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nock down corn or leave standing

spltbrow

spltbrow

Member
I was wandering what everybody does with the corn in there plots. Do you leave it standing for the deer or do you knock some of it down? They always seem to be lazy and go to the cut fields instead of all my standing corn and beans. I was thinking about running some of it over with the 4 wheeler or mowing some of it with the tractor.

Any thoughts?
 
I used to knock some down with a brush hog but it never made a lick of difference and eventually they ate it all by the time season started...now they eat it all by the 4th of July!

It won't hurt anything to knock some down but believe me...they know how to get it down without any help from you....;)
 
dbltree said:
I used to knock some down with a brush hog but it never made a lick of difference and eventually they ate it all by the time season started...now they eat it all by the 4th of July!

It won't hurt anything to knock some down but believe me...they know how to get it down without any help from you....;)
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Oh yeah, we just mow it for better shooting lanes :)
 
I think that its better to leave alot standing with the winters we have now with ice and snow its hard for the deer to dig down to it.I always mow paths for shooting and the deer will deffintly use them I think its easy for them to eat it off the ground.
 
Volga river hunter said:
I think that its better to leave alot standing with the winters we have now with ice and snow its hard for the deer to dig down to it.I always mow paths for shooting and the deer will deffintly use them I think its easy for them to eat it off the ground.
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X2

Mississippi redneck
 
Might want to check with your local game wardens...I was told that unless you are preforming normal agricultural processes (i.e. harvesting) that it was illegal to knock down any corn with a vehicle, and/or bush hog....even for shooting lanes. I know that its at their descression to if your considered baiting or not, but don't want to have something happen and find out that your in the wrong over the whole deal.
 
I've knocked down corn on our farms and they seem to love feeding on the knocked stuff vs the standing.. knock down a small circle in the middle mof your plot or horse shoe it along a timber edge and they will pile in there
 
This is a real gray area that should be clearer. I leave corn standing so they have it above the snow during winter, especially if we have another with deep snow and ice. Plus anything that is knocked down, is ate within a few days, if you have a good sized deer herd. But Bill Winke on Midwest Whitetail has no problem saying that he took his old truck and knocked down a bunch of corn a day or two before they hunted it, last season. Most of the late season hunts on Lee and Tiffany or the Kiskys farms, clearly show large areas of freshly knocked down corn in the snow.It would be good for everyone to know whats legal or not, CO's and hunters.
 
6x6 said:
This is a real gray area that should be clearer. I leave corn standing so they have it above the snow during winter, especially if we have another with deep snow and ice. Plus anything that is knocked down, is ate within a few days, if you have a good sized deer herd. But Bill Winke on Midwest Whitetail has no problem saying that he took his old truck and knocked down a bunch of corn a day or two before they hunted it, last season. Most of the late season hunts on Lee and Tiffany or the Kiskys farms, clearly show large areas of freshly knocked down corn in the snow.It would be good for everyone to know whats legal or not, CO's and hunters.
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I'm glad this was posted because I saw on a video of an Iowa hunt where they said that they had just brush hogged the corn. I wondered about the legality of it and wondered if it was any different than spreading corn with a bucket....or, how would they know if you did spread the corn with a bucket? To each his own I guess, I just wondered if it was legal or not. I've said it before but game laws need to be much clearer and not "CO discression." When descression is the determining factor then it could be legal in some places and illegal in others. Write the law clearly and enforce it equally! Then there wouldn't be any grey areas.:way:
 
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I had also wandered if it was legal to bush hog it. I have about 2 acres of con with 3 acres of beeans in the middle of it. total of a 5 acre field. so the corn rows are only about 20' wide in most spots accept for the west section is a lot larger.
Again tonight i watched deer feed in the piced corn right on the fence instead of mine.
I geuss all in all that is not to bad because my corn will be there during the muzzy season.?
I still would like to maybe nock some down before muzzy if possible or legal.:way:
 
Pretty sure knocking it down is NOT legal, why, is beyond me.

If knocking corn down is considered baiting and is illegal because it changes the herd patterns......... why do Parks place salt licks all over the place?

Anyone else wonder that? Never thought about it til driving through a park the other day. Talk about "affected" deer herds, you can practically hand feed them.
 
Our neighbor had 3 acres of standing corn a few years ago and we could look down on it from the road. He nocked down some lanes thru the middle and they're were quite a few deer hitting it. I'd say 15-25 deer a night. With a week left during late muzzy season he knocked the rest down and within 2 days there were no less than 50 deer in that plot every night. They pounded the hell out of it right now when he knocked it over. I've heard this from several people that once it gets knocked down their deer #'s double.

I guess I don't understand why knocking it down would be illegal but who knows. As far as altering their feeding pattern. Wouldn't you think leaving corn standing would be doing the same thing. Might have to look into this.
 
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I leave it standing for the deer.

spltbrow said:
I was wandering what everybody does with the corn in there plots. Do you leave it standing for the deer or do you knock some of it down? They always seem to be lazy and go to the cut fields instead of all my standing corn and beans. I was thinking about running some of it over with the 4 wheeler or mowing some of it with the tractor paint.

Any thoughts?
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bowman said:
I'm glad this was posted because I saw on a video of an Iowa hunt where they said that they had just brush hogged the corn. I wondered about the legality of it and wondered if it was any different than spreading corn with a bucket....or, how would they know if you did spread the corn with a bucket? To each his own I guess, I just wondered if it was legal or not. I've said it before but game laws need to be much clearer and not "CO discression." When descression is the determining factor then it could be legal in some places and illegal in others. Write the law clearly and enforce it equally! Then there wouldn't be any grey areas.:way:
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I agree 100%. I have had different CO's give 180 degree opposite answers to a game law question before. The laws should be clear, not left to anyones discretion.
 
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I'd like to know the answer as well. However, how could the CO argue that you knocked it down for deer, rather than knocking it down so that it will be easier to work it up in the spring? Stalk chopping is a normal agricultural activity; there is no way a CO could site you for that and not expect to be taken to court. Nor would it be possible to convict you of baiting.

I'm not saying it's right or it's wrong but I don't think that they would have a leg to stand on in court.
 
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