Cereal grains

[Bowsnbucks]

Winter rye grain and winter wheat do well for us in the mountains of Pa. Deer eat both, but WW seems to be favored over the rye - at least in the early going. Late winter/very early spring, the rye is champ. First thing to green up and take off for us. We have a early September-planted WW plot that's about 7" tall now and the deer are loving it. Field is solid green.

I realize different regions / deer herds vary, but these have worked for us.

 

[yoderjac]

Winter rye grain and winter wheat do well for us in the mountains of Pa. Deer eat both, but WW seems to be favored over the rye - at least in the early going. Late winter/very early spring, the rye is champ. First thing to green up and take off for us. We have a early September-planted WW plot that's about 7" tall now and the deer are loving it. Field is solid green.

I realize different regions / deer herds vary, but these have worked for us.

Yes, there are clearly time period preferences as different cereal grains peak at different times. I've seen no overall preference and, here, any preference is far overshadowed by security. Deer will choose a less favored grain during the peak period of another if it has safer access. Mixing can keep a field attractive longer. I think the reason most folks the believe there is a strong preference for one grain over another is simply because of what other more favored foods are available during the peak period of one grain compared to another.

I typically use WR here. It is actually less about attraction for me than about the overall soil benefits of WR. I never plant it alone, but always in a mix of other crops. With a mix, there is always something in there they are hitting....Except when acorns fall.

 

[SD51555]

I watched deer uprooting 16"+ oats last night. And they worked on it for over an hour between two groups.

 

[BrushyPines]

I planted oats in the beginning of september, which was way too early for the amount of rain and sunshine we got. they're close to 2 ft tall. I've got videos of them just ripping whole plants out of the ground and eating the whole thing. I did layer in some wheat and rye later on though. I had a few bare spots.

I witnessed this in my stand last year. Mine were closer to 1 ft though, but they were hammering them like the oats and wheat were going out of style!

 

[4wanderingeyes]

It got down to 19 degree last night, so my oats will be toast. Winter rye, and winter wheat should be ok yet.

 

[PatinPA]

It got down to 19 degree last night, so my oats will be toast. Winter rye, and winter wheat should be ok yet.

19?? I've been hoping it got below 80 here sometime soon. Tired of swatting mosquitoes and only hunting in a Tshirt. Tshirts don't have enough pockets for all my crap I take along. haha

 

[4wanderingeyes]

19?? I've been hoping it got below 80 here sometime soon. Tired of swatting mosquitoes and only hunting in a Tshirt. Tshirts don't have enough pockets for all my crap I take along. haha

The gnats have been annoying here.

 

[TreeDaddy]

East Texas mosquitoes are the size of small birds............

bill

 

[4wanderingeyes]

With this year being so dry up here, the mosquitoes haven’t been to bad.

 

[roymunson]

I did oats in early august. When we did our brassicas. its only 1/3 acre plot, but the deer hav e it mowed down. I did an exlusion cage and its very telling.

however, I can only get them to do this with WINA Oats Plus. Regular Jerry oats they let got to head in the same plot last year.

 

[jsasker007]

East Texas mosquitoes are the size of small birds............

bill

Mosquitos here in Minnesota can stand flat footed and breed a turkey! Minnesota state bird(unofficially)

 

[TreeDaddy]

Mosquitos here in Minnesota can stand flat footed and breed a turkey! Minnesota state bird(unofficially)

A "drop the mic" riposte

jsasker007, U da man

bill

 

[jsasker007]

Just stating the facts sir

 

[PatinPA]

This what my oats look like right now. They're even going to seed. She doesn't seem to mind though. Just munching away.

 

[Derek Reese 29]

This what my oats look like right now. They're even going to seed. She doesn't seem to mind though. Just munching away.

my front field of rye looks about the same (planted way too early in late August then overseeded in mid Sept) but there are dozens of tracks in it every night....

 

[WeedyJ]

Does rye continue to grow in the cold or does it just tread water and survive till the spring and continue growth? My first year here with it in the south.

 

[PatinPA]

Does rye continue to grow in the cold or does it just tread water and survive till the spring and continue growth? My first year here with it in the south.

I believe it goes dormant when it gets cold. It'll start growing again in the spring.

 

[Iowa_Dave]

Does rye continue to grow in the cold or does it just tread water and survive till the spring and continue growth? My first year here with it in the south.

It will grow, albeit slowly, in temps that are near freezing, 34 degrees'ish.

 

[Derek Reese 29]

I believe it goes dormant when it gets cold. It'll start growing again in the spring.

It does go dormant but if you get a couple days in the 40s-50s it will jump a little...also it is by far the first green thing you will see in the spring (it was greening up in early March in Northern PA)

 

[yoderjac]

Does rye continue to grow in the cold or does it just tread water and survive till the spring and continue growth? My first year here with it in the south.

I'm in zone 7A. We get lots of periods during the winter when rye begins growing again. My deer us it all winter. I like the mix of CC/WR/PTT/GHR