Planting Wild Game Food Sorghum?

[SwampCat]

Any experience with wild game food sorghum. WGF. I have read mixed reviews but not talked to anyone who actually planted it. Looking for something suited to both deer and ducks. Needs to be fairly short for the duck ponds

 

[Bill]

I planted it once. About 2 acres. Came up nice, seed heads didn't look like the magazines covers but they were decent. Nothing touched it until one day I was on stand and heard a strange noise. There were two small buck in it. They would bite the seed head low and pull up and zip all the seeds off. Some went in their mouth, most flew all over the place. A couple days later there were zero seed heads left.

 

[Telemark]

I would not try to plant a single plot for deer and ducks. Their usage is so different that you will probably sacrifice one for the other.

 

[SwampCat]

I would not try to plant a single plot for deer and ducks. Their usage is so different that you will probably sacrifice one for the other.

I know deer eat milo and I know ducks eat milo. I have about three acres that flood when the river comes up several times a year that I can see from an established box stand. I already plant about four acres of wheat near the stand. I would like to plant something on the three acres that intermittently floods that could be used by deer if it doesnt flood and ducks if it does flood. Dont know what else to plant besides corn and I am not doing that

 

[Telemark]

I know deer eat milo and I know ducks eat milo. I have about three acres that flood when the river comes up several times a year that I can see from an established box stand. I already plant about four acres of wheat near the stand. I would like to plant something on the three acres that intermittently floods that could be used by deer if it doesnt flood and ducks if it does flood. Dont know what else to plant besides corn and I am not doing that

Japanese millet

 

[Catscratch]

Japanese millet

Bingo! Beat me to it! But I was leaning toward Proso millet.

 

[Ben.MN/WI]

I planted some WGF sorgum last year in Minnesota and I wasn't impressed. I was hoping for a drought proof corn alternative, but it never grew the large seed heads like I've seen in South Dakota. It looked pretty nice otherwise, but it just wasn't much of a draw for wildlife.

I still have some seed left, so I'll probably mix that with some other seed types for a multi species blend. Once that is gone, I don't think I'll buy that seed again.

 

[omicron1792]

I’ve planted it and had great success. I think it’s just about perfect for the situation you describe swamp.

 

[davidhelmly]

I’ve planted it several times and it did great. It gets about waist high and my deer love it once the heads mature.

 

[SwampCat]

I plant a lot of japanese millet and deer around here wont eat it after it turns brown - for here, late Oct. Was wanting something to provide attraction during season.

 

[DJN]

I used it once in a high density deer area (city deer when we lived there, just for watching) and it was great. Deer didn’t bother it until seed heads were mature. And then had it picked clean in a week.
Have already decided to plant a plot of it on the farm this coming season for the first time there. Majority is ag fields (corn or beans and a small alfalfa/clover hay field) so looking to do something different in this plot.

 

[ruskbucks]

I tried it once. It did pretty good. I don't remember seeing the deer eat it but I wasn't there to observe. It reminds alot like when I let my buckwheat go to seed. The turkeys and songbirds went crazy over it.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

We've planted WGF milo at camp a few times in mixed plots. Our experience has been that our deer eat the heads when green & softer - I guess when they're sweeter? When the heads begin to harden off and turn reddish-brown, the deer let them alone - but all sorts of birds tear into them then. Turkeys, grouse, doves (big-time), and song birds will stay in it all winter until the seeds are gone. The 3' height works for our needs.

 

[SwampCat]

We've planted WGF milo at camp a few times in mixed plots. Our experience has been that our deer eat the heads when green & softer - I guess when they're sweeter? When the heads begin to harden off and turn reddish-brown, the deer let them alone - but all sorts of birds tear into them then. Turkeys, grouse, doves (big-time), and song birds will stay in it all winter until the seeds are gone. The 3' height works for our needs.

That is exactly what I want. Anything much taller will be too tall in 12” of water. I am afraid the hogs may really get after it. Going to order some more ammo for the thermal

 

[Ikeman]

I know deer eat milo and I know ducks eat milo. I have about three acres that flood when the river comes up several times a year that I can see from an established box stand. I already plant about four acres of wheat near the stand. I would like to plant something on the three acres that intermittently floods that could be used by deer if it doesnt flood and ducks if it does flood. Dont know what else to plant besides corn and I am not doing that

Brown top millet is a good option as well. If the water comes up, ducks will hammer it. If it stays dry, deer will eat it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[SwampCat]

I plant a lot of browntop. It lays down pretty quick and my deer quit feeding on it when it turns brown. I think the sorghum would still be standing in January

 

[KY wild]

I planted it a few times when I became tired of my soybeans being destroyed at 2 inches tall. Deer do not touch the plant so can work great in small area but as others have said once the heads are ready it doesn't take long for the deer to wipe it out the heads. A person can't depend on to be draw during when you want to hunt, you will need to adjust hunting to the short window of seed maturity. I did have a mature buck use it during daylight but I was out of bow range.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

That is exactly what I want. Anything much taller will be too tall in 12” of water. I am afraid the hogs may really get after it. Going to order some more ammo for the thermal

We didn't plant our WGF sorghum/milo in or near any water. Can't speak to how WGF would do in standing water - I have no experience with that. We're on a mountain top property that's an old farmstead from waaay back.