Farm Hunter,

If it works, it will be worth the work, and if it doesn't, I'll just plant a great wheat/clover combo in the fall...not really a big deal.

According to my Ag extension agent, the short-day corn variety I need for up here is not available round-up ready. He said the Round-up ready variety is only available in the longer-day varieties designed for say WI, lower MI, or further south. We often experience frosts through the middle part of June, and around the first of Sept, so he said most of the locals plant the corn in Mid-May, with the corn not being succeptable to frost in the first 4 weeks due to the growth of the plant being underground up till that point.

I guess I feel fairly confident about the actual growth of the corn, but am a little less confident on keeping the critters out of it until maturity. According to the ag agent, soybeans simply won't work up here due to the short growing season. What I'm trying to do is have a great, easily identifiable and seen plant available with 8-10" of snow. This rules out all cereal grains, clover, and soybeans(won't grow). Brassicas may work, with the plot saver fence, but I've found that my deer really like them when young, or at any stage, and I fear they would eventually learn to jump over the plot saver fence, while at the same time the migrating deer may not easily identify the brassica planting, or it may succomb to the weight of a heavy snow causing it to be hidden to migrating deer like every other planting.

I do not know what else I could try but corn for what I'm looking for.