Food Plot Basics

[undeg01]

I like to toy with a variety of crops for the deer on my place. I was planning to plant a few acres of soybeans this year but now have been debating whether I should plant forage soybeans instead of traditional grain type soybeans. Only reason I can think to plant traditional is to leave them standing so that the deer can browse into the winter after the beans are dead ripe. Thoughts?

And I’ve already got a couple patches of ladino clover established last year, as well as a good size area around the cabin for winter wheat or a winter mix.

 

[Deer Slayer]

Lets talk next week. I'm booked until Monday. Please shoot me a pm with your cell number and we can chat.

 

[dennishoddy]

I like to toy with a variety of crops for the deer on my place. I was planning to plant a few acres of soybeans this year but now have been debating whether I should plant forage soybeans instead of traditional grain type soybeans. Only reason I can think to plant traditional is to leave them standing so that the deer can browse into the winter after the beans are dead ripe. Thoughts?

And I’ve already got a couple patches of ladino clover established last year, as well as a good size area around the cabin for winter wheat or a winter mix.

The problem with beans or peas is that the deer nip them off and they are done. Good protein but they don't regrow during the hunting season like Wheat, oats, clover, etc and an early freeze will result in a food plot with no food.
As a side note, the ladino clover that I planted last fall is doing well. Checked it last week, with lots of new growth in the new 1/2 acre as well as the existing plot of 1/2 acre that is already 3" high. All of this moisture should let the new stuff get some good roots down before the clover goes dormant in the heat of the summer.

 

[Oklahomabassin]

I like to toy with a variety of crops for the deer on my place. I was planning to plant a few acres of soybeans this year but now have been debating whether I should plant forage soybeans instead of traditional grain type soybeans. Only reason I can think to plant traditional is to leave them standing so that the deer can browse into the winter after the beans are dead ripe. Thoughts?

And I’ve already got a couple patches of ladino clover established last year, as well as a good size area around the cabin for winter wheat or a winter mix.

How many acres is a few? You will need to fence or deter deer from a small plot of soybeans until the plants get past the 2 leaf stage if not longer. If deer nip a plant off before it is past the 2 leaf stage it will not survive. Deer will clean up a 2 acre plot of beans well before winter.

 

[Deer Slayer]

I agree with Bassin and Dennis. This is why the blend that I have does not contain peas or beans for a winter plot. My winter mix will withstand heavy pressure from the deer as long as an adequate number of acres are planted.

 

[Deer Slayer]

Undeg91 - look at what TexAg91 had to say about my winter blend in the BFO 4X4 thread.

 

[undeg01]

Undeg91 - look at what TexAg91 had to say about my winter blend in the BFO 4X4 thread.

Will do!

 

[undeg01]

How many acres is a few? You will need to fence or deter deer from a small plot of soybeans until the plants get past the 2 leaf stage if not longer. If deer nip a plant off before it is past the 2 leaf stage it will not survive. Deer will clean up a 2 acre plot of beans well before winter.

I have 4, 2-acre plots and a couple more .5-.75 acre plots in travel corridors that I’ll reserve for winter wheat.

 

[dennishoddy]

Deer will clean up a 2 acre plot of beans well before winter.

We are overly populated with does. I've planted 17 acres of milo in the past. The deer had it cleaned out by the end of gun season.
Made for some great pheasant and quail hunting though. The deer put the milo head in their mouth, and strip the seeds off. Some slip out of their mouth and feed the ground birds.

 

[dennishoddy]

Visited the Ladino clover food plot today. It’s about 3” high and lush. Fourth year and lovin it.
It’s about 1/4 acre. First year was pretty thin, but clover being a self seeding perineal finally filled out into what it is now.
Put in another 1/8 acre last fall. The young clovers are up and about an inch high. Given enough rain they will fill in over time like the original plot.

Walked over to the pond while there. I can see frog legs in my future. [emoji6] Some big ones in there.