Scott,

On properties that neighbor production corn and beans it’s usually not necessary to establish warm season plots. The production beans will provide great quality forage. Deer frequently use corn for cover. However, typically production crops are harvested before or during the early part of deer season. Once the crops are harvested, the local herds will often change use/travel patterns. They will still search for spilled grain where the crops were harvested. Unharvested grain or good quality forage is now in demand by the local deer herd. I have multiple clients that hunt properties in production agricultural areas. One of the designs we often use in this type of habitat is to establish attraction plots in areas of cover. These food sources become hot spots once the local production crops are harvested. Deer will continue to search the production agricultural fields for grain, but mainly at night. The sources of food tucked away in areas of cover usually are used by deer much more frequently during daylight hours, unless they receive as much hunting pressure as the production agricultural fields.

The crops to plant in these attraction plots depend on when they are to be hunted. Well fertilized wheat is a fine crop for early season hunting. However, in relatively small plots, it can become over-browsed before the rut or late season. Forage brassicas can provide tons of forage and deer usually wait until a frost or two to consume them. However, when the local herd decides it prefers brassicas, they can consume all the forage in a small plot rapidly. The tonnage of grain produced by Eagle Seed forage soybeans often outweighs the tonnage produced by many forage crops. Deer are very attracted to most grains, especially soybean grain during the fall. However, forage soybeans may be consumed in small plots before they produce grain. A simple solution is to use an electric fence to protect the crop until you desire to hunt. This system is a great tool for establishing maximum forage/grain for the hunting season.

If a fence is not used, there is always a trade-off between palatability/tons of forage produced/deer herd density. Fences help insure plenty of quality food available in small plots when the hunter wants to hunt.

Growing Deer together,

Grant