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Food Plots vs. Corn

L

Littlefeather

Guest
I hunt in NE Iowa and there is a pretty significant amount of corn, hay and beans in the immediate vicinity. I have been thinking about putting in a food plot and am wondering if it will matter with that other food available?
Will deer go to the food plot before the corn?

Thanks in advance.
 
Alot is going to depend on what you would plant. If it is naturally more appealing plot then corn, the deer are going to hit it. Also time of the year you are hunting would be a partial factor. You may find a big increase in activity after the farmers have finished their harvest.
 
Waukon1, Looks like we are hunting the same neck of the woods. I hunt between Waukon and Decorah on the county line out by West Ridge. I have talked to several sales people that say deer will walk past corn to get to the food plots. It's hard to believe that. I am looking at planting around a hay field next spring and having the plot available all next year. Then in the fall, drill in some oats or something that will be up by October/November. Just looking for someone else (other than a sales person) who has done this successfully.
 
It all depends on what you plant and what food is readily availible in the immediate area. This year I have beans on my property, as well as red & ladino clover food plots. The deer will and are eating the beans right now. They haven't even touched the clover yet. As soon as the soybeans mature, they are not as palatible and the deer will move to my clover field.

Corn doesn't contain the nutrients that clover, beans, brassicas, or any other food plots. It is simply a great energy provider and fat builder.

Dont be afraid to plant (anything). The deer will eat it and learn to prefer it over the corn.

You might think about doing a late season forage if you have both corn and beans in the area. That way you will provide food in the later part of fall as well as the winter.

Good Luck,

BT
 
Thanks, I bought a bag of a forge mix yesterday. I will have a hay field, corn and this mix all right next to each other and will see which they prefer. I have heard that deer will go to the "Commercial" patches before they will touch corn or beans. That's a little hard for me to believe. To complicate this, my uncle saw a big shooter in the area and I'm not sure how much I want to disrupt the area before hunting season. He plans on picking the corn before coon seson starts and not letting any cows in so there should still be good corn forage available. I will post what I learn.
 
If I were to plant a food plot I would first think about what season you will be hunting. Eary beans,corn. Late winter wheat,rye,turnips. There is more to it than that but you cant't go wrong with the above.
 
Corn has the advantage of cover, but I think you are doing the right thing by offering diversity. A well rounded diet is ideal. I had a three acre food plot of corn that I walked through the first saturday of December, and you would have been hard pressed to hand pick three bushel of the whole field. Though even without corn, it offered shelter all winter. Can you say that about clover?
 
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