# Urea On Clover Update



## johnhunter (Jun 17, 2000)

This was the first year I juiced all of my clover plots with urea, broadcast in mid-late September.

The deer are still feeding heavily on my clover plots. Last year, by this time, the deer were pretty much ignoring my clover. To observe the plots, they really don't look any greener than they did last year at this time, but deer preference appears UP. Even seeing some deer in the clover during daylight hours (so far, fawns only) during the gun season. 

FWIW - no evidence of deer eating my brassicas as of this date. Three of my clover plots have brassicas (primarily Biologic products) in them, and the deer are eating the clover all the way around the brassica plants, but still not sampling the brassicas themselves.


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## Brad Gehman (Jun 6, 2004)

I used urea on 1/2 of my clover plot and saw no difference in the color either. Didn't notice any difference in usage, but then, its all mowed down anyway.  


I'll do it again next year as I'm sure it had to have some impact.


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## wild bill (Apr 20, 2001)

half way through bow season they had my clover mowed down to the ground. like farmlegend, still no sign of the deer eating my brassicas. they feed right around them eating the wheat and oats.

by the way farmlegend. how did them soybeans turn out? they still green now or are they gone? any beans?


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## Lew (Jun 8, 2003)

Different areas and different deer ??(WUP) I planted a mixture of clover and brassicas and the deer ate all the brassicas before eating the clover. In mid August the clover was over a foot high and the brassicas were eaten to the ground. Then they started on the clover and by Nov 15, it was down to dirt. Based on my experience, I would recommend a large planting of brassicas but that may not be best for all areas. Lew


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## GrizzlyBear (Apr 27, 2003)

FL,
After reading numerous posts about the failure of deer to consume brassicas in farm country, we reluctantly planted some of Biologic's Green Patch Plus. Although the GPP already has oats and wheat in it, we added more assuming the deer would not touch the brassicas for at least a year or two and still wanting the plot to serve as a fall draw. Boy were we wrong. Opening day of gun season, there were deer in and out of the plot from sunrise to 10 a.m., another group of deer at around 1 p.m. and more from 4 til dark. The deer are ripping the brassicas out of the ground and can't get enough of it. The plot is lush and green and is drawing deer out of the more than 500 acres of corn that is still standing within a mile of our property.
I guess this only adds to the mystery as to why some deer in farm country will devour brassicas and some will not touch the stuff. The QDM mix came up great with some turnips over 12 inches in diameter, however, not a single turnip has been touched. I guess those Southern Michigan deer are just more picky than those of Huron County.


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## johnhunter (Jun 17, 2000)

GB, I believe it has a lot to do with local deer density.

The ag areas that I'm familiar with where foodplotters have had good success with brassicas all have higher relative deer density than I do.


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## Guest (Nov 22, 2004)

FL, how dare you call my deer dense. I want you to know that they are all magnum cum, loud, with several road scholars in the bunch.

Keep the in in hunting!

Ed Spin


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## Lenaweebowhunter (Sep 15, 2003)

I took a walk late morning today in 4 inches of fresh snow. this made it real easy to see were and what the deer had been feeding on, I didnt go into the woods but walked past a number of my food plots and and the nieghbors apple orchard and this is what I observed.

The deer fed heavely in the 20 foot strip os beans left next to one of our safe zones. There was some feeding on my perinnal clover plots, heavy feeding in my rape/brassica/tunip/sugarbeat plot..... and exstensive feeding including major snow plowing in my winter weat plot, this is my first year planting WW, seeded in late September the deer have kept it about 1-2 inches all season long. They also had been underneath every tree in my nieghbors apple orchard, so it apears the deer liked a little bit of everything last night.


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## Huntmaster143 (Aug 28, 2003)

This year we planted brassicas in three different areas across the farm.

The first area is the close to approx. 1,000 acres of solid woods and has been used very heavy and has been eaten right to the ground around the wooded edges of the field. I have observed several bucks from yearlings to 3 1/2 yo and does of all age classes foraging in this food plot of about one acre in size.

The second plot next to one of our safe zones has been used just as well, but this field also has clover, milo and sunflowers located throughout the field and they have been using all parts of the field fairly well.

Now for the third one, this is where I'm confused. This 1/3 acre plot is located in an long narrow 15 acre field totally surrounded by woods and near two safe zones. In this field, I have 9 acres of standing corn with a 50 yd strip of clover all around and they haven't even touched the brassica plot. Maybe it has to do with all the other clover and corn around, because this plot was planted at the same time and in the same soil types as the others.

Oh well I'll take 2 out of 3 and winter has just hit, so maybe they will start using it as more of the snow comes.

HM


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## mike hartges (Jun 9, 2003)

I applied urea to my main clover plot in September. Deer use it daily. At dark, last Saturday, 3 does were bedded in the clover.


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## bishs (Aug 30, 2000)

Last night I had two does feeding in my clover. They have it mowed to the ground. I fertilized the field a few times, but never applied urea.


