Lucky dog!
It is so dry here I am not sure a 4" rain would have any run off. The cracks in the ground are 2" wide and very deep.
Looking at the rest of the thread, maybe somebody besides me can finally benefit.
From the map, I'm in the area that is the same color as the Great Lakes! This is the first year I think I've ever seen ponds and streams above full pool/full bank in July and August.
With that said, I do believe that certain plantings can do very well for the fall, whether for deer, or as "green manure" for next year.
I've been growing annual(winter) rye as a cover crop for as long as I can remember. I've grown it in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Hawaii, Virginia, and West Virginia. It has never failed to produce a decent crop.
I've also grown a lot of turnips, mostly for the critters. The seed is extremely cheap -- thousands of seeds per dollar, and far more per bag than any humans would ever want to eat. The seeds germinate with just a little moisture. With just a little bit of nitrogen, they produce an incredible amount of green in the fall, early winter, and again in early spring.
