I was thinking on planting oats for a early fall hunting plot but my question is When do deer really hit oats?
I've never planted oats in a plot, but we plant it as a cash crop. It really depends when you're planning on planting it for though as far as i know. If you're planting in the spring, the deer will eat the shoots in their first couple months of growth. They'll also eat the oats themselves, and deer actually prefer them over other cereal grains pretty well. It really all depends on when you are going to hunt over it. If you're looking to hunt it early season, then i'd wait to plant until late summer. If you're looking to hunt it late season then i would plant later in the spring so the oats are grown enough that they'll become a major food source when the snow falls. If you're going the late season hunting route, then i would strongly suggest fencing off the oats so they have a chance to mature because a small plot could be eaten down to nothing easily. Just my .02, hope it helps.
We usually let me graze the new shoots, not the grain. After they get used to entering and feeding a certain location, we re-plant with a brassicas blend to hold them through the summer into the fall.
I've planted A TON of oats. They work best when you plant them late and they are 6-8 inches at time of hard frost. You don't want them anywhere near maturity. I plant them by Sept 15th in PA. I am a huge fan of them. They grow anywhere and require very little in the form of fertilizer.
I have used oats for years with good results. I have found that it is worth the extra money to plant the Buck Forage Oats brand if you are in a cold climate. They will withstand some freezing temperatures and stay green when regular oats freeze back and brown up. I plant them in very late August to first week of September.
Im glad i stumbled upon this thread because i was considering planting oats myself. How long will oats stay attractive/ green? Im from northern IL to give you an idea...
We plant oats as well, and they usually last through our mild winters so the deer have something to munch on before our other crops come in. But I've noticed they hit it in our mid-late season.
Plant oats labor day here, they will get out of the ground by second week in september, and they are still green right now. mild winter hasn't killed them off, so deer r still feeding on them here.
Thanks for your input guys. I was wondering what would be a good plot for NY's mid oct opener. Right now im thinking clover but im thinking about planting something with it.
Oats by themselves would be fine for the opener. For that time period I really like AntlerKing's Red Zone though. I'm gonna make my own this year, but planted in late Aug, the deer pound that Red Zone mix in mid Oct. Clover isn't something that I advocate. It's too easy to become infested with weeds and requires more effort than other plots and even the best intentions get ruined by life's complications.
What is in the Antler King red zone? I have heard that clover is one of the easiest as long as you mow it they will over come the weeds.
Ah come on, Ben. :D Planted in the fall with a good grain cover crop, and you're in business. I got 5 years out of my last stand and I'm plowing it down for another planting this fall.
Yeah, Matt, but you're pretty anal about mowing and spraying. I'm just saying for your average new food plotter clover isn't as easy as most make it out to be. You're well above average Sir.
Thanks for the great advise guys. There are so many different options it gets a little confusing when picking what to plant.