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## GrizzlyBear (Apr 27, 2003)

Kind of a funny story, I mentioned adding urea to legumes around Sept. 15 up at our farm. It practically led to a brawl. :lol: For all of you adding or planning on adding urea to your clover, do not mention it in front of farmers or anyone with conventional farming knowledge, they will look at you at first in shock, moving to awe, and then plain chew your butt for being a cityot. (pronounced city-it) Better to just add the urea and keep it amongst other food plotters.


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## johnhunter (Jun 17, 2000)

GrizzlyBear said:


> For all of you adding or planning on adding urea to your clover, do not mention it in front of farmers or anyone with conventional farming knowledge, they will look at you at first in shock, moving to awe, and then plain chew your butt for being a cityot.


I know what you mean. There's a number my practices that have caused my neighboring farmers cackle and howl. Examples:

- Widening fencerows (don't those cityots know that fencerows were made to be destroyed?)
- Creating new wetlands
- Planting soybeans and winter wheat simply for the deer
- Putting fertilizer on food plots
- Soil testing, again, just for food plots

One incident is particularly memorable - five years ago, before I developed the ability to do my own food plots, I had a farmer plant 3 acres of clover for me. When I opened the trunk of my cityot sedan to give him my 25 pound bag of commercial clover seed mix, he roared out the brand name, laughing heartily. I can still hear his voice, filled with hilarity and mild derision, shouting "Antler King! Antler King! Hey, you guys (to a few nearby farmhands and hangers-on), get over here! You've gotta see this! Antler King! Heee-haaaaw! Antler King!"
All joined in the laughter, myself included. A great memory.


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## Guest (Dec 7, 2004)

Good advice Grizzly Bear, "Keep that advive to yourselve on fertilizing clover with urea in mid September", in fact it may be prudent to not say anything about applying urea to clover at any time. 

It took me several years of testing with side by side strips of clover (with and without urea in mid September) to fully convince me that there was something to it. It is not a big thing, (some times there is no noticeable differance at all, thus the reason for several years of testing) but when added to other practices of improving attractant type food plots the accumulative effect can be impressive.

The theory behind this is the flush of new GREEN leaf growth as seen when fertilizing a lawn in September with fertilizer high in nitrogen. It is quite apparent. Well, new green leaf growth is what the deer prefer and broadcasting around 50 lbs of urea per acre in mid September I found did the trick of a flush of new leaf growth in clover just in time for that bow opener.

I'm an old farmer myself and know well my fellow farmer idiosyncrasies. In fact when I give a food plot seminar I usually ask if there are any farmers in the crowd. This helps me get ready for that silly (I don't believe I heard that) look. They are a hard sell crowd.


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## QDMAMAN (Dec 8, 2004)

Hey Spin and FL,
FYI. My Mid-Mich mix plots (3) Have all been attacked this fall. The first to go was the Bio-logic leaving nothing but a bunch of stems and then to my amazement they dug up and ate the PT turnips by the second week in Nov. I checked them today and they are still feeding on the turnips also I had 4 antlerless bedded in my clover last night at around 7 and they were there again at dawn. The clover has been cropped to the ground thanks in part to the bunnies. Time to do some cotton-tail culling I have a very high density but can't determine which are does and which are bucks. HELP! 
Big T


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## Swamp Ghost (Feb 5, 2003)

Tony, if you need some help thinning those bunnies, I just happen to know a guy with some great dogs.


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## johnhunter (Jun 17, 2000)

Big T, you must have too many deer.

I've got Biologic Maximum and Mid-MI mix in three of my clover plots; the brassicas remain essentially untouched, while the clover is STILL being actively eaten. 

RR soys getting hit daily; interestingly, the soy plot (1.25A) was in clover from 2000-2002. We had a couple good frosts which killed my July-planted soys (still had good bean development) off in early October. With all of the warm weather we had since then, I've now got a whole bunch of clover growing in that plot in between the soy plants! Double-duty without even trying!  

Hey, are they still makin' that Big T Deer Mineral?  Need a few more bags.


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## QDMAMAN (Dec 8, 2004)

FL,
Actually my numbers have stabilized. I have 5-6 antlerless hanging out in the safe zone where the groceries are and the rest of the deer in the neighborhood are on Joel's. I'll be heading there in the a.m. to help with that problem (smoke'um out) .
As for the Big T's I will be ordering another ton Jan.1. The boys in Barry Co. need to generate some $ so we're consigning it to them to help them out. Sounds like they have the best part of a ton sold but we can order more. With our banquet coming up the last Sat. in Feb. We will probably move some then.
What do you think of this? I was thinking of having several reps. made of the Malcuit buck and marketing the Big T's as the reason for his big rack .
I might call it "BIG T's UNLUCKY BUCK" and have it in easy to carry 55 gal. drums.:lol: 
Anyways, I'll hook you up next time we meet in Lansing.
Big T


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