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WORM82

WORM82

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Joined
Apr 28, 2008
Messages
2,881
Location
Jonesborough TN
If u could plant only 1 thing in a small hunting plot to attract the most deer from late oct thru dec what would u plant?
 
WORM82 said:
If u could plant only 1 thing in a small hunting plot to attract the most deer from late oct thru dec what would u plant?
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Will answer your question, imo, but I would not limit the planting to a single 1 thing.

Since you said late oct thru dec, the 1 thing would be oats.
Often, turnip greens are not a preferred food item until late winter, often after dec.

Regarding a "small" plot, consider using the commercial mix Biologic "Green Patch Plus" which contains a good mix of wheat, oats, clover, and brassicas (things like turnip greens). It's relatively cheap and economical for a small plot or two. (By comparison, you would generally have to buy a 50-lb bag of just oats by itself.)

Often, deer seem to have a slight preference for oats over wheat, but more often, wheat produces more forage than oats, and the wheat is more "hearty" when subjected to colder weather. Brassicas are often just not "liked" by deer that haven't been exposed to them, and they may not hit them until very late winter, yet may be one of the best items you can plant for nutritional supplementation.
 
I would do a very small area of turnips this year and see if they even touch them. I planted a large turnip field last year and they barely touched it. The dear acted like they didnt even know what it was. Here was my plot, it was pretty but that was it.

 
RobbyW said:
I planted a large turnip field last year and they barely touched it.
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That has been a common experience for me when I planted brassicas in an area where all the living deer maybe had never run across such plants before.

But did they eat your turnips in January?
If they did, I'd speculate those same deer will "like" turnips a lot better if you plant them this year. If you do, throw a little rape seed in the mix, as the deer seem to like it better earlier in the fall.

If your goal is late season forage mass more than to hunt over the plot, may be nothing better than Biologic Maximum --- it will typically grow much denser and taller than turnips and other brassicas.
 
Planted 3 acres of turnips last year and the deer didnt get on them until the last week of deer season. By the time they figured out they liked them deer season was over. Went with corn and soybeans for our spring planting of 2 acres this year. We are going to be doing a fall planting at the end of August for the remainding 1 acre plot which has clover in it right now. We will plant a mix of winter wheat, winter rye, ladino and crimson clover. To diversify our plots.
 
RobbyW said:
I would do a very small area of turnips this year and see if they even touch them. I planted a large turnip field last year and they barely touched it. The dear acted like they didnt even know what it was. Here was my plot, it was pretty but that was it.

Click to expand...

I have experienced the same thing in Blount County. To the contrary, in Hancock and Dickson county they mowed them down with a fury. I agree with you 100%.
 
I'd have to say I would experiment and probably in this order:
1) Annual Rye or Oats
2) Winter Wheat
3) Turnips
4) Chicory
5) Clover (I like it, just never seen it be a big seller to my deer)
 

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