• Help Support TNDeer:

Food Plots Milo?

T

TheLBLman

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jun 12, 2002
Messages
39,773
Location
Knoxville-Dover-Union City, TN
Decided to get a "head start" on some fall plots, by planting some milo during the summer. Mainly just planting some strips along one or two sides of existing plots (so there will be reduced acreage to plant come September).

Anyone want to share their experiences with milo (commonly referred to as sorghum around here) as a fall deer attractant?
 
I was interested in reading the replies after seeing your post. Milo is one thing I've never tried and was interested in learning so come on folks! lol
 
In La. the deer love it. Many farms that grow it leave some in the corners and edges to help out whoever has the hunting lease. If it will grow in La. red clay it should do fine in Tn. red clay.
 
It was one of the few things I could come up with, ideal to plant in July (and with minimal soil prep), that would provide Winter forage. Way I'm looking at it, can just get a "head start" on fall plots simply by planting portions in milo during the summer?

Planted milo on Saturday and Monday ---- and a good rain is falling now (Tuesday) ---- even had about 1/8" rainfall Saturday evening on what was planted Saturday ---- so hopefully this "milo test" is off to a good start.
 
Well, I didn't know until now that milo was sorghum, so "Yes" I have grown milo. It is one component of the Pennington Rackmaster Spring/Summer Deer Mix. I've also grown it one time in a dove mix. Both times birds consumed every bit of the grain long before it could be hunted over. The dove field was eaten completely by flocks of starlings and "cow" birds. If you could keep that from happening, I'm sure deer would eat it during cold weather but since I would think they would only consume the grain head, it is more in the way of cover than feed to me. In the Pennington deer mix I mentioned it is included mainly to provide structure for the vine beans to grow up on. Sunflowers are also in the mix for the same purpose.
 
Hunter 257W said:
. . . . . birds consumed every bit of the grain long before it could be hunted over. The dove field was eaten completely by flocks of starlings and "cow" birds. If you could keep that from happening, I'm sure deer would eat it during cold weather but since I would think they would only consume the grain head . . . . .
Click to expand...
Since these are generally 1/8 to 3/4-acre plots surrounded by woods and/or heavy cover, I'm hoping large flocks of nuisance birds will not be very attracted to them. I can see how having milo (sorghum) in a large grain field could attract huge flocks of black birds.

My intent is more in providing another winter food source rather than a spot to hunt over, as well as getting a head start on planting "fall" plots.
 
Wes,
I planted it a few times several years ago at my Humphreys County farm, but I guess I had too many deer. They ate all the heads off the stalks before they completely matured. They never made it to archery season.

The area I hunt in Kansas is nothing but milo and the deer love it.
 
I have planted it on my old roads. doves and deer both use it.
URL=http://s492.photobucket.com/user/fearless-45/media/update027.jpg.html]
update027.jpg
[/URL]
 
I've planted it in food plots and the deer loved it when the heads were green and never had a chance to turn brown. But on larger fields of it when the heads were mature and turned brown to harvest the deer were in it thick too. One of my biggest bucks I killed fed in a milo field for 20 mins before coming in range for a shot.
 
Sounds like the biggest potential problem may be in keeping the deer from eating it up before fall?

My "plan" is for the milo to mainly provide a food source in late fall and winter AFTER the acorns become scarce; and, by planting the milo in summer, get a "head start" on installing the fall/winter plots. Also seems a good idea to be less dependent on the more traditional fall plantings of wheat, oats, and brassicas?

I thought July was a little "late" for planting milo, but maybe mid-August isn't too late since it's just being left for wildlife?
 
Wes, I planted some last year, maybe 1/3 acre.


Deer never bothered it and it was beautiful with huge seed heads. Come about January, it almost vanished over night! Deer, doves, ducks and every song bird known to man was in there eating!

I didnt plant it this year ad I wanted to see if I had a good volunteer stand and not one stalk has come up. I consider that money well spent!
 
jmb4wd said:
Deer never bothered it and it was beautiful with huge seed heads. Come about January, it almost vanished over night! Deer, doves, ducks and every song bird known to man was in there eating!
Click to expand...
That would ideally be what I'd like to see happen - the milo providing a food source when nature is running low, as is typically the case in January. I would "think", there is a little more likelihood of this happening by planting the milo late, so that the seed heads are not maturing until after acorns are falling.

Think I may just have to plant some more, and hope for a late 1st frost this year! :)
 
I think the milo would provide some good cover as well, all cultivated milo I have seen is very similar to corn until it matures and the seed heads are also pretty in the fall.
 

Latest posts

Back
Top