anyone tried planting <1 acre corn plot in big woods?

[jsjandro]

im in nw wi and have two plots, one is 1 and a third and the other is 1/8 acre of clover/chic. the big one is three bulbs strategicly styled into a north bulb of 1/2 acre clover/chic and then pinches into a 1/2 acre south bulb which rolls into a east 1/3 acre piece. the s. and e. parts are swapped turnips and winter oats every season, but was thinking about trying to divide it into 1/3s of oats turnips and corn. big woods where im at and was wonderin what others have had when they tried this. i feel it might work because the deer have the variety and as long as the oats are still green they pound em.
 
the herd size is well managed enough so i think the corn will get past the milking stage, the reason i wanna plant it is because i have a neighbor down the road closer to the winter bedding that gives them corn in his driveway every day once snow flies and then they dont make it to my plots till late at nite. i know that aint probably gonna make deer skip his closer dish, that aint how deer work, but was thinking it might surprise me too, never know!
 
i was thinking of planting the left over feed bag corn ive got after coon trappin, but wanted to hear some experiences planting corn where there aint none much around. there is a single field almost a mile north 80 acres and the deer definitely hit it cuz they always got corn in their paunch when i kill and check it. guessin they eat it there. thank you in advance.

[ranwin33]

We tried planting about 2 acres of corn just on the edge of our timber - but it's not big woods timber like you have in Wisconsin.
 
Anyway, 2 acres of corn didn't make it past tiny ears before it was gone - and this is with 100's of acres of corn and beans in the surrounding fields just a half mile away or so. 
 
My feeling is that an acre in the Wisconsin woods probably wouldn't last much longer, no matter how much other variety you provide.  What the deer don't get, the racoons and other animals will.
 
Not to say you shouldn't try it, afterall what have you lost if it fails, just a season without part of foodplot.  But honestly you'll know if it's not going to work early enough, and you should still be able to come back in and replant with winter wheat or brasiccas.
 
I say give it a try - and let us know how things go.  Hope this helps.

[jsjandro]

thanks thats kinda what i was looking for. i see some smallish fields of corn about up here, and the ears all along the road anyhoo are still intact up till harvest. i know thats a whole nother ball game than a secluded plot though. as for coons we really dont got too many around with the huge drought they just are down number wise, but bear do a number on corn! i know i could still replant come july with turnips if its a loss because if they destroy the corn during silking phase it would already be mid july at least and right on time to plant turnips. thanks ranwin.
 
any northwooders try it? ive heard that a five acre field in a strip back into the woods got bombed before cold weather came along in sw wi, but dont know of anyone trying it here.

[Goose]

Between the bears and deer, I don't think that it is big enough.
 

[clfenimore]

First thought is left over feed corn will produce ears though usually they are very poor quality compared to seed corn! It would be difficult to grow any size corn patch in the woods I haven't ever tried to plant corn under these conditions though I have planted plenty of corn in fields. You would have to either spray off the existing vegetation and no till in the corn with proper nutrition or be able to cultivate between the rows after the corn emerges for weed control as well as fertilize the corn. I did plant some leftover feed corn in an open area at our Belton farm a few years ago and it did produce ears the stalks were extremely tall and the ears were small. I cultivated between the rows a couple times when it was short enough to get over with a tractor and used triple 19 fertilizer. If you want to plant corn or any field crop it really needs to be weed free and have good nutrition how much sun will also be a factor. If you plant corn get it in early may and remember what the old timers say about Corn knee high by the 4th of July that's a good rule of thumb.
Remember you'll be feeding more than just deer Coons will get as much as the deer will