Food and land use

[Critter]

Just curious to hear what some of you have noticed over the years in reference to a deer's use of different types of food sources. Bean leaves and alfalfa, along with individual food plots seem to be getting the most attention this time of year, but at what point do deer give up on the beans and start in on the corn. I never really thought of deer feeding in the corn this time of year, but I've got a-lot of trail cam photos that seem to show that they must. I always assumed they didn't start in on the corn until the ears were somewhat fully developed and somewhat dried out, but maybe they prefer the corn leaves the same as they do beans? What's everyone's opinion on this, especially the farmers on the site that have first hand knowledge and deal with it everyday.
CRITR

 

[baggin_bucks]

The way it usually seems to me is once the bean leafs start drying up they leave the leafs pretty much alone. The backside of the cornfield in the back corner of my property is pretty much smoked already so they must like the corn leafs also.

 

[deernstuff]

Depends on available food sources, but they will definately hit cornfields before everything else dries out. I've never noticed heavy damage until it starts putting ears on, then they seem to hit it a little harder. When the grain matures they tear a plant down, but when the ears are growing they will wander along and just bite off the end of the ear. If you walk travel paths along edges like waterways you'll see a lot of it. I've also noticed that bucks...usually big ones, will set up permanent residence in really thick areas of standing corn. I've busted more than one big boy out of standing corn in early august only to find he's built a really nice nest. He'll have every ear in the area eaten and he'll have flattened a 10-15 ft. circle where he's bedding. I've seen that most often in cross-rows, seed dump areas, and really grassy areas where there was a herbicide failure.

 

[medicsnoke]

Good info Deernstuff!