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Soybeans or corn?

Buckhunter

Buckhunter

New Member
Hey guy's,new on this forum but I do not own property but have a chance at doing a couple thing's with the landowner and need some advice/help.
We have gotten the ok from the landowner to pay him the going rate on bean's and he would be willing to leave some.I'm not sure about doing the same with corn,we are going to ask him about that soon but here's my question,if we have an opportunity to do either one what would be the better choice and how much should we try to get him to leave?This would be mainly used for shotgun and late muzzleloader hunt's on private property with little or no other hunting pressure at all.the farm is around 180 acre's and is surrounded by hardwood timber off of a major river in central Iowa.
The deer we took this year seem to be focused on the picked bean fields from 2nd shotgun when my buddy took his buck until I took a second doe off of the property Jan.9th in the same field the buck was shot.Is that weird that they bypassed the corn stock's to feed in the picked bean's?Do deer even eat soybean's or were they feeding on the straw part of it left behind at harvest?
 
Yes, they most certainly do eat soybeans and they are picking thru the cut fields for beans that went out the back of the combine or shattered as they were being cut.

Normally, standing corn hands down would be my choice for a late winter draw but corn is expensive to plant or buy from a farmer.

Standing beans are also an excellent draw in the late season and they will flock to it as other crops get harvested.

If you do either one or both I doubt that you will regret it, especially during the late muzzy season. /forum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/cool.gif
 
Personally, I would go with standing soybeans. Reasons being
#1 cheaper, and could leave more standing crop.
#2 I love hunting standing soybeans when there is ice and snow on the ground.
#3 You can broadcast some winter rye in there during late August and you will have a heck of a green forage stand when it rolls around to November.

Corn is a great late season attractent, but with the price of inputs, you aren't going to want to pay 500-700 bucks an acre to have someone to leave crop.
 
I'd add that visibility is better for soybeans, too. If you have a large chunk of standing corn, nothing says you will be able to see deer standing/bedding in it.
 
The owner mentioned 3 or 4 acres,would that be enough to get through late muzz season?I seen as many as 18 does and young buck's feeding in that field during late muzzleloader.How long would 3 or 4 acres last with those numbers of deer feeding in them?
 
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">How long would 3 or 4 acres last with those numbers of deer feeding in them? </div></div>

I suspect not too long, but those types of things are only a guesstimate the first year.

I would suggest the possibles of broadcasting winter rye and/or brassicas into the standing beans in late August just ahead of a good rain.

You can gain extra forage that way for a very minmal cost /forum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/cool.gif
 
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: nannyslayer</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Personally, I would go with standing soybeans. Reasons being
#1 cheaper, and could leave more standing crop.
#2 I love hunting standing soybeans when there is ice and snow on the ground.
#3 You can broadcast some winter rye in there during late August and you will have a heck of a green forage stand when it rolls around to November.

Corn is a great late season attractent, but with the price of inputs, you aren't going to want to pay 500-700 bucks an acre to have someone to leave crop. </div></div>

Nanny,
How much snow though until they would be useless or would they just paw thru them?? We have a lot of snow is the reason I am asking and I assume the ice will not knock them down??

Thanks for the help.
 
A small stand of corn may have a better chance of lasting through season as you should get way more bushels per acre.
 
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: risto</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: nannyslayer</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Personally, I would go with standing soybeans. Reasons being
#1 cheaper, and could leave more standing crop.
#2 I love hunting standing soybeans when there is ice and snow on the ground.
#3 You can broadcast some winter rye in there during late August and you will have a heck of a green forage stand when it rolls around to November.

Corn is a great late season attractent, but with the price of inputs, you aren't going to want to pay 500-700 bucks an acre to have someone to leave crop. </div></div>

Nanny,
How much snow though until they would be useless or would they just paw thru them?? We have a lot of snow is the reason I am asking and I assume the ice will not knock them down??

Thanks for the help. </div></div>

You live in "Siberia" Iowa...so it might be a problem up there... /forum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/wink.gif /forum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/grin.gif

Standing beans usually stand up pretty good in snow and deer can reach them unless it gets extremely deep.

We don't have those kinda problems down here in the "tropics"...heck it only got down to -18 yesterday... /forum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/crazy.gif
 
We've got 4 rows standing all the way around a field, and they are still standing. Last year had about 4 acres of standing beans and the ice or snow didn't knock them down, and the deer were in them like crazy.

Soybeans will stand through almost anything.
 
I have to agree with everyone about beans being the best choice. I have had both corn and beans standing for the last five years 2-3 acres of each and they definitely prefer the beans. Beans have a very hardy stalk and stand up well. It is also easier for a whitetail to eat beans rather than an ear of corn hanging on the stalk. It is actually difficult for them to pull back the husks and get there mouth (teeth) situated on the ear. They would much rather have the full ear on the ground so they can use there feet for assistance. I read an article in Deer and Deer Hunting about this and it makes sense. You will have good results with either one but beans have worked awesome for me. I do like the aspect of the standing corn adding cover to your property though.
 
Thank's everyone for the advice.It sound's like bean's might be the more cost effective way to go.The landowner has cattle and like's to let them out in the picked cornfield's after harvest anyway so it would be a bit tougher I think to get him to leave corn and keep the cattle out of it.
Anyone have any idea what 2 to 4 acres of bean's are worth?
 
Say he has a modest yield of 50 bushels per acre, and with todays market price of 9.68 per bushel, you will be looking at $484.00 per acre. What I would do is offer him to cover the input cost, plus a little extra to make sure he isn't losing any money.

If you are able to leave about 3 acres, that would be alot of food for the winter, especially if you broadcast in some rye/wheat or brassica's into it. If your deer density isn't to high, you should have food up to spring.
 
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