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Corn question

Daver

Daver

PMA Member
I have never planted corn for a deer food plot for a couple of reasons, 1. It would be very expensive to fertilize it right, even with free seed. 2. I think there are better options, especially when considering the cost, etc.

However, I am thinking about it next year for a couple of reasons...
Through a variety of habitat improvement projects, I have been very pleased to see more and more pheasants and quail on my place this year. I am glad that I have a fair amount of milo and EW for them this year, so that is both food and cover. In addition, I have expanded switchgrass areas and more general, miscellaneous weed areas too, which the quail in particular seem to be drawn to.

But I was thinking of planting about 2 acres of corn not so much for deer, but for birds. My thoughts are to locate this plot somewhat near a gravel road, as I know that won't affect the birds and it just may cause the deer to not get too comfortable with it and overtake it.

My question is this...if I have a relatively small, 2'ish acre, corn plot that is close to a somewhat lightly traveled gravel road, will the deer avoid it enough to let the corn develop so there is grain for the birds OR will the draw be "too much" for the deer and they will maraud the corn even though it is close to the road and even possibly expose themselves to road poachers, etc?
 
There are a lot of factors to consider whether the deer will leave it alone or not.
Here's a short list of factors

  • Amount of agriculture in the area
    Deer population
    plot distance from deer bedding areas
    etc. etc.

You could always electric fence the plot off with a solar fencer (wires placed at the right height should allow pheasants through and deer out).

I recommend sorghum over corn, easier for pheasant to get at the grain. Corn could be mowed to disperse grain on the ground as well for easier feeding.
 
I would say there are several factors as above, but think you will see deer in it. Hard to say if they will overtake the plot or not depending on those factors, but deer like corn. I've seen many deer in small fields along moderately traveled gravel/paved roads, seemingly without a care in the world (assuming no one is actually stopping and shooting). But maybe less traffic would make them more skittish about any vehicle coming thru if it is "out of the norm".
 
I think you'll get a decent to good stand if its a good year for rain. With it being near the road your browse pressure should be less than a secluded plot. Your main objective with corn is to get it tall enough that they cant center punch it. We have a high deer density area and our corn gets hammered in the secluded areas but does well in plots away from the timber. I know standing corn has its down falls but late season its really hard to beat if you can get it there.
 
What's the local deer density?

I had a three acre corn plot many years ago that got absolutely pounded. You couldn't have hand picked a bushel of corn the first Saturday of December and it looked to be 175+ bushel/acre corn prior to that. It was a rectangle with the small end next to a gravel road.

One good thing about corn is that it is a decent screen for deer feeding in it.
 
The local deer density would be high. Reading the replies and thinking more about it, I like the sorghum idea.

But... I could also see setting up an electric fence too. Someone recently gave me quite a bit of e-fence wire AND one of the areas that I have in mind I could fairly easily expand the one end of the field and bring it right up into the yard, where I have electricity available, so I wouldn't even have to mess with batteries. And it is right next to a new this year 1 acre switchgrass patch.

I am not very up on the particulars of sorghum, do deer leave it alone while growing?
 
We were wanting to try and put some corn in too next year to if the weather allows. Worried about the density in the area though after seeing what they did to 6 acres of beans this year .
 
Is there much other corn around? Depending on the year, I have had 4-5 acre corn plots wiped out in places I leave it every year, but other smaller new areas with so much left over, I have to pick it the next spring, before planting. A new area along a road you should get a good yield, don't knock it down though. They clean it up within days, making it too easy for roadhunters













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If you are looking for a food source/attractant for upland game, there are much better choices than corn. Sorghum or even sunflowers would be better choices, and if close to a gravel road, could provide some dove shooting opportunities about this time of year as well...if a person so desired.

Glad to hear some pheasants and quail moving back into that part of the state. Do them a favor...shoot every hawk you can :D

NWBuck
 
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