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Standing Soybeans

I've commonly seen the deer in my area browsing the pods of the soybeans that were missed by the combine. This is early in the season too and there is other food available. They don't just sit down and clean them out, but they will sneak out of the brush, eat some, and then be on their way, unless ...
 
RobDooley said:
Farmer was harvesting soybeans yesterday in river bottom farm. Due to all the earlier rainfall in Hickman he will most likely leave A LOT unharvested. They got muddy when the river got up into fields. Beans are not completely ruined just dirty. Not worth the effort to try clean. Do you think the deer will eat them?
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Absolutely me thinks, but abundance of mast may vary that
 
I plant a few acres of eagle brand forage beans each year. Last two years I have added a 3 strand electric fence to let the beans grow a bit without browse pressure in the early growth stage. This has allowed the beans to get 3 feet high in both of last two years. I either remove the fence from half or all of the beans after they get some size, typically July.

The deer definitely like the forage aspect of the leaves in the summer. Last year they stopped eating the leaves when the first sign of yellow leaves began on the bottom of the plants afterwhich the plot didn't see much action until late November when the deer came back to hammer the pods. Cold days especially.

This year is different, the deer are continuing to eat soybean leaves and pods even after the leaves turned yellow. There are plenty of acorns in Roane County this year so not sure what is different.

Not this year but in the past I have overseeded the beans with brassicas and winter wheat in mid-September. This worked well when the deer browsed most of the leaves off the soybeans in the late summer and some light got to the ground. Last year when the plants grew over 3 feet tall the overseeding wasn't as effective. I have not overseeded this year.
 
dogtown said:
I plant a few acres of eagle brand forage beans each year. Last two years I have added a 3 strand electric fence to let the beans grow a bit without browse pressure in the early growth stage. This has allowed the beans to get 3 feet high in both of last two years. I either remove the fence from half or all of the beans after they get some size, typically July.

Yep, it has been several years since I have seen an abundant mast crop in Hickman County. Acorns everywhere and a lot of them.
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The 4.5 yo killed on my place opening day of archery this year was FULL of leaves AND green pods.

Normally, I see deer feeding HARD on the leaves all summer. I don't have enough personal experience with standing unharvested beans later in the year, as all the beans around me are cut by mid November at the latest. It just doesn't make sense that deer would avoid the dried beans if they were left standing in December or January, but they may.
 
megalomaniac said:
The 4.5 yo killed on my place opening day of archery this year was FULL of leaves AND green pods.

Normally, I see deer feeding HARD on the leaves all summer. I don't have enough personal experience with standing unharvested beans later in the year, as all the beans around me are cut by mid November at the latest. It just doesn't make sense that deer would avoid the dried beans if they were left standing in December or January, but they may.
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Mega, I find deer hit the dried beans/pods starting mid-December through the winter months, IF there aren't better foods available. Soybeans are loaded with proteins, but not that high in easily digested carbs. And carbs is what a deer's body is after during the cold months.
 
One caveat to dried beans being low on the deer menu is after a 4+ inch snow. With every other food source covered in snow, I've seen deer go CRAZY over an unharvested bean field. With the dead stalks standing a foot or more tall, and the pods still on, it's an easy food source to reach.
 
We have found that the two best things on our farm are corn #1 and beans #2. We have literally planted every kind of winter plant and the deer always go to the corn and beans. We had to quit planting corn a few years ago because of the coons so all beans now.
 
BSK said:
Mega, I find deer hit the dried beans/pods starting mid-December through the winter months, IF there aren't better foods available. Soybeans are loaded with proteins, but not that high in easily digested carbs. And carbs is what a deer's body is after during the cold months.
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Not being a smart ass, being totally serious... but what is a better food source in January after a few freezes and browse is burned, acorns are dried up? What am I missing (because I want to provide it for my deer!) Even though I have plots with grains, clover, and brassicas, I would think deer would derive more benefit from beans than any of those. What's the BEST food for deer in late Dec thru spring greenup?
 
megalomaniac said:
Not being a smart ass, being totally serious... but what is a better food source in January after a few freezes and browse is burned, acorns are dried up? What am I missing (because I want to provide it for my deer!) Even though I have plots with grains, clover, and brassicas, I would think deer would derive more benefit from beans than any of those. What's the BEST food for deer in late Dec thru spring greenup?
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Go with whatever they hit the hardest in your area. Deer, like most animals, have the ability to "taste" what their bodies need most. And that's going to be different in different regions. In my area, it's cereal grains. In others, brassicas. Try everything and watch what they hit hardest.
 
Yep they love standing beans. They love anything green like wheat and rye. But, they get addicted with an intoxicating need for milo after the milo goes through a heavy frost. It changes the milo and deer go nuts for it. @PossumSlayer
 
bbqit said:
Yep they love standing beans. They love anything green like wheat and rye. But, they get addicted with an intoxicating need for milo after the milo goes through a heavy frost. It changes the milo and deer go nuts for it. @PossumSlayer
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I've heard from friends in other states that it's because a freeze or two makes the plants turn "sweet" when they convert to sugar. Think carbs.
 
Last year beside my house deer absolutely destroyed standing soybeans and what was left after picking. Them jokers picked that field over all the way up to February! What really sucked was they stayed there rather than my food plot.
 

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