Deer and cotton

[cane cutter]

Will deer eat cotton plants? Talked to a Farmer who is adding cotton to his planting rotation to cut down on deer damage.

 

[swampbadger]

Yes deer will eat cotton spring and early summer when the plants are still succulent. I've heard first hand accounts of deer chomping on newly sprouted cotton and the cotton bulbs as they are first forming.

After late summer when the plants start to dry and open, deer find more favorable food sources.

 

[Boll Weevil]

In regions where cotton is a common crop and baiting or supplemental feeding is allowed, cottonseed is popular for feeding. Deer will nip tender buds and leaves but having hunted on cotton producing farms (including my own...quit planting it in 2012), it's not a highly preferred food. A high yield cotton field is an ecological desert due to all the herbicide, pesticide, fungicide, etc.

The only thing that grows in a cotton field is cotton.

 

[swampbadger]

I'm sure it's not as prolific as deer in soy beans or corn. Maybe the window is much shorter when deer actually go after a cotton plant.

 

[swampbadger]

Even deer abandon soy bean after they are sprayed with defoliant in september and start to turn yellow. The lack of moisture in the plants is a big factor I believe.

Swamp vegetation that is still wet and crisp, persimmon and acorn droppings around late summer early fall are a bigger draw than the dried up crops that we see with the dry weather of september and october.

 

[BSK]

Deer generally ignore cotton as long as other foods are available. However, I have noticed deer will choose to browse on Roundup Ready cotton before they will browse regular cotton.

 

[cane cutter]

There hasn't been cotton on this place since the 50's long before the deer restoration. Looks like I'm gonna get some first hand experience!

 

[oldmanelrod]

I live in Limestone County, AL which is historically one of the the top cotton producing counties in AL. I say historically because we lay adjacent to Madison County, Huntsville, AL and its growth. I have not heard of a farmer complaining about deer eating cotton plants.

 

[Boll Weevil]

I have not heard of a farmer complaining about deer eating cotton plants.

I have hunted cotton fields in NC, SC, GA, MS, and TN and can honestly say other than nipping off a few stems or tender leaves very early in the growing process they won't fool with it. At that time of year and thru the course of the growing season there's far more highly preferred foods. Cotton is at/near the bottom.

 

[Popcorn]

Even deer abandon soy bean after they are sprayed with defoliant in september and start to turn yellow. The lack of moisture in the plants is a big factor I believe.

Swamp vegetation that is still wet and crisp, persimmon and acorn droppings around late summer early fall are a bigger draw than the dried up crops that we see with the dry weather of september and october.

I have never known of defoliant being used on soybeans. It does not happen around here. Production beans will usually self terminate (under ideal conditions) when the last pod is mature. It would seem the added cost for chemicals and application would be preventitive . Forage beans are a different story but of course everything wants the leaves to continue growing.

 

[drawforce]

They sure like bedding in cotton fields.

 

[CBU93]

They sure like bedding in cotton fields.

Yes. Although not a preferred food, cotton provides good cover and shade in the hot months before defoliation. The stalks are good cover as well after picking as the greenery that grows between rows in the fall/winter sun provides some varied browse as well. But cover is the big draw IMO.

 

[deerhunter10]

Even deer abandon soy bean after they are sprayed with defoliant in september and start to turn yellow. The lack of moisture in the plants is a big factor I believe.

Swamp vegetation that is still wet and crisp, persimmon and acorn droppings around late summer early fall are a bigger draw than the dried up crops that we see with the dry weather of september and october.

Our farmers have never sprayed to kill their beans. When they start to turn they do turn fast.

 

[1 good shot]

Deer generally ignore cotton as long as other foods are available. However, I have noticed deer will choose to browse on Roundup Ready cotton before they will browse regular cotton.

I've been told it has a salty taste that the deer like

 

[yellalinehunter]

In regions where cotton is a common crop and baiting or supplemental feeding is allowed, cottonseed is popular for feeding. Deer will nip tender buds and leaves but having hunted on cotton producing farms (including my own...quit planting it in 2012), it's not a highly preferred food. A high yield cotton field is an ecological desert due to all the herbicide, pesticide, fungicide, etc.

The only thing that grows in a cotton field is cotton.

Dove hunting can be good though after harvest

 

[memfuzz]

Like BSK stated, farmers have told me that they noticed that once RoundUp ready cotton became widespread, they noticed deer increasing utilization of it.

 

[Andy S.]

Here in SW TN, I've seen some big bucks killed in picked cotton fields late season, before the stalks are bush hogged. Many years, these fields have "new vegetation" growth in the rows. The "green" in the cotton rows is noticeable from a distance in the wintery gray landscape.

 

[TNlandowner]

I had a large hunting lease in Alabama that included several hundred acres of row crop land with cotton, corn, and bean crops. Deer browsing damage could always be seen especially along the field edges. The deer would eat the young, almost purple, new leaf grown. Similar to bean plants, this browsing damage prevented the plants from reaching maturity.

As others indicated, deer will always feed on the best food sources available. Which at times, includes cotton plants.

 

[wobblegobble]

Deer generally ignore cotton as long as other foods are available. However, I have noticed deer will choose to browse on Roundup Ready cotton before they will browse regular cotton.

They eat the pee out of it in my area!

 

[BigAl]

Here in SW TN, I've seen some big bucks killed in picked cotton fields late season, before the stalks are bush hogged. Many years, these fields have "new vegetation" growth in the rows. The "green" in the cotton rows is noticeable from a distance in the wintery gray landscape.

That's been my experience. However, most years our farmer will come in and spray all of that green just before deer season for some reason, leaving us with barren fields.

 

[cane cutter]

Been out checking the cotton for deer sign, only saw one set of tracks and no sign of browsing. Deer have been topping the corn here and there in an adjoining corn field.

 

[Chaneylake]

Deer generally ignore cotton as long as other foods are available. However, I have noticed deer will choose to browse on Roundup Ready cotton before they will browse regular cotton.

Salt taste from the Roundup is what we are guessing

 

[BSK]

Salt taste from the Roundup is what we are guessing

Interesting idea.

 

[tickweed]

I harvested a 32 point wild non typical in Madison county, Tn. in 2009. When I did have him scored, Twra had four scorers to assist in scoring him. Two different biologists asked me about cotton being planted in the area he was taken in. And yes, there was about 100 acres of cotton on this farm. They seemed to be interested in roundup, maybe causing his crazy antlers. They also had mentioned deer browsing cotton.

 

[oldmanelrod]

That's been my experience. However, most years our farmer will come in and spray all of that green just before deer season for some reason, leaving us with barren fields.

The cotton farmer will spray the cotton before it is harvested to make the plants yield more. Here on the TN/AL border in Limestone County, AL it usually done in OCT or NOV. The result is a barren field except for cotton boles.