Another year, another food plot failure...

[ssramage]

Successful food plots elude me....the bagged corn never lets me down though.

Planted about 1/4 acre or so of iron clay peas a couple weeks ago. Checked it last week and things were looking great. Nice germination, plants about 3" high with a few leaves showing already.

Checked it today and the deer had mowed it to the ground. Between it being a woods plot with not much sunlight, and high deer grazing pressure, I'm convinced I'll never make a plot here.

 

[Gadestroyer74]

With a plot that size no kind of peas will make it without some kind of protection or deterrent.

 

[ssramage]

With a plot that size no kind of peas will make it without some kind of protection or deterrent.

True. They typically don't show up in #s to this spot until later in the summer. I was hoping to get by for a bit until they found it but I was wrong.

 

[Gadestroyer74]

True. They typically don't show up in #s to this spot until later in the summer. I was hoping to get by for a bit until they found it but I was wrong.

Deer always find fresh dirt and food.. not sure if you have tried milorganite. It’s organic nitrogen that stinks to high heaven. I have used it with good success on protecting soybeans in the past. If you decide to try again give it a try it most likely will help you. Moth Balls work pretty good too

 

[kmckinnie]

What I do is wait til later in the year. Like 2 months before bow season. I plant with a camera on it to see when they peak eating. Do again. See how quick. Then start trying to time it for opening of bow season. Plant it extra thick for that weekend. Shoot a deer.

 

[kmckinnie]

I use soybean for this. They cheaper and deer love them more.

 

[kmckinnie]

Could try soybean with IC. They eat soy 1 st. May give the ic a chance.

 

[roscoe54]

I planted iron clay peas with sunn hemp three different plots So far only one plot the peas have been eaten down sunn hemp looks good

 

[Canuck5]

I quit planting cowpeas and soybeans after 5 acres were eaten to the ground.

Try perennial white clover this fall, in that 1/4 acre plot. Get your soil ph up above 6, now and work on weed control.

 

[Canuck5]

This was about a 40 foot diameter plot, we used to call the Helicopter pad, because it truly was that big. Planted in Durana white clover, which did well.

 

[elfiii]

I quit planting cowpeas and soybeans after 5 acres were eaten to the ground.

Try perennial white clover this fall, in that 1/4 acre plot. Get your soil ph up above 6, now and work on weed control.

This. ^ Planting peas in anything less than 10 acres is just throwing money and hard work away. For small plots Durana clover is the way to go.

 

[ssramage]

This. ^ Planting peas in anything less than 10 acres is just throwing money and hard work away. For small plots Durana clover is the way to go.

Clover didn't grow well last year. This spot is pretty heavily shaded but gets filtered sunlight. I was just looking something to carry it for the summer until I replant (maybe).

 

[elfiii]

Clover didn't grow well last year. This spot is pretty heavily shaded but gets filtered sunlight. I was just looking something to carry it for the summer until I replant (maybe).

Soil pH is the key plus a good cover crop. Getting Durana started is a year long proposition. Patience is required.

 

[kmckinnie]

Buck eating my clover this morning.
White tail clover.
1st year with it. Think I like it.

 

[dfurdennis]

I've gone to clover in the spring and turnips and radish during the deer season, got 4 apple trees I'm putting in the ground. These are from Midwest deer trees and are supposed to produce within 3 years so we shall see. The turnips seem to draw them in pretty good all the way through the season, they eat the greenery early and hit the actual turnips later but I have about a 1/2 acre food plot and have a trough feeder fairly close by so that helps keep them off it a little while.

 

[Terry2T]

I have had a lot of success planting small plots, but an electric fence is a must. If you aren't willing to spend the money and time for the fence, Durana clover is the way to go.