Clover is a foundational component of modern wildlife management, serving as a highly attractive and nutritious food source for deer. Clover is particularly sought after for its high-quality forage and potential year-round availability. Establishing a successful clover food plot is a direct way to improve the health and attraction of deer populations. Identifying the specific clover varieties deer prefer most maximizes the effectiveness of planting efforts.
The Most Preferred Clover Varieties for Deer
Perennial white clovers are the most popular choice among wildlife managers due to their persistence and high palatability. Ladino clover is a top contender, characterized by its large leaves and tall, leafy growth that offers high forage tonnage. Specific varieties like Durana or Alice white are bred to withstand heavy grazing pressure and maintain high protein levels throughout the growing season.
White clovers spread by above-ground runners called stolons, helping them form a dense, grazing-resistant mat. White Dutch clover, a smaller-leafed variety, is tough and low-growing. This makes it an excellent choice for areas with less fertile soil or high deer density. Its low profile tolerates aggressive grazing and frequent mowing without significant damage.
Red clover, a biennial or short-lived perennial, is valued for its fast establishment and robust yield. It possesses a deeper taproot than white clovers, providing better drought tolerance and allowing it to thrive in slightly more acidic soil conditions. Although white clovers are often more palatable, Red clover’s rapid growth and high tonnage make it a valuable component. It is often mixed with white varieties to provide a quick food source while the slower-establishing white clovers mature.
Nutritional Drivers: Why Clover Attracts Deer
Clover is a preferred food source due to its nutritional profile, which meets the deer’s biological demands, especially during periods of high stress. Clover delivers a high level of crude protein, often ranging between 20 to 30%, depending on the variety and soil health. This protein content supports antler development in bucks and milk production and fawn development in does during the spring and summer.
Clover is highly digestible, meaning the deer’s rumen can easily process the forage to extract maximum nutrients. The tender leaves and stems are readily broken down, making it an efficient source of energy compared to coarser native browse. Additionally, the plant’s high moisture content provides hydration. This is particularly attractive to deer during hot or dry conditions when water sources are limited.
Ensuring Clover Plot Success and Palatability
Even the most attractive clover variety will fail if the plot is not properly established and maintained, as health correlates directly with palatability. Soil preparation is the fundamental first step, beginning with a soil test to determine the existing pH level and nutrient deficiencies. Clover requires a near-neutral soil pH, ideally above 6.0 and often closer to 6.5. This typically necessitates the application of agricultural lime several months before planting.
Clover is a legume and performs a natural process called nitrogen fixation, converting atmospheric nitrogen into a usable nutrient with the aid of Rhizobium bacteria. The seed must be coated with a specific inoculant before planting for this process to begin. Synthetic nitrogen fertilizer should be avoided, as it suppresses the clover’s nitrogen-fixing ability and encourages the growth of competing weeds. The seed must also be planted extremely shallowly, often requiring a firm seedbed created by a cultipacker to ensure good seed-to-soil contact.
Ongoing maintenance, including weed management, is necessary to keep the clover palatable and productive. Broadleaf weeds and grasses quickly outcompete clover, reducing forage quality and accessibility. Selective herbicides, such as 2,4-DB for broadleaf weeds and clethodim for grass, control competition without harming the clover. Regular mowing is also valuable; clipping the clover to five or six inches stimulates fresh, tender growth that is consistently higher in protein and more appealing to grazing deer.