Soy Bean Plant Color - which do deer prefer?
 

Got a chance to go up to Michigan to put the finishing touches on my stand locations last Friday.

I do not get the chance to scout atual deer movement and feeding since I live 180 miles away.

My question is this....

Near my hunting property there are areas of (3) different color beans. The farmers must have delayed planting a few fields a couple weeks apart.

In any event, within a 1/4 mile in any direction, deer in my area could chose to eat beans from plants that are still green, plants that have already turned yellow, or plants that are already brown.

Which will they prefer?

(The green plants appear to have mature beans already on them.)

RE: Soy Bean Plant Color - which do deer prefer?
 

I don't know about in MI, but in NJ the deer activity has dropped dramatically since the plants have turned yellow. This does not mean the deer aren't hitting these fields, just not as often. Also, it could be due to the fact that acorns are dropping like rain right now too.

RE: Soy Bean Plant Color - which do deer prefer?
 

I would also be interested in hearing about deer activity around the bean fields. I noticed that over that last several days with the large moon I did not see any thing during legal hunting hours. Saw quite a few around the edges of the bean fields, but by 1/2 hour before sunrise they had all been long gone and bedded down.

Will their activity change once the moon wanes? And, what effect will there be once the beans have been harvested and they do not have that cover in the fields?

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RE: Soy Bean Plant Color - which do deer prefer?
 

On our farms, they tend to move from the soybeans to the corn when the soybeans begin to turn. The corn rippens up right around the time the soybeans turn.

They'll still eat the soybeans but opt for the corn more often than not.

-Mike

RE: Soy Bean Plant Color - which do deer prefer?
 

Green is definitely better.

Hunt the thickets