Like turnips/radish much?

[PickettSFHunter]

These deer sure do. I hadnt had any plots cleared on this place until this year, and just put in a "test" plot of around 1/4 acre of turnip/radish mix. On my other place it took the deer a few years to begin using turnips/radish mix very much and then its not til later like Decemberish. This purple top, seven top, radish mix was about 18-24 inches high on average just last weekend. We had a frost or two last week and 3 days later the 1/4 acre of brassica looks like this. Guess I really should have planted the whole field in them.

 

[AndyW]

WOW

 

[Football Hunter]

That looks really good.

 

[Hollar Hunter]

I did the purple and seven but no radishes I'll have to add that to the mix...

 

[Southern Sportsman]

The past 4 years I've grown purple top turnips and have had some great looking plots, but to my knowledge, they weren't touched by deer. They just got huge, rabbits ate to the tops of them, we cut some greens for our own use, and I bushhoged down the tall stems the next spring. I've quit planting them now.

 

[Bayou Buck]

Like to see that. I hope these early frosts get the deer using mine more often. Plan on sitting over my turnip and beet plot for juvenile with my nephew.

 

[BSK]

I never cease to be amazed how deer will go crazy over a particular plant in one spot and not touch it in another. And I've seen this with the same plant in different plots on the same property. I suspect differences in soil type/composition are the reason.

 

[Southern Sportsman]

I figured our deer were just picky. The turnips were planted down the edge of a fairly large clover plot. There is a 5 acre corn field just a few hundred yards away which we flood for ducks, about an acre of beans equally close, and plenty of acorns. I figured they just never got hungry enough to try something new. But I have seen turnip plots in other places that looked like a mine field from deer digging.

 

[BSK]

I figured they just never got hungry enough to try something new. But I have seen turnip plots in other places that looked like a mine field from deer digging.

Honestly, I've seen deer wear out a particular plant in one plot and not touch it in a plot 1/4 mile away. A real head-scratcher...

 

[Football Hunter]

I figured they just never got hungry enough to try something new. But I have seen turnip plots in other places that looked like a mine field from deer digging.

Honestly, I've seen deer wear out a particular plant in one plot and not touch it in a plot 1/4 mile away. A real head-scratcher...

Proximity to cover maybe?

 

[BSK]

I figured they just never got hungry enough to try something new. But I have seen turnip plots in other places that looked like a mine field from deer digging.

Honestly, I've seen deer wear out a particular plant in one plot and not touch it in a plot 1/4 mile away. A real head-scratcher...

Proximity to cover maybe?

They literally pick between one plant to eat others. It has to be something about how a plant growing in a particular type of soil tastes.

 

[1shot1kill]

We planted approx 3 acres of Imperial winter greens. purple top turnips, sugar beets, winter wheat, winter rye, austrian winter peas and clover. The majority of it is over a foot tall. The plots are super lush and look like something you would see on a tv show! And you cant tell the deer have touched it! We have around $500 in the whole deal and you talk about disappointing! We planted in east tn and havent had any good frosts yet so im hoping once all of the nuts get gobbled up or the frost sets in the deer will start to use our fields.

 

[BSK]

1shot1kill,

That sounds like an awesome plot. I wouldn't worry about usage yet. Acorns outdraw just about everything, and without a hard freeze, there is still plenty of browse for deer to feed on.

I have 12 different small food plots scattered around my place. All are planted in the same thing. In quite a few of those plots, I can't buy a trail-camera picture of a deer feeding. Yet in one particular plot, I get multiple bucks feeding and sparring and rubbing every day. It is a buck convention in that one plot. But why not any of the others? I have no idea. Deer are funny critters sometimes...

 

[348Winchester]

Steven, I'm getting the same reults as you. Here in Brewstertown the deer are wearing out mt turnips, kale, rape, and beets. At my old place in Robbins they barely touched brassicas.

What type of radish did you plant?

 

[muddyboots]

We planted a test plot of crush radish and they are killing it also.

 

[Super8]

Ive had the same issues with turnips sometimes they eat them up and other times they ignore them but Australian Peas never seem to fail and the Deer dont want to leave a pea patch

 

[BSK]

Australian Peas never seem to fail and the Deer dont want to leave a pea patch

Finding the best plants to grow in fall/winter food plots is always a matter of experimentation. Try a lot of different things and find out what the local deer like best, grown in the soils you have to work with. That's why I always hesitate to post a list of the "best" plants to plant. What works great in one area may not be preferred at all in another area, or even in another plot on the same property.

Austrian Winter Peas (AWP) are a prime example. In loamy-clay soils, deer usually go crazy over AWP. However, in high sand content soils, deer often leave AWP untouched. To find what works best for your local conditions, experiment, experiment, and experiment some more...

 

[PickettSFHunter]

Steven, I'm getting the same reults as you. Here in Brewstertown the deer are wearing out mt turnips, kale, rape, and beets. At my old place in Robbins they barely touched brassicas.

What type of radish did you plant?

Those are Daikon Radish.