Fall/Winter food plot ??

[Lung Pumper]

We finally have a food plot on our place after many years of trying to get landowner to agree. My Question is simple- When do you plant for Fall/Winter plot ? We are located In Atascosa County an hour drive south of San Antonio. Oats ? Rye grass? Clover Etc. ??
Any information on what works for you will be good to share with all.
Thanks-- LP

[Stins]

You will get lots of good advise on this subject.

I'm just south of you in McMullen Co and I think I am going to try and plant oats probably in Sept sometime. I plan to use the next couple trips to prep it by spraying round up and possibly some soil tests to see if I need to lime it.

Good luck, and I am sure others will chime in shortly. I know Boomerang is in the general area and knows alot about food plots.

[Lung Pumper]

Thanks Stin ! Yes I'm in Charlotte area -so you are just South of me.
I know the usual seed is Oats; What else works ? There are so many options out there-- Kind of like buying a new Bow !!
LP

[cosmiccowboy]

beef builder rye works real well down there. It will last longer into the spring and handles the heat better. Not to be confused with "regular" rye grass it grows good thick bladed bushy tops and the deer will hammer them just like oats.

[Jamie]

I've had real good luck with this blend from Pogue Seed out of Kenedy....used it in both LaSalle and Duval counties and counted 102 deer one evening at our Hebbronville ranch

BUCK BUFFET CEREAL BLEND is a mixture of small grains (Wheat, Oats, Triticale) with the addition of high quality legumes (Vetch & Winterpeas). BUCK BUFFET CEREAL BLEND is widely adapted throughout the American Southwest. This blend will provide early and late forage production with high quality and exceptional palatability. This blend is very economical, easy to plant and has always been a favorite of wildlife producers.

Benefits of this blend include: Very economical, excellent forage production, 18-20% crude protein, widely adapted, highly palatable, drought tolerance and easy establishment

Components of this blend include: Tamo 397 oats, Triticale, Wheat, Austrian winterpeas and Vetch

[Boomerang]

You could plant around September 1st. The risk you are running is the heat and dry weather that "could" be around that time of year. Usually takes about 30 days to get a good stand going from the planting date.

[HuntinBilly]

Lung Pumper,
I am looking at planting some Tecomate Max Attract 50/50 in mid to late September and do some oats in another plot as well on the new place. The ryegrass we bought at Home Depot came up pretty good last year too. Remember the rains hit last year in early October and Becks oatfields came up real quick, going to make sure I don't plant too late this year. I tried to get to the food plot when I picked up my feeders but the sunflowers were all 8 feet tall and covered the entire road. Is anything still growing from last year (or everything for that matter?)

[Walker]

Deer prefer oats to any other cereal grains. If you plant Sept. 1 and have enough moisture to germinate the seed, chances are the army worms will knock the heck out of your stand. Late Sept. early Oct. is much better.

[Lung Pumper]

HuntinBilly,
The Deer tracks were thick in the food plot. The old Rye and oats were still growing and producing something the deer like ?
Your right about trying to get around the place ! It is grown up like a tropical rain forest ! Bob has started the tractor mowing so we can find the roads again !
What a turn around from last year when we were begging for rain !!
LP