red rooster

Has anyone had any experience with turnips? I recently bought an acre' s worth of turnip seed. The deer are supposed to go crazy for them after the frost and throughout winter.The varieties in the mix are, Appin,Civasto,Purple Top and and another variety that is not stated. Any input would be apreciated.
Thanks.

P.S. How do I get to be a Racked buck? My girlfriend is pickin on me.

jerseyhunter

About 95 more posts.

FlDeerman

Yes and the deer do like them after a good frost.If not eat them yourself!

turkeyreaper

I planted a very small turnip field last year that did good, I planted it next to my rape field that did as well. I did notice that the turkeys would eat the leaves too.

red rooster

Thanks guys, I hunt in an area with corn, beans, and alfalfa on the surrounding properties so I need something good to really draw the deer to my land. I' m also planting an acre of perenials for early season forage.

Thanks again!

greg-dude

Warning---if deer are not use to eating them, there may be little use of them. I seen it on my farm when we planted rape and turnips. They both did well, but deer did not utilize them very much. Part of the reason could have been a warm winter and good acorn crop. Part of it I am pretty sure is that they never had been exposed to these two plants. At least with turnips, you have some good eating yourself.

seadog

planted a no till mixture on old logging roads that had stubble turnips in it last year.Thedeer in this area have never been exposed to farm crops and they where into the turnips big time (just the green leafs). Will be checking next weekend to see if anything fed on the turnips itself during the winter.

wigmap

Red Rooster or anyone else,

Are the turnip varieties that you mentioned the same as what Biologic calls its brassica seed? I have heard this just wondered.

red rooster

Wigmap, If my memory serves me correctly, I think there are two types of turnips and the rest of the blend is New Zealand rape. I am also planting a half acre plot of Shot Plot brand brassica mix. It contains Rangi rape, Rangiora rape,Barnopoli rape,Barkant turnip and Samson rape. I had heard from friends that the deer prefer the turnips so thats why I am experimenting with one plot straight and one brassica blend.

NorthJeff

Red Rooster,

I live in a totally non-ag area, with little to no mast crop and no fruit. My deer like the turnips, and any other brassica, and I will plant them again.

But.....a friend downstate, in an agricultural area, coupled with Buckforage oats plots and clover plots, planted turnips last year, and although they grew to over 2' high, the deer NEVER touched them. They are rotting in the field as I write.

I' ve heard of similar experiences around the country in other heavy ag areas.

I would not go just with turnips, but with a mix, such as Biologic' s Maxim, or the Premium Perinnial. Most mixes of Brassicas are put together to not only be cold-weather tolerant, but to offer various maturity times. You can plant the Premium Perinnial in the spring, and then top-dress it with Maxim in the following spring. You can also use a grass herbicide, such as Poast, to control weeds within the Brassica/clover field.

I personally have had excellant luck with brassica/clover mixes, with both spring and early fall/late summer plantings, with adequate moisture.

Jeff...U.P. of Michigan