Outdoors - Food plots

   We like to put out food plots for the deer and turkey. This provides high energy food to help sustain them during the cold and snowy winter when little food is readily available. This year, my son Damon and I planted five different areas with turnips and field radishes. Even when the ground is frozen in the wintertime and the green tops have turned brown, deer will dig up the turnips and radishes for a nourishing meal. This year, things have not gone as planned.

   Near the end of July, we tilled up the soil and broadcast the seed. Within a few days, our food plots were turning green and lush. By mid-September, turnips and radishes were flourishing. The turnips were already the size of golf balls, and the radishes were a couple of inches long. We were confident in having plenty of winter food for the deer. I noticed a few deer in the food plots from time to time but did not get out to check them for a couple of weeks. Last week, I went out to check on our crop in the nearest food plot only to discover, every radish and turnip was gone. There were lots of deer tracks, and I could see where the vegetables had been pulled from the ground. The next two plots faired no better. Nothing but bare ground. The final two food plots had a few remaining veggies, but the majority had also been eaten. I was frustrated the deer would so aggressively attack their winter stores when so much other food is readily available.

   This reminded me of the time I planted rice for the geese. At the time, I had not even seen rice grown but thought it would be fun to try and provide migrating geese a nice meal on their way south. I imagined a few geese stopping by for a day or two followed by another group with my rice field lasting a few weeks. John, at Crop Services, is accustomed to my coming in and getting strange things. He ordered my rice seed, being polite enough to not tell me I was crazy. Under the right conditions, we can grow rice in Iowa. I tilled in the rice on the flood plain of the lake. It flooded in a timely fashion and started growing as planned when the water receded. I was really proud of my rice field. In the early fall, it was just starting to make heads when a large flock of geese flew in and ate it to the ground in one night. I was quite upset at the geese until my wife reminded me; I planted it for the geese. I could not argue the point and decided they must have really enjoyed it. The same applies to my now defunct crop of turnips and radishes. It was planted for the deer and in spite of how I feel about it, they can eat it when they choose.

   I was gone for a few days last week. When I got back, Damon and Zane had tilled and re-planted the naked food plants. We now have a nice start on winter wheat. It will provide fresh green feed during the cold months, if the turkeys do not eat all of the seed before it has a chance to grow.