is there anything deer like better than corn...

[fins&fur]

and soybeans..or something that could compete with them..i ask because i have a farm that i hunt..354 acres..that is 50% row crop and cattle pasture..landowner sold off cattle and we had a pasture i been hepling him get ready for an agg field next year..there were a few springs we had to dig out and run underground pipe for drainage in the middle of the pasture..but the back 10 acres or so wasnt worth trying to drain so i just stoped clearing..i ended up with a beautifull strip with a slough at the end..its about 60yds wide and bout 250yds long..if i can find something to plant that may help keep the deer out of the crops i can plant..but the man hates deer and he would never let me put out anything to bring them in..but..if i could convince him it was something they like better and they MAY not do so much crop damage i could plant away..help me fellas..i hate to see this spot grow up..i have to bushog it..here are a few pics of the spot..and thanks for any help..
looking the lengh of it

bout halfway down

looking into new agg field

 

[CopperHead77]

Oak trees! Seriously I don't know of anything that would keep'em outta the corn or soybeans

 

[population control]

if you was to plant winter stuff i cant see how it would hurt his summer crops , the ones you kill in the winter wont be back this summer to eat his corn or beans

 

[megalomaniac]

Let it grow up!!! Native browse is wonderful stuff... of course, you'll need to bushhog it every other to 3rd year or so.

As far as what do deer prefer over corn or beans? White oak acorns. They will seek them out when they are dropping for the fat content they provide... one of the few deer food sources which actually contain a significant amount of fat (which is invaluable for increasing body weight for the winter)

 

[.300 WSM]

You'll hav eto work hard at it, plant purple hull peas for the summer and austrian winter peas and some type of brassicas in the winter would give your crops marginal relief.

 

[hard county]

Clover, undoubtedly. Its the most highly prefered, produces the most tonnage, does the best for the soil, I would go with Durana.

 

[WestTn Huntin man]

During spring and summer, it is important to have fields that green up early. They favor early growing grasses and legumes such as Canada wild-rye, June grass, orchard grass, blue grass, timothy, and clovers like medium-red, alsike, and ladino.
It's not to late to plant some rye and clover.

http://www.michigandnr.com/publications ... t/Deer.htm

This link is for Michigan but has some very good imformation that will work for Tn.

 

[johndeere]

Try sumthin that all of you may benifit from like alfalfa he could cut it for hay in the spring and summer and u and tha deer would have one awesome food plot a round up ready alfalfa should be back on the market by next fall.

 

[hard county]

Try sumthin that all of you may benifit from like alfalfa he could cut it for hay in the spring and summer and u and tha deer would have one awesome food plot a round up ready alfalfa should be back on the market by next fall.

Clover also will make a great cut of hay.

 

[CWT]

fins&fur,
Never plant any type of perennial cool season grasses for your deer unless it is "native warm season grasses" for fawning cover & small game. The perennial grasses "orchard grass, fescue, blue grass, timothy ect. ect. will take over your plot and choke out anything else you plant and plus being low patlitability with lower nutrition the deer will turn up their noses at it. You might as well pave your property. Any type of legume will be great with maybe adding chicory if you like for a year round plot.
Download this link and it will give you some great info and ideas about what to plant and what not to plant. http://www.utextension.utk.edu/publicat ... PB1743.pdf

 

[fins&fur]

thanks all...and thanks for the links..i have too find something that is as apealing to the landowner as well as the deer..the only thing about clover is the joining landowner across the bottom has clover in every place he can plant it..not sure if i could.."fight clover with clover"..so to speak..only good thing is he is BIG in QDM..out of 1200 acres that surrounds my house i have 2 farms with a total of 500 +/= acres..he has the rest..all the farms are in ag..so i would like to find something to offer them besides clover..or do you think it would matter..there is a pretty good bottom between us..not sure many deer are gettin across it anyway..

 

[TN24081]

fins&fur,
Never plant any type of perennial cool season grasses for your deer unless it is "native warm season grasses" for fawning cover & small game. The perennial grasses "orchard grass, fescue, blue grass, timothy ect. ect. will take over your plot and choke out anything else you plant and plus being low patlitability with lower nutrition the deer will turn up their noses at it. You might as well pave your property. Any type of legume will be great with maybe adding chicory if you like for a year round plot.
Download this link and it will give you some great info and ideas about what to plant and what not to plant. http://www.utextension.utk.edu/publicat ... PB1743.pdf

He's right.... kinda. I planted timothy grass around my bare pond bank back in early spring. It ended up in my clover patch and turned it into a salad bar. It didn't completely choke it out but I'm sure it will in given time. There is still clover there and you cant run the deer out of it but in a year or two it'll be gone.

I would go with peas.... they are great for late season.

 

[fins&fur]

CWT...great link..thanks

 

[hard county]

Then I would go with Alfalfa or chicory.