Update on why corn is king

[bigbluetruck]

I went today after a long hiatus to my plot to change cards and put out some more BB2. Unfortunately there was a malfunction with the SD card and I have no pics.

But I did snap a few pics of the corn and beans around the camera. Finally seeing some browsing on the beans

I spooked out a very nice buck, didn't get a great look at him but we was at least a 4x4 and wider than his ears. He was bedded in the corn that you can see in the back of the first pic. I drove the pickup down within about 75 yards of him, dumped out the BB2, changed the card, and as I walked around I passed within 15 yards of him once and on the second pass by he jumped out. Ill bet hell be back tonight, hopefully this time around I'll have a pic of him!

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[DocHolladay]

Some of that damage looks like raccoons. Not saying it is, it just looks like it.

 

[Jason Broom]

Those pictures tell the story of why corn will never be "king", on many food plots. Deer and other critters just beat it up, limiting the total value of corn. In another month, when it finally gets cold enough to hunt, will there be anything left at all? The same amount of ground in sorghum/Sudan grass (at a lower cost) would have resulted in a nice screen that would last at least until the first heavy snowfall. Corn has some value when it's planted in large plots, but is generally a more expensive and risky solution than other options.

 

[j-bird]

Corn can be just what the Dr. ordered or it can be the spawn of the devil depending on your situation. I think corn is one of those plantings that a land manager has to have a real honest discussion with himself about what the situation is and what is practical. There are far safer bets to place your money on than corn. However when everything lines up right, corn is, in my opinion and in my situation, impossible to beat for holding and attracting deer in the fall and winter from a plotting perspective.

 

[Jason Broom]

3 rows? No. 3 acres? MAYBE!

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[Baker]

I've never grown corn on my farm for deer. Lots of reasons why; lousy soil, I think there are much better summer crops, ample carbohydrate sources elsewhere on the farm, I can grow crops all winter... just to name a few.

However corn does serve a purpose. I get it by the dump trailer load...for free. It is true that nothing beats corn as an attractant.

 

[bigbluetruck]

Those pictures tell the story of why corn will never be "king", on many food plots. Deer and other critters just beat it up, limiting the total value of corn. In another month, when it finally gets cold enough to hunt, will there be anything left at all? The same amount of ground in sorghum/Sudan grass (at a lower cost) would have resulted in a nice screen that would last at least until the first heavy snowfall. Corn has some value when it's planted in large plots, but is generally a more expensive and risky solution than other options.

There may be some coon damage, but mostly what you see is damage from deer constantly browsing on the plants and they can never get ahead, although there is still some ears, I'm not sure how many kernals are on them. I do have another acre of corn on the hill above where the pictures are and there is some browsing, but nothing like in the pics. Remember I said its king for me, the combination of food from spring through winter, shelter, and a "comfort" aspect of it makes it great for me, plus the fact that I get the seed for free. That may not be the case for everyone,I can see where in an area that's almost devoid of corn it would be almost impossible to grow it. Ive got some things to try differently next year with my corn.

As far as sorghum, I did plant a screen around this patch with some Arrow Green Screen, and to be honest, I'm pretty disappointed. I planted it per instructions, and gave it 25lbs of N, but with the drought we had its only MAYBE 6ft tall and I wasn't sure it was even going to get that tall, where the corn I planted the same day is at least 7+. And I'm not worried about the corn standing well into the winter, probably long after the sorghum.

Remember this corn was planted at less than 20K, so just under 1/4 bag per acre, even the most expensive triple stack corn is only around $300/ bag so I would only have $75/acre in seed, you can easily spend that on most of the popular food plot seeds, not including BOB seeds.

Hopefully today or tomorrow I will get the rest of the plot planted in oats/rye along with overseeding the beans with the same mix.

 

[Mennoniteman]

The picture clearly shows why soybeans are king.

 

[E_308]

I think if you compared tons of food produced per acre corn would be a long way down the list. Corn is the snickers bar of food plots, they will eat it every time but other stuff is better for them. For the input cost and production I will take clover, wheat, brassicas, or beans any day. Or better yet combo / rotations of everything. Corn king in January, maybe but in September I would much rather set by an oak that a corn field.

This is coming from a guy that processes 50,000 bushels of corn a day to feed humans!

 

[bigbluetruck]

Only problem is I'm not sure there's much for oak or chestnut trees for probably 5 miles, you have to get closer to the river or a creek. Everything here is cottonwood, a few ash and motherf%!$!$#>g cedars.

They honestly just started eating on the beans within the last month or so, before that it was hard to find much browsing at all.
I've always said it, and continue to, the deer we have here are different than normal, I'm at the northern edge of their main range here in NE, another 25 miles north of me and you're in the Sandhills and muley country.

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[farmhunter]

I always have a plot of corn because sometimes.......we get deep snows in hunting season - and nothing beats an acre or two of standing corn that all the deer know about - and if it's a mild Nov/Dec - well the corn is second to soybeans - and will be much used after the hunting season.

So I hear where you are coming from- I like my corn too and rarely do I regret trying to get it to grow -


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[F12Mahon]

First time I planted a half acre of corn the deer only left a few ears. The second year they only ate a few ears. I tilled it all under and boy was that a mistake. I think every kernel grew. It looked like I broadcast it like it was oats. I learned to walk the plot and pick it by hand into my pickup.

Eugene

 

[SwampCat]

That top picture is what is left of eight, 200 ft long corn rows. That is not deer use, it is coon damage. If the coons didnt get it, the hogs would have. Deer will not touch the corn plants in my area.

It is pretty eveident in My eagle seed bean plot where the deer use starts. Deer use my beans from May through February when I bush hog them. Beans are much higher in protien than corn. But, probably the biggest reason a lot of us plant beans over corn is the ease of planting. A little fertilizer, semi clean ground, broadcast the beans and till in. Come back and spray as needed. No need for row crop equipment or later fertilizer requirements. I have produced great bean crops with ATV tillage equipment.

All areas are different - you do what works for you.

 

[JFK52]

I no till plant 5 acres of RR corn every season on my land. It is not planted like cash crop farmers plant their fields. I leave more room between the stalks in each row. That allows for better cob development and gives me the ability to hunt the field with bow and rifle. It is an over winter food source for the deer and an absolute magnet when all the other ag crops in the area are picked. The field is usually totally eaten by February. I mow the stalks down in early spring. I do a two year rotation between the RR corn and soy bean fields.
Corn serves a useful purpose on my land. I doubt I would ever plant less than 5 acres at a time.