BJohnson
Well-Known Member
Just got done posting a similar message in a private forum. I have two separate spots - one all Big and Beasty and one blend with some turnips in it. Been really disappointed in the deer activity/usage on either of these two spots. Softball sized turnips and radishes 10+ inches in length in some areas. Very little browse pressure as best I can tell.
Asked a friend in the area who has a wider selection of plots than I do and he stated his turnips and sugar beets have been a real bust also (not for growth but for usage).
Central IA
Asked a friend in the area who has a wider selection of plots than I do and he stated his turnips and sugar beets have been a real bust also (not for growth but for usage).
Central IA
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MNbuckhunter
Member
Ran up to our MN farm yesterday...beans are all gone right now. Brassicas (first time planting there) have had very little usage as of yet. Just starting to dig in a few areas in the snow but very little usage.
My MN plots got hammered, nothing left at all. Last 3 weeks was very intense grazing.
MNbuckhunter
Member
Are you in "ag country"?
Central MN about half Ag and the other half timber. All the greens where gone by early October.
Daver
PMA Member
A little more info...I have the best brassicas this year that I ever have had and probably about 4 total acres of them. One 2 acre plot, one 1 acre plot and two 1/2 acre plots. Deer were using these beautiful fields heavily up until the middle of the month, but there was also still "fresh" green tops out there too AND it appeared as though they were favoring the radishes over the turnips.
Since then, I haven't been to my farm, so I am not sure how the deer have been using the brassicas. In past years though the usage really fell off about this time of the year, BUT...there were other variables present too, that are not present this year. (Both of the last 2 years the weather got cold and then warm before it got cold again and I feel like my brassicas froze and then thawed and then rotted.)
So now with the prolonged cold, and the wilting of the green tops...are the bulbs still drawing them?? That's what I don't know.
Since then, I haven't been to my farm, so I am not sure how the deer have been using the brassicas. In past years though the usage really fell off about this time of the year, BUT...there were other variables present too, that are not present this year. (Both of the last 2 years the weather got cold and then warm before it got cold again and I feel like my brassicas froze and then thawed and then rotted.)
So now with the prolonged cold, and the wilting of the green tops...are the bulbs still drawing them?? That's what I don't know.
10hunter
PMA Member
plot feeding
As of two weeks ago following the first cold snap, the deer started to key in on certain plots of ours and began foraging heavily on the remaining tops. Some bulb feeding but predominately feeding on the leaves. We plant a blend similar to dbltrees mix with turnips and rape for our brassicas. Have some radishes in our other plots and have been feeding on them awhile now. We have switched to the dbltree rotation exclusively the last two years and have planted some brassicas for a few years prior to that -- gave up on corn and soy! Too much deer pressure to grow beans and corn would be gone by early November even with sizable acreage.
Our herd has really taken a likeing to this rotation and we are much better off...and so is the deer herd after going to this year around food approach. Just hope we have enough food for them to last the winter with it starting so early. Not sure how and why but the deer will crowd in one plot to eat while others stay barely used. They will move on to the next as year progresses. Anyone else see this "phenomenon" on their farms?
As of two weeks ago following the first cold snap, the deer started to key in on certain plots of ours and began foraging heavily on the remaining tops. Some bulb feeding but predominately feeding on the leaves. We plant a blend similar to dbltrees mix with turnips and rape for our brassicas. Have some radishes in our other plots and have been feeding on them awhile now. We have switched to the dbltree rotation exclusively the last two years and have planted some brassicas for a few years prior to that -- gave up on corn and soy! Too much deer pressure to grow beans and corn would be gone by early November even with sizable acreage.
Our herd has really taken a likeing to this rotation and we are much better off...and so is the deer herd after going to this year around food approach. Just hope we have enough food for them to last the winter with it starting so early. Not sure how and why but the deer will crowd in one plot to eat while others stay barely used. They will move on to the next as year progresses. Anyone else see this "phenomenon" on their farms?
Daver
PMA Member
After having been to our farm this past weekend and seeing firsthand how the deer are using our brassicas I thought I would update this thread...and answer my own question in the process. 
Our trail cams revealed consistent use, both during the day and at night, on our plots all through November. In fact, on Thanksgiving Day the deer were tearing it up all day long in the plots and we picked up at least one new mature buck that we haven't seen since last year.
We were also able to personally observe many deer using these plots Friday and Saturday evenings. So we were very pleased with how the brassicas are holding up. Even though the "greens" are brown and all but gone now, the deer are still very actively feeding on the bulbs below.
It is my perception that this cold weather has "sugared up" the turnips now too, as there were many bulbs that had been gnawed on.
Our trail cams revealed consistent use, both during the day and at night, on our plots all through November. In fact, on Thanksgiving Day the deer were tearing it up all day long in the plots and we picked up at least one new mature buck that we haven't seen since last year.
We were also able to personally observe many deer using these plots Friday and Saturday evenings. So we were very pleased with how the brassicas are holding up. Even though the "greens" are brown and all but gone now, the deer are still very actively feeding on the bulbs below.
It is my perception that this cold weather has "sugared up" the turnips now too, as there were many bulbs that had been gnawed on.
loneranger
Well-Known Member
I had mostly radish planted an have been gone for a week. The roots got soft with the thaws, but I wonder what happens when they freeze again? I am gonna try some turnip nxt yr in some spots as I figure they hold up better/longer.
BDAHMS
Be here Now
There had been a lot of activity in the plots on camera as of last weekend but they didn't appear to be hammering the bulbs- I did notice quite a few that had been completely uprooted (both turnips and radish) and eaten on as well as some areas pretty tore up- hoping tomorrow AM and PM is the day for it-
Fox Valley Hunter
PMA Member
The deer have been eating the green tops and the bulbs all November long. My father-in-law has only been eating the bulbs however. He brought some home last weekend and said they were starting to get mushy. The deer are still eating them but he will probably switch to another food source.
mightymouse
Member
Up here in Michigan the first sign I saw of them hitting the actual turnips/radish in our plot was on 11/22 when I walked the plot. There were several gnawed on turnips and radish's that looked pretty freshly hit and most of the greens were gone from prior browsing. I last hunted the plot the morning of 11/28 and there were no dug up spots in the snow but the snow was fresh from the night before so a lack of sign didn't really mean a whole lot.