Sure wish our deer weren't so fussy.

[gunther89]

Went to check some cameras after the orange army season and took a couple pictures with my camera of our turnips and radish plot. I sure wish the deer would eat them. Dirt trails in the tall grass heading out to this open area but the deer are hitting the standing beans and winter rye we planted. Owell I guess it's helping build up better soil.

 

[kabic]

They must like the standing beans better. I see bites being taken out of my turnips. My radishes I'm not so sure. ..All I know is my plot now has a distinct smell to it.

 

[scott44]

Good looking turnips, I bet they'll hit them later when all else is gone. Our deer dig through snow to get to them.

 

[dipper]

Looks like they greens are being browsed to me

 

[rocksnstumps]

^^^^^They are hitting the green stuff with this "Oct weather" we still are getting. My clover is still getting hoovered pretty well with the lack of snow and seeing deer across the road in the hay fields

 

[tooln]

It's an acquired taste, it may take time for them to like them. Mine eat the greens and a nibble here and there on the bulbs.

 

[sandbur]

I have tried them for years, probably at least 10-15. the deer take a nibble at most.

Two miles west of me with triple the deer population, they like them.

 

[gunther89]

Looks like they greens are being browsed to me

A few might be missing some leaves but i'd say the majority of the leaves are still there. Some of the leaves have turned brown and are drooping down.

I have tried them for years, probably at least 10-15. the deer take a nibble at most.

Two miles west of me with triple the deer population, they like them.

We have tried them for 4-5 years now and they never really hit them. I keep hoping they will just for the fact you get so much food out of them. Nobody that we know of plants them in our area which could be the reason since we are in ag land country.

 

[Big Snow Man]

Wow in my area they seek them out as soon as they germinate. My GHR was gone by the end of the rut.

 

[wiscwhip]

A few might be missing some leaves but i'd say the majority of the leaves are still there. Some of the leaves have turned brown and are drooping down.


We have tried them for 4-5 years now and they never really hit them. I keep hoping they will just for the fact you get so much food out of them. Nobody that we know of plants them in our area which could be the reason since we are in ag land country.

Strange, my godson reports that they eat the Frigid Forage and the Antler King brassica blends they plant over in Columbia Co. and they have as much ag in the area as you???

 

[gunther89]

I know plenty of guys that hunt in ag areas that plant them and have deer tear them up. I guess our deer are just a little odd lol

 

[ruskbucks]

I would bet by spring there will be nothing left in your field but a few turnip bulbs left. Some of the bulbs freeze in the ground and they cant get them out. That is good that they are not hitting them that hard now,there will be a good supply later when they really need it.

 

[j-bird]

You are not alone Gunther - I see this on my place as well. I have lots of ag around and I still plant turnips and radish - only this year (after at least 3 years now) did I see any real sign of the deer showing interest in them. Normally come spring I got a stinking, rotting plot of bulbs - sometimes I even have them bolting and flowering! I still plant them to help the soil and as a "just in case" sort of thing as well because the turnips at least are so cheap. I figure they get hungry enough they will eat them! I have a low deer density and lots and lots of ag around me so I figure the deer are eating what they can find in the harvested corn and bean fields most of the winter.

 

[buckdeer1]

They are eating some of my radishes but they don't touch the turnips.

 

[John-W-WI]

My deer are the opposite, they eat every brassica I plant as it comes out of the ground. And they have plenty of other food to choose from. So much so that I quit planting them. I should give them another try. I've probably gotten better at plotting since I last planted them.

-John

 

[chummer]

My deer are the opposite, they eat every brassica I plant as it comes out of the ground. And they have plenty of other food to choose from. So much so that I quit planting them. I should give them another try. I've probably gotten better at plotting since I last planted them.

-John

Same for me John. This year I planted them early June and finally had success. I planted Imperial winter greens and sugar beets. They were eating around the edges all summer but the center got to be waste high. October they started hitting them 3-4 times a night and by the end of November I was left with just stalks and bulbs. They still have not touched a bulb. With the warm fall the stalks have actually started to push out new leaves. I have not been up in 4 weeks so I am wondering how much growth they were able to push out the second time.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

This year was the first time we really had good success with a nice thick patch of brassicas. No real action in them until late November - then the deer started cleaning the tops pretty hard. Bulbs didn't appear to get hit much, but that may change if we get cold and snow. Warm weather may have new growth of tops like Chummer said ?? ^^^^^

We'll definitely be planting brassicas every year. Deer like them and they do help build soil. We planted a mix of PTT, DER, GHR, Appin forage turnips, and Pasja forage brassica. Nice plot !!

 

[Steve Oehlenschlager]

Come spring they will eat quite a bit of that stuff. They don't seem to mind eating some of it while it starts getting squishy. Also a sign that they have tons of food. I had 1/2 acre of beets this year that were hardly touched because they had a ton of clover, acorns, soybeans, and corn to eat. My guess is at the rate they are eating it and the quantity available it will all be gone about April 1st. Winter is breeze for them this year in my area. Also with the unbelievable turkey hatch they had last year.....there should be some awesome carryover of birds at the rate we are going at.