Year of the sweet clover

[brockel]

The sweet clover is thick as ever this year. Lots of cover for animals. Seen it tall enough in a few spots that all I could see from an antelope buck walking through it was the very top of his head. Should make for a good snaring year for coyotes.

 

[EYJONAS!]

Sure is an incredible year for that. Puts a lot of nutrients back in the ground to. Stunts the horn growth though........

 

[Cav1]

I've been hearing a whole lotta comments about the clover this year from plenty of folks down here in Park County too. To quote The Ringling 5, I wonder if it will once more rain "all 34 days in July."

 

[Hem]

Yep, clover thick from Three Forks and West. My 5 has more of it than i would like.

 

[mtmiller]

I was hoping no holes in the two-track yesterday.

 

[brockel]

Road shouldn’t drift to bad with snow this winter I mean it’s only 3/4 ton pickup cab high

 

[Crossbowguy]

Looks different than the clover we have up here in NY

 

[kansasdad]

You are stoking my allergies clear down here in Kansas.

My word, that is a ton of nastiness (my nose speaking!)

 

[marshman]

Looks different than the clover we have up here in NY

Looks different than the clover we have up here in NY

Much different than Washington clover also, way bigger for sure.

 

[JEL]

I was hoping no holes in the two-track yesterday.
View attachment 110966

That could be a fire starter come late August and September. Also hellish to try and spot and stalk in once it dries out.

 

[mtmiller]

That could be a fire starter come late August and September. Also hellish to try and spot and stalk in once it dries out.

Yep. I know of a few incidents with pickups burning up.

I had the nice odor of hot vegetation under the rig just the other day.

 

[dexnrex]

Does anyone know if yellow sweet clover is native to MT?

 

[brockel]

Does anyone know if yellow sweet clover is native to MT?

I believe it’s non native

 

[cowboy]

It is not native. It has an anti blood coagulant agent in it. Makes good feed but must be very careful to not feed to long term pregnant cows or horses - they can flat out bleed to death internally. I do not know how it affects wildlife.

 

[mtmuley]

I kill the crap around my place. Treat it like knapweed. mtmuley

 

[dexnrex]

I believe it’s non native

That is what I suspected. Given it’s prevalence I was hoping otherwise.

 

[brockel]

That is what I suspected. Given it’s prevalence I was hoping otherwise.

Seems like every 3 years we have a hell of a growth of it. Most animals seem to eat it. Makes for great coyote snaring conditions this winter

 

[Keeptrying]

Invasive. Native to Eurasia. Western SD and Eastern WY are full of it this year. Miles upon miles.

 

[dexnrex]

I’ve always noticed it seems cyclical, then in years when the cycle coincides with moisture like we’ve had this year, it’s like yellow carpet in the clover prone areas. The other thing I noticed in the Breaks last weekend was grasshoppers. The ground in places was hopping with grasshoppers about 1/2” long. If the hoppers eat the clover leaves stalking will be exceedingly difficult this fall.

 

[Keeptrying]

It's a funny plant. As a biennial it is supposed to take two years to complete it's growth cycle, but under ideal conditions can do so in a matter of months. Must be ideal conditions.