Feeding on Brassicas before first frost?

[tnbassman]

I watched a spike feed on my New Zealand Maxximum for 30 minutes before dark yesterday evening. I did not plant anything else in this little 1/4 acre plot planted on 08/29/07. Any one ever had deer hit brassicas before frost? Maybe the NZM mix has something in it I dont know about. Any one know what all is in NZM?

 

[big jim]

I witnessed the same yesterday, first hand.

 

[Food Plot 101]

I've witnessed the same early in the growing stages.

 

[deerchaser007]

They will eat rape before the frost.

 

[woodchuckc]

Two years ago the deer mowed my turnip plot down to bare ground after they got up about 3" tall in mid September before the acorns started falling heavily, well before the first frost. I know that this goes against the conventional wisdom that brassicas in general, and turnip greens in particular, do not get utilized by deer until after a frost or two. I guess the deer around my place haven't read that chapter on deer behavior and feeding yet! I didn't get my fall plots in until a couple of weekends ago since I was trying to time my planting with some rain, but I noticed yesterday that the turnips, oats and arrowleaf clover were up and growing, and there were several deer in the plot that I can see from my house.

My plots with rape in them do tend to be utilized a little later than my turnip plots.

 

[BSK]

Just remember that mixtures like BioLogic Maximum have 5 to 7 different varieties of brassica in them, and the mixture intentionally includes early, mid and late-season varieties to produce attractiveness over the longest period of time.

In addition, hungry deer will eat things they normally wouldn't eat.

 

[Winchester]

Shane, do you guys have any Acorns at all over there?

 

[tnbassman]

"do you guys have any Acorns at all over there?"

I have yet to find a tree with acorns on my place or Harts. I have one Persimmon that is loaded and ready to start dropping any day now. All the Oaks on my place that had acorns last year have ZERO this year.

 

[Winchester]

I understand, pretty much every Persimmon I have found is loaded, several already dropping, but just a few Northern Red oaks is all I have found with good acorns.