Iron clay peas or forage soy beans???

[Deer Fanatic]

Never really planted for bow season.. always just do oats or radishes for later. Timber guys are done and I have the food plot cleaned up of all the debris and figured I would go ahead and plant now then in mid/late Oct. harrow up and go with oats. So which do yall prefer? I/C peas or forage beans?

 

[Canuck5]

Whatever is the cheapest ...... Acidic soil? I'd lean towards I/C cowpeas.

 

[Deer Fanatic]

I/C peas are $10 a bag more but thats no biggie to me. Havn't limed this year- may get some quick release if I can find it before I plant

 

[Canuck5]

Get a soil test done too, if you haven't already. Soybeans, if they get nipped off below the first 2 leaves, they won't regrow, cowpeas will.

 

[shdw633]

Can I ask how big this area is that you are planting and how strong your deer herd is. If you are not planting larger acreage you could find yourself defeated before the season even starts. IC peas and soybeans get wiped out easily by even a modest herd. They let them get up to about 3 inches and you get all excited then come back a few days later to find nothing.

 

[Mexican Squealer]

Cowpeas at this stage in the game would be my choice.

 

[Miguel Cervantes]

Maybe we did it wrong in the past but our deer would thumb their nose at IC peas but would flat wear out Soy Beans.

 

[Deer Fanatic]

Can I ask how big this area is that you are planting and how strong your deer herd is. If you are not planting larger acreage you could find yourself defeated before the season even starts. IC peas and soybeans get wiped out easily by even a modest herd. They let them get up to about 3 inches and you get all excited then come back a few days later to find nothing.

This plot is a shade over 1/4 acre behind my house. I have a couple resident does with fawns pretty much living on my place. There are more here but they just pass through on occasion. This planting is more than anything an experiment as I havn't done a summer plot before. I have 30 or so sawtoooths that are loaded as well as tons of crabapples hanging around this plot so there will be plenty for them to eat. I have more deer later in the year than in the summer if that makes sense.

 

[shdw633]

This plot is a shade over 1/4 acre behind my house. I have a couple resident does with fawns pretty much living on my place. There are more here but they just pass through on occasion. This planting is more than anything an experiment as I havn't done a summer plot before. I have 30 or so sawtoooths that are loaded as well as tons of crabapples hanging around this plot so there will be plenty for them to eat. I have more deer later in the year than in the summer if that makes sense.

Yes, but I would still highly recommend that if you want to plant either of those that you either put up a fence or the very least put in a cover crop along with it, something that will shoot up quickly and protect the young plants, even if it is a plant that is more for summer plots, like a buckwheat, millet or sunn hemp, because even though those plants will die off this fall after a frost, it will give your peas and/or soybeans some protection while they grow up and take their place. You can also try plotwatcher tape as I have heard many on here say they are having success with it and that is something I am trying this season as well. I can tell you from experience that, in my opinion, you won't have a plot come deer season if you don't take at least one of those measures. I have spent countless amounts of money trying everything under the sun to keep the deer off until the season starts and short of an electric fence I have not been successful at keeping them from wiping them out before the season even got here and we even have soybean and corn fields located right across from our property. It is always your money and your decision, I am just telling you what my experiences over the years have taught me in regards to planting legumes in small acreage areas.

 

[antharper]

I planted I/C peas today

 

[Deer Fanatic]

Decided on the I/C peas. Planted yesterday

 

[bamahunter21]

I planted close to half an acre of I/C peas two weeks ago and they are doing great. I threw a premix spring plot bag of sorghum, millet, and soybeans in half of it i will let grow up. The other half i will replant October. The patch is oddly shaped so i cant capture much in a picture.

 

[Jim Boyd]

Looks great!!

 

[OmenHonkey]

DF, have you planted yet? If not i have I/C peas and some Buckwheat seed left over. Since you're close we can make a deal.

 

[elfiii]

This plot is a shade over 1/4 acre behind my house.

Like shdw633 said you're probably going to be throwing money away planting peas in a plot that small. I've tried it just to prove everybody right and yep, they were right. Your peas will sprout, you'll get excited and two days later you will be back to bare dirt again. Deer can vacuum clean 1/4 acre of peas overnight and when they find them that's what they will do.

 

[Miguel Cervantes]

Best shade plot crop I ever grew was clover. Planted it in early September and it was big hit with the bucks.

 

[Canuck5]

I quit planting soybeans and cowpeas, after 5 acres vanished and I was left with weeds.

 

[elfiii]

I quit planting soybeans and cowpeas, after 5 acres vanished and I was left with weeds.

I don't mind peas if they are in a mix. They get the deer coming to the plot and hopefully coming back after the pea sprouts are gone. At least that's the logic I apply to the equation.

 

[Canuck5]

Elfiii, I've sent you a couple of IM's ...... have you not gotten them?

 

[Deer Fanatic]

DF, have you planted yet? If not i have I/C peas and some Buckwheat seed left over. Since you're close we can make a deal.

Planted the peas on Sat. I am planning on planting buckwheat- hopefully 3 crops- starting early spring next year tho