Introduced species

[WTNUT]

Soybeans - are from Asia.

Alfalfa - came from Asia and Iran.

Red Clover - came from Europe, Asia and Africa.

Chicory - originated in the Mediterranean.

Wheat - came from Asia.

Rye - came from Turkey.

I could go on, but I think you get my point....

I can't imagine deer not eating Chinese Chestnuts. They clean them up like candy here, and I know of no other chestnuts that were anywhere in the vicinity before I planted them on my place.

That is pretty good :). I agree with some above. If they are not eating brassicas it is probably because they have acorns or something else they prefer. Clean up the acorns, get cold and snow and they will eat the turnips. For me brassicas are insurance against a poor acorn crop.


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[sandbur]

I get what you guys are saying but... The AG crops that NH referred to have been on the landscape for well over a hundred years so even to an ancient whitetail they are "Native" The same can be said about apple trees.

I think YJ may have hit the nail on the head about planting enough of them for the deer to actually pay any attention to them. IF I go down that road it will more than likely take several years of planting because of lac of expendable funds. (I know in the long run they will be a cheaper investment however)

My skepticism comes from my experience with turnips and the like. I have been planting them for over ten years and they still dont seem to pay much attention to them. The plots are in high traffic areas near bedding areas also so its not like im trying to pull deer into an area they dont want to be in.

The jury is still out on sugar beets for me but I will continue to plant them in a different location each year for rotational reasons and to give them several years to hopefully learn to like them. (providing I can keep getting my hands on them)

I am very tempted to just plant ALL my plots into soybeans because I know the deer love them but I dont see that being a good idea for nutrient cycling and soil building.

I will try upload a picture of the area I am considering planting the trees in and see what you guys think.

In the end nothing ventured nothing gained i guess.

Brassica is seldom used by Deer on my place. It is a different story just 2-3 miles away . I have tried the turnips many times and sugar beets have been tried twice in 30 years. Sugar beets were 95% not eaten.


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[Bill]

Brassica is seldom used by Deer on my place. It is a different story just 2-3 miles away . I have tried the turnips many times and sugar beets have been tried twice in 30 years. Sugar beets were 95% not eaten.


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I'm always amazed that some deer won't touch brassica's and others will. This is the first time in 10 years I've had them. (Not for lack of trying) The field was weedy with pigweed but I have lots of bulbs and the deer seem to be using them. Maybe a neighbor plants them and they were exposed elsewhere so eating them isn't new.

 

[cavey]

"They even eat dirt" and may I add............. "WEEDS" they love weeds!

I think that really sums it up,.... deer are samplers a bite here and a bite there and will they will eventually walk of out of the most beautiful alfalfa field just to chew on ragweed.... the weeds we try to kill in our food plots are some of their favorites,....... nothing wrong with introduced species - they are here to stay - going native is cool but as long as your not planting highly invasive introduced species don't sweat it...

Variety is the spice of life, give them some diversity - well actually a lot of diversity, try to provide/plan/ensure something for them to eat 24/7/365 and you don't have to buy into the expensive seed mixes or pretty bags with "Monster Rack BIG BUCK" in glossy print,... cheap bin run seeds like winter rye or winter wheat, the cheapest clover you can find... soybeans are a no brainer and over seed into them later with whatever you can scrounge up... plant corn if you can afford it otherwise go back to step A and plant soybeans and oh ya water, dig a hole, get a kiddy pool or some roof liner and create some water sources; water is your best food plot ... and you should have planted apple trees or crabs 5 years ago but now is still better than never... get in the habit of periodically clipping some areas to keep them greened up without matting down what you are trying to grow... don't hinge cut your oaks... have fun planting goofy stuff like nut trees that should never grow in your area - because its cool! If it works out in the end more power to you but either way it is way cool to have some funky stuff growing on your property. Stick to simple food sources that a time proven - there just isn't that magic food plot deer magnet seed mix out there that will work every year every time - buying into that just leads to more frustration and disappointment.... and,.... get a tractor!

 

[Bowsnbucks]

I agree with WTNUT above at post #21. If we have a good acorn year, our food plots get some use, but not like a poor acorn year. I'm talking about in the fall here. Brassicas, WW, WR are good things for us regardless of acorn crop because eventually the acorns rot or are buried under leaf duff, so those crops will get hit in the winter. We try to keep some kind of food sources around for the post-acorn cold months. But acorns rule around my area if they are abundant in the fall, regardless of what's green in the plots.

 

[Ben.MN/WI]

I would probably just stick with fruit trees since they are a sure thing in SE MN. With Chestnuts you might have 10 years into them only to find out a -35F January morning is too much for them and they croak. Another advantage of fruit trees is you can plant varieties that drop food over a wider window than you could likely expect with Chestnuts. I planted a few chestnuts a few years back on a friend's farm in Wabasha County MN and they did all right for a few years then they died. The apple trees I planted the same spring are now 15+ feet tall and dropping fruit.

On my place in SE MN nothing draws in deer like soybeans. I face the same problem you do though since I know planting the same thing in the same location over and over is not good for the soil and diseases. To help that a bit I've started double cropping on my soybean ground. I broadcast oats on the old soybean ground in early April and lightly disk it in. The oats get knee high by late may when I spray them, broadcast my soybean seed and lightly disk that in. I haven't had any luck overseeding anything in my standing soybeans since my ground is pretty sandy. I think adding an early season oat crop helps add organic matter and break pest issues I would expect to see with continuous soybeans.