...if the deer are eating my dried up soybeans that is a less than desirable herd indicator....I dont understand that...

I wonder what other highly desirable food source could be out there since the neighbors are not planting food plots and no unharvested row crop..

I hunted IL during the second gun season and the deer were hammering the bean fields. I'm still not sure what could be more desirable than beans right now,besides standing corn, unless they want to eat some stems, wheat, or rotting acorns.

Bsk,

In a field with standing beans, wheat, oats, clover,rape, and winter peas, why are the deer paying more attention to the standing beans and leaving the rest somewhat untouched? This is the reason we have stopped planting everything but corn and beans. This is true even into the spring green up, not just during hunting season.

Once again, that's the point. Better quality foods need to be planted.

Bsk?

I understand what you are saying but I have over an acre of brassicas,which you are saying is higher quality, and he deer are not touching them...why would this be??

Deer are genetically driven to seek out high-energy foods at this time of year. If deer are subsisting heavily on soybeans at this time of year, their diet is lacking in what the most need. I would consider heavy utilization of soybeans at this time of year to be a negative indicator.