When do brassica plots turn on?

[TimberHawk]

I’m on my second year of planting a brassica plot. Year #1 was the first year I had a plot at all so it took a while for the deer to find it and get turned on to the brassicas. A few would munch on the forage radish, but the real action was after season. I’d have 10+ deer per night on it in January. I planted it specifically for late season success, but not that late.

This year is definitely better, but they aren’t flocking to it yet. Can I hear some firsthand experience from others on when the brassica plots “turn on”? I’m in zone 4b, for reference.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Hoytvectrix]

We started painting brassica mixes about 4 years ago. The first two seasons the deer really just focused on the bulbs. Last year and especially this year, the green leaves had been their preferred food source on our farm from mid-september until the beans finally dried down and split open. They have been absolutely hammering the brassicas this year so far. We have quite a bit of bulbs still getting produced though. I am sure they will be digging them up all winter. It seems like they just need to get used to them and then they are a great draw.

 

[Bill]

I think it all depends. Some areas they don’t seem to like them. First year I planted they were ignored. After that they eat them as soon as they sprout. I’ve got pics somewhere of deer yanking the green with a radish size turnip and eating everything.

 

[Wind Gypsy]

They’ve been hammering the 3rd week in July planted brassicas for a month at our place in northern mn. Just started really getting at the ones planted in mid August in central mn about a week ago.

 

[TimberHawk]

We started painting brassica mixes about 4 years ago. The first two seasons the deer really just focused on the bulbs. Last year and especially this year, the green leaves had been their preferred food source on our farm from mid-september until the beans finally dried down and split open. They have been absolutely hammering the brassicas this year so far. We have quite a bit of bulbs still getting produced though. I am sure they will be digging them up all winter. It seems like they just need to get used to them and then they are a great draw.

This was what I was hoping to see this year, but it's not happening yet. Maybe year #3? There is definitely some browsing on some varieties of brassica leaves, but nothing like I was hoping for. It's fun to watch the deer flood in during January and February and I do like the idea of helping them through a rough time, but a little more action during season would be nice. They haven't even touched the bulbs yet. That said, we haven't had extended frost either so maybe a few nights down in the 20F's will sweeten up the bulbs enough to get them going.

Everything else is turning brown now so I thought those green brassica leaves would be the ticket after the deer got a taste for the bulbs last winter.

 

[TimberHawk]

They’ve been hammering the 3rd week in July planted brassicas for a month at our place in northern mn. Just started really getting at the ones planted in mid August in central mn about a week ago.

I planted the second week in August so maybe I'm just getting impatient.

 

[Wind Gypsy]

They’ve been hammering the 3rd week in July planted brassicas for a month at our place in northern mn. Just started really getting at the ones planted in mid August in central mn about a week ago.

See 10/1 vs 10/30 pics for comparison on how the deer have gobbled em up. This is in low deer density wolf country with no other known food plots or ag for miles.

 

[Hoytvectrix]

This was what I was hoping to see this year, but it's not happening yet. Maybe year #3? There is definitely some browsing on some varieties of brassica leaves, but nothing like I was hoping for. It's fun to watch the deer flood in during January and February and I do like the idea of helping them through a rough time, but a little more action during season would be nice. They haven't even touched the bulbs yet. That said, we haven't had extended frost either so maybe a few nights down in the 20F's will sweeten up the bulbs enough to get them going.

Everything else is turning brown now so I thought those green brassica leaves would be the ticket after the deer got a taste for the bulbs last winter.

The food sources in their neighborhood are probably also having an impact. I would be patient and keep it up next year. At the very least you will be helping them through the winter.

 

[S.T.Fanatic]

They usually don't touch mine until well after the season is over. South East Minnesota.

 

[ruskbucks]

I will say it also matters what kind of brassicas you plant. Raddish start getting browsed as soon as they come up. DER gets hit early along with kale. Most years turnip tops don't get hit till late. The other brassicas don't get hit heavy till a frost, then they all get hammered. Usually they are browsed to the dirt. The turnip bulbs are the last thing left. They get chewed down to the level of the soil.

 

[Derek Reese 29]

saw my first 2 doe in the 1/2 acre brassica plot above my house last night...but they were eating the clover/WR/WW instead of the brassica..
I only saw them eat 2-3 big brassica leaves between the 2 of them..
the brassica mix i used was from Merit called "Ultra Max" that has winfred brassica, bayou kale, hunter rape and barkant grazing turnip in it.
It will be interesting to see if the usage changes soon as the temps are going to be below freezing for several nights in the next few days...

 

[TimberHawk]

I might have spoken too soon. It’s a small sample size, but I had a small buck and doe family in the brassica plot tonight eating the leaves. It has also been below freezing for a few nights in a row so they might be sweetening up.

 

[Derek Reese 29]

we had our first frost this morning (pretty late for that, usually it's around October 15th) and there were 2 doe in the plot and bucks were cruising by checking it...i think the usage will go up as we have a few more frosts later this week

 

[Native Hunter]

I watched deer eat canola pretty well yesterday morning. I wouldn’t say they hammered it, but they weren’t really hitting anything that hard. They just hit the plot and slowed down a little as they were traveling back to the bedding area. They ate as much canola as anything else. I had been noticing evidence of radishes being browsed for quite a while.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

Radishes and Dwarf Essex rape are what our deer hit first in the fall. Later - usually after we get a good frost - the turnips and Pasja forage brassica get hit. Turnip bulbs are the last thing they hit in the winter and into March. Then the remaining turnip and radish bulbs begin to stink ....... which is normal.

We've been using Welter's "Big Buck Brassica" seed for about 6 years now. It has purple top turnips, Groundhog radishes, Dwarf Essex rape, and Pasja forage brassica in it.

 

[Derek Reese 29]

i saw my first evidence of usage over the weekend...several does on the camera were stopping to eat the brassicas, though this morning the clover still seemed to be the big draw for a small doe..
did see my first buck in the plot though, he was kind of cruising and snacking a bit then just went to straight running around

 

[Bassattackr]

I didn't see consistent browse on my radishes until around Nov 1 this year. About the time we got the first frost here. Rather late..

 

[Derek Reese 29]

I didn't see consistent browse on my radishes until around Nov 1 this year. About the time we got the first frost here. Rather late..

I walked over and checked out the plot today after my AM hunt...it is definitely getting hit and I had 17 trail cam videos of does moving in (in the last 36 hours)..
I certainly agree that our first frost was late here too (just happened last week, it's usually mid-October)..hoping those does keep moving in as they aren't really hurting it that badly and the bucks are getting squirrely..

 

[S.T.Fanatic]

I haven't checked on my plots since mid October. I will be moving a camera from a scrape to food on Monday (only running one camera this year due to time constraints and availability of the cameras I want) excited to see if the plots are getting used.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

As of yesterday, our mixed brassica plot is getting HAMMERED. Tracks everywhere. There's 2 kinds of red clover in that plot too, and it's still green. It's also getting hit.

The brassica mix varieties are listed above in post #15.