brassica

[Bluecollaroutdoors]

Why not plant something to help deer through the most stressful time of the year? Do deer migrate out of your area in the winter or do they have a close by winter feed source?

I have 3 different 1/3 acre plots. That will probably never change. No tillable land, everything is interior.

I am on the edge of thousands of acres of swamp and the last 40 before you hit miles of crop fields. I personally don't have the room to pretend I can feed them all winter. I barely have the room to try to lure them in for a sharp stick sandwich in the months I am actually hunting. Of those those three plots 1 doesn't even have a stand by it. We simply plant it for midnight food because its open. Its not a spot to hunt.
1 is nice for two weeks to start the season and then its again its dead because we have to pass it to reach every other stand. Poor planning....again just an open area that was plantable. If I couod go back ten years I would have filled it in instead of clearing it out. Oh well.
The other is a great spot but I have never killed a buck there.
I love plotting but they are non factors when I am deciding where to hunt.
I would love to plant 5 acres of beans but I don't have the room or money for that.

Even with no food I get new deer that move in during December and January every year. I have excellent cover and when they get lazy and the pressure drops off the chart because we are never in the woods they bed close to go work the neighbors leftover crops.

 

[sandbur]

I have 3 different 1/3 acre plots. That will probably never change. No tillable land, everything is interior.

I am on the edge of thousands of acres of swamp and the last 40 before you hit miles of crop fields. I personally don't have the room to pretend I can feed them all winter. I barely have the room to try to lure them in for a sharp stick sandwich in the months I am actually hunting. Of those those three plots 1 doesn't even have a stand by it. We simply plant it for midnight food because its open. Its not a spot to hunt.
1 is nice for two weeks to start the season and then its again its dead because we have to pass it to reach every other stand. Poor planning....again just an open area that was plantable. If I couod go back ten years I would have filled it in instead of clearing it out. Oh well.
The other is a great spot but I have never killed a buck there.
I love plotting but they are non factors when I am deciding where to hunt.
I would love to plant 5 acres of beans but I don't have the room or money for that.

Even with no food I get new deer that move in during December and January every year. I have excellent cover and when they get lazy and the pressure drops off the chart because we are never in the woods they bed close to go work the neighbors leftover crops.

Thanks for the explanation. Each situation is different!

 

[Bowsnbucks]

We planted a mix of grounghog forage radish, PTT, DER, Pasja forage brassica, and Appin radishes this year. Similar mix last year. Last year - not much interest. This year - BIG interest !! I think if a food is new to an area, ( it was for our camp ) it takes a while for deer to try it, acquire a taste for it & learn that it's good stuff. Deer are hammering it this year !!

I think that planting a mix of brassica that has earlier greens for foraging ( tops ), and bulbs for later winter use is a good way to cover the bases. Add some WR, WW, beans or corn to the plantings and you have a buffet the deer can pick and choose from. Why be limited ?? Drop a couple trees for browse like Whip said - even better.

EDIT: I order my clover and brassica seed from Welter's in Iowa. I get WR, WW, Buckwheat, and oats locally.

 

[aerospacefarmer]

I still recommend local seed places. They seem to know what works and have been selling it year after year so it must work. My guy also has a clover mix with the brassicas which gives some great early spring forage

 

[tinytim]

Can someone explain to me the difference between plants like turnips that are in the brassica family and actual brassica seed I have found on line at seed stores? Is 'brassica' a family name or a plant variety?

I asked my seed guy this same question because you never see things like "forage kale briassica", or "purple top turnip brassica", but you do see things like "Hunter brassica" or "Winfred brassica". Those 2 are popular up here where I am and there are many more. They are hybrids, Hunter is a cross between a turnip and a rape, Winfred a turnip and a kale.

 

[St. Croix]

plant a mix which will remain green! and plant enough of it! if you have it you will have sheds, i planted 1.9 ac. this year and i am out. gone and now they are onto the neighbors new seeding. for about $70 /ac. you have yourself one heck of a fp. another thing is in the north above the IA border, do yourself a favor and plant it mid july, the tonnage/browse pressure/value per acre cannot be duplicated, that is unless you have new seeding alfalfa (you cannot compete with).

 

[Bowsnbucks]

Agree with St. Croix on planting enough acreage. Once they find it and acquire a taste for various brassicas, they'll hammer it !! If you have room enough for several plots, put in some WW and WR, too. They'll dig thru the snow for those as well. And as the snow melts and spring gets near, WW & WR will provide early green-up chow.