When will deer turn back to soybeans?

[Bushape]

Sorry my experience with ag is limited. We have around 200 acres of soybeans that have yet to be harvested. Saw one doe yesterday just glassing. I know that they back off when the leaves start dying. Will the acorns keep their attention until they are gone or are the beans bitter right now?

 

[Ski]

IME deer don't prefer beans once they're yellow or brown. They like the other greens and young volunteer bean sprouts that randomly pop up during nice weather stretches of winter.

 

[Popcorn]

In western Ky my experience on standing beans is they will stay on acorns till they are gone, usually December then will hit the dry beans in passes to the green plots. They will return to the empty bean pods in January. Interestingly the pod hulls are very nutritious just not preferable till choices are sparse

 

[backyardtndeer]

When the temps plummet, they will hammer dried out beans. Have watched them many many times in dried beans late season, when they need those calories.

 

[Swampster]

Last year, my farmer left quite a few standing on the edges. I never saw any deer on them or indication that they had been. I usually see them in any remaining beans. I've seen squirrels eating them too.

 

[Boll Weevil]

There's SO MANY akerns this year, once some more are consumed, rot, sprout, or get wormy the deer will refocus on other stuff. But it's also been dry so rotting and sprouting is somewhat less likely. Could be awhile.

 

[UTGrad]

On the farm I hunt during bean years, I've seen deer come out and hit dried up beans very late in the season on cold, frosty mornings. I killed a doe feeding on a stand of beans the combine missed between Christmas and New Years.

 

[Bgoodman30]

We have about 10 acres or standing beans now. Haven't seen the deer feeding on them yet. They are feeding on leftover acorns and the patchy green wheat plots that are coming up...

 

[BSK]

I've heard many hunters say they think deer "prefer" dried soybeans in late winter. In my opinion, they go to dried beans in late winter simply because there's nothing else. I don't think dried beans are ever preferred over other palatable, nutritious foods.

 

[ImThere]

They will not. IMHO. I have never, ever seen deer go back to beans once they yellow. They will stay in acorns and anything green. Privet or ANYTHING over yellow or dried beans.

 

[DoubleRidge]

I cant say they prefer dried standing beans but can say that in late winter with cold temps, especially with some snow, deer will absolutely eat them....mild temps with acorns and green plots available...not so much.