Planting Annuals like Brassicas

[bolton22]

If you want to see deer in the late season how big should your plot be?? I've been told once the frost comes and they start hitting the plot once its gone its gone...it won't grow back with more forage..

If you/I can only plant a small plot say 1/4-1/2 acre(only got 17 total) would you/I be better off with winter wheat or buck oats of some sort??

I really want to plant a brassicas because of the told drawing power but if the plot is gone by late November it does me no good...This year it could of been gone by mid november since we had an early frost...

Thanks

[haystack]

My experiences could be vastly different to what you encounter in your area, deer density, surrounding food sources, climate etc. So take this into account.

The deer in my area are not particularly crazy about brassicas. I grow them mainly to provide variety and as a reliable heavy producing winter food source. So a 1/4 acre will last here usually all winter, and occasionally some will go to waste.

To get the maximum production several things have to happen.

- Proper planting time...Mid July-no later than 1st week of Aug.

- Optimum soil PH...6.5-6.8

- Lots of fertilizer...60-90#s 0f actual nitrogen. (150-200#s urea)

- Moisture...Too much rain, not enough rain....

- Seeding rate..4-6#s of seed per acre. (try not to over seed, its tricky)

A much more preferred plot for these deer is a mix of Winter Rye, Oats and Austrian Winter Peas. The winter rye in particular can stand up to heavy grazing and stays attractive all winter.

I generally plant 60-70#s of Winter rye, 90-100#s Oats and 50#s +/- Austrian Peas in a mix around Labor Day or a little later.

This plot is right beside a 16 acre cornfield, which is being used, but no where as much as this 2 acre plot.





The deer are using the brassicas/turnips some.





Some fairly large bulbs, despite lack of rainfall when it was really needed.

[M.Magis]

Haystack is right, it varies greatly from one place to the next. The deer here didn't touch my brassicas until mid December, long after the first frost. But, when they did they poured onto the field. The greens are now long gone, but they're still eating the PT turnips. I only planted about 1/2 acre this year to experiment, so it didn't last long. However, it was pretty amazing how many deer, bucks in particular, were coming to the field before dark. If you have a decent amount of crops in your area they may leave them alone until later in the year. Here, they concentrated on my cut corn field the first few weeks after harvest, then moved on to the brassicas. With a limited amount of ground to plant I'm sure you weren't interested in experimenting, but it's the only way to know for sure which crops work best in your area.

[Remnard]

Brassicas become more palatable after frosting. the reason for this is in an effort to protect itself from freezing the plant produces sugar. This in turn brings the deer to them as they can smell the leafy tops changing to a more palatable state.

Another bonus is the roots or bulbs will actually be dug up and consumed by the deer. If they have never encountered brassicas before they might not know to do this. What we did was disced the field up and exposed them and they ate every last one.

You have to remember also that there may be other, more important food sources at the same time that they are utilizing. It took them a while, but now they mow them down as soon as they start sprouting. We will plant them earlier this year.

[IL-Cornfed]

Brassica plotscan see some great late season action but generally it seems to take a few years befoe the local deer really start hitting them consistently.

My most effective hunting plot is Buck Forage Oats, in fact both my sons took 2 more deer from the plot yesterday. The deer were coming out over an hour before dark to dig and paw through several inches of snow to get to their favorite Oats.

[Remnard]

Bolton, another thing to consider when trying to decide how much acreage or what to plant is the number of deer that will be feeding on the plot. A mature doe will consume 6 to 10 pounds of food (dryweight) daily. It's hard to imagine how much actual brassica one can actually eat in a day, but most plant matter is 80% water when it is growing. If you have 6 deer feeding on that plot they will decimate it in a few days of heavy feeding.

Hopefully there will be other food sources they will be supplementing their diet with. You need to evaluate how many deer are utilizing the area before you decide. If you can I would plant as much acreage as you possibly can. Otherwise you may be better off with a perennial like clover blend or a clover alfalfa mix.

[BTBowhunter]

We've had decent success with turnips and forage rape planted over the last two years but the deer really havent hit it until very late. Many weeks after the first hard freezes. We have been told it takes a while before the deer really catch on.

Has anyone else noticed the advertisemnets claiming that brassica can cause an anemia in deer? It concerns me but I cant help being skeptical when the information comes only from a seed company trying to sell us their product instead. This same seed company has published ads before that literally blasted other brands of oats and it makes me wonder what to believe.

Any thoughts guys?

[Cornelius08]

I wouldnt worry about it btb. Doesnt seem to be any big problem seeing as how many wildlife biologists Ive seen recommend the planting of brassica.

[haystack]

Originally Posted by BTBowhunter

We've had decent success with turnips and forage rape planted over the last two years but the deer really havent hit it until very late. Many weeks after the first hard freezes. We have been told it takes a while before the deer really catch on.

Has anyone else noticed the advertisemnets claiming that brassica can cause an anemia in deer? It concerns me but I cant help being skeptical when the information comes only from a seed company trying to sell us their product instead. This same seed company has published ads before that literally blasted other brands of oats and it makes me wonder what to believe.

Any thoughts guys?

I don't believe it any more than I believe their oats are more attractive than any other winter hardy oat.

In my area, cattlemen plant huge fields of brassicas for pasture, and brassica toxicity is an issue that's easily avoided by feeding hay or other feeds while the cattle are grazing the brassicas. As long as brassicas is not the only food source, its not a problem.

Since deer are free roaming, the likelihood of them consuming only brassicas is probably around zero. In my area, claims of brassica toxicity in deer can be quickly put aside as B.S!

[BTBowhunter]

Originally Posted by haystack

I don't believe it any more than I believe their oats are more attractive than any other winter hardy oat.

In my area, cattlemen plant huge fields of brassicas for pasture, and brassica toxicity is an issue that's easily avoided by feeding hay or other feeds while the cattle are grazing the brassicas. As long as brassicas is not the only food source, its not a problem.

Since deer are free roaming, the likelihood of them consuming only brassicas is probably around zero. In my area, claims of brassica toxicity in deer can be quickly put aside as B.S!

More or less what I was thinking. I have a bit of a problem with their advertising that seems to claim that every other seed company is ripping us off and that they're the only ones with a
"legitimate" product. Tearing down the other guys product is almost never the way to bring in new customers. JMHO