Deer on Alfalfa

Thinking of planting a food plot but haven't been too successful in past - no rain, cows, whatever happens. Got me to thinking about putting out a couple of small square bales of alfalfa instead.

Anyone have any direct experience - good or bad - with attracting bucks with alfalfa bales? Leave as bale, bust it up and spread it around?

I've had good luck with putting it in my feeder pens. I'd put about 1/3 of a square bale in each pen. They'd clean it up in about 4 days, but I live on the ranch and can re-supply them when needed. I've had good luck with it.

We have been using it for about 3 years and our deer love it. We put 2 bails in each feeder and it lasts about 2 weeks.

The fresher the better. Be sure and have water nearby. I use it every year. I put a bale out along with sweet feed, water, salt block and throw an extra bag of corn. Opening morning I've usually got groups of deer coming through. This is in Somervell county. We don't have groups of deer in Erath, just bucks cruising looking for non-existent doe.

I have used with some success and that success depends on the area you are hunting. Bad thing with alfalfa is that deer just pick out the leaves only which are very high in protein that in turn can cause stomach issues from to high a protein. It can also get costly when you compare the waste vs utilization- stalks left over vs leaves eaten. Cost gets way more expensive than protein pellets at that point when you throw away 30% or more of the stalks/stems.

We use it as an attractant more than a supplement. Our deer really like it and I can only imagine how they'll go after it once we get a hard freeze. I've got a spot that I drop a bale each time I'm on the ranch. I've got a popup overlooking it now. Took a whitetail doe out of it earlier this week.

JMalin, congratulations

Thanks. I had just about eaten all the axis doe I took back in July. Nice to have some more meat in the freezer again.