fall oats setting seed

[Mahindra3016]

In my woods plot the first weekend in August I planted a mix of frostmaster peas, oats, rye, tillage radish, crimson clover, also had some volunteer buckwheat, and threw some soybeans in for early attraction, the soybeans were nipped off from the get go. The rye and oats are approaching 2 feet high and the peas that have not been eaten are just about as tall. The oats that haven't been browsed down are setting seed, and there is going to be a lot. I have never really read about anyone having this happen in the fall, but will the deer use the oat grain for a winter food source? I also seem to have some rye setting seed, although very few, i thought rye had to go through winter to set seed the following spring.

 

[S.T.Fanatic]

They will eat the heads in winter. The reason they are maturing is you planted them to early.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Bill]

I didn't think rye would seed without winter. They must be spindly seed heads.

 

[Mahindra3016]

I watched a deer sniff some of the oat seeds the other evening, but lost interest and continued to feed on peas and radish leaves, maybe i will be able to draw a few more turkeys to the area. I definitely knew that it was early for the grains in the mix, but i expected this plot to get more use than what it has so far. The acorns have been falling for two months here, which is early, and the wild pears also dropped a month early and are pretty much gone. I am in bottom land between mountain and farm fields, My best action is usually the first 3 weeks of the season, but with the early fall, and very little oaks on our ground, it has been far from exciting so far.

 

[Native Hunter]

I'm seeing the oat seed here as well.

We have a big acorn crop but the deer are spending a tremendous amount of time in the plots too. This year they have started on daikon radish roots without eating all the tops. That's something new for me. Generally they eat all the tops first.

 

[Peplin Creek]

I'm seeing the oat seed here as well.

We have a big acorn crop but the deer are spending a tremendous amount of time in the plots too. This year they have started on daikon radish roots without eating all the tops. That's something new for me. Generally they eat all the tops first.

That’s really interesting, any theories on why? They normally hit the tops by me and maybe or maybe not hit the roots.

 

[Native Hunter]

That’s really interesting, any theories on why? They normally hit the tops by me and maybe or maybe not hit the roots.

I really don't have a good theory as to why. They are still eating the tops too but just leaving more before they start hitting the roots. Last year was the first time they really took to the roots well, so maybe its just a learned behavior for them. I still don't have a lot of turnip browsing except for the small plots next to bedding areas. They seem to devour anything planted in those because it's so easy to just take a few steps and take a bite.

 

[Peplin Creek]

About a week and 1/2 ago deer started getting on my grain plots that were about 1 to 2ft tall. They are hitting it pretty hard now.

 

[bbcoach]

Once the leaves fall off the trees and low browse slows down, deer will migrate to any green food source (hint, hint). My brassicas are starting to get hit pretty hard and we haven't had our first frost yet. I have seen some usage of the rye and oats but that will change by the end of November.

 

[chucker66]

My oats/rye and brassicas are getting pounded right now. So are my little oaks by those mean bucks Might have to shoot one.