Soy beans for deer?

[Raider Bill]

I've got a couple acres total spread out in smaller patches all over my land. I was wondering what I could plant that would be no upkeep, be perenial and attrach deer?
Soybeans?
Don't want to harvest them just feed bambi

[Texas Ranger]

You will plant them every year, as an annual, but, deer go for the beans, and the young plants.  Biggest deer I ever killed was walking the rows of a harvested bean field, picking up each seed lost during harvest.

[Raider Bill]

Do you think it's worth doing/ cost effective?
Or any other suggestions?

[Fla._Deadheader]

Orchard Grass-Brome mix and Ladina White Clover. Perennial and might have to get a 4 X 4 to drag up the meat.  ;)

[Raider Bill]

Is that something that I can just spread or would I have to set the seeds?
Seed in fall?

[Norm]

There's tons of websites out there selling custom seed for deer that's perennial but you can go to the local seed dealer and do it cheaper. Tell them what you want to do and they'll be able to suggest seeds that are best for your local climate.

If you decide that soybeans are worth the hassle it's too late this year to get a very good crop of them by fall in my area. I'm not sure how late of a frost date you have so you may ask the same seed dealer if it's worth doing.

I will say that the deer will pick through our soybean fields over the corn fields by a large margin. I have my A-3 sighted in at 400 yds..... just to scare them with. ;D

[crowder888]

I planted about an acre of Whitetail Institue clover last August.  Even though it was dry it still took root and started to grow.  Just checked it again last week and it has taken over.  I've seen plenty of deer grazing in it too.

[farmerdoug]

Check out rapeseed(canola) for deer too.  It is planted in the fall around like winter wheat.  Deer find it like candy.

[crowder888]

Has anybody ever used "Secret Spot" by Whitetail Institue?  I just got a bag but hadn't put it out yet.  One thing that attracted me to it was the no till option.  Lets face it, tilling is a ton of work unless you've got the right equipment.

[beenthere]

Do you think it's worth doing/ cost effective?
........

Now Raider Bill....what does "cost effective" have to do with anything connected to deer feeding??   ;D ;D ;D

[Raider Bill]

Do you think it's worth doing/ cost effective?
........

Now Raider Bill....what does "cost effective" have to do with anything connected to deer feeding??   ;D ;D ;D

I don't hunt them just like to watch em around the property. smiley_heh_heh

[farmerdoug]

If you want to attract deer, plant veggies on a large scale.  I watch them all of the time. :D

[Raider Bill]

Too late for me to do that this year. Maybe next year I will have a garden, time permitting. I hope to have this house done over the winter giving me time to put in a nice garden.
I'm looking for something that I can possibly scatter seeds this fall for spring growth.

I have a bog harrow to break up the ground.

[maestro]

You can use blackberry and crab apple too.  Soy and clover are great but it may depend on how much time/money you want to invest.  Check your local laws though, you don't want someone accusing you of "baiting" them, whether you hunt or not.  Actual feeding during open seasons isn't usually allowed so I'd stay away from troughs or salt licks unless you want to put them away during hunting season.

[Raider Bill]

I have acres of wild blackberries. [MAde some great pies last trip!] But none around the house where I'd like to draw the deer.

[CLL]

Plant turnips and chickory, eat well and have big deer. Deer meat and turnips.!!

[Weekend_Sawyer]

I just planted 10lb of buckwheat on my 1/4 acre feedlot last weekend.
I broadcast it over the turnups, chicory, clover and misc leftover garden seeds I planted in the late spring. The deer have been keeping it cropped pretty close, going to try and expand the feedlot to 1/2 acre next year.

I asked a WV DNR dude what I should plant to attract deer, he said whatever you plant they will eat.

[ARKANSAWYER]

  Oats and wheat are good fall plants and easy to plant and you can broad cast them.  Turnips are good but deer do not eat them till after a good frost most of the time.  Clover is good and the Whitetail I brand does well at spreading.   They eat  my wifes roses pretty hard and seem to like honeysuckel.

[OneWithWood]

My oak seedlings seem to be the favorite treat for our white tails.   :(

[stonebroke]

Red clover also works.

Stonebroke

[Raider Bill]

I guess I will just buy a smorgasboard of seeds I can broadcast and spread them out.

I have a automatic feeder set up and bought some sweet feed but it doesn't seem to drop ell. Everyday I have to go pound on it some to get the feed to drop onto the spinner.

[CLL]

you can buy alfalfa pellets, they work well in a feeder, corn too. Just don't buy anything with molasses in it.

[cheyenne]

Just throw the feed on the groud in piles where you want to watch them. It will pull them like magnets. Mine won't touch alphalfa cubes or hay. I use sweet feed,whole corn,cracked corn & scratch grain for the turkeys but every body eats it all & grey fox love sweet feed. I have found just broadcasting clover makes everybody happy. But i just do it for the squirls & woodchucks. Cheyenne

[thecfarm]

I use to feed them and bring the deer right up close to the house.I used a sweet grain and would mix in day old bread from the bread store.I would broad cast it by hand.They LOVED it.The deer would be bed down on the woods road waiting for me in the morning.We has alot of fun watching them and have them on video.This was not done during hunting season.I doubt they would of come.In the spring they would just stop coming,even though there would be food for them there.

[cheyenne]

mine come all year long & believe it or not once when we didn't put feed out they came up on the deck & pounded on it with their hoofs for me to feed them. They get patterned like any animal. Last night i had 5 grey fox in the yard eating leftovers. I was waiting for them to ask for a beverage. Cheyenne