I am looking to plant some one acre patches of grass for deer but am unsure of what to plant. I believe a native grass mix would be best but it takes several years to get established. I want something that I don't have to plant every year that gets from waist high to head high one grass I'm am thinking of is switchgrass but I don't know much about it. Any ideas would be appreciated.

Go to YouTube and search Whitetail Habitat Solutions. They sell switchgrass varieties and have a ton of info and videos on YouTube about it as well as lots of general habitat improvement for whitetails. Getting it established correctly is pretty important

Thanks hadn't thought of youtube

Ragweed!!!

It really depends on the purpose of the grass. If its mainly for bedding I would be looking at a blend. I solid stand of monoculture it not desirable although it will be used. There needs to be a food source mixed in. I would look at an indian grass big blue grass mix with a selection of native forbs for browse. Eventually the grass will take over and become rank and you will need to go in and actually kill some out to create preferred habitat. Currently, there is a TON of costshare opportunities to offset the cost Through your local NRCS office.

You're looking for cover, not food right?
I have some switchgrass here and the deer don't touch it.... just a suggestion, sweet clover, if it grows by you, as a nurse crop for a tall grass prairie mix. The sweet clover grows tall and should give you time for the grasses to take.
But you're extension agent might be a better place to ask as they're used to your area...

Blue stem and switch grass

Love switch grass for whitetail cover

Switch grass, Big Blue stem, Indian Grass and Cord grass. You would be wise to plant forbs with the grasses, like Canada milk Vetch, Illinois Bundle Flower and few others that deer like to eat.
The bigger the diversity in a planting the better.
I'd check with my local DNR or NRCS and Pheasants forever. They all usually have or can point you to someone who will sell you a native plant mix for wildlife.
Also it would be wise to do the seeding in the fall if your including forbs.
There will be maintenance required, burning is best.
3 years to get a good stand of Indian grass.
Indian grass has gotten so dominate in some of my areas that I am planting wood betony in with it.

I didn't plant my areas for deer, as far as I'm concerned they are just a unintended consequence of improving habitat.

GCS mentions sweet clover, if he's talking about white or yellow sweet clovers, no way would I add either of them to any planting. They are an obnoxious invasive weed.
I spend some time every year hand pulling the stuff.

1 acre isn't enough area for deer cover. Barely enough for a food plot. Plant clover.

U ever been around 7 foot high switch grass? So thick you couldn't walk through. I can promise u from experience it's enough to make a mature buck feel secure. Especially is there's good habit around it.

I know nothing about food plots or what grasses would be best. I can tell you if you want deer to stop and browse alfalfa is a nice cover crop for all
wildlife. Do you have irrigation if not find a dryland variety and pheasants, turkeys, grouse and all big game like it. Just let it grow and you can cut if you want or not. It is very good thick high cover crop.

Yea, I got about 20 acres of it. You put 1 acre in the middle of a forest or field or whatever and no deer will stay there.

Your dere are different than ours

I am wanting the grass for cover not food. I have decent cover around the areas I intend to plant. A mix of grasses is not out of the equation. I do plan on talking to my wildlife agency and the usda on cost sharing.

1 acre is a lot of cover . Pressured deer will go to plenty of overlooked little patches of brush etc .

I was a habitat chairman for a local Pheasants Forever chapter for 25 years And I can say beyond any doubt planting switchgrass did nothing to help the pheasant population There where no pheasants to reproduce to begin with But every property that planted it had more deer once it was established then it did before it was there I do not think they eat much if any of it .However it is great cover and a deer is a master at using cover to get from place to place without exposing itself We planted all types of grass and trees that produced food and the switchgrass was the one thing that worked the best