zophy

What does buck forage oats look like? I'm trying to figure out if the oats is growing or grass. If anyone planted before, does it look like a bright green grass? Or is it brown? I thought oats suppose to be brown?

DanM3029

BFO looks like bright green grass. I have planted it for the past seeral years in Upstate NY. It really is 'the kill plot', especially in the late season. Once the deer get a taste for it, they will keep it mowed down like grass. The turkeys eat it pretty well too. I usually have the deer digging through the snow to get to it. Very easy to establish as well.

falcon

The deer here prefer oats over any other winter crop. Used to plant the expensive buck forage oats in our fall game plots; paid about $35 per 50 pound bag. Then i found out that plain old horse feed oats at $11 per 50 pound bag are just as hardy and the deer like them just as well.

Chilocco oats cost about $16 per 50 pound bag and are very cold tolerant.

timbercruiser

Unless they are dead they won't be brown. BFO's are the best green field fall plot I have ever used.

zophy

Thanks for the info. I thought my seeds didn't germinate and grass was growing.

pcsd240

Just buy the "OAT" seed at the co-op it is alot cheaper than BFO!

falcon

Yep, it grows just as well and the deer eat it just as well as they do BFO.

Ben / PA

X2. Also, to the original poster. Post up a pic and I could tell ya for sure. Oats are the most overlooked food plot source IMO. Easy to grow and the deer love em.

zophy

Next time I'm there I will take a picture and post. I was out of town for a week and the plot was mowed down when I came back, because my enclosed cage had oats 2" taller, so I put a camera and I saw a bunch of rabbits over my plot, but it was taken at night. Has anyone had problems with rabbits mowing down there oats? Because of picture taken at night, I can't tell if they were eaten it, but I've never had that much rabbit,night pictures taken with that much rabbits before. I would have put a camera there, while out of town, before it was mowed down, but I was having my camera serviced. I don't know yet, if the deer or the rabbits are the one eating my plot???? I bowhunted over my plot today and had a young 8 point come in bow range that I let walk, but he didn't stop to eat my plot.

Robv2007

After hearing the advice of everyone on here to buy generic oats from the co-op instead of BFO for a fraction of the price I decided to do that this year. I'll agree that the oats attracted the deer just as well and were just as drought tolerant; however, all of my food plots are now over run with weeds that have choked most of the oats. I have been planting BFO thae last 5 years and have never had a problem with weeds so I don't think I'll be planting the cheap oats anymore.