 Will Whitetail Deer Come To My Food Plot With This Clover?
The
answer to this question can be summed up in one simple
statement: Imperial Whitetail Clover contains the
only clover ever developed specifically for whitetail
deer. In fact, it is the first and only food plot
product on the market genetically developed for the
nutritional needs and preference of whitetail deer.
Keep in
mind that there is no such thing as a “typical” clover.
There are literally hundreds of different types of
clover, each having their own specific characteristics.
Some are sweet, some are bitter. Some grow fast and
some grow slow and some are higher in nutrients than
others. There are some clovers that deer won’t even
touch. The take-home message is that all clovers are
different and you cannot simply buy “clover” and expect
it to perform well as a deer food plot. You may as well
walk into a boat store and simply tell them you want a
boat. Sure, you may have wanted a ski boat but what you
got was a houseboat instead. Both are boats and both
will keep you out of the water, but each has its own
specific traits.
The Development of Imperial Whitetail Clover
The
best way to explain why Imperial Whitetail Clover is
different from other clover varieties is to walk through
the development of the product. As was previously
stated, Imperial Whitetail Clover contains the only
clover variety genetically developed specifically for
whitetail deer. This process was started by choosing
approximately 40 different clover varieties, each having
traits desirable for a deer food plot. These varieties
were tested for characteristics such as high nutrient
content, attractiveness to deer, cold tolerance, heat
resistance and longevity, as well as many other
characteristics. The varieties that showed the best of
these traits were interbred and the testing process was
repeated.
Over
several years the procedure was repeated until
eventually one hybrid was developed that contained all
of the characteristics desired. It was this
hybridization process that gave Imperial Whitetail
Clover the traits that are unmatched by other clovers.
So,
exactly what are these traits? First of all, Imperial
Whitetail Clover has a much higher nutrient content than
other clovers. For instance, the protein content in
clover ranges from 13% or lower, to 25%. In comparison,
Imperial Clover averages up to 30% to 35% protein.
Equally important is that Imperial Whitetail Clover
holds this high-protein content throughout the entire
year. At different points in the growth cycle of other
clover varieties, protein levels can drop
significantly. This can be detrimental to antler growth
and lactation. Furthermore, red clover flowers for
reproductive purposes, which expends large amounts of
energy and drops nutrient content greatly. Because
Imperial Clover does not have to reseed itself, it stays
alive through the root system and does not loose energy
and nutrients from heavy flowering.
Another differing
characteristic between Imperial Clover and other clovers
is digestibility. Digestibility typically decreases as
plants mature. This is due to the fact that compounds
build up in the cell wall of plants that gives them a
more rigid structure to keep them upright as they grow
taller. One such compound is called lignin. Lignin is
good for the plant but bad for deer in that it is nearly
completely indigestible. Furthermore, as the plant
matures it becomes comprised more of stem than leaves.
Again this is vital because the leaves are more highly
digestible and have more nutrients in them then the
stems. In fact, deer will usually not even eat the stem
if it has hardened.
Most
clover varieties available today were designed for hay
production for domestic livestock such as cattle.
Cattle have a much greater capacity to digest “stemy”
forages so most clovers are designed for heavy, tall
growth which requires more stem. As was stated earlier,
deer do not have same capacity as cattle to digest
mature forages so utilization of clovers designed for
cattle and hay production offers at best a hit-and-miss
food source. Imperial Whitetail Clover on the other
hand, is designed to stay in a vegetative state for a
longer period of time. Most of the growth occurs in the
leaves and not the stem. This allows Imperial Clover to
have both a higher nutrient content and stay more
digestible than other clovers.
Imperial Whitetail Clover is further different from
other clovers in that it was designed to be “user
friendly”. This means it was designed to be easier to
establish and last longer than other clovers. Imperial
Clover is heat resistant, disease resistant and cold
tolerant. In fact, Imperial can stay green an
incredible 12 months out of the year compared to other
clovers that are only available 3 to 6 months out of the
year.
Imperial Clover comes pre-inoculated and coated so it is
ready to use right out of the bag. Among other factors,
our special coating and inoculation allows for a much
higher germination rate that other clovers especially
during stress conditions.
In
terms of attractiveness as a food plot plant, Imperial Clover has no equal.
Part of the stipulation in the design of Imperial Clover
was that it had to be the most attractive food plot
available to the deer. After all, no matter how
nutritious a food plot is, if the deer do not eat it, it
doesn’t matter. In this respect, expectations for high
attractiveness were exceeded. Due to its design with
the lush, sweet highly digestible forage, Imperial
Clover acts as a virtual magnet to deer ― actually
pulling deer from surrounding areas.
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