It really depends on what variety you plant. There are actually varying maturity dates for the different varieties of kale. Something like Kestrel kale, which has a very tall, upright, and bushy growth habit and is used to graze cattle and sheep on, takes the full 155-200 days to maturity. On the other hand, something that is geared more towards human consumption, like Dwarf Siberian kale, which has a shorter more rosette type of growth pattern, can mature in as little as 60-75 days. We planted both on our place over the years and both were planted at the same time of year, we didn't worry about getting the Kestrel to full maturity. We always planted in early August with the rest of our brassicas and the deer devoured them equally well on our place, just like every other brassica we ever planted. Our deer were not picky, or more like anything was better than jack pine needles and twigs.