What's going to happen to deer in agricultural areas?

[Foggy47]

When I was growing beans.....I spread Milorgranite over the beans and the deer stayed clear for a few weeks. The smell was off-putting to me as well.

 

[chucker66]

When I was growing beans.....I spread Milorgranite over the beans and the deer stayed clear for a few weeks. The smell was off-putting to me as well.

Milwaukee smells the same for some reason

 

[Cool Hand Luke]

That can also be due to pressure maybe?
But regardless you are correct. Alberta, eastern Mt, North Dakota, aren’t growing beans and they do just fine
I’d actually rather have alfalfa on my ground than beans. Longer food source for deer and just as nutritious

This is an interesting conversation. I grew up in a river bottom area only about 15 minutes North of our current farm. There was little to no Alfalfa ground but lots of timber and AG mixed. Now that I live in a much more open AG region probably closer to what T-Max sees, we have a fair amount of Alfalfa and I rarely if ever, see deer feeding in it. That could have something to do with cover though, because there's so much open ground around.

 

[Howboutthemdawgs]

This is an interesting conversation. I grew up in a river bottom area only about 15 minutes North of our current farm. There was little to no Alfalfa ground but lots of timber and AG mixed. Now that I live in a much more open AG region probably closer to what T-Max sees, we have a fair amount of Alfalfa and I rarely if ever, see deer feeding in it. That could have something to do with cover though, because there's so much open ground around.

The msu deer lab guys and Craig Harper rated alfalfa as the most nutritious I believe but its downsides are difficulty in growing and cost.
Personally, I love it because it’s a perennial and I believe stays more attractive throughout a season than beans. I think it’s a 1A, 1B thing so you can’t go wrong with either. Beans just lose their attractiveness in my opinion by September and once they gain any back as a carb, most farmers have harvested them.

 

[356]

While strides are being made in deer resistant beans (and other crops), the best thing we can do as land managers is to promote native browse. Early explorers wrote about massive whitetails. Here in Missouri, early naturalists drew pictures of deer that would definitely make the B&C record books. What we do know is that Whitetails seem to be very adaptive, and will always seek out the best browse possible. The goal for me is to provide that browse, which no monoculture can do.

 

[Foggy47]

While strides are being made in deer resistant beans (and other crops), the best thing we can do as land managers is to promote native browse. Early explorers wrote about massive whitetails. Here in Missouri, early naturalists drew pictures of deer that would definitely make the B&C record books. What we do know is that Whitetails seem to be very adaptive, and will always seek out the best browse possible. The goal for me is to provide that browse, which no monoculture can do.

My neighbor said that a Huge Buck was near our driveway when he got home yesterday.....and he had browsed our Hosta's to the dirt. My wife had asked me to put some deer repellent on this hosts last week.....and I forgot to do it. I suppose I am in the doghouse now. lol May need to put a ladder stand in my yard.

 

[356]

My neighbor said that a Huge Buck was near our driveway when he got home yesterday.....and he had browsed our Hosta's to the dirt. My wife had asked me to put some deer repellent on this hosts last week.....and I forgot to do it. I suppose I am in the doghouse now. lol May need to put a ladder stand in my yard.

Foggy, I can envision you deer hunting over the Hosta’s like this….

 

[Foggy47]

Foggy, I can envision you deer hunting over the Hosta’s like this….

View attachment 81405

Actually I have a garage that is within crossbow range of the hosta garden. It has nice sized windows I could shoot from. It’s a densely wooded area with a large marsh not too far away. This area holds lots of deer and usually a few bears too. Technically it’s in the city limits, but it’s got a very rural feel to the entire area. Nobody would know if I arrow a deer here.

 

[TreeDaddy]

Foggy, I can envision you deer hunting over the Hosta’s like this….

View attachment 81405

^^^^^^^ that has East Texas written all over it

bill

 

[Mortenson]

Not trying to start poo. Asked a large seed dealer and asked perhaps the largest bean breeder in northern IL. Maybe they're fibbing. They said this isn't even a thought.