We have a place in Coke County, next to Blackwell. we currently have winter wheat planted and it has done okay. But, we are wondering what is the best all around exotic mixture to plant. Anything particular that works well for our county? We have roughly 275 acres in cultivation and their are about 7 different field. Should we plant different mixtures in different fields? We have 22 axis, 13 fallow, 13 BB, and 6 Scimitar horner oryx. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

I would look into brown midrib haygrazers. Hegari is a little more drought tolerant but needs to be planted later. But with that few of animals I would not plant that much. Mayber only 2-10 to 15 acre areas for now. If you plant more then I would make hay off of some if you get the growth. If you have whitetails also then I would look into Red Ripper or Iron and Clay cowpeas and/or mix with some Lab Lab or Soybeans in some of the fields. You can run around 5-7 hd of those exotics per acre in a good field with normal rains. WT will be around the same.

I hunted on a lease for 14 years, the few years the rancher planted peanuts were the years our best bucks were taked, also great duck hunting those years.

Thanks guys, I appreciate your help. I forgot to mention we also have 80-100 whitetail. We have a bunch of whitetail to cull off and we will next year. We bought this place in October, and its 562 high fenced acres. We have a bunch of Live Oak, Post Oak, and Red Oak. But, we want to add some good food plots that are going to add inches to horns, and body weight. We will also be dove hunting, so I dont know how sunflowers or milo would so with the deer. We dont have any fencing around the food plots.

Milo and sunflowers will be eaten to the ground by all exotics and whitetails. Sesame will work for doves if you don't have cattle. I know cattle will eat Sesame. If you plant haygrazer, sorghum alum or hegari in enough acreage to make seed it will draw in doves if you bale it at the right time. I would use legume plants for both WT and exotics.

Thanks ranch man. Anyone else?

Vetch is one of my favorates

I would consider setting up a rotation of summer and winter plots so that each acre is producing but not double cropped. I hate to plow down a good summer crop in order to get ready for small grain. just about any legume you can get to produce should help the animals.