Food Plots Give it another go, or no

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RobbyW

RobbyW

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Henry County TN
Still fairly new to food plots. This will be my 3 year. My first plot was a turnip field that grew big, looked healthy, was weed free....looked perfect. Waited for the frost for the sugar to go up and waited for the deer, and then I waited a lot more. They never took to it. I would see one or two cross the field and maybe swipe at a lef on their way through but that was it. I have now read that some deer just need to get used to and then they will love it. It's been 3 years so I figure I am stating over with them, but has anyone seen this same senero? Am I better off not even trying again?
 
Join the club. I moved here 10 years ago. Plant turnips they said. Plant rape they said. I did. Grew great crops. Not one plant was touched. I grow red clover now.
 
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I've never had deer eat a turnip. The WI "WinterGreens" have been totally ignored too in some places even when I planted them 2 years in a row. Last year though, I planted "No Plow" - which contains the same brassica - in a real secluded plot and they ate all the brassicas down to the dirt.

My experience has been that no matter what your hunting buddies may tell you to plant, it may not be what your deer want. Also what they will eat in one place, they won't touch 200 yards away.

You have to try it for yourself. For this reason, I do prefer a mix rather than a single plant as it increases the odds a lot that the deer will like at least one plant. While they are there eating that part of your plot, they might accidently eat something else in the mix and start to come back for it too.
 
Hunter 257W said:
While they are there eating that part of your plot, they might accidently eat something else in the mix and start to come back for it too.
Click to expand...

This is the reason why I'm not very persistent with eradicating broad-leaf weeds, unless they are super aggressive and attempt to take over.
 
I've planted turnips, radishes, every type of "name brand" mix of brasicas you can think of with absolutely no results. I plant a mix of oats, wheat, and clover, deer will walk through turnips to get to that mix.
 
Works very well for us. Have 300# of Rape & Daikon Raidish blend that will go in the ground this weekend.
 
I think it depends on the soil. I have a buddy in McNairy County that plants purpletop turnips every year and the deer love it. But they will not touch the stuff on my place in Hardeman County. So I'll never plant it again.
 

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