Orchard grass?

[homegrownbucks]

Wanted to see if anyone has seen anything like this...my good friend just picked up some land connected to land he currently owned. There is a field on this land that was planted in a horse pasture mix, and the deer absolutely hammer it. He has plots with the usual crops close by, and they are hit decently hard, but nothing close to this pasture mix. Best I can tell is that orchard grass is a main component of the mix.

There are deer in this field eating almost 24 hours a day, I can't explain it, it goes against everything you hear and read. Has anyone seen anything like this? 2 nights ago his dad had 31 deer in this field, with 11 bucks. This is in south central wi.

 

[homegrownbucks]

10am buck fight during the lull

Daily big buck daylight and feeding activity during gun season

 

[MoBuckChaser]

Yep, orchard grass and fescue. Deer seem to go nuts when nothing else is green, and even when things are green!

Lucky guy!

 

[Bowsnbucks]

Is orchard grass attractive to deer everywhere - or just where no other good food is available ?? Never heard of it's attraction for deer.

 

[j-bird]

Just my 2 cents worth here, but I have orchardgrass planted in a filter strip and fescue in grass water ways and the deer pretty much ignore it. I think it may have more to do with what other food sources are available or even the location relative to cover and disturbance. There may also be something with a particular cultivar as well or something else in that mix that they are actually after. All I can say is hunt there!

 

[homegrownbucks]

I am trying to figure out exactly what is planted there, no luck yet but I saw orchard grass as a component of a lot of horse pasture mixes. I looked at ryegrass too but they haven't replanted this field so I don't think it's that (annual anyway). It's a mystery and driving me crazy at this point.

 

[homegrownbucks]

I did find this in my research which I found interesting regarding ryegrass http://www.fieldandstream.com/articles/hunting/2015/07/how-3-top-outfitters-grow-killer-food-plots

 

[Tap]

I did find this in my research which I found interesting regarding ryegrass http://www.fieldandstream.com/articles/hunting/2015/07/how-3-top-outfitters-grow-killer-food-plots

I planted high sugar perennial rye grass a few years ago and I really didn't see much deer use...until this year. It overtook a clover plot (mostly due to deer eliminating the clover) and now the deer are in the ryegrass all the time. That plot is right next to a cereal rye plot that I planted in September and deer seem to be hitting the ryegrass harder than the cereal rye. I'm anxious to see how the ryegrass holds up over the winter and how it stacks up against the grain rye into the spring. It would be nice to have a perennial grass that deer prefer...might make plotting a little less complicated .

 

[homegrownbucks]

I tried some of that as well, seemed ok but it was a small area and froze out on me the first winter. Gonna be doing some testing on other varieties I think this year

 

[Tap]

I tried some of that as well, seemed ok but it was a small area and froze out on me the first winter. Gonna be doing some testing on other varieties I think this year

What zone are you? 6b here...winter doesn't seem to hurt perennial rye grass here.

SW Pa

 

[homegrownbucks]

I'm in zone 4a.

 

[Boll Weevil]

When researching warm season grasses I recall reading that although deer may eat orchard grass, it's nutritional value is nearly worthless because of a deer's digestive capability. Even though they may have a full belly, because of their inability to extract nutrients they would actually starve to death in the absence of other nutritious choices.

 

[4wanderingeyes]

As a rookie I planted half of my food plot with a mixture containing high sugar rye grass, that was 3 years ago, I have been trying to kill that stuff off ever since. Do the deer eat it? I dont know, and I really dont care! I dont want it in my food plot! So far it is still contained to about a 1/4 acre.

 

[Tap]

As a rookie I planted half of my food plot with a mixture containing high sugar rye grass, that was 3 years ago, I have been trying to kill that stuff off ever since. Do the deer eat it? I dont know, and I really dont care! I dont want it in my food plot! So far it is still contained to about a 1/4 acre.

They're eating mine now. Took a couple years, but it's getting good use now.

SW Pa

 

[j-bird]

Everything I recall ever seeing says that perennial cool season legumes (clovers) will nearly always provide a higher level of protein than a cool season perennial grass (orchardgrass) - now I don't know if that is 100% true all the time, but that is why perennial cool season clovers are the back bone of so many plotting programs.

I personally would bet there is something down in that grass (a cool season legume of some sort) that the deer are eating.

 

[homegrownbucks]

I asked my friend if there were any legumes, he isn't sure.

I did find this which seems to go against a lot of the digestibility info I have read http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF00329082

 

[MoBuckChaser]

Everything I recall ever seeing says that perennial cool season legumes (clovers) will nearly always provide a higher level of protein than a cool season perennial grass (orchardgrass) - now I don't know if that is 100% true all the time, but that is why perennial cool season clovers are the back bone of so many plotting programs.

I personally would bet there is something down in that grass (a cool season legume of some sort) that the deer are eating.

Lots of volunteer red clover this year around the upper midwest. That could be what is in there!

 

[Native Hunter]

Lots of volunteer red clover this year around the upper midwest. That could be what is in there!

I saw the same thing this year in my neighbor's fescue field. Don't ever recall seeing that much red clover in that field before.

 

[farmhunter]

definitely interesting - We have a gas pipeline with timothy and orchard grass in the mix - the deer are feeding there often enough but its the volunteer clovers and native forbs that they are keying in on. when I mow it and it comes up new - it seems to get a little more attention - your buddy's plot is pretty green - maybe not mowed to long ago?

 

[homegrownbucks]

I'm sure there are at least some volunteer legumes in there, it gets cut twice a year, may and August. The place that sold the prior owner the seed is outta business but we have a lead on the prior owners so we may solve the mystery eventually. Next year it will be looked at for legumes as well.