It's the annual down here that is planted for erosion control and used to a lesser extent for wildlife feed. Deer won't mess with it until they learn what it is. Kinda funny. The same thing happened here. They didn't mess with it last year and were late this year finding it. Once they found it though, they were in it every night. I don't think much of anything likes it once it dies and dries.
It grows so thickly that nothing else will live under it. Be careful that you don't disperse the seed too thickly. My wife spread some on the lawn this past winter (she's a yard freak) and now that the summer has come there is hardly anything out there. It smothered the grasses that were established before.
The seed doesn't make it down here. It's too hot. You have to seed it every crop. The same with crimson clover. White clover will seed here but doesn't get too tall.
Deer Vetch, peas and beans are popular down here but Deer are browsers before they are grazers and do well in blue berry, gall berry and other herbs and small trees. Not to say they won't graze a garden.
