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Corn Nearly Total Loss

deep woods goat hunter

deep woods goat hunter

PMA Member
I inspected my 2 acre stand of corn this morning before work, it is pretty sad. Lots of time, blood, sweat, tears and $ went into that plot. Its got me thinking about abandoning corn plots all together and doing all soybeans for my spring plots.
Any of the decent ears that did produce were destroyed by racoon and deer. Farmers fields around here are about the same minus the coon damage. They are beginning to cut fields for silage a few miles down the road.
With that being said I decided to go ahead and hook up the disc this morning and destroy what was a promising stand a few weeks after planting.
 
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Here’s some pics of when it was about too late


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Shoot, that's not fun. Could a guy have over seeded something into it with hopes of some rains to get it going? I'm thinking rye and radishes would've been good.
 
We have found small corn plots are really tough to get a decent crop out of in areas of high deer density. Last year I had a 1 acre plot that had all of the right weather scenarios to be a great producer. But one of the biggest problems we have is that the deer, for whatever reason, prefer these smaller plots over big ag fields and make short work of "detassling" them when the corn is about 4' high or so. This leads to iffy pollination, and the few ears that do form tend to be small. Like you, I disced most of my plot up about this same time last year and threw some rye grass in. Unless we're using it for a screen, we don't do corn plots smaller than about 2 acres any more, and even then, they are not big yielders.

NWBuck
 
I just realized that the nearest corn field is a strong mile south of me. Last year it was right across the road. That must be why the coons are hammering so hard this year....
Last year I had very little sign of any damage. So plant corn when its across the road, 130 acres of it.
 
Coons always killed my corn. But coon damage plus deer damage I still have more corn left for later in the year than I ever would with beans of the same size plot. Best so far though has been Milo. Deer love it only when its mature and no other pest bothers it.

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2+ inches in the last 1-1/2 weeks should help at least some of it mature out. It's only July 27th for goodness sake, so there's still quite a bit of growing season left. If it were me, I'd leave it and see what happens. Let the critters continue hitting it right up and through the season. It sounds like it's attracted deer to the area already and should continue to hold them up until it runs out. Then they'll still pick through it more and more often as the season progresses and the temps start to plummet. Mother Nature thins out high coon populations with distemper about every 7 years or so. Then till it in and plant something else next year. Just my 2 cents.
 
deep woods goat hunter said:
I inspected my 2 acre stand of corn this morning before work, it is pretty sad. Lots of time, blood, sweat, tears and $ went into that plot. Its got me thinking about abandoning corn plots all together and doing all soybeans for my spring plots.
Any of the decent ears that did produce were destroyed by racoon and deer. Farmers fields around here are about the same minus the coon damage. They are beginning to cut fields for silage a few miles down the road.
With that being said I decided to go ahead and hook up the disc this morning and destroy what was a promising stand a few weeks after planting.
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Been there man!!! 2 months no rain there and anything I put in during spring last year was a failure. Corn, beans both toast except for some bottom ground. Even natives last year - smoked.
It sucks. I totally get it!!! U always gotta look at spring planting with anything & just expect some droughts & say “back up plan is late summer & fall food plots into those areas”. Sucks, won’t be 1st or last time. :(.
The only real remedy long term is: lil bigger plots, killing coons, building organic matter to fight drought (holds moisture), back up plans & fall plots. Keep at it. Plenty time to put brassicas in and those will suck up much of the N in the soil for corn. Utilize with brassicas or fall plots and will release next spring while they decompose.
 
NWBuck said:
We have found small corn plots are really tough to get a decent crop out of in areas of high deer density. Last year I had a 1 acre plot that had all of the right weather scenarios to be a great producer. But one of the biggest problems we have is that the deer, for whatever reason, prefer these smaller plots over big ag fields and make short work of "detassling" them when the corn is about 4' high or so. This leads to iffy pollination, and the few ears that do form tend to be small. Like you, I disced most of my plot up about this same time last year and threw some rye grass in. Unless we're using it for a screen, we don't do corn plots smaller than about 2 acres any more, and even then, they are not big yielders.

NWBuck
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We cannot grow small plots of corn on one of my farms-it gets destroyed

Solar fencing
Is an option I guess.
 
I’m in the same boat. I’ve planted over 10 acres of beans this year and the deer have destroyed all but 2-3. None of them are even able to get to canopy


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If deer are hitting small corn and bean plots hard enough to destroy them, not drought, wouldn't alfalfa be a good option? Deer are obviously in the area and hungry, so plant something that they will eat, and can stand some grazing, where corn and beans don't. Or, run an electric fence around your plots. Personally, I'd choose the alfalfa route over the fence route.
 
Obsessed said:
If deer are hitting small corn and bean plots hard enough to destroy them, not drought, wouldn't alfalfa be a good option? Deer are obviously in the area and hungry, so plant something that they will eat, and can stand some grazing, where corn and beans don't. Or, run an electric fence around your plots. Personally, I'd choose the alfalfa route over the fence route.
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Variety is very good. Including alfalfa.
Let’s say I had a fairy tale food plot I could do WHATEVER & cost was no issue..... enough food it wouldn’t be destroyed. Each plot: 15 acres of corn, 10 acres beans, 3-4 acres brassicas, 2-3 acres of alfalfa & clover, 3-4 acres of dbltree type rye mix. This would literally give you: year round food & have something drawn to it 365 days a year. Too big to be destoyed (corn & beans if deer population was way way too high could still have damage) but- this would fully insulate a guy from “this crop failed” as you have so many other things there. If xyz failed, you would still have other items to draw them in.

Back to reality...... as much grain as u can grow, afford or protect & then I absolutely would run alfalfa & clovers in addition (doesn’t need to be huge in reality) & both brassicas & rye mix. It sounds complex & expensive but it’s really not. Get a rotation down & it’s actually pretty manageable. Bottom line: get at least 3 varieties of food sources for attraction reasons & also to help if one fails.
 
Sligh1 said:
Plenty time to put brassicas in and those will suck up much of the N in the soil for corn. Utilize with brassicas or fall plots and will release next spring while they decompose.
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Would you put down any more N?

I put down 150-120-120-5 if I remember correctly for the corn. I dont imagine the corn had enough moisture to draw much of the N but I’m no scientist.
Here’s what I got done today...
I shredded and tilled the corn in. I had to push a bunch of the thatch off to get tiller on it. Stalks tried balling up on me.
After I tilled I packed it and she’s ready for fall seed. Moved blind into corn and carved out a neat little design into what was 2 acres of corn. Hopefully it will draw some blood in a few months.
Calling for 1.5” tomorrow. I’m scared to plant too soon or I’d have done that as well. I’m going to shoot for 8/15.
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That’s great!!! Hmmmm... you most likely are fine without BUT.... Well- I suppose if it was quick & easy to put down like 50 actual lbs of N per acre- it wouldn’t hurt for sure. Don’t know that it’s needed but only hurt on putting some down is a little extra cost. If no big deal- put it down.
 
It really is almost impossible to grow small plots of corn when other large ag fields aren't close by. I've tried electric fences and they work good for the deer but the coons can flat out destroy an acre of corn! Since it's illegal to kill coons with fly bait and coke what can a guy do :D. If those two things were challenging enough then drought will finish off the plot for you just when you think things are looking up. Depressing for sure.
 
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