No cost option for food plots

[Missouri Pioneer]

Last year I rented a drill from the County and planted about five acres total of soybeans in three plots. Only one of the plots halfway turned out, the other two produced very little. I was very disappointed after spending hundreds of dollars and a number of hours. The plants that survived were decimated by the deer in a week once they discovered the better field.

I discussed this with a nationally known wildlife biologist who advises on all things deer, and he suggested that I find a nearby farmer who plants beans and leave it to a professional on a share basis. He said that the normal split is 1/3 landowner, 2/3 farmer, but told me I ought to sweeten the deal to get priority.

Well, he has sprayed once and is planning to plant/fertilize about 35 acres for me, of which 7 will be left standing for the deer. Meanwhile, the deer get to munch on the whole 35 acres until harvest. I will fence off some of that with a double electric fence until gun season.

Zero cost for me, good deal for him. Win-win, but we'll have to see how things turn out this fall.

Maybe this idea is an option for you.

 

[efam3300]

I just planted two small plots of Mean Bean Crush by Evolved Harvest. Its supposed to have the forage type beans that can take heavy browsing. Did you use RoundUp beans or did you cultivate your plots for weed control?

 

[CalG]

Here in VT they have a time every fall when folks go out and shoot the excess deer population. Hundreds if not thousands of animals. I hear it is worse in NY state and Penn. **** things seem to just want to jump out at your vehicle and commit suicide if not murder.

I can't imagine a "food plot" seems like a waste of effort.

Just my perspective, I'm learning about yours.

 

[aczlan]

Here in VT they have a time every fall when folks go out and shoot the excess deer population. Hundreds if not thousands of animals. I hear it is worse in NY state and Penn. **** things seem to just want to jump out at your vehicle and commit suicide if not murder.

Suicide? Most deer walk away after attempting to murder the car they jumped in front of (or into the side of).
My mother in law has had thousands of dollars worth of damage done to her car and the deer limped away each time.

Aaron Z

 

[Missouri Pioneer]

Yes, he sprayed with generic RoundUp and will plant RoundUp ready ag beans, don't know the brand.

 

[EddieWalker]

Sounds like an great arrangement. Congratulations on getting such good advice and being able to make it happen. Can you post some pictures, I'd be interested to see the results. I'm also curious about any updates and how it works out for you come hunting season!!

Eddie

 

[Streetcar]

Suicide? Most deer walk away after attempting to murder the car they jumped in front of (or into the side of).
My mother in law has had thousands of dollars worth of damage done to her car and the deer limped away each time.

Aaron Z

Both of my deer were laying on road after the attack

 

[Missouri Pioneer]

Beans planted last week, starting to come up. We're excited.

 

[Avondale]

I lease 50+ acres to a local farmer, he planted beans this year. Farmer across the road planted corn and on the other side of my property, they planted wheat. I do not try to compete. I have a bush lot as well, so I hope to catch them transiting and loafing in my clover/alfalfa/brassica plots I put into small "bush plots".

 

[Missouri Pioneer]

Update: We had a great deal of rain and flooding in late June and early July, and the smallest field was flooded and had to be replanted. That field is doing so-so and those beans are about 6" high.

The other fields range in height from about 9" to knee high and some of the plants are starting to flower.

I haven't yet taken any pictures, because the beans are not taller than the (sprayed) dead weeds. When they get tall enough, say in about three weeks, I'll post some pictures here.

The deer are really chomping on the bean plants, more so in some fields than others.

 

[efam3300]

The Mean Bean Crush I planted almost three months ago is a bust, they are barely a foot tall. I think we had way to much rain on them. Burned one plot off to get ready to plant some turnips.

 

[Missouri Pioneer]

Update: Beans are doing GREAT! Some of them are 4' tall and have pods. Deer are delighted and we're seeing some really nice bucks - still nocturnal at this point - in the game cam pics taken at trophy rock sites at the edge of bean fields. Here are a few from a couple of weeks ago.

 

[EddieWalker]

That's exciting. Congratulations, looks like the beans are the way to go. Will they last into deer season? What happens when you get a freeze?

 

[Missouri Pioneer]

Eddie, my farmer planted ag beans, so I presume they will shatter upon a freeze. I haven't asked him when he's going to harvest, I guess that depends on the weather forecast. His interest is, of course, protecting his investment both in $$ and labor.

My advisor says that generally beans are harvested in our area about the end of October, which is two weeks before gun season, but during bow season, which begins mid September. He also said the rut won't begin until October, anyway.

Due to prior plans, I won't be able to hunt until early October, but that should afford me plenty of opportunity with a bow. And of course, the farmer will leave standing my 20% share of the crop.

Hopefully those big boys will foresake their nocturnal activity once those hormones act up. We're excited.

 

[Deerherd]

Soybeans attract deer over a wide range of times. At my place they eat the greens from sprouting in May into September then they eat beans into March. They dig through feet of snow to get to them, here's a photo from the end of last February and a current photo showing their height this time of year.





Here's a video I did on some Deer in the soybeans from the last couple of weeks.

https://player.vimeo.com/video/136342088

 

[efam3300]

Update: Beans are doing GREAT! Some of them are 4' tall and have pods. Deer are delighted and we're seeing some really nice bucks - still nocturnal at this point - in the game cam pics taken at trophy rock sites at the edge of bean fields. Here are a few from a couple of weeks ago.

View attachment 438752 View attachment 438753 View attachment 438754

Awesome bucks! I guess you won't be revealing that location. (ha ha)

 

[Redneck in training]

We used to do 50/50 beans on about 32 acres with my neighbor but we got seed contaminated with round up resistant pig weed three years ago and it and low price put stop to it. We decided to restore prairie two years ago and have the project in a process. We have five food plots (totaling about 5 acres) planted with turnips and clover strategically placed on the property.

Every vehicle we ever owned (except the lawnmower and tractor) had collision with a deer. Our son hit a deer on a motorcycle in town. Another son came home one day with demolished front of the car, headlight hanging on wires pointing down but he had the deer on the back seat. He chased it down in the ditch after he hit it and was ready to put it from its misery with a pocket knife when a local cop came by and put bullet in its head.

 

[mx1alex]

Good looking deer.

Beans will die in a frost which is usually mid October here in MO... And your beans should be good and senesced by then anyways. Frost won't cause shattering (the popping of pods) but leaving the beans in the field too long will cause it. Deer love beans when they're green but then tend to avoid them untill they can come in later and just eat the pods. If we get a good snow cover here your 7 acres of standing beans will be a magnet as the deer wan't have to dig through snow to get to them.

Most beans are just starting to yellow on Sept 15th (the MO opener) so you have to hunt them early that first week or two... Evening seem to be best. But once most the field turns yellow they wont feed in it for a while. It's also about the same time acorns are dropping which is a deer's primary food source here in MO. And the rut usually starts around the first or second week of November here. It's a fun time to be in the woods!

 

[mx1alex]

You can also broadcast some cereal grain out into your standing beans once the leaves start dropping for another food source. Or check and see if you farmer is interested in doing a cover crop. Here in my county the Soil and Water Conservation district will pay you more than what it costs to put it in. I'm doing cereal rye, turnips, radishes, and clover this year.

 

[Missouri Pioneer]

Bean leaves are yellowing and some dropping. Farmer says he'll harvest about deer season. Game cam pics have slowed down, guess they've been eating acorns.

Neighbor has game cam near property line facing our beans, hope he doesn't poach, but once the deer move onto his property, they're fair game for him.