What's eating my corn?

[catscratch]

First yr to plant corn, and have no experience hunting it. Corn is new to me!
So what's eating it? Is it coons, is it opening on it's own or is something opening it, rabbits, deer, etc?

 

[MarkDarvin]

Oh no! Time for a special set trail cam.

 

[MarkDarvin]

Coons would take down the whole stalk. That's about all I know.

 

[catscratch]

I have coon traps set at the ends of the plot in anticipation. So far nothing. I may have to move a camera for a week or two.

Coons would take down the whole stalk. That's about all I know.

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[MarkDarvin]

That must be some extra special corn to get such attention.

 

[catscratch]

Lol, it sure as hell is! I've enjoyed growing it that's for sure.

That must be some extra special corn to get such attention.

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[Crimson n' Camo]

Maybe squirrels?....The downside of corn is that nearly every critter in the woods will try to eat it.

 

[Drycreek]

Lol, it sure as hell is! I've enjoyed growing it that's for sure.

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At least you got to see it grow. My one and only try at it, the hogs came the night after it was planted and went down every row eating the ten pounds I put out. It was just for a visual barrier anyway, but hell...........

 

[bigbluetruck]

Coons will rip the ear off and destroy as much as possible. Ive never seen squirrels do that, they usually take the whole ear and clean kernels off and the cob will lay under the tree they live in, but that's on ears that don't make it into a combine. My guess is deer, theyre eating it off the cob like you would an ear of sweet corn

 

[catscratch]

No obvious deer tracks in the corn but there is rabbit crap. I've seen rabbits climb trees to eat brows on particularly rough winters... it wouldn't surprise me if they were standing up on tip toes to get corn. I'll have to watch for them a little better.

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[swat1018]

Coons knock it down to eat it. Deer eat it off the stalk standing. Although it looks odd, any bug problems in the area corn?

 

[catscratch]

Coons knock it down to eat it. Deer eat it off the stalk standing. Although it looks odd, any bug problems in the area corn?

Great yr for bugs and we've been seeing crazy big bugs! Grasshoppers are very abundant! I don't know corn bugs though. Each ear that I open tends to have a worm near the tip.

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[swat1018]

I'd say it may be bugs. If it's not too daunting a task, I'd probably spray it.

 

[bigbluetruck]

No obvious deer tracks in the corn but there is rabbit crap. I've seen rabbits climb trees to eat brows on particularly rough winters... it wouldn't surprise me if they were standing up on tip toes to get corn. I'll have to watch for them a little better.

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Its definatly not bug damage, never seen rabbits do that, then again all our corn has ears that are much higher off the ground. I've got a field with ears that are shoulder level on me (I'm just shy of 6' in my boots)

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[X-farmerdan]

I agree. It's definitely not bug damage, but humor me. Cut the stalk. Is it hollow in the middle? Just eliminating a possibility. I do think it might, maybe be .......

 

[bigbluetruck]

I agree. It's definitely not bug damage, but humor me. Cut the stalk. Is it hollow in the middle? Just eliminating a possibility. I do think it might, maybe be .......

Are you thinking stalk borer?

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[catscratch]

I agree. It's definitely not bug damage, but humor me. Cut the stalk. Is it hollow in the middle? Just eliminating a possibility. I do think it might, maybe be .......

What ya think farmerdan?

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[bigbluetruck]

Looks normal to me. Are you peeling back the husks or are they already back?

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[X-farmerdan]

Upon seeing the pictures this morning my first reaction was raccoons, especially little ones. But, if there are no stalks on the ground then it's probably something else. And, upon further review (as they say) in my experience if it is raccoons and/or deer, the corn doesn't last until the dent stage like what we see in your pictures. My second thought was birds. Crows? Turkeys?
It could be the perfect storm like with what Murphy said - Whatever can go wrong will go wrong. Some of the damage at the top of the ear I'm sure IS corn ear worm., but that's not the full explanation. The answer is, don't plant corn! Or, at that's what I've learned.

 

[X-farmerdan]

Birds:
https://www.agry.purdue.edu/ext/corn/news/timeless/birddamagedears.html