Cow corn vs sweet corn?

[Jrs5144]

The past few years I have been hunting one if my friends land who leases his land out to a farmer. The farmer usually plants soybeans, but this year he surprised me by planting some type of corn. I was wondering how I could tell what type of corn it is by the stalk. Furthermore, what types of implications could sweet corn have or cow corn have on hunting. For example, the timing of their harvest and the manner in which they are harvested. I would imagine some methods leave more for the deer than others.... Thanks for the input!

[growalot]

Field corn needs to be dried in the field lower moisture content varies on whether chopped for silage or dried for feed grain...and sweet corn obviously needs to be picked at the height tenderness and sweetness....

 

We use to be able to tell from the color of the silk and height of the stalks ...but there are so many hybrids now I don't know if that would work any more....pretty much all sweet corn is harvested before Oct 1

[phade]

Got Grow notice, the tassels will tell it.

 

Generally if there is cow corn next door within eye shot, it's cow corn there too. Mixing cow corn with sweet corn often results in cruddy sweet corn for humans to eat.

[Jrs5144]

Should I be hoping for cow corn or sweet corn then?

[growalot]

Deer like about all corn....honestly if your talking hunting just hope it's not silage field corn...silage is USUALLY..chopped earlier and leaves very very little residue in the field...grain corn ..cutting depends on moisture content being lower...so weather and mechanical drying schedules will determine harvest...but it does leave a bit more in the field for the critters...

 

Just keep an eye on things because being near by when cutting starts can be a big plus to you in deer movement...but don't neglect what ever preferred late season wild food is near by either...in the woods...even after frosts you will see that bramble patches are still green and drawing in deer..elderberries...apples...acorns...beech trees...ect ect

Besides looking for doe ..all the deer are looking for cover if they've been hanging in the corn all summer

[Jrs5144]

Thanks for the info grow!

[jjb4900]

does regular sweet corn dry out like the type of corn grown for livestock or will it rot due to the high moisture content?

[Culvercreek hunt club]

Hope for Cow corn. If it is sweet corn it will be picked before season opens and nothing will be left. As Grow said, many of the modern  harvesting techniques for cow corn leave very little compared to years ago. The equipment just seems more efficient.

 

Now for the good news. If it is sweet corn and it is picked they may try to get in another crop. Happened on property I hunted last year. THey planted rye and it made a great deer magnet once the other crops were gone and especially when the first snows hit. They were out there pawing every night.

[Jrs5144]

Don't know if this will narrow down the type of corn or not but I felt like it was planted later than other fields in the area.

[growalot]

that may have been weather related this year...my corn is only 2ft tall right now due to a very late planting...no sweet corn kind of shrivels up when it dries  compared to a feed corn