Wildlife

Wildlife

Kind of Seed	Lbs. Per Bushel	Rate Per Acre Lbs.	When to Plant	Depth to Sow in Inches	Remarks
Bahia grass	24	20	Spring or Fall	1/2 to 1	Turkey, quail & doves feed on the small seed heads. Deer feed on the foliage.

Beggarweed, Florida		10	March to June		Excellent for all birds. Grows most anywhere. Matures in 150 days.

Birdsfoot Trefoil		6-8	March to October		Perennial legume with some stands surviving as long as 30 years. Excellent for beautification. Quail, dove, ducks, rabbits, deer & livestock eat foliage and seed. Matures in 90-120 days.

Bromegrass, Matua		50-60	Spring or early Fall		More attractive to deer than most other perennial grasses. Use 25-30# when planted with Alfalfa, Clover or Puna Chickory.

Buckwheat	52	40-50	April to July	1 to 1 1/2	Produces an abundance of seed in 70-80 days. Holds seed well on stalk long after ripening. Does well in any type of soil: poor, fertile, peat, sand, clay or loam. Good for quail, doves, turkey, ducks & deer.

Bundleflower, Illinois		1.5-2	April to August	1/4 to 3/4	Warm season perennial legume. Provides food & cover for wildlife and forage for livestock. Grows 3-4'. Has about 64,000 seed per pound. Grows almost anywhere. Excellent for quail, dove, turkey & deer.

Burnett, Small "Delar"		15-20	April to July	1/2	Perennial evergreen. Grows well anywhere except wet soil. Gets about 18". Birds, deer or cattle feed on seed or leaves.

Canarygrass, Reed		10-12	April to July		Perennial which provides food, cover in winter & nesting for waterfowl & other gamebirds. Stands drought or flooding. Plant dykes, banks or dams. Excellent for deer, horses or cattle. Grows 3-6'.

Chickory, Puna		5	Spring (best) or early Fall		Perennial herb of high nutritional quality. Very palatable, excellent for summer & fall grazing for cattle and deer. Will produce 24,000#/A. Fertilize with 5-10-15, 10-10-10 or have soil tested. First grazing should be in 6-10 weeks. Use 2.5#/A in mixture. Mixture of 5#/A with 5#/A Ladino Clover is highly productive.

Chufa		15-30	April to late summer		Excellent for deer, turkey & hogs. Grows like peanuts without shell. Wildlife will scratch and dig them up once they find the tubers. Tubers mature in 100-120 days. Plots should be at least 1/4 acre.

Clover, Alyce	60	15-20	April to July	1/2	Summer annual legume, maturing seed in October. Excellent deer browse (especially with cowpeas). Inoculate with type EL inoculant. Not sensitive to soil pH. Best suited for Central and South AL.

Clover, Bigbee Berseem		8-10	Spring or Fall	1/2	Reseeding annual clover. Does well when mixed with other clovers spread out growing season and increase available forage for animals.

Clover, Dixie Reseeding Crimson		20	August to November	1/2	Reseeding annual clover developed by the Georgia Experiment Station. Good in mixture of 15#/A with 2 bushels oats, 1.5 bushels rye or wheat and 20# ryegrass.

Clover, Osceola Ladino	60	8-10	Spring or Fall	1/2	Developed by University of Florida. Well adapted for the deep South. Excellent for deer, turkey and other wildlife.

Clover, Red	60	12-15	Spring or Fall	1/2 to 1	Very popular clover. Deep root systems, produce high forage yields and are superior soil builders.

Clover, Regal Ladino	60	8-10	Spring or Fall	1/2	Perennial clover developed by Auburn University. Excellent for deer, turkey and other wildlife. Available "Raw" (natural) or "Coated" (pre-inoculated).

Clover, Sub	60	12-15	August to December	1/2	Annual that re-seeds very well even under heavy grazing. When seeded in timber land it provides nitrogen for tree growth. A good mix would be to add 20# of ryegrass.

Clover, White Dutch	60	8-10	Spring and Fall	1/2	Very old and widely used perennial clover. Provides food for all game. Plant in old logging roads, trails or open patches in woods. Deer, rabbits, quail and other birds will benefit.

Clover, Yuchi Arrowleaf	60	10-12	August to November	1/2	Annual clover which re-seeds well. Grows to 24-60" height. Heavy foliage and seed producer. High in protein making it very popular for wildlife. Long growing season going well into summer.

Corn	56	8-15	February to May	1 to 1 1/2	Developed specifically for wildlife. Grows and looks like popcorn, but developed to reduce the risk of afflotoxin harming the animals that consume it. Kernel size is also "bite-sized" for small birds.

