Beans- Cost per acre to leave standing

[Truedouble]

Property next to us has a 30 acre bean field. Just so happens that our thickest cover borders this field so I'm thinking about offering to pay the farmer to leave a couple of acres standing. Couldn't shoot a deer on the field, but due to the lay out of the land almost any deer using this field would come from our property.

any suggestions on optimal amount to leave and how much could I expect to pay per acre?

 

[BigSatt]

Talk to the farmer NOW and let him know what you would like to do. Don't wait until it gets close to cutting time. Most likely he will tell you to wait until harvest time to see how much production he is getting on average. Then take the average number of bushells per acre and multiply by the average price per bushell. We left about 3/4 of an acre standing on our place last year and I think it came to around $250; BUT you shouldn't use that as a gauge. Last Summer's drought caused the average yield per acre to be low.

 

[Truedouble]

was 3/4 of an acre enough to last through the season? Our rut is in late Dec./ early January, so I'd like to have enough to last at least through the rut.

 

[BigSatt]

No. The reason that we only left 3/4 of an acre is because the area that it was in cannot be seen from the highway. We figured that it would help to keep a few more deer on our farm once the beans dried out and the majority of the acorns were gone.

I'm not sure when the farmers harvest beans in your area; but, I would have to think that you would need to leave quite a bit more than 3/4 of an acre to stretch through the end of the year. The farm that I was referring to in my earlier post is in Western Ky., and the rut there is a lot sooner than that.

 

[Hawk]

Property next to us has a 30 acre bean field. Just so happens that our thickest cover borders this field so I'm thinking about offering to pay the farmer to leave a couple of acres standing. Couldn't shoot a deer on the field, but due to the lay out of the land almost any deer using this field would come from our property.

any suggestions on optimal amount to leave and how much could I expect to pay per acre?

$10 to $13 per bus X 40 Bus P/A = 400 to 520 P/A

 

[Football Hunter]

Sounds pretty expensive,wonder about seeding oats in his field,could do a 5 or 6 acres for 50 bucks or so

 

[Truedouble]

Thanks Hawk.

Planting oats or wheat would be a lot cheaper, but we already have a lot of foodplots, one of which is in the middle of this bedding area. I've never hunted over beans so can't say from personal experience, but have always heard that standing beans and corn will attract deer more than any other food source. I'd like to get some opinions on this cause $500 is a lot to spend for one acre of food if my one acre of wheat, oats, clover in this spot is going to attract deer just as well.

 

[Football Hunter]

JMO,but 1 acre of beans will get whacked by the deer pretty quick,assuming you have a good deer population.In the QDMA food plot book,they refer to oats as one of the best attractants there is.I would not pay for the beans myself,just imagine,6 o7 deer per night feeding in them,wouldnt take long,they would be gone.

 

[Truedouble]

good thought. Anyone think leaving a couple of acres in beans is a good idea?

Never heard oats were more attractive to deer than wheat or other annuals. So what is the downside of just planting oats?

 

[Football Hunter]

good thought. Anyone think leaving a couple of acres in beans is a good idea?

Never heard oats were more attractive to deer than wheat or other annuals. So what is the downside of just planting oats?

Go on the QDMA website and order their food plot book.Best money you'll ever spend.IMO

 

[jmb4wd]

I think that planting the oats, or WW would be the best and cheaper route.

Just don't thing the beans left standing would be justifiy the cost, or provide near the attraction as oats or wheat.

 

[Ahuntin1]

Beans are much less productive once the leaves are gone.

 

[Boone 58]

Good point! :)

 

[Truedouble]

thanks for the input. I think I've changed my mind.

 

[Greg M]

Beans after leaf drop = no good. My father in law farms in Iowa and he get $10 to $12/ bushel and 60 bushels per acre. I just got back from there this afternoon and his beans are knee high and thick. Must be the dirt.

 

[DWM]

Beans after leaf drop = no good. My father in law farms in Iowa and he get $10 to $12/ bushel and 60 bushels per acre. I just got back from there this afternoon and his beans are knee high and thick. Must be the dirt.

Deer will eat the bean but not as good as the leaves. They taste a lot like peanuts. I guess Iowa must have bad dirt because I get $14/ bushel and 70 bushels acre. My beans on high dry-land are over waist tall and so thick you can't walk in them. :D