PEANUTS AND FOOD PLOTS

[whubbard]

I have a farm in the ozarks in southern Missouri.  I am wanting advice on planting peanuts as a food source in my food plots.  Anyone had any positive results with peanuts and deer?  I have planted soybeans, corn, wheat, turnips, alfalfa, and clover.  Each seem to have their advantages.  I have read that deer will walk past all of these things to get to peanuts.  Any advice on PEANUTS and DEER is appreciated.

[billcurry]

whubbard, great minds think a alike- and then there are minds like you and I have that wonder how to plant peanuts for deer!  I am hot on the topic myself this year to see if I can get some peanuts in my sandy soil in Wisconsin.  I am going to try and attach a link to a file I found on peanut planting.  Its got some good info that might help you out.  I know a buddy of mine that has put out some peanuts on the ground and the deer love them.  I can only assume growing them would be just as good. 
 
http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/afcm/peanut.html
 
If that link doesnt work, let me know and I will email it to you.  Good luck!

[whubbard]

Thanks billcurry.  This will be my first year planting them.  going to try just one small food plot in an open fescue field behind a tree line.  It offers a bit of cover but I will be able to observe the activity in it from my front porch hunting cabin.  Good luck and I'll let you know if they come in. (Both peanuts, and deer.)

[kazi19722003]

i hunt peanut fields in florida they work ok as food plots as long as the weather is right when it gets cold and their is a lot of frost on the ground it will kill the plants

[whubbard]

do you have other food plots around that the deer feed in while the peanuts are up?  I'm wanting to know if they attract more deer than what I have planted now.

[reeper0697]

I read this post on the 19th when you first made it and have been looking forward to the replies. I have never thought about peanuts before and am really looking forward to what others have to say about them. Great post.

[kazi19722003]

by the time most people around here start planting food plots the peanuts have done been harvested but while they are growing deer will walk past most things

[danesdad]

So, they are feeding on the actual plants, right?

[whubbard]

Everything that I've read (take with a grain of salt) is that the deer will eat the leafy vegetation until it's gone.  Once that happens you are supposed to lightly disc up the actuall peanuts.  The deer will then consume them.  Who knows?  I've just about decided against peanuts, and wanting to plant austrian winter peas

[JBow]

This may not be of much help, but on the subject of peanuts, I can tell you they will work as an attractant in the form of peanut butter.  Deer must like them in other forms also.
I know from experience that if you mix peanut butter with molasses and put it out for the Deer, it won't last very long.  I have used that mixture in the past with my trail cameras to census the Deer herd after the final season is over.
Worked very well.

Hope this was of some help to you.

Good Luck!
J-Bow