Has anyone tried frost seeding recent cutovers in the late winter eatly spring with legumes or grain rye? I have also thought about fertilizing the native vegetation.. alot of the stumps that sprouted back with shoots got hammered this late summer and so did the black berry bushes, if you fertilize these areas they be even more palatable to the deer . Just a few random thought... We used to fertilize white and sawtooth oaks back home if done correctly it will increase yields..
Frost seeding in the spring
- Thread starter ojibwa
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NH Mountains
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It's a month late now but, a combination of winter rye and perrenial white clover in early September is about as good of habitat improvement you can do for wildlife. The winter rye will provide good food source thru the fall and early winter. Then it'll be the first to greenup in the spring. The clover will take off and provide food for a few years. The winter rye will bolt and provide fawning habitat for deer then die in mid summer.
NH Mountains
Active member
As for fertilizing oaks, I think the better alternative is to get the chainsaw out and cut competition from around them. That'll open up the canopy and provide more browse and year round food as well as increasing acorn yield than a few pounds of fertilizer will to increasing acorn yield.
If you are thinking about increasing the yield an individual tree to attract deer to it then get a rake and clear all of the leaves and brush away from underneath it. The deer will go to that tree as it'll be easier to find acorns.
If you are thinking about increasing the yield an individual tree to attract deer to it then get a rake and clear all of the leaves and brush away from underneath it. The deer will go to that tree as it'll be easier to find acorns.
oneshott
Banned
That last tip sounds neat and interesting.
Yeah I thought about it a month or so ago but the drought put me off...
NH Mountains
Active member
You could still go with winter rye. That'll germinate and grow in under 40 degree temps. It will give them food this fall and early next spring. The combo is better but winter rye will do. The only issue I can see would be leaf litter covering the ground.
NH Mountains
Active member
One of the better deer hunters in NH (definitely not me) uses this trick and it works.
We used to do that in GA especially in suburban areas where deer were used to noise, we would used a gas powered leaf blower and clear out areas under trees. And it's not just that it make acorns easy to find , the smell of fresh earth attacks them as well..
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