Dr James Kroll says brassicas are useless

James Kroll "Dr Deer" issued a stament on his Facebook page yesterday stating deer don't eat brassicas, that they are toxic mustard, and that if your deer are eating them they have nothing else to eat.

I have followed Dr Kroll for many years, but I think he is way off base with this. Pretty bold blanket statement to make. Seems like he is stuck in a "Texas" mentality. I would bet brassicas don't work well there just like they don't do as well across the South. Doesn't get cold enough early enough in the year. I plant clover, alfalfa, chicory, corn, beans, oats, wheat, rye, and several brassica varieties every year. The deer on my farms have access to all of these at once so they can choose to eat what they want. I get more pictures and sightings of deer in my brassicas from Sept15-Dec 1st than on any other food. Would probably be later but I usually run out by December and plots are bare dirt.

Thoughts?

 

I saw your comment on his Facebook post.

I for one haven't had good success with deer "hammering" my brassicas either but I keep trying some every year to hopefully find the right seed for my land.

It was a bold opinion for sure but it's just that, an opinion. Food plotting/farming comes down to each individual piece of land on what works or doesn't work. I did notice that he likely didn't have a very solid planting/fertilizing plan so basing his opinion on that wasn't right.

 

I’d like to know the basis of why he made that statement. That’s like saying the world is flat. Obviously most deer do eat them because that is the best food source around late winter. Deer have the ability to find the most nutrient rich groceries available. I’m betting the deer know better than “Dr. deer”

 

Precisely...he isn't educated on anything except oats and clearly doesn't understand how brassicas work. He stated his brassicas had been in the ground 6 months. That part made me laugh. I can't imagine what those things would taste like after 6 months...probably pretty gross. Plus if he planted large bulb varieties (PT turnips etc) it likely never got cold enough to release sugars during deer season. Easily fixed by planting something like Icicle radishes, 7 top turnips, forage rape...something with more leaf than bulb and maturing earlier. If he is used to growing oats he likely didn't use enough fertilizer. Brassicas love nitrogen as much as corn does. I grew up hunting in North Carolina. Brassicas like turnips simply did not work there. Too warm for too late in the year...so I quit planting them. Here in the Midwest it is totally different. Deer pound my brassicas.

 

First I've heard of it. Cattle sure disapprove of his theory, cover croppers/graziers love brassicas. There's video all over the place of deer eating them also. I've always had a lot of respect for Dr. Deer, I just lost a little of it.

I have had mixed results with brassica as well though, I admit. Our deer don't "love" them but we've got so much food it's just ridiculous. Even the food plots where I have brassica, it's a brassica mix and there's clover, sometimes soybeans, milo, corn, wheat, oats, rye and a myriad of other things planted along with the different brassicas. We had two big plots last fall with a lot of turnips mixed with clovers and those plots the turnips were hammered beginning in early November.

I'm planting more pumpkins this year. I don't usually plant any pumpkin food plots but my retail pumpkin patch always has loads left over. Even now, there are deer out in last falls pumpkin patch every day and evening. I had a pop-up blind in it last fall and hunting there was fun. I'm going to do a couple of plots full of pumpkins this year. I'm also planning on trying to grow some giants again. Grew some a few years ago, biggest was over 200 pounds but had a few loads of pumpkins over 80 pounds and a lot of 150 pounders. It was fun but a lot of work. I'll plant some brassica in it too just to flip Dr. Deer the bird.

 

Not sure what the variables are for this to happen but wont brassicas start rotting after awhile?

I know mine did when I planted them too early...

 

Yes they will. If planted in spring or summer, they will already be rotting by the time hunting season starts. PT turnips in particular have a 60 day grow cycle. 60 days before the 1st frost is when you want to put them in the ground.

 

He's been badmouthing brassicas for years. His job as pitchman for Buck Forage Oats has nothing to do with it. *wink wink*

 

Exactly. Mixed results is a far cry from a blanket statement that "brassicas are a waste of time" (actual quote).

 

Yep, that statement is grossly negligent IMHO.

 

Our cattle absolutely love them.

 

Well, you're killing your cattle you goof...haven't you heard that they are toxic?!?!?!?! Dr. Deer says so.

 

I have been putting toxic mustard on Brats for years....How am I still alive

 

I never tried mustard on them, seems like a waste of good mustard. I usually smack them across the face and leave them raw.

 

I'm in Wisconsin and have planted corn, beans, clover, oats, winter rye, chicory and brassicas.

The one thing I have found is that I like brassicas more than the deer.

 

Do people still take "Dr." Kroll seriously? The same guy the state of Wisconsin paid like $150,000 to save our deer population. Harvest and hunter numbers have been on the decline ever since.

 

In the span of 2 days I have lost years of respect for Dr Deer



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Well I just watched an interview with him on wired to hunt.
http://wiredtohunt.com/2010/06/17/interview-with-dr-james-kroll/

Well, he's not completely wrong...they can cause scours and digestive problems when they are eaten as a majority ration. The problem is that can be said for most anything. I think he's just shilling for buck forage oats.

I also found this:
From Grant Wood's:
http://www.growingdeer.tv/ask/toxic-brassicas/

I had you come out to our farm in New York three years ago. Since then I have moved to a new farm. I had a lot of success planting BioMaxx in our newly cleared fields and I followed-up the next year with brassicas. Would you suggest the same schedule with a non-high fenced piece of property? We have a great limestone supply on site so soil is not the issue. The issue is this new “toxic” problem with brassica.

Nick

Nick,

Good to hear from you! Corn and soybeans are great sources of energy and protein for deer. I've switched to planting them separately rather than blended as they can be managed and produce more yield that way. I assume your comment about limestone means you have access to ag lime. The Ozark Mountains, where I live, are limestone mountains. However, the local native pH averages about 5.6. Remember that pH is on a logarithmic scale — the difference between 5.6 and 6.6 is 10 fold. It is always best to have the soil analyzed and add lime and fertilizer per the recommendations based on a site-specific current soil test.

I've heard there are some advertisements about brassicas being toxic. This is very unfortunate. Brassicas are a primary forage for the HUGE captive deer industry in New Zealand. I've toured those farms and visited with New Zealand researchers. I'm not aware of any toxicity problems with Brassicas. Furthermore, deer have consumed millions of pounds of brassicas in the states and I'm not aware of a single reported toxicity case. Any plant can be toxic if that is the only plant consumed. Deer are very selective feeders, especially wild deer. I rate brassica toxicity a ZERO concern for wild, free-ranging deer.

Growing Deer together,

Grant

I think I'm going to have to agree with Grant here yet again.

 

wow! deer are in my brassica's plot from germ till the last bulb is dug in march. i have them eat them right next to standing beans. but hey he has the title Dr. by his name! lol