Corn, Dwarf Extra Early	56	8-10	March to July	1 to 1 1/2	Matures in 65 days. Plant around ponds for ducks. Grows 3-4 ft. making it accessible to gamebirds & waterfowl.

Corn, Quail			February to May	1 to 1 1/2	Developed specifically for wildlife. Grows and looks like popcorn, but developed to reduce the risk of afflotoxin harming the animals that consume it. Kernel size is also "bite-sized" for small birds.

Kudzu					Excellent for erosion control. Very high in protein. Good food source for deer or cattle. Should be planted where it can be controlled.

Lab Lab		10			Summer annual legume that produces high quality forage for livestock & deer. Tropical plant that is very heat and drought tolerant and adapted to warm regions. May be grown with forage sorghum, millet or sorghum-sudangrass. Ideal for food plots, especially for deer. To establish for wild game: disc, smooth & firm seedbed. Plant inoculated seed in 38" rows 6-8" apart. May want to plant with corn, millet or sorghum to allow plants to establish. Adapted to partially dry conditions to occasional water logging. Produces abundant forage throughout summer until frost.

Lespedeza, Bi-Color	60	12-15	March to July	1 to 1 1/2	Perennial shrub. Good as food & cover plant for quail and other game birds. Seed are very attractive. Plant in strips approx. 20' wide.

Lespedeza, Kobe Striate	25	30	February to June	1 to 1 1/2	Widely used as a good food and cover for quail and dove. Plant in patches and strips near bush, wooded areas and water. Grows 24-30". Heavy seed producer.

Lespedeza, Korean	40	25-30	February to June	1 to 1 1/2	Plant like Kobe. Grows 15". Heavy seeder.

Lovegrass, Weeping	60	5-10	March to July	1/2	Old & very popular grass for quail. Grows 2-4'. Produces an abundance of seed. Quail love its "weeping" growth habit for nesting cover. Will grow on steep, rough land.

Millet, Browntop	30	30-40	April to August	1/2 to 1	Grows 2-3'. For quail, doves, turkey and ducks (when flooded). Will produce seed in 65 days. Heavy seed producer.

Millet, Dove Proso		30-40	April to August	1/2 to 1	Millet doves consume most. Relished by all game birds. Grow 3-6'. Matures from head down. Produces seed in about 70 days. Plants bend over as seed matures dropping them to the ground. Seed has a bright coat that protects it from mildew and makes it very attractive to birds.

Millet, Japanese	30	25-40	May to September	1/2 to 1	Also known as Wild "Jap" or Duck Millet. Grows fast and produces an abundance of seed. Matures in 60-90 days. Ducks, dove & quail love seed. Deer will graze forage. Broadcast around ponds, mud flats or where may be flooded.

Millet, Spray		10-20	May to July	1/2 to 1	Has large seed head that holds through the winter. Good for doves, quail or pheasants. Excellent to plant with sorghum or corn.

Milo, Hegari		25	April to September		Seed very attractive. Provides cover for quail. Good for doves, ducks & deer that eat the foliage as well as the seed heads.

Peas, Austrian Winter	60	30-40	Fall	1 to 2	Closely related to garden peas. Vines will get 5' long on good ground. Good for deer & turkey. Soil builder so fertilizer not needed. Will grow throughout the cooler months but for added forage add ryegrass, grain & clover.

Peas, Catjang		30	April to late July		Good for quail, doves or other game.

Peas, Cow (Drilled)	60	15-25	May to July	1 to 2	Inoculate. Plant in row 36-40" apart for seed.

Peas, Cow Combine (reseeding type)	60	40-50	April to August	1 to 2	Good for late summer and early fall quail food. Plant with Dove Proso Millet, Browntop Millet or alone. Ducks enjoy when flooded with a few inches of water. Deer and rabbits like the tender foliage.

Peas, Cow Iron-Clay Mixed	60	50	April to August	1 to 2	Excellent for quail, dove & deer. Produces forage in 45 days, mature seed in 100 days.

Peas, Flat Lathco		25-40	April to July or early Fall		Long-lived perennial that makes dense growth 2-3'. Good for doves, quail, ducks, turkey, deer & pheasant.

Peas, O.K. Gamebird		10-15	April to July		Late fruited plant that provides good food when needed for quail, doves, turkey & deer.

