife. It is hands down the easiest to establish and latest to go to flower that we've ever seen."
The clover is new, so I can't report on my personal results, but from the early reports from several years of field testing, it has produced great results.
The clover comes up fast and grows aggressively when competing with grasses and weeds. It has a large leaf so a deer can fill his belly with fewer bites and get more nutrition for a given period of feeding. And the protein content is high. Testers in northern states have found it comes back strong after cold winters and stays green well into fall.
The clover has proven durable to heavy grazing pressure from deer and has an expected lifespan of 3-5 years, though it may last even longer than that.
Austin Delano, of BioLogic, says "One of the first observations the research team made in testing the Critical Mass variety of clover was the quick establishment and substantial initial growth. In addition to its aggressive growth, it produced a lot of forage. Non-Typical averaged right at three tons of forage per acre."
No, I'll never give up my plots of brassicas, oats, wheat and summer products such as soybeans. But for the backbone of my food plot program, a plant that produces a bountiful supply of high-protein food from early spring through late fall is hard to beat. And that plant is white clover.
Complementing my current clover plots there will certainly be a few plantings of this newest clover from Plantbiologic.com. My hunch is these Non-Typical plots will be a favorite dining spot for the local whitetail herd.
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