09 Corn Field

[Goose]

I wasn't thinking when I posted that, sorry.
If you have the option to make it bigger I would recommend that.
I would try to draw the deer to your plot by planting something different.Deer love variety and if you have something that the neighbors don't it will put the deer on your land. Whats different for your area?
Ideally it would be nice to plant beans for summer forage then work the edges up and plant turnips or something of that nature for the later months. Try to have something all season to keep them there all season.

[ranwin33]

1 acre isn't big enough for a corn field.  The ears will all be stripped before they have a chance to mature, then you'll have nothing but a bunch of stalks.  If you can get to five acres, that would be better - then plant the corn with beans in the same field.  With some luck the nitrogen fix from the beans might help the corn grow.
 
We've got nearly a three acre plot we plant with corn and beans - the corn ears are always gone before they mature, but they soybeans stick around through winter.  They tend to come back even when grazed hard.  The corn basically servers as screening once they've got the ears gone.

[drdaven]

Frazor,

With nearly 200 acres of tillable ground, there has got to be a local farmer who would love to lease the land to plant it.  You couldn't expect him to leave the crops on the field, but the browse available during the growing season and that left on the ground after the harvest would certainly keep the deer interested. 

The farmer should be courteous enough to not plow everything down so early that you don't have any time to hunt the harvested field.  Don't even try to get in writing, a "no harvest until..." or "no working from this date to that..."  You will find yourself with no planting and no lease.

Save a few acres here and there for some 'honey hole' food plots to hunt over and you should be in heaven come deer season.

[frazor]

Thanks guys for all of the info. The only problem with expanding is that all of my property is used for my cattle to graze. I think I am just going to suck it up and plow under an additional 3 acres and plant soybeans or corn. I just cant decide on which. There is no commercial farming around my area except for a few neighbors who put in 5-10 acres of corn every year for their own cattles' consumption which makes me think I should go with soybeans. However, I want to plant whichever product will be best for late fall/winter hunting. In ya'lls opinion which would help me accomplish this goal better, corn or soybeans?

[JPH]

Clover. Sorry, I know that's not what you asked for.

[Goose]

I would go with a brassica. I plan on putting 4 acres of soybeans then about mid July I plan on working up 30 yards all the way around it and putting in either a brassica like turnips or sugar beets.
 
As JPH said clover can be a good all year plot and will last longer because of it being a perennial.

[drdaven]

Frazor,

Ever consider one of the blend mixes that are out there?  Monster mix or something like this.  It certainly will be different from what the neighbors are planting and will offer some perennials for carry over.

[frazor]

I think I am going to plant clover in the 1 acre spot I had originally designated for corn. Then, plant 3 acres of corn between the clover field and my remaining pasture. I would sure like to go with soybeans because I would have the only bean field within 10 miles of this location, but I fear that beans will be more high maintenance than corn, and possibly harder to get growing. Which have you guys had more success growing? Again, thanks.

[DoeEyed]

A couple of years ago we put in a small 1 acre corn field to hunt over surrounded by a swamp, mixed hardwoods and my neighbors agricultural fields. He ALSO had corn planted. The deer did strip the ears before they were mature but because it was a small protected area they felt safe & came to my field first in the evenings. I had alot of deer in that corn every evening. I did'nt take a deer that year cuz I did'nt know enough about stand placement but small plots will work if you set up right even if the same food is in a big field next door. The deer feel safer in smaller, enclosed areas. 
 
I should also add that we had never put in a food plot before nor really planned on having one. The farmer next door had some corn left over so the field got plowed and planted, that's it. No weed control, fertalizer or anything else. Did'nt stop the deer though.

[Goose]

We tried to get a 3 acre corn field planted 3 years in a row, it would get about knee high and thats it. Planted it with a drill and everything. I think the weeds played a big role in it failing.
 
Planted round up ready soybeans for the first time last year with a broadcaster and it came up good.
 
We have a sandy soil and and we battled a couple of droughts as well with the corn so who knows. 
I was definitely happy with the beans though.