Field corn

[tn droptine]

I'm doing some planning for my plots next spring, and have decided to do about half of my back field in corn (roughly 2.5 acres worth), the other half will be planting in something else like Imperial Powerplant (about 2 acres of it). This year I had Justin plant Eagle soybeans, and the deer just destroyed them - had great germination rate, the deer just never allowed the beans to grow above 6-8".

Question I have is this: Do deer eat the shoots of corn while it is growing? I would hate to spend the money planting corn just to have it browsed out before the corn matures.

 

[Chaneylake]

birds and ground critters like the corn before it sprouts, nothing seems to bother it after it sprouts until plants start producing ears of corn, then you will have some issues with coons and yotes, but not enough to really matter

I pour some terpentine on the seed, 16 ounces will easily do 100# of seed, just the smell of the terpentine will stop the birds and ground critters, and old farmer told me this trick

I also use the terpentine on my sunflower seed

I have a 7 acre field of corn in the middle of Hatchie Bottom, its been successful there for the past 10 years

 

[landman]

We haven't had to worry about seed like Channeylake, we no-till, but in fields like your talking about, the deer have been hammering the corn the past 30 days. Even though the refuge bottoms have corn in bottoms below. Some years you see it harder than others

 

[BSK]

Yes, deer will eat young corn shoots.

 

[DWM]

Yes, deer will eat young corn shoots.

Deer must do different in different areas. I walk my fields a lot and seldom ever see where deer eat on the young corn plants. Then on alternate years a see heavy damage when the field is in beans. Once the corn starts putting on an ear they will work the ears over good.

 

[Chaneylake]

Yes, deer will eat young corn shoots.

Deer must do different in different areas. I walk my fields a lot and seldom ever see where deer eat on the young corn plants. Then on alternate years a see heavy damage when the field is in beans. Once the corn starts putting on an ear they will work the ears over good.

same as Chaney area, deer are not bothering the corn shoots yets, you never know what next year will bring

 

[AlabamaSwamper]

Crows are the worst on young corn. They will pull it out of the ground when it's about 6" tall.

 

[BSK]

Yes, deer will eat young corn shoots.

Deer must do different in different areas.

No, deer eat corn everywhere it is grown. But some areas have better natural foods available at the time corn is in the youngest stage of growth (late spring green-up). However, if good-quality foods were limited, they would eat the young corn shoots.

 

[Chaneylake]

Crows are the worst on young corn. They will pull it out of the ground when it's about 6" tall.

the terpentine on the seed before planting will deter this

 

[tn droptine]

Yes, deer will eat young corn shoots.

Deer must do different in different areas.

No, deer eat corn everywhere it is grown. But some areas have better natural foods available at the time corn is in the youngest stage of growth (late spring green-up). However, if good-quality foods were limited, they would eat the young corn shoots.

I think with offering the deer the variety of young plants in the other plot where I will have the PowerPlant planted (2 acres), along with the clover/chicory plot that I am having planted this fall (1.5 acres) will help keep the browsing down on the young corn shoots.

 

[DWM]

Yes, deer will eat young corn shoots.

Deer must do different in different areas.

No, deer eat corn everywhere it is grown. But some areas have better natural foods available at the time corn is in the youngest stage of growth (late spring green-up). However, if good-quality foods were limited, they would eat the young corn shoots.

Can you show me evidence of this because I have never seen it in over 35 years of farming?

 

[Winchester]

Crows are the worst on young corn. They will pull it out of the ground when it's about 6" tall.

the terpentine on the seed before planting will deter this

Turkeys will do the same thing, pull up the sprout and eat the kernel off the bottom! The Turpentine trick sounds interesting Chaney!

 

[Chaneylake]

Crows are the worst on young corn. They will pull it out of the ground when it's about 6" tall.

the terpentine on the seed before planting will deter this

Turkeys will do the same thing, pull up the sprout and eat the kernel off the bottom! The Turpentine trick sounds interesting Chaney!

I thought it was crazy when I first told of this about 10 years ago, the birds/squirrels were digging up the seed before it would even sprout, now with the terpentine I do not give the critters second thought

 

[BSK]

Crows are the worst on young corn. They will pull it out of the ground when it's about 6" tall.

the terpentine on the seed before planting will deter this

Turkeys will do the same thing, pull up the sprout and eat the kernel off the bottom! The Turpentine trick sounds interesting Chaney!

I thought it was crazy when I first told of this about 10 years ago, the birds/squirrels were digging up the seed before it would even sprout, now with the terpentine I do not give the critters second thought

I'm surprised the turpentine doesn't damage the seed.

 

[Chaneylake]

Crows are the worst on young corn. They will pull it out of the ground when it's about 6" tall.

the terpentine on the seed before planting will deter this

Turkeys will do the same thing, pull up the sprout and eat the kernel off the bottom! The Turpentine trick sounds interesting Chaney!

I thought it was crazy when I first told of this about 10 years ago, the birds/squirrels were digging up the seed before it would even sprout, now with the terpentine I do not give the critters second thought

I'm surprised the turpentine doesn't damage the seed.

that was my first question about 10 years ago, no damage

I also put it on my sunflower seed