Harvested soybeans

[wdswtr]

Anyone have any insight on if deer will get into a harvested soybean field? I was watching a field get harvested tonight, harvester cuts the plant down crushes/cuts, seperates beans and spits the rest out the back. Was wondering if the deer eat the scraps.

[ants]

I hunted a cut soybean field last year and the year before. The farmer harvested the field, both years, but most of the plants were left 2-3" high and still had beans on them. The deer were in there like crazy. I don't now if the farmer used the wrong type machine to harvest or or if the plants were supposed to be cut that short.

Take a walk out there and see what it looks like, some of the plants might still be there.

[wdswtr]

No there are zero plants left. Cut right at the ground. For a lack of a better term there is basically silage spewed all over the field. Was hoping someone knew if deer ate the silage leftover. Guess I will put a trail cam up on the field and see.

[ants]

I would guess that they would come into the left overs. But the trail cam is a good idea.

[landtracdeerhunter]

Flex headers on combines will get most of the beans. Their will be some waste, from deflected beans off the reels etc.. If u check on the ground, behind where the sieve throws the chaff, most likely will find a few beans on the ground. No brand of combine gets 100% of the beans.

[wdswtr]

I looked and there are a few, not very many though. Probably in a 20 foot square I found like 3 or 4. Was a brand new John Deere dont know if its a flex header or combine though. So the correct term is chaff then. Learn something new every day. Do the deer eats the beans? I planted soybeans in one foodplot for first time and the plants are still green but starting to turn and the deer are just mowing down the leaves and stems and leaving the beans on the stalk.

[sampotter]

Deer LOVE the beans. They'll be in there for the leftovers, but the very best time to hunt it is the first night after harvest. Same as corn.

[pawle76]

Deer will start to eat the beans after they turn golden brown. They turn sweet. Also when the waether gets cold the deer will crave beans for the sugars in them. I know a few hunters who pay the farmers to leave a small portion of their crop standing for the deer.Maybe you can get friendly with one and work out a deal. Good Luck !

[Doc]

Deer will start to eat the beans after they turn golden brown. They turn sweet. Also when the waether gets cold the deer will crave beans for the sugars in them. I know a few hunters who pay the farmers to leave a small portion of their crop standing for the deer.Maybe you can get friendly with one and work out a deal. Good Luck !

That's an interesting thought. Pay the farmer the market price of the beans left in a half acre or so of the field (plus maybe a bit extra). He gets his money and saves the harvesting costs for that section of the field. You never know they just might go for it. Good idea!

[mxsmitz201]

The deer will devour soybeans as long as the leaves are green. They Wont touch the beans until late in the season when its one of the last food sources left. I wouldnt bother hunting a soybean field plot this time of year unless the plants are still green which all the beans around me are nothing but stalks and beans and as brown as the dirt.

Once the corns gone and snows on the ground covering everything else im ploppin my butt on a bean field if they havent already been harvested.

[wdswtr]

Well mine were for a fall planting and what they havent eating are still green. But I dont hunt over my foodplots anyhow. I was more curious about if they eat the chaff leftover from harvesting a farmers field that borders my land. I actually watch the property for him and have had permision to hunt it for many years. As this is not a piece of land he lives on. This field has got to be every bit of 30 acres.

[sampotter]

I had 6 deer feeding in a standing soybean field in front of me last night. My friend would have combined it yesterday if it hadn't rained.

[landtracdeerhunter]

Don't forget, this time of year, fine grasses start to grow in some of these fields. Spray material break down in the wetter soils, and it doesn't kill all the grass seeds anyways.They could be drawn there for that reason. Maybe for the carbs., now that the nights are colder.

[NYbuck50]

I hunted over one last night, had doe coming in the whole last hour

[mxsmitz201]

well ive always heard that soybeans arent as productive to hunt over in the early season as they are late season. and after hunting over 2 different fields this past week, just for something different than my normal areas, id have to agree. seems they are hell bent on alfalfa and clover right now.

maybe its the diversity of preferred foods in my area vs. yours, i dont know.

[Nomad]

I've got corn.beans,clover and alfalfa all around me. Its easy they feed on what ever I'm not hunting.......

[wdswtr]

Well I got my answer. Checked the field out after a morning sit and watched does eating the chaff right next to the turkeys picking out the spilled beans.

[landtracdeerhunter]

Yep, and to a certain extent, they may prefer it after run through the cylinder, as it grinds it up. Good luck with your hunt, and any other questions about a combine, feel free ask, LOL.

[WNYBuckHunter]

I hunted over a partially harvested field yesterday and today, deer out in it eating the beans both on the plants and the ones left on the ground. Theres a corn field right next to it.

This farmer uses an old combine and it spills quite a bit. Beans all over the ground.

[sampotter]

perfect

[landtracdeerhunter]

More in the tank, fill the bank, LOL.

[WNYBuckHunter]

Not my combine or money lol. More beans in the field, more deer in my freezer.

[Nomad]

The farm I hunt plows the ground right after harvest, so not much of anything left,except thick mud and deep furrows .

[bubba]

I have been thinking of planting them next year as a food plot. They would not be harvested at all. I have read mixed reviews doing this. I have read that if the plot is not large enough, they eat them as soon as they come through the ground. I was thinking maybe 5 or so acres. Any ideas about this

[fasteddie]

The guy who farms my SIL's property planted some late soy beans . The plants are almost one foot high . I expected to see the deer hitting them but they are NOT doing that .