my sorghum experiment

[JoshAnderson]

I hunt in very northwestern minnesota and last year was my first year planting grain sorghum, i wanted to plant something that would be above the snow in the winter. and soybeans dont work and the growing season isnt long enough to get very good looking corn so i tried sorghum. i got pretty decent heads on the sorghum but the deer didnt touch it all fall, i started to think it was a failed experiment and that i wasnt going to plant it again. then i walked out to that food plot end of February just to check it out it was middle of the day and when i got out there i saw 12-14 deer in a 1/2 acre plot eating the sorghum(i didnt plant much cause it was an experiment) and when i walked in the sorghum they had been hammering it. just wanted to post my findings in case anybody was looking at doing something similar and would love to hear other peoples findings on sorghum or thoughts on other winter food sources.

 

[Mike Bolin]

A neighbor planted an acre of sorghum the property I hunt back 2006. I was working in another state that year and didn't get to hunt there except for the long Thanksgiving weekend. As I left my stand on Thanksgiving morning I took a walk around the edge of the sorghum plot. It was like busting a covey of quail! In that acre I jumped at least 8 deer. Every time I turned around I had deer pop out of the field and one was a very nice buck bedded with a doe. I planted 1 1/2 acres this year and the deer aren't feeding on it yet, but it is being used heavily for bedding.

 

[kabic]

I'm trying some this year


Sorghum


Milo?


Foxtail Millet?


A different kind of Sorghum?

 

[bueller]

I hunt in very northwestern minnesota and last year was my first year planting grain sorghum, i wanted to plant something that would be above the snow in the winter. and soybeans dont work and the growing season isnt long enough to get very good looking corn so i tried sorghum. i got pretty decent heads on the sorghum but the deer didnt touch it all fall, i started to think it was a failed experiment and that i wasnt going to plant it again. then i walked out to that food plot end of February just to check it out it was middle of the day and when i got out there i saw 12-14 deer in a 1/2 acre plot eating the sorghum(i didnt plant much cause it was an experiment) and when i walked in the sorghum they had been hammering it. just wanted to post my findings in case anybody was looking at doing something similar and would love to hear other peoples findings on sorghum or thoughts on other winter food sources.

How tall did it get? Sounds like it could used used as a seasonal screen summer-fall that gets eaten by the deer over the winter.

 

[wiscwhip]

How tall did it get? Sounds like it could used used as a seasonal screen summer-fall that gets eaten by the deer over the winter.

You want sorghum for a screen.................................try this!!!!!!!!!!

 

[JoshAnderson]

hahaha! my sorghum only got about 3 feet tall. but i used grain sorghum. and after seeing my results last year i will be adding it every year for winter food and the closest Ag feild from my land is 8-9 miles away.... its all trees and swamps up here. unfortunately we have gotten a ton of rain this year and my sorghum has stalled out from sitting in saturated soil all summer...

 

[bueller]

You want sorghum for a screen.................................try this!!!!!!!!!!

View attachment 10486

What's going to eat that, a giraffe :eek:

 

[wiscwhip]

What's going to eat that, a giraffe :eek:

I wouldn't be worried about that, sorghum isn't really a preferred food anyway. Not to mention the sorghum in the picture doesn't really produce seed heads, it is a forage type sorghum, meant to be chopped for silage. I would be more interested in how well it held up to winter snows as screening. How would you get rid of the trash the next spring to replant? That would be one hell of a bonfire if you tried to burn it off!

 

[WTNUT]

You want sorghum for a screen.................................try this!!!!!!!!!!

View attachment 10486

What the heck is that stuff?


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[wiscwhip]

It is a sorghum variety that is marketed by Ceres/Blade. I'm not sure if the one in the photo is for silage or if it is one of their biofuel offerings, but it sure would make an awesome road screen!

 

[wklman]

Good to know josh. I planted 2 1/2 acres of sorghum in North central mn this spring. Mostly for the pheasants I have around but if the deer eat it this winter it will be a plus. I've got lots of ag around so who knows.