Winter peas, forage oat and clover

[LET EM GROW]

I just planted a 1/2 acre of winter peas, forage oats and clover yesterday 9/8.. I have never planted winter peas before, does anyone have any experience with these? as in if they need a frost to release sugars (like the faorage oats and brassicas) before deer will eat them or do they hit them as soon as they starting growing? just looking for an idea on what to expect. and what not. these are on a brand new, never worked plot.. i tried to set up as a "staging area" close to bedding, about 70 yards in the woods from my soybean field, this is actually still damp and moist, considering the "drought" this pass month and a half.. thanks for any info!

[WNYBuckHunter]

They will hit them as soon as they start growing.I planted them last year and they could never really get going, as the deer nipped them off when they were less than 2" tall. Put a containment cage in the plot, youll see how they are using them.

[growalot]

the deer hit the peas hard once they are up...I plant Max attract which has peas,tritical, oats,trifoil,clovers,and chicory in it...thank heavens for the chicory...for it grew well in the drought and heat...that field should look great in a day or two....

[LET EM GROW]

Thanks!  I will set up a cage this weekend actually, I didn't even think of that.

Grow, I have planted chicory and the deer never seem to eat it on our hill.. but cant seem to beat clovers.. ill frost seed this with clover again in late winter / early spring

 

I have high hopes for this location this fall! I planted it mainly for my fiance to get her first buck ever, this fall, hopefully with a bow!  

[growalot]

It took a couple of years before they would touch mine but now I try to have it in at least 2 plot areas I use the Oasis chicory...Wish you the best and hope she gets a giant with a clean drop in sight kill.

[LET EM GROW]

thanks Grow, i have heard that, if a crop fails to get eaten the first year, plant it again next yr cause it may take 2 years for them to "find it or see it as food".. i will have to try the chicory again then, same with the Groud hog radish, planted an acres worth instead of my turnips 2 years ago, (my mistake, should have mixed them) and the deer never even touched them! Even though they grew 2 ft tall, and a 12-16" radish

[BigGuyNY]

I planted them also last year in a one acre plot and the deer destroyed them.  The difference of the amount in the exclusion cage as opposed to the plot was amazing.  

[landtracdeerhunter]

Peas are a good idea to plant. They like cool damp weather.

[LET EM GROW]

Awesome, thanks. I hung a camera that was given to me and set up a cage on it last night.. 

[WNYBuckHunter]

thanks Grow, i have heard that, if a crop fails to get eaten the first year, plant it again next yr cause it may take 2 years for them to "find it or see it as food".. i will have to try the chicory again then, same with the Groud hog radish, planted an acres worth instead of my turnips 2 years ago, (my mistake, should have mixed them) and the deer never even touched them! Even though they grew 2 ft tall, and a 12-16" radish

 

Typically, from what I have found, the deer dont eat the hog radish tubers, just the greens. Thats crazy that they didnt touch the greens though, those are the first things that get hammered on our plots.

[LET EM GROW]

i was shocked that they didn't touch them either. After all the articles and reviews and such i was pumped to test them, It was one of my go to late season spots too. I figured since they hammer all my turnips,then  they should hammer these for sure.. negative! They rotted fast too, after the first good frost. So maybe if anything, they helped build up the soil some. 

[landtracdeerhunter]

I think it has a lot to do with what food types are available at any given time.Here, if we get the right year, the deer feed into February on the tubers which were still quite edible . Last year, they even fed on turnips right into spring.

[LET EM GROW]

Thats what half of my one brassica plot looks like, they took right off the first 3-4 weeks, then stopped growing basically, some even died off. I Wanted to put some urea down Saturday but never got the chance to. Daddy duties.. Hopefully the rain alone will be enough to help

 

Between most of the surrounding neighbors and myself, we all have food plots and somewhat of a management plan, clover, oats to turnips, alfalfa, and even sanctuaries.. I planted 2 acres worth of soybeans this summer that have actually grown great(thanks to Irish spring soap).. pumped to see what they do this fall. 

[growalot]

sounds like a great situation...have to ask...how much Irish spring did it take to cover 2 acres of beans...trying to picture it....

[LET EM GROW]

Thanks to my fiance and her coupon hobby. i have hundreds of irish spring bar soap.

I put a stake in the ground every 40-50' apart and hung 1 bar of soap about 1.5-2" high per stake around the perimeter along with a pie tin.  a month later, a dozen or so throughout the middle of the plot.. ( I found out they would walk pass the smell-> into the center of the soybeans and then start eating.. they wouldn't touch the outside plants anywhere s near the soap stakes) must be the smell wasn't as strong in the center... And then refreshed them with new soap after about 30 days. just to make sure they would stay out.

 

I will tear down the stakes either once bow season starts or after the farmers pick the surrounding beans.. not sure yet. But this has worked great compared to last year where they ate everything once it was 3" high with no source of "fence".. 

 

I have beans in some spots that are up to my chest, but the majority is waist high.. and I am 5'9, but a ton, and i mean a ton of pods per stem!

[LET EM GROW]

The soap came in 2 packs and i believe she got them for a nickel a pack. I know it was damn near free after the coupons.. so it was pretty cheap compared to the price of a hot fence.

[Fantail]

I'm not sure if they like the peas more but the mix with w/r seems to work.

[LET EM GROW]

Well i checked the plot a week ago, Peas, oats and clover are all growing. about ankle high, but they have not seemed to eat any of it.. which i don't mind, hopefully they wait until October 1st ..