MN Brassica Questions

[wiscwhip]

Since we now have county lines as our deer management boundaries and county public stakeholder committees that direct the DNR herd density management goals, the new WI deer management "model"(for lack of a better word) would be something for your OLA to look into. We heard the same complaints about enforcement and hard to follow rules, but it just doesn't seem to have reared it's head in the reality of things. If you want to know and follow the rules, you will make it a point to know and follow the rules, simple as that. If your DNR is worried about habitat differences within those counties, I'm sure they are smart enough to be able to break the land use between heavily forested areas and primarily farmland areas into useful subboundries(a road or river) where the need truly exsists, much like our Forest Zones and Farmland Zones in WI differentiate habitat changes within some of our counties. Heavily forested areas should not be managed the same as farmland areas anyway, and this would give them the tool they need to break it up into different harvest levels based on habitat. The large ag oriented areas of the state and the farmers get their increased tag numbers and kill and the larger, heavily forested areas are not overharvested, just because they are in the same county(management unit) as the nearby bordering ag areas. It isn't that hard and it seems to be working here in the short time we have had it implemented.

Where did the brassica discussion go?

 

[wiscwhip]

I'm not real familiar with the Ethiopian cabbage, is it really, really skinny or something? What are it's pros and cons vs other brassicas?

 

[bat man]

I bought land in 2008 in what historically had been a deer rich area. High density and high harvest. I have always had food left on December 31.

This year I moved away from brassica as I feel beans have more value to the low density herd. I will not get the tonnage from beans, but I don't care because they don't run to of food, and I can dump 26 tons of sugar beet tailings for $1,000. Cheaper than fertilizing brassica and the food is easy for them to get to if and when they need it.

The deer in my area are pretty spread out right now which makes sense since its fawning time, and I only have real browse pressure in one area.

I am overseeding brassica where the beans get browsed or they don't grow, so there will be brassica, but I feel if I can grow beans, its more bang for the acre with low deer numbers.

 

[Freeborn]

I bought land in 2008 in what historically had been a deer rich area. High density and high harvest. I have always had food left on December 31.

This year I moved away from brassica as I feel beans have more value to the low density herd. I will not get the tonnage from beans, but I don't care because they don't run to of food, and I can dump 26 tons of sugar beet tailings for $1,000. Cheaper than fertilizing brassica and the food is easy for them to get to if and when they need it.

The deer in my area are pretty spread out right now which makes sense since its fawning time, and I only have real browse pressure in one area.

I am overseeding brassica where the beans get browsed or they don't grow, so there will be brassica, but I feel if I can grow beans, its more bang for the acre with low deer numbers.

Do you put out 26 tons of sugar beet tailings? How do you feed tailings, just in big piles? Do they ever go bad?

Might be an option but I would have to split a load with a few people.

My favorite Brassica is radish ,its preferred by far on my place.

 

[bat man]

Do you put out 26 tons of sugar beet tailings? How do you feed tailings, just in big piles? Do they ever go bad?

I split the tailings into 8 piles. They loved them in my area. What they did not eat will stop a small 4 wheeler and you can still smell it from 75 yards. Good stuff.

 

[bat man]

I'd grow beans if I had a plot over 2 acres...but I don't. Bob's 1.5+acre plot of beans is looking like they won't produce any pods due to browsing. Brassicas, clover, and rye will likely constitute what I grow in plots pretty much forever.

I will switch back to brassica when deer numbers grow to where beans can't make it. I still have clover plots and will always have rye (overseed beans and in kill plots now).

Be a good test this year, and hope numbers grow to where I have to plant plots with more tonnage.

 

[biglakeba$$]

Freeborn i would be interested in some tailings to split up.

 

[Freeborn]

Freeborn i would be interested in some tailings to split up.

We should look into this. I bet they could do a split truck. I suppose we would need to take delivery just after gun season.

 

[bat man]

We should look into this. I bet they could do a split truck. I suppose we would need to take delivery just after gun season.

Its all based on mileage and you guys are way closer than me to the beet plants around Fargo.

 

[biglakeba$$]

I assume this rye that now grows will be pretty mature come fall wont it? Is the intent of this type of excercise mainly for the brassicas?

I have always seeded rye or mowed my rye a week or two prior to Labor Day.

Currently I have one mature rye plot. Are you seeding the brassicas at the recommended rates, or a bit less because of the rye seed that will grow too? I have never tried this method before.

 

[sandbur]

Cultipacked and seeded clover/ptt mix on my largest rye plot today. It gets full day sun and is the most mature of my rye plots. No spray on this plot because its full of first year apple trees and grafts, hoping for a nice one acre orchard with white clover growing under it in the future.

Is the SE corner your largest plot?. I also remember one east of your house a bit on a slight hill.

 

[Trophy Collector]

Planting my rape, turnips, n radishes in the morn in the beans tomorrow! Should I mix all together or is it better 2 plant seperate 2 see what the deer prefer?

 

[bat man]

^^^I like to mix them all up

'Merica.

 

[wklman]

I'd just mix them up as well. With your densities they're going to mow them all down anyway.

 

[biglakeba$$]

With our densities???

Harvest down 40% in 7 years.
Our manager insists populations are stable. He is beyond delusional.....

We r managed for a whopping 16 dpsm in the best deer country except for SE MN.

 

[wklman]

With our densities???

Harvest down 40% in 7 years.
Our manager insists populations are stable. He is beyond delusional.....

We r managed for a whopping 16 dpsm in the best deer country except for SE MN.

I was speaking specifically about trophy collectors place (he's family). He's got above average numbers for mn.

 

[sandbur]

^^^yep, the SE corner plot is almost exactly an acre. The plot east of the house and along the road is close to an acre as well, but that is wildflowers/forbs. To be honest, there's been more browsing/traffic in the wildflower/forb plot than anywhere else this year. Wife not happy that deer are eating the flowers I planted for her

So you are turning more and more of the foodplots into apple trees?

I think you are hangin' with the wrong crowd!;)

 

[biglakeba$$]

How is trophy collector attaining better results than the other hunters in the area?

Just curious. Not being accusatory in any way.

 

[wklman]

How is trophy collector attaining better results than the other hunters in the area?

Just curious. Not being accusatory in any way.

I'd say it's mostly because there's a lot of like-minded neighbors, very few brown and downers, they keep the pressure off the does, and let the little ones go.

 

[biglakeba$$]

I figured that was the case.
Sure wish we had the same in our area.... Exact opposite unfortuneately.