Central Iowa
Life Member
I have seen them eat the discarded pumpkins after halloweenm outside of that no idea. May have to try a small patch and see what happens. Do you have a link?
Daver
PMA Member
Pumpkins! Now that is a different stroke there for sure. /forum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/grin.gif
I don't have any idea really whether a deer would go after a pumpkin or not, BUT if they did it would sure be something that could potentially last later into the season...hmmmmm.
What about squash, gourds, etc? It would seem that something would eat these veggies when the food supply became more scarce.
Doubltree...how about it? /forum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/grin.gif
I don't have any idea really whether a deer would go after a pumpkin or not, BUT if they did it would sure be something that could potentially last later into the season...hmmmmm.
What about squash, gourds, etc? It would seem that something would eat these veggies when the food supply became more scarce.
Doubltree...how about it? /forum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/grin.gif
whitetailassasin
New Member
There is an orchard near where I live that has pumpkins....and a serious deer problem. Of course there are all sorts of other food sources there but I think I will pick the owners brain and see what the deer prefer. Think snow cover would limit this late season but who knows.
bowhuntr311
IowaWhitetail Addict
Ok, so here is my story.
I have never planted a plot of punkins. I plant pumpkins in the garden for feed after season.
Every year I buy two packets of seeds from the garden section at the local feedstore. Just regular jacklantern pumpkins. At a cost of $2. I water, fertlize, ect... And I usually come out somewhere with 70ish pumpkins. This takes up a large part of garden. Like 25x50.
Two years ago I had 1 I missed in the garage that I never fed. It was this time of year, and I took it out in the neighbors old field and dumped it out. The seeds must of sprouted, becuase I got about 4pumpkins to set from volunteer plants. No fert, no extra water, brome and other grass was waste high.
Deer smashed them in mid August and ate the seeds out and left. Kins were about the size of a womens basketball maybe a little smaller.
I figure it would be NO different or worse in a food plot. Im really thinking if they found them before hunting that they would decimate the crop before it was ever mature or hunted over. Now on the other side IF they never touched them until you were ready a quick walk through with an axe and split about every 5th one. I cant fathom the thought of what the amount of feed and the attraction power would be. If they didnt touch them until November, Im guessing you would have to split some of them because if they havent already done it they dont know what they are?
Just my .02 worth.
I have never planted a plot of punkins. I plant pumpkins in the garden for feed after season.
Every year I buy two packets of seeds from the garden section at the local feedstore. Just regular jacklantern pumpkins. At a cost of $2. I water, fertlize, ect... And I usually come out somewhere with 70ish pumpkins. This takes up a large part of garden. Like 25x50.
Two years ago I had 1 I missed in the garage that I never fed. It was this time of year, and I took it out in the neighbors old field and dumped it out. The seeds must of sprouted, becuase I got about 4pumpkins to set from volunteer plants. No fert, no extra water, brome and other grass was waste high.
Deer smashed them in mid August and ate the seeds out and left. Kins were about the size of a womens basketball maybe a little smaller.
I figure it would be NO different or worse in a food plot. Im really thinking if they found them before hunting that they would decimate the crop before it was ever mature or hunted over. Now on the other side IF they never touched them until you were ready a quick walk through with an axe and split about every 5th one. I cant fathom the thought of what the amount of feed and the attraction power would be. If they didnt touch them until November, Im guessing you would have to split some of them because if they havent already done it they dont know what they are?
Just my .02 worth.
NovemberSunrise
New Member
I have planted pumpkins for deer before. I did it in a similar fashion to the post before me; I'd plant them in a garden and feed them a little at a time as the year progressed. As mentioned, they might not require as much care as most would think. I would typically weed until the vines covered most of their area and then just let it go. FWIW, I was planting the "giant" type pumpkins - cooler than those typical small ones. /forum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/tired.gif
For feeding the deer, I'd carry a few out to the desired location and slice them open with a shovel. The deer would eat everything except for the outer rind.
For feeding the deer, I'd carry a few out to the desired location and slice them open with a shovel. The deer would eat everything except for the outer rind.
sagittarius
New Member
There are many better plots, other than pumpkins
I have planted pumpkins on the edge of my foodplots for the last 5 years. Depending on how bad the vine-borers are each year, yield has been between 30 and 150 pumpkins. These I grow for decoration, my nieces and nephews, reletives, neighbor kids, and just give them away. The deer have never really bothered them, but occasionall take a bite during the summer, usually leaving just teeth marks. Deer much prefer the white clovers, soybeans, corn, and sugarbeets I plant for them. This year I shot a 141 3/8" eight pointer 75 yards from the pumpkin patch, but he was not interested in pumpkins. There is so much other stuff you can plant for deer rather than pumpkins, the space is better served by planting something else. JMHO
I have planted pumpkins on the edge of my foodplots for the last 5 years. Depending on how bad the vine-borers are each year, yield has been between 30 and 150 pumpkins. These I grow for decoration, my nieces and nephews, reletives, neighbor kids, and just give them away. The deer have never really bothered them, but occasionall take a bite during the summer, usually leaving just teeth marks. Deer much prefer the white clovers, soybeans, corn, and sugarbeets I plant for them. This year I shot a 141 3/8" eight pointer 75 yards from the pumpkin patch, but he was not interested in pumpkins. There is so much other stuff you can plant for deer rather than pumpkins, the space is better served by planting something else. JMHO
HeartlandWildlifeInstitute, If your interested in any of there seed give me a shout.
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iowapete
New Member
We've had a pumpkin patch on our property for the last 5 years. We get a nice production, but I agree that there are far better ways to use that ground to plant an appealing food for deer. Pumpkin vines take up an incredible amount of space and do not usually produce pumpkins in tight clusters.
I'm also NOT convinced that it's attractive to deer. We've had insect damage on the pumpkins, but deer damage just isn't showing up in our patch.
I'd rather use the space for a late season clover plot than to have to plant pumpkins again.
iowaPete
I'm also NOT convinced that it's attractive to deer. We've had insect damage on the pumpkins, but deer damage just isn't showing up in our patch.
I'd rather use the space for a late season clover plot than to have to plant pumpkins again.
iowaPete
I agree on not planting a patch of just pumpkins. These were just a small part of the seed mix. I have never heard of deer eating pumpkins. Just thought it might give that little extra advantage. It would definetly be a change in scenery from the treestand. I could just see the next harvest photos in the middle of a "big ol punkin patch".