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Winter Rye

T

TimberPig

Active Member
A farmer friend of mine planted rye in a field of his after the normal grain crop was harvested. He said something about it adding something benificial to the soil, and it was disced under this spring to make way for more grain crops.

What interested me of course was the 35-40 deer I saw feeding in it on several occasions late in the season (around Feb I think, didnt look earlier). On several occasions there was also a couple of pretty hefty bucks there. The field was completely green even then.

My question is, does anybody here plant rye for a late season food plot?
I have a few acres of tillable ground on my place that I cash rent to a neighbor. My idea was that I could possibly plant winter rye (or winter wheat?) after he harvests the beans, which he could then disc under in the spring. This way, I could gain a foodplot without being bludgeoned by the wife for losing the cash rent on the ground. Anybody have any opinions on whether this would work or be worthwhile?

I am mainly looking for something for late ML season but would it be any good during the rut period?

Thanks...
 
What I do, if the beans are out early enough, is plant tecomate max attract 50/50 in the harvested beans. I have a small disc I use and just hand broadcast. Plus it adds nitrogen, which is good for next year's corn crop (assuming the farm is rotating).
 
That's basically what were going to do this year. When the neighbor planted our corn fields we had him leave 2 rods around each field unplanted. We will plant these areas with a winter wheat and oates mix the first of Septemebr. We'll wait until September so the oates don't grow too much and become tough. I don't know if wheat can get to tough like oates but I would wait unitl early September to plant it. When the farmer discs it under in the spring he will be adding organic matter to the soil as well.

The deer were all over our oates last year in late November but we had very few deer stay around for the winter. I also know the deer in our area love winter wheat so hopefully between the corn and winter wheat this year they will stay around.

Tim
 
Thanks for the ideas guys. I havent decided what I will do yet. The farmer who rents my ground is in his 70's, never hunted a day in his life, and generally considers deer to be a pain in his butt, so he just shakes his head and grumbles whenever I do anything wildlife oriented with the land. He is a nice guy and its kind of funny that it is such a foreign concept to him, but its a little sad at the same time.

How late in the year can you plant rye, oats, or winter wheat?
 
rye goes in every fall about Labor day. deer will be there all winter and keep it eaten down to look like a golf green. I leave it till late summer then mow it off & leave it alone until ready to plant again. guys that farm & plow it under will call it "green manure".
Rye is a very dependable & cheap fall plot. Very easy to grow.
 
I've also found that if you wait to clip it until the heads are ripe, it will successfully reseed itself and make a good comeback without reseeding. (If you have some timely rains to help it out)
I put a good base of Whitetail clover on with the rye and just mow it in late August or early September. A self-sustaining and auto-replanting food plot.
It is where I killed the big buck that graces the IowaWhitetail.com logo and some of my bow killed turkeys.
I would also look into Buck Forage oats (a winter oat) as I have had great success with it also.
 
I plant rye and you can't go wrong with it!!!!I mean it! You can't go wrong! I have a farm in some of the best hunting land in the country and have seen what some of the professional QDM people are planting. From turnips, wheat,corn,alphla, and many different types of plots and I'll tell you I have kept my eye on them. During the coldest days of winter I would see 75 - 150 deer feeding on rye....not turnips (they were gone be then) or beans or corn it was the rye that they came to. Try it, I think you will like it.
 
Well as the Wapsi River has been out of control I believe our clover, grass, and oats are going to be done for once things dry out. If that is the case I am hoping to get dad talked into some winter rye. I am pretty pumped up to have a plot at all. If what we already planted lives that will be ok too. If not I am looking forward to seeing what winter rye will do for us.
 
I will keep this rye idea in mind for sure. If I can get my tillable ground in CRP I should be able to put in a small plot of around 2 acres. I had always planned to go with corn, but this rye idea may work better, and probably would be cheaper as I would have to pay the neighbor to plant the corn. Thanks for the info...
 
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