Peas, Partridge		10-15 Broadcast	April to July		Annual reseeding legume growing 1-5'. Grows most anywhere in all soil types. Provides good cover for quail and other wildlife. Gives protection, winter food, summer shade & insect brood habitat. Prepare seedbed, cover lightly, pack with tractor tire or cultipacker. A little fertilizer may be applied the first year, but on most soils not necessary. With light disking or burning each spring in march the patch will reseed for years. Mature seed in about 110 days after germination. Seed have a very hard seed coat and germinate over a period time insuring longevity of the stand.

Rice, Long Grain		2-3 Bushel Broadcast: 90-135 Cover 1"	April to May		Needs 120 units of N divided into 3 applications (1st at flooding, 2nd at jointing, 3rd 14 days later).

Rice, Wild		25-40	February to June		Plant in fresh water lakes, ponds, sloughs or marshes. Plant in standing water 6-18" deep. Seed will sprout when water temperature gets above 60 degrees

Sainfoin		25-30	Early Spring to late Fall		Perennial legume. Grows 3' producing an abundance of pea shaped seed. Good for deer & turkey. Beekeepers like it for high yield and high quality honey.
Sesame		10-12	April to June		Widely used by large hunting preserves for all birds especially quail. Grows 4-6' and produces very attractive seed. Seed maturing in 85 days. Like velvet beans, provides nematode control in peanuts, cotton & soybeans.

Sesbania		20-25	April to July		Makes wonderful cover for quail, doves, ducks and all birds. Grows 8-12'. Likes hot weather. May be planted with Cowpeas using 8 parts peas to 1 part Sesbania.

Sorghum, Alum	56	Rows: 5 Broadcast: 20-25	April to August	1 to 1 1/2	Perennial warm season grass that comes back each year from the crown. Makes a good browse for deer when kept tender (by periodic mowing) & excellent nesting habitat for quail. Cousin to Johnsongrass with similar characteristics.

Sorghum, Wild Game Food (WGF)		Drilled: 10 Broadcast: 20	April to July	1 to 1 1/2	Valuable source of winter food for quail and other wildlife. Short, fast maturing sorghum that will produce seed heads in 90 days or less. Will tiller & keep producing additional heads as long as there is moisture until frost. Seed is bitter until dry & the short stubby stalks (24-30") stand up well to protect the seed. No bird will touch it until ripe, but when mature all birds will eat. Provides food when the food sources are depleted.

Soybean, Kester's Bobwhite Trailing (reseeding type)		Broadcast: 20 Drilled: 30	May to July	1 to 2	Small greenish-brown seed about the size of grain sorghum. Produces long vines that wind and crawl up supports. Deer also relish the foliage. Matures in 85 days. Plant with something for it to climb on, such as corn, sorghum or sunflowers. Contains 40% protein.

Soybean, Laredo		25-30	April to July	1 to 2	Very heavy foliage plant with small black seed that all birds like as they mature and drop. Deer like both forage and seed. These are different to the regular oil type bean.

Sunflower, Small Black (Peredovic type)	32	Rows:10-15 Broadcast: 25-30	April to August	1 to 2	Matures in approx. 100 days. Grows 4-5'. Sunflowers left standing provide cover for hunters while scattered seed attract birds. When mixed with cowpeas, doves & quail will start feeding an peas before the sunflowers mature.

Switchgrass		10			Perennial bunchgrass that provides excellent spring nesting & winter cover. Grows 2-5'. Good for erosion control. High in protein. May be planted on dykes, banks or flooded.

Velvet Beans		12-15	March to June		Plant 1/4 to 1/2 acre plots in woods or around edge of woods in corn or sorghum. Deer really love them. Helps control nematodes & also suppresses weeds, diseases & insects.

Vetch, Crown		5-15	Spring or early Fall	1/4	Spreads by seed, stolens & rhizomes. Excellent for beautification. Permanent ground cover. Chokes out weeds. Good for quail, dove & deer.

Vetch, Hairy	60	15-20	August to December	1 to 2	Annual legume good for all wildlife. Does will when used in mixtures. Good to use on land to be planted in cotton. Has high residue that stands on top of soil longer than rye.

Wheat, Duck (Tartary Buckwheat)		35-50	May to September	1 to 1 1/2	Produces abundance of seed in 45 days and continues until frost. Small seeded. Grows in any type soil, poor fertility, mud, peat, sand or clay.

Wheat, Egyptian (Shallu)		10-15	April to July	1/2 to 1	Also called "Chicken Corn." Belongs to the sorghum family. Excellent as a feed and cover for birds. Plants are leafy and have some forage value. Well adapted to high humidity. Seed heads are large, creamy white, brittle but not hard, high in protein & shatters freely when mature. Shades birds that scratch and feed of fallen seed. Matures in 90-105 days. Heavy nitrogen user so fertilize